Oxnard planning staff recommend legalizing Seed Beauty’s unpermitted mezzanine and granting parking relief

Assistant Planner Michael Lawson told the Oxnard City Planning Commission on April 16, 2026, that staff recommends approving a major modification to legalize a 7,400-square-foot unpermitted mezzanine at Seed Beauty’s 1451 Vanguard Drive site and granting administrative relief from city parking requirements.

The project would legalize an interior mezzanine inside an existing approximately 15,093-square-foot industrial building and does not propose any exterior site changes. "The applicant is proposing shared parking between the properties," Lawson said, listing nearby parcels included in the proposed shared-parking agreement.

Lawson said the subject parcel is required under Oxnard City Code Section 16-622 to provide 90 parking spaces after accounting for the mezzanine; the parcel currently provides 41 spaces. The applicant’s shared-parking arrangement counted parking on several adjacent properties and found a combined supply of 227 spaces versus a raw code requirement of 268 across those properties.

To justify administrative relief, staff described a submitted parking study that applied Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) peak-demand rates, building area, and employee data (and adjusted for vacant buildings) to estimate actual peak parking needs. Lawson summarized the study’s result: "the peak demand is only 128 spaces which is significantly less than the 228 spaces provided. Therefore we've come to the conclusion that this administrative relief from parking requirements should be granted." The study also included hourly breakdowns and operational factors such as deliveries and employee schedules.

On environmental review, Lawson said the modification is limited to the building footprint and is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under Section 15301 (Class 1, existing facilities); staff intends to file a notice of exemption.

Lawson reported that the site was not within a General Plan–identified neighborhood so no community workshop was required, notices were posted and mailed to surrounding property owners, and staff had received no public comments as of the presentation.

Staff recommended that the Planning Commission find the project categorically exempt under CEQA Section 15301 and adopt a resolution approving Planning & Zoning Permit number 25-550-05 (major modification) subject to specified findings and conditions. "That's all I have," Lawson concluded.

The Planning Commission retained the item for its consideration and a formal decision on the recommended resolution.