Porter’s Crossing Center before council
Project could bring up to six new businesses
The city may see up to six new businesses locate in the Porter’s Crossing Commercial Center in the near future.
“It is exciting to see a project of this kind of scale come into town, especially at one of our busiest intersections in town,” said Julie Phillips, the city’s community development manager.
The intersection is Prospect and Henderson, specifically the northeast corner of Henderson Avenue and Prospect Street.
“It will be a good redevelopment, bring some new breath into that part of town,” Phillips said.
However, before anything can happen with the proposed project, it has to go before the Porterville City Council, which will consider Tuesday a number of things regarding the project, the first being adopting a draft resolution approving a negative declaration of environmental impact.
If approved, the council will also consider approving a request of a general plan amendment, zone change and a conditional use permit to facilitate the development of Porter Crossing, a 1.79 acre site for a new 12,410 square foot commercial center with up to six individual tenant spaces.
Jenni Byers, the city’s community development director, said in a staff report that the proposed general plan amendment and zone change are supported by staff due to the logical pattern continued by the proposed action. She said the intersection of Henderson Avenue and Prospect Street has long been a major commercial corner in the city, and noted that commercial uses extend north and south of the intersection on all other corners at dimensions consistent with what is now proposed for the northeast corner.
The approval of the general plan amendment and zone change would bring the current zoning of the subject parcels into consistency and compliance with the proposed use. Byers said the present land use and zoning for the subject 1.79 acre site is split between CR (Retail Centers) and RM-3 (High Density Residential) and is being proposed to change entirely to CR (Retail Centers). She said land uses surrounding the project area are primarily commercial to the south, east and west, with high- and medium-density residential to the north of the project.
The final configuration of the existing parcels has yet to be determined. She noted that prior to building permit submittal, a reciprocal ingress/egress agreement shall be recorded if a parcel merger of all the properties is not proposed.
Byers said the requested conditional use permit is to authorize the sale of alcohol at up to three of the tenant spaces, including two Type 41 licenses (onsale of beer and wine for a bona fide public eating place) and one Type 47 license (on-sale general for a bona fide public eating place). The project lies in Tract 35.02, which currently has seven alcohol licenses, one on-sale and six off-sale. She said the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) verified that 18 licenses are allowed in the tract area before the area is deemed over concentrated.
Although the proposed use is allowed by right in the retail center zone, Byers said the project, as proposed, requires a conditional use permit per development ordinance section 301.03 “Alcohol Beverage Sales.” While the city’s development ordinance does not have proximity restrictions to sensitive uses such as schools and churches, Byers noted that over the last several years the city council has been sensitive and protective of surrounding uses.
A section of the Porterville Development Ordinance also requires that a six-foot block wall be provided on the interior lot lines where any non-residential use abuts a residential district.
The parcel immediately north of the project site is designated as RM-3, which she said would require the project to construct the block wall. Byers noted, however, that subsection 4 further elaborates that those uses subject to a conditional use permit may be evaluated to determine applicability of the wall requirement.
City staff has had several discussions with the property owner to the north who intends to rezone to a commercial use as well, but has not submitted any applications to do so.
Byers said the proposed layout identifies a parking field to be adjacent to the RM-3 zone, and that the parking identified on the parcel is part of the required parking for the commercial center.
In light of the request from staff for the reservation of a deceleration lane to support future commercial uses and conversations with the adjacent property owner who has expressed a desire to rezone to a commercial use, Byers said council will evaluate the block wall requirement.
Byers added that the council may require the applicant, Nick Frechou, of Retail California — a real estate agency in Fresno — to construct the block wall, waive the requirement, or condition that the private property owners provide a recorded mutual agreement acknowledging responsibility of the construction of the wall if the northerly property were to develop as residential. The timing of the condition would be prior to the issuance of the proposed project’s building permit. In other matters:
Will consider approving the purchase of a speed/message trailer from All Traffic Solutions in the amount of $8,717.20.
Will consider approving the painting of the Zalud House, to be completed by Gary Bennett’s Painting for an amount not to exceed $5,925.
Will consider approving the final subdivision map of Summit Estates Two, Phase I, from Smee Homes, Inc., and accepting all offers of dedication shown on said map or by separate deed document.
Will consider authorizing the mayor and city manager to sign the Quitclaim Deed and any other applicable documents to relinquish the repurchase option for 1835 S. Thunderbolt Dr.
Will consider approving the provision of free bus transportation to participants for the Project Homeless Connect event on Jan. 25, 2018.
Will consider approving a request to consider “The Spirit of Christmas” draft editorial prepared by Vice Mayor Brian Ward.
Will consider the continuance of the Declaration of Local Emergency.
The council meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers at Porterville’s City Hall.