U-Haul Expansion & Amendment to Approved Use Permit Project

A Conditional Use Permit (CUP25-0006) and Oak Resource Management Plan (MGT25-0014) for the construction of 137 mini storage units, approximately 7.67’x 26’ in size each, for a total floor area of 29,057 square feet on a crushed gravel base for U-Haul on a mixed zoned parcel, with both Light Industrial with a Site Performance Combining District (M1-SP) and Open Space with a Site Performance Combining District (OS-SP) zoning districts located at 17400 Cattle Drive (APN: 051-110-008), and an Amendment to an Approved Use Permit (U87-023) to allow for exterior lighting and outdoor storage for the existing U-Haul facility on a mixed zoned parcel, including General Agricultural with a minimum parcel size of 5-acres with a Site Performance Combining District (AG-5-SP), Light Industrial with a Site Performance Combining District (M1-SP) and Open Space with a Site Performance Combining District (OS-SP) at 17350 Cattle Drive (APN: 051-440-010). Both project parcels are located within the boundaries of the Penn Valley Area Plan (Business Opportunity District) and are approximately 6.69 acres (APN: 051-110-008) and 5.57 acres (APN: 051-440-010) in size. Both parcels will utilize the same shared access via Cattle Drive, a 50 foot right-of-way, and the access to APN: 051-110-008 is solely proposed through the northwestern and southwestern paved drive aisles on APN: 051-440-010 which provide direct internal access to APN: 051-110-008. The existing gate to Cattle Drive shall not be used for access and will only be used for maintenance of the proposed water retention basin as needed. The proposed project includes approximately 1.84 acres of the project parcel being proposed for development with the remainder of the project parcel remaining Open Space on APN: 051-110-008 and to allow for both outdoor storage and for the existing light pole exterior lighting fixtures to remain on site at APN: 051-440-010). The two projects will be combined and function as one (1) U-Haul mini storage operation across both parcels. The proposed development on APN: 051-110-008 includes four (4) total mini storage structures of different sizes, referenced by Buildings A-D. Building A is proposed to be a twenty-nine (29) unit, 6,114 square foot building with a non-lit cabinet wall sign on the southern portion of the building facing Cattle Drive. Building A units will have doors for access to each unit on the eastern side of the building, the western side includes faux doors, and the northern side will be bare. Building B is proposed to be a forty-two (42) unit, 8,927 square foot building, and all units will have doors for access on the western and eastern sides, with faux doors on the south side of the building, and the north side remaining bare. Building C is proposed to be a fifty-eight (58) unit, 12,337 square foot building, and all units will have doors for access on the western and eastern sides, with faux doors on the south side of the building, and the north side remaining bare. Building D is proposed to be an eight (8) unit, 1,678 square foot building, and all units will have doors for access on the southern side of the building with the northern, eastern, and western sides, all remaining bare. Both parcels will share internal parking to accommodate both sites of the U-Haul facility. There are four (4) total parking spaces for the mini storage facility, with one of the parking spaces being an ADA accessible parking space. Additionally, the project description for proposed activities at 17350 Cattle Drive does not propose any new structures and will remain as an existing mini storage facility, with the only new aspect of the existing facility being the allowance of outdoor storage of vehicles and allowing exterior lighting fixtures on-site, which were not permitted under the original Use Permit. The outdoor storage area will consist of thirty-three (33) parking spaces for the outdoor storage area to accommodate vehicles for storage, six (6) parallel parking spots and twenty-seven (27) angled parking spaces. All of the parking spots are paved and striped, and the proposed outdoor storage area is in a central area of the parcel with mini storage structures surrounding it. The proposed outdoor storage area has an existing electric gate, and the outdoor storage area will be completely fenced and will contain a dark green screening fabric along the fence lines to screen the outdoor storage from Cattle Drive and Highway 20. In addition to the fencing and green fabric, the outdoor storage area is screened by existing vegetation that provides a visual buffer between the roadways and public views to the proposed outdoor storage area. The three (3) light pole exterior lighting fixtures are existing already within the parking area internal to the existing U-Haul facility at 17350 Cattle Drive and are approximately 20 feet in height. The three (3) existing light pole exterior lighting fixtures shall remain shielded and downward facing pursuant to Title 12, Chapter 4, Section 12.04.108 Lighting of the Nevada County Code. The proposed project includes Buildings A-D to be constructed of 12"W MBCI PBD vertical panels that are a gray color to match the existing U-Haul facility, mixed light toned faux stacked stone, 9”H trim painted dark green to match the existing U-Haul facility, and sierra sunset orange doors for each mini storage unit. There is no manager’s residence, retail store, or trash enclosures proposed as a part of this expansion project due to the new project parcel proposing to utilize the existing manager’s residence, retail store, and trash enclosures located on the existing U-Haul mini storage facility at APN: 051-440-010. Both parcels (APNs: 051-110-008 & 051-440-010) will share these services that have already been constructed and provided for the existing U-Haul business. The project will have the same hours of operation as the existing business, which is seven (7) days a week 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. No new employees will be hired for the expansion. There will continue to be a maximum of five (5) employees on staff. Not all will be there at the same time. There is no exterior lighting being proposed as part of the project and all maximum noise levels will be complied with due to the proposed project activities being conducted indoors and including a use that is typically very minor in nature in regard to noise. A Sign Plan was provided for the proposed addition of one (1) 45 square foot non-lit cabinet wall sign proposed on the front of the proposed mini storage facility. A Preliminary Landscaping Plan was submitted which includes 1,257 proposed plantings consisting of eight (8) Blue Oak trees, nine (9) Valley Oak trees, 335 Korean Feather Reed Grass shrubs, 400 Dwarf Cape Rush shrubs, twenty-nine (29) Noel Grevillea shrubs, twenty-five (25) California Coffeeberry shrubs, 264 Low Boy Bank Catclaw ground covers, 187 Sunset Manzanita ground covers, and 8,148 square feet of bark. A landscape buffer along Cattle Drive and Grey Oak Drive is proposed within the Open Space area that includes Blue Oak trees, Valley Oak trees, California Coffeeberry shrubs, Noel Grevillea shrubs, and existing oak trees on site. The proposed project includes an Oak Resource Management Plan prepared by Dudek for the proposed removal of approximately seventeen (17) trees categorized as Landmark Oak Grove, including one (1) Landmark Oak Tree, to develop the project parcel and provide access to the existing U-Haul business. Five (5) trees will be retained and protected, which includes the other two Landmark Oak Trees in the project area. The project’s Preliminary Landscape Plan proposes planting seventeen (17) Oak trees (9 Valley Oak and 8 Blue Oak), each of which are 24” box size. Each 24” box Oak tree would have a DSH of a minimum of 2” at the time of planting. This would therefore satisfy replacement of 34” of trunk diameter pursuant to Nevada County Code, with the remaining 11” of trunk diameter mitigation via an in-lieu fee payment to the Bear Yuba Land Trust’s (BYLT) Oak Woodland Conservation Fund.