The Sutter County Planning Commission unanimously voted 5-0 on August 19 to recommend approval of a minor amendment for a new warehouse. The project, located at 7234 Pacific Avenue near Pleasant Grove, involves a roughly 130,219-square-foot warehouse on a 10-acre parcel, according to the commission’s meeting minutes.
PDC Norcal, LLC, is listed as the applicant for Project U26-0012, with Holt of California identified as the owner. The commission’s action aligns with staff's recommendation that the Sutter County Board of Supervisors approve both an administrative permit and a design-review amendment for the proposed development. The project has been identified as exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA Guidelines sections 15302 and 15061(b)(3).
According to the staff report and agenda packet, the county's standard calculations would typically require 65 off-street parking spaces for a warehouse of this size. However, the approved development plan sets a minimum of 51 spaces. This allocation includes 35 standard spaces, three accessible spaces, and 13 spaces designated to meet electric-vehicle requirements. This represents a reduction of 14 spaces, or approximately 21.5% fewer spaces than the standard calculation.
Staff confirmed that the new warehouse would serve as a relocation for an existing Holt operation. The move is not expected to increase staffing, as it will accommodate the current 34 employees, with no expansion of operations proposed. The applicant presentation indicates that the facility's operating hours would be from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 7 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Furthermore, the packet specifies that truck and passenger-vehicle traffic would utilize separate driveways, and no outdoor storage is proposed for the site.
The project comes with several conditions that the applicant must fulfill. These include dedicating additional right-of-way along Pacific Avenue and providing a public-service easement. The applicant is also required to execute a Roadway Impact Fee Agreement before the facility begins commercial use. Additionally, a 20% fair-share contribution toward a future traffic signal and related intersection improvements at Pacific Avenue and Riego Road is mandated. The reviewed materials did not specify the exact dollar amount or the payment timing for this contribution.
Further conditions require the approval of drainage and grading plans, the implementation of onsite retention or detention facilities, and the establishment of stormwater pollution-prevention measures. Compliance with both county and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) floodplain rules is also necessary, as the packet notes that the northern portion of the site lies within FEMA flood zones A and A99. Following the Planning Commission's approval, a Notice of Exemption was to be filed with the County Clerk within five working days.
As of the review of the August 25 Board of Supervisors minutes, final action on Project U26-0012 was not recorded. The project's status before the Board should be confirmed through subsequent agendas, minutes, and any appeal records.
