Planning commission to review facility expansion, casino hours, proposed dismantling shop

The Lodi Planning Commission is set to review requests for an expansion of a local baseball center, an extension of hours at the Parkwest Casino and a proposed auto dismantling shop during its meeting set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Carnegie Forum.

D & D Sports Academy, located at 400 Charleston Way, is seeking a use permit to expand its business within an existing industrial building. According to Dennis Gomes, owner of the center, he is expanding to make room for the growing business.

“It’s that popular,” Lodi City Planner Craig Hoffman said. “They have that many players that are looking for help with developing their softball and baseball skills.” Hoffman said

D & D Sports Academy has been around since 1996 and is a softball and baseball training center that offers instruction and training on hitting, pitching and fielding.

The building is 3,700 square feet and the center is open seven days a week; weekdays from 5 to 9 p.m., and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Classes range from two students per one instructor to 16 students with four instructors.

The expansion will include the addition of a new infield class, Gomes said.

“With this new expansion we’ll be working on defense indoors. It’s a big part of the game that really is not taught out there in a facility,” Gomes said.

In addition to the new class, they will also be bringing in a new pitching coach for baseball and softball, something they didn’t have before. He will also be getting a machine that simulates pitching.

Parkwest Casino on Cherokee Lane is looking to amend the casino’s use permit to extend the hours of operation from 20 to 24 hours a day, Hoffman said.

“The city has not had any issues with that site. They’ve been a great business for the community,” Hoffman said. “It’s popular and we’ve seen that business continue to grow out there for that the past 11 years.”

The request comes shortly after the Lodi City Council approved amending the city’s card room ordinance to allow card rooms in Lodi to stay open 24 hours a day. The proposed time expansion would conform to all applicable federal, state and city regulations, Hoffman said.

Senate Bill 654, which became effective Jan. 1, allows card rooms to operate 24 hours a day seven days a week given the appropriate local ordinance and use permit.

The Parkwest Casino has been in operation since 2007 and offers a full-service restaurant and bar to complete its card room.

Also Wednesday night, Shoukat Din will be seeking a use permit to allow an auto dismantler business in the industrial zone at 1007 Black Diamond Way.

“He was in here before with another project, and it did so well, he’s looking to expand to his own business,” Hoffman said.

The building has been historically used for industrial uses, contractors’ offices and storage. The building space is approximately 1,500 square feet and there is 6,000 square feet for car storage in the back. Din plans to purchase cars, dismantle them and sell the individual parts. He anticipates that 15 to 20 cars will be dismantled at a time. Remaining car bodies and parts will be taken to a junk yard for disposal. Storage of discarded parts would not be allowed at the site, and all dismantling will take place inside of the building, Hoffman said.

Car storage is proposed on the outside open lot that is paved behind the building. The hours of operation are Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

All fluids will be stored and recycled, or disposed of in an approved manner by San Joaquin County Environmental Health, Hoffman said. Any business generating hazardous wastes are required to prepare a hazardous material business plan with the county.