Lodi Site Plan and Architectural Review Committee - September 23, 2026

Lodi

Sep 19

Written By Don Bradford

Lodi Site Plan and Architectural Review Committee — Regular Meeting, September 23, 2026

Lodi Site Plan and Architectural Review Committee — Regular Meeting

Wednesday, September 23, 2026 — 5:15 p.m.

Carnegie Forum, 305 West Pine Street, Lodi, CA 95240

Chair Rosado | Vice Chair Donaldson | Members Hamilton, Dickens, Woehl

Summary

The September 23, 2026 Site Plan and Architectural Review Committee (SPARC) meeting is a single-hearing sitting on a project that has been moving through Lodi's development pipeline since 2023. Item 4a is design and site-plan review for a proposed Maverik convenience store, seven auto and five truck fuel dispensers, and an 8.81-acre commercial lot at 4872 East Kettleman Lane — the southeast corner of Kettleman and South Beckman Road, roughly 350 feet east of the State Route 99 interchange. The Committee's action is quasi-judicial and triggers ex parte disclosure under Resolution No. 2006-31 and campaign-contribution disclosure under Government Code §84308.

The site was annexed into the City by San Joaquin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) on August 26, 2026. The Committee sits at 5:15 p.m.; at 7:00 p.m. the Planning Commission takes up the linked Use Permit for a Type 21 off-sale alcohol license at the same store (PL2023-042 U), plus an unrelated Tentative Parcel Map at 401 North Ham Lane (PL2026-013). Staff finds no further environmental review is required under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines §15162, relying on the 2025 Maverik Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (State Clearinghouse No. 2024030646). Staff recommends approval subject to the Conditions of Approval in Attachment D.

Meeting Details

Date & Time: Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 5:15 p.m.

Location: Carnegie Forum, 305 West Pine Street, Lodi, CA 95240 (in-person)

Zoom Webinar: Meeting ID 818 0090 1564, Passcode 747476, or dial 1‑669‑444‑9171 / 1‑346‑248‑7799

Live Video: youtube.com/CityofLodi

Committee Members: Chair Rosado, Vice Chair Donaldson, and Members Hamilton, Dickens, and Woehl (per the January 14, 2026 minutes in the packet)

Community Development Contact: Administrative Assistant Jessica L. Pagán, (209) 333-6711

Public Comment: In-person at Carnegie Forum; by Zoom during the meeting; by email to sparccomments@lodi.gov received no later than 3:15 p.m. (two hours before the meeting); by mail to Community Development Department, P.O. Box 3006, Lodi, CA 95241; or hand-delivered to 221 W. Pine Street, Lodi, CA 95240 by 3:15 p.m. day-of.

Appeals: SPARC decisions may be appealed to the Planning Commission and then to the City Council within 10 business days by filing a written appeal with the City Clerk and paying a $300 appeal fee, per Lodi Municipal Code §17.70.050. Only persons who participated in the SPARC review (written or oral testimony, or attendance) may appeal.

Ex Parte and §84308: The public hearing is quasi-judicial. Committee members must disclose ex parte communications on the record and disclose any campaign contributions greater than $250 received in the last 12 months from an applicant, contractor, agent, or interested participant, per Government Code §84308.

Agenda

1. Roll Call

2. Minutes — January 14, 2026 and August 26, 2026

Approval of two sets of minutes. The August 26, 2026 minutes document SPARC's review of Rogers Media electronic message signs on City property. SPARC voted to deny the sign application the same evening the Planning Commission approved the Rogers Media Use Permit for the same signs 3-1 — a procedural precedent worth noting because a parallel SPARC/Planning Commission split is possible on the Maverik file being heard tonight.

3. Comments by the Public (Non-Agenda Items)

Individuals are limited to one appearance during this section.

4. Review Items

The item below is quasi-judicial and requires ex parte disclosure per Resolution No. 2006-31.

4a 4872 East Kettleman Lane — Convenience Store with Truck and Auto Fueling Dispensers (Maverik) (PL2023-043 SP)

Consider a site plan and architectural review request to construct a 5,982 sq ft Maverik convenience store, seven auto fuel dispensers (14 car positions), and five truck fuel dispensers (six truck positions) on a 3.59-acre pad within an 8.81-acre parcel at 4872 East Kettleman Lane (APN 061-020-15). Applicant: Anton Kireev, Kimley-Horn and Associates. Property owner: FJ Management, Inc. CEQA: No further review required per §15162 (relies on the 2025 Maverik IS/MND, SCH No. 2024030646). Staff recommends approval subject to the Conditions of Approval in Attachment D.

