CHICO — Convening for the first time in over three months, the Chico Planning Commission will sample a potpourri of matters Thursday evening, from individual parcels to overarching policies.
The agenda features a proposal to subdivide a 20-acre lot by California Park, potential redevelopment of the Chico Nut Company site on The Esplanade and modifications to “residential readiness” portions of land-use codes and the general plan for consistency with the city’s housing element update. The commission last met Feb 1; minutes from that meeting constitute the consent agenda.
On the northwest corner of Highway 32 and Bruce Road, a property not currently set for development nonetheless would split into four parts if subdividing gets approved.
The biggest parcel, 11.8 acres along 32 with a sliver of access to Bruce, would feature both Medium-High Density Residential and High Density Residential zoning. The 2.2 acres at the intersection would be Community Commercial, as would 0.6 acre to its north. The remaining 5.5 acres would be Primary Open Space and Secondary Open Space, intended as a conservation easement for that portion of Dead Horse Slough.
The second and third items — Chico Nut and the general plan — are connected (and appear together in a staff report detailing the two).
When the city adopted the 2022-30 housing element in September, this process prompted a review of various planning documents, most notably Title 19 of the municipal code and the 2011-30 general plan.
Per the staff report, the Community Development Department recommends “a number of amendments to Title 19” to implement actions in the housing element, “create consistency with policy direction” with the general plan, “resolve minor inconsistencies” in city codes, “formalize interpretations” from Community Development Director Brendan Vieg and “respond to new state legislation,” plus “clarify terms and definitions.”
In addition, modifications address council decisions to streamline permitting for projects requiring architectural review, relax parking requirements for residential projects downtown, adjust restrictions on selling and serving alcohol, and “clarify language” in commercial cannabis regulations.
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The nexus with Chico Nut involves integrating a site within a planning framework. Community Development staff identified five parcels totaling just over 10 acres “as an opportunity site in The Avenues Neighborhood Plan” presenting the potential for “adaptive reuse of an industrial site that is ‘sunsetting’ its operations.
The Chico Planning Commission generally meets at 6 p.m. on the first and third Thursday of the month at City Council Chambers, 421 Main St. Meetings are free and open to the public.
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