Use Permit Application No. PLN2025-0111 - Pacific Coast Commodities

Request to establish a nut shelling, sizing, sorting, bulk packaging, and storage facility in three phases on a 9.35± acre parcel in the General Agriculture (A-2-40) zoning district. Under proposed Phase 1, three existing attached barns totaling 116,010± square feet will be utilized for the sizing, shelling, sorting, bulk packaging, and storage of almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios and macadamias from local growers, hullers and shellers; an existing 8,650± square-foot building will be used as an employee breakroom, offices, and garage; an existing 3,032± square-foot shade structure will be utilized for miscellaneous storage; an existing 1,764± square-foot agricultural storage building will be utilized for miscellaneous agriculture related storage; and an existing 7,000± square-foot roof-only pole barn will be utilized for the loading and unloading of trucks. None of these existing structures were built with permits and will be required to obtain building permits as part of Phase 1. The project site is also currently improved with 15 existing parking spaces, two 30-foot-tall light poles on-site with one positioned at each driveway on-site, and two permitted structures consisting of a 2,000± manufactured home, and a 4,770± square-foot horse barn used for the property owner’s horses. The applicant proposes to stripe eight additional parking spaces for a total of 23 parking spaces on-site under Phase 1. Under Phase 2, the applicant proposes to construct a 7,200± square-foot utility building for agricultural equipment storage, and a 13,410± square-foot utility building for the storage and fumigation of tree nuts. If approved, a condition of approval requiring sprinklers for the unpermitted barns and a change of occupancy permit for all structures to be utilized as part of the proposed facility to be finaled will be added to the project for Phase 1. Phase 1 is anticipated to begin immediately upon project approval; and Phase 2 is anticipated to be developed within a year of the completion of Phase 1. The facility currently employs up to 25 full-time employees and one part-time employee, and operates year-round from 5:00 a.m. to 12 a.m., Monday – Friday with two shifts; a total of 20 employees will be on a maximum shift from 5:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A maximum of one to two truck trips per-day are anticipated during business hours for a total of seven trips per week. No fencing, landscaping or signage is proposed under this request. The site is served by a private domestic well and septic system and takes access off County-maintained Faith Home Road via two existing driveways. Stormwater runoff is handled by an existing drainage basin located on the project site. The project site is enrolled in an active Williamson Act contract; however, a non-renewal has been filed and the project site will remain under contract until December 31, 2028. A similar request for a nut shelling, sizing, sorting, bulk packaging and storage facility was approved by the Planning Commission on January 16, 2020, under Use Permit No. PLN2018-0001 – Pacific Coast Commodities, which permitted utilizing three barns totaling 60,000± square feet for the nut operation and a 1,600± square-foot office for administrative purposes and employee breakroom; however, the Conditions of Approval of the Use Permit were never fulfilled and the Use Permit has since expired. Additionally, the number of buildings on-site has increased since 2018.