5. Regular Business

None.

6. Comments by the Committee Members & Staff (Non-Agenda Items)

7. Adjournment

Agenda posted per Government Code §54954.2(a) at least 72 hours in advance at a publicly accessible location. The September 9, 2026 SPARC meeting was cancelled; the last SPARC action before tonight was August 26, 2026.

Item 4a — Maverik Convenience Store and Fueling Dispensers (PL2023-043 SP)

Application at a Glance

Site: 4872 East Kettleman Lane, Lodi, CA 95240 — Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) 061-020-15

Applicant: Anton Kireev, Kimley-Horn and Associates, 4637 Chabot Drive, Suite 300, Pleasanton, CA 94588

Property Owner: FJ Management, Inc., 185 South State Street, Suite 1300, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

General Plan: General Commercial

Zoning: Existing San Joaquin County AG-40 (Agriculture); City-adopted Pre-Zone: General Commercial (GC), effective upon annexation completion

Site size: 8.81 acres total (Maverik on the 3.59-acre western parcel once Tentative Parcel Map PL2026-004 PM is approved by the Planning Commission)

CEQA determination: No further review required, CEQA Guidelines §15162 (relies on the 2025 Maverik Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration, State Clearinghouse No. 2024030646)

Staff recommendation: Approve, subject to Conditions of Approval (Attachment D)

Report authors: Senior Planner Tim Kohaya; Community Development Director David Hanham

What SPARC Reviews

SPARC is the City's design and site-plan body, established under Lodi Municipal Code Chapter 17.40. Under §17.40.020, SPARC reviews site layout, building architecture, landscaping, signage, screening, lighting, and consistency with the design standards of the underlying zone. SPARC does not review land-use permission — that is the Planning Commission's role — but its decision on design and site layout is a required approval before building permits can issue. Tonight's action is separate from the Planning Commission's 7:00 p.m. Use Permit hearing on the same store's alcohol sales (PL2023-042 U); both approvals are needed for the project to move forward.

Project History and Sequence of Approvals

The site was in unincorporated San Joaquin County (zoned AG-40) until August 2026. The sequence:

Date	Action
2023	Maverik files ABC application, SPARC application (PL2023-043 SP), and annexation application (PL2023-040 A) with the City. Convenience stores and gas stations were then permitted by right in the GC zone.
Jan 3, 2024	City Council adopts a code amendment requiring use permits for convenience stores and gas stations in the GC zone. Maverik's 2023 filings predated this change, which is why only the alcohol license triggers a separate Planning Commission Use Permit tonight rather than the store itself.
Jul 16, 2025	City Council adopts the Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH No. 2024030646) and pre-zones the site GC, then directs staff to file annexation with LAFCO.
Dec 17, 2025	City submits the annexation package to San Joaquin LAFCO.
Aug 26, 2026	LAFCO approves the Maverik annexation.
Sep 23, 2026	SPARC hears the site plan and architectural review (this item), 5:15 p.m.
Sep 23, 2026	Planning Commission hears the linked Type 21 ABC Use Permit (PL2023-042 U), 7:00 p.m., same night.
Pending	Tentative Parcel Map PL2026-004 PM (splitting the 8.81-acre parcel into two lots) goes to the Planning Commission separately; approval and signature by the Community Development Director are required prior to building-permit issuance.

Approvals leading to the September 23, 2026 SPARC hearing. Source: Item 4a staff report, Background section.

Site Setting

The parcel occupies the southeast corner of East Kettleman Lane and South Beckman Road, approximately 350 feet east of the State Route 99 / East Kettleman Lane freeway interchange (Exit 264B). Adjacent uses:

Direction	General Plan	Zoning	Existing Land Use
North	General Commercial	General Commercial (GC)	Service station, coffeehouse, hotel
South	General Commercial	AG-40 (San Joaquin County)	Cropland
East	Business Park	AG-40 (San Joaquin County)	Single-family residence, cropland
West	General Commercial	General Commercial (GC)	Cropland

Proposed Design

The convenience store sits in the center of the pad with seven auto fuel dispensers arrayed to the north (14 car fueling positions) and five truck fuel dispensers to the south (six truck fueling positions). Cars and trucks share the single South Beckman Road entrance about 240 feet south of the Kettleman/Beckman intersection; a private drive connects the site back out to Kettleman about 370 feet from the intersection. The truck lane separates from car circulation once inside the site.

