Planning Commission approves gas station, convenience store at 15895 Dam Road

The Clearlake Planning Commission voted May 10 to adopt a resolution recommending approval of a conditional use permit and categorical exemption for a gas station, convenience store with on-site alcohol sales, office space, a fast-food restaurant, and a drive-through car wash at 15895 Dam Road.

Chair Wilson opened the item and staff presented a site plan showing the project parcel adjacent to an approved Phase 1 Starbucks and an anticipated Phase 2 development. City engineer Dave Swartz told the commission the driveway into the site is built to 31.4 feet, wider than earlier records indicated, and staff proposed restriping and a dedicated left-turn pocket on Dam Road to improve queuing and access into the project parcel.

Senior planner Mark Roberts told commissioners the applicant provided 28 parking spaces, exceeding the minimum municipal code requirement of 22 spaces (section 18-20.090), including three spaces with EV chargers and one ADA space. Staff also reported the drive-through car wash stacking meets the code minimum of 114 feet with approximately 121.9 feet of stacking provided. Swartz said a planned roundabout associated with nearby projects would improve level-of-service (LOS) and that without the roundabout current LOS remains within acceptable city standards.

Commissioners pressed staff on queuing and traffic impacts. Commissioner Stewart said her remaining concern was how three queued vehicles in the new left-turn pocket might affect northbound traffic; staff and the engineer said the pocket would accommodate about three cars and that, given the small size of this gas station compared with higher-volume stations, the project was not expected to reduce LOS below acceptable thresholds.

With those clarifications, Commissioner Stewart moved to adopt Resolution PC2022-28 recommending approval of the conditional use permit and corresponding CEQA categorical exemption; Commissioner McCarrick seconded. The roll-call vote recorded Commissioners Williams, Stewart, McCarrick, Vice Chair (recorded as) Kocher, and Chair Wilson voting "Aye." Chair Wilson announced the motion carried.

The commission’s approval includes the conditions of approval and mitigation measures in the staff packet; staff noted the gas station was not included in the Starbucks traffic study and said design work on the planned roundabout is expected in 2023 with possible construction in 2024. The project record lists the site as formerly 15881 Dam Road and Assessor Parcel Number 010-043-53-000.

The Planning Commission moved on to the next agenda item after concluding public testimony on the gas station item had been minimal and primarily affected by remote-audio issues earlier in the meeting.