Architectural treatment mixes light and dark grey board-and-batten fiber-cement siding with cultured stone wainscot, dark bronze aluminum storefront glazing, and a signature gabled wood-beam roof element between the two entry doors. A parapet screens rooftop mechanical equipment. Building height is 29 feet 1 inch — under the 35-foot GC limit. Fueling canopies are 16-foot clear height with the Maverik red logo as the dominant color; trash enclosures are 6-foot masonry with slat-chain doors.

Landscaping includes 10-foot street planters along Kettleman and Beckman with Cork Oak street trees at 30 feet on center, one shade tree per four parking spaces per LMC §17.32.070.D, and two bioretention basins at the Kettleman/Beckman corner and the private-drive intersection. Site lighting is capped at 20 feet per LMC §17.14.070.A and directed inward.

General Commercial Development Standards (Table B)

Standard	LMC GC Requirement	Proposed	Compliance
Front setback	10 ft	155 ft	Yes
Side setback	None	115 ft	Yes
Rear setback	None	180.5 ft	Yes
Side-street setback	None	161.5 ft (post parcel map)	Yes
Site coverage (Floor Area Ratio)	0.60 max	0.09 (post parcel map)	Yes
Height	2 stories / 35 ft	29 ft 1 in	Yes
Parking	27 required	35 provided	Yes

Proposed site coverage and building height against General Commercial limits (LMC §17.20). Values shown as a percentage of the maximum allowed. Source: Item 4a staff report, Table B.

Required SPARC Findings

Per LMC §17.40.020(E), SPARC must make findings that the project is consistent with GC design and development standards, does not interfere with neighboring uses or create traffic/pedestrian hazards, maintains orderly commercial development, uses durable materials appropriate to the site, is not detrimental to public health and safety, and has been reviewed for CEQA compliance under §15162. Staff supports all findings.

CEQA — Reliance on the 2025 IS/MND

In July 2025, the City Council adopted an Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH No. 2024030646) for the Maverik annexation and pre-zoning. That analysis considered full buildout of the site, including a convenience store and fueling area. Staff applies CEQA Guidelines §15162 (Subsequent EIRs and Negative Declarations) and finds none of the three re-review triggers is met — no substantial changes to the project, no substantial changes to the circumstances, and no new information of substantial importance. No addendum is proposed.

Mitigation, Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) — Carry-Over Mitigations

The Project remains subject to the 2025 MMRP included as Attachment C. The measures that most affect operational and construction sequencing:

Agricultural Resources Measure 1 — Agricultural Conservation Easement or In-Lieu Fee

Before issuance of building permits, the applicant must provide agricultural mitigation land or an in-lieu fee at a 1:1 ratio in northern San Joaquin County, approved by the San Joaquin County Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee. The City's in-lieu fee ordinance (involving the California Farmland Trust) is anticipated for adoption in 2026. In the meantime a signed letter of agreement between the City, developer, and Maverik commits the project to easement recordation or in-lieu payment.

Biological Resources Measure 1 — Nesting Bird / Burrowing Owl / Raptor Pre-Construction Survey

If ground-disturbing work occurs between February 1 and August 31, a qualified biologist must survey no more than seven working days before activity. Buffers: 100 feet for passerines, 300 feet for burrowing owls, 300 feet for raptors. A qualified biological monitor must be on site at initiation of work within those buffers if active nests are identified.

Biological Resources Measure 2 — Worker Environmental Awareness Program (WEAP)

All construction personnel must attend WEAP training prepared and delivered by a qualified biologist before construction begins. Attendance forms must be signed and retained.

Biological Resources Measure 3 — General Construction BMPs

Project limits clearly delineated; 5 mph vehicle speed limit within unpaved limits; closed-container trash disposal removed daily; no deliberate feeding of wildlife; no pets; no firearms; vehicle maintenance in designated staging areas; night lighting shielded and directed downward.

Biological Resources Measure 4 — Crotch's Bumble Bee Survey and Avoidance

Pre-project surveys during the colony active period (April 1 – August 31), three visits at least a week apart, by a qualified biologist meeting a 40-hour experience threshold. If active nests or foraging are detected, at least a 50-foot no-work buffer is established in consultation with California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Notable Conditions of Approval (Attachment D)

Area	Condition
Sequencing	The subject property must be annexed into City limits prior to building-permit issuance.
Sequencing	Tentative Parcel Map PL2026-004 PM must be approved by the Planning Commission and signed by the Community Development Director prior to building-permit issuance.
Public Works	Engineered improvement plans must be approved before building-permit issuance; a dead-end barricade per Lodi Standard Plan 128 is required at the private drive.
Public Works	Improvement security, engineering plan-check fees, and Development Impact Mitigation Fees required.
Electric Utility	10-foot Public Utility Easement plus a 15-foot Overhead Easement behind the sidewalk along Kettleman.
Electric Utility	10-foot Public Utility Easement plus a 10-foot Overhead Easement behind existing property line along Beckman.
Fire	Fire access lanes minimum 24 feet wide with striping and signage; fire control room; sprinkler and alarm systems; Knox key box at 6 feet above finished floor near the main entrance.
Building	2025 California Green Building Standards EV-capable raceways and Electric Vehicle Charging Stations per Table 5.106.5.3.1; long- and short-term bicycle parking per §5.106.4.1.1.
Water/Wells	On-site water wells and any septic system to be abandoned per City standards; abandonment permit copy submitted after work is completed.
Police	Staff training on store security, crime deterrence, and ABC compliance.
Police	High-quality interior and exterior surveillance camera system, at least 30-day retention, downloadable and shareable.
Police	Cash-limiting register procedures; alarm system; height tapes at all exits.
Police	Electronic smart-ID scanner required to detect false identification.
Police	Alcohol displayed in the rear portion of the store to deter theft.
Police	Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles incorporated; well-lit exterior; no-trespass and no-loitering signage.

Notice

Legal notice was published in the Lodi News-Sentinel on September 12, 2026. Five mailed notices were sent to property owners of record within a 300-foot radius, reflecting the site's rural edge, plus notices to interested parties.

Attachments (Item 4a)

Attachment A — Aerial and Site Map
Attachment B — Site Plan, Elevations, Floor Plan, Landscape and Lighting Plan
Attachment C — Mitigation, Monitoring and Reporting Program (July 2025)
Attachment D — Draft Conditions of Approval

Open Issues to Watch — Item 4a

Two-body coordination the same night. The 5:15 SPARC hearing on the site plan and the 7:00 p.m. Planning Commission hearing on the ABC Type 21 Use Permit are separate discretionary actions on the same building. In August 2026 the Planning Commission approved a Rogers Media Use Permit for signs that SPARC had denied the same evening; commissioners and members in either body can reasonably ask how the two decisions are being coordinated tonight.
Two contingent findings. The 161.5-foot side-street setback and 0.09 Floor Area Ratio site coverage figures in Table B are conditioned on approval of Tentative Parcel Map PL2026-004 PM. Both remain comfortably compliant either way, but the map is a separate Planning Commission action that has not yet been heard.
Agricultural mitigation is a letter of agreement, not yet an ordinance. The City's in-lieu fee mechanism (via the California Farmland Trust) is expected in 2026 but is not yet adopted. The project is committed by letter to either recording a 1:1 easement or paying the future in-lieu fee before building permits issue; both the ordinance timeline and the specific easement/fee outcome remain unresolved.
CEQA §15162 rather than fresh analysis. Staff relies entirely on the 2025 IS/MND. Anyone contesting the project on environmental grounds would need to show substantial changes, new information of substantial importance, or previously undisclosed impacts under §15162(a)(1)-(3). It is a high bar, but SPARC still needs to make the finding on the record.
Shared South Beckman entrance for cars and trucks. The internal layout otherwise separates car and truck circulation, but the single Beckman entrance handles both. Turning-movement and signage testimony from the applicant would strengthen the record on truck/car conflict potential.
Adjacent single-family residence on County AG-40. Large-lot single-family homes and cropland sit immediately east and south under County zoning. Site lighting is capped at 20 feet and directed inward, and truck circulation runs along the site's south side, but the lighting/noise/hours record for those neighbors is worth building out — the Conditions of Approval address CPTED design principles generally without adding site-specific dark-sky or delivery-hour restrictions.
Site-size discrepancy carried over from CEQA. The SPARC staff report cites 8.81 acres; the 2025 MMRP cites 8.61 acres for the same APN. That 0.20-acre difference should be reconciled on the record — it may reflect a right-of-way dedication or a difference in the annexation legal description.
Two minutes sets on the consent slot. Item 2 lists both the January 14, 2026 and August 26, 2026 minutes. The January 14 minutes were originally scheduled for approval on August 26; residents who want the January record should confirm both minutes packets are attached before the vote.

Linked Planning Commission Agenda — Same Night, 7:00 p.m.

The Lodi Planning Commission meets in the same Carnegie Forum at 7:00 p.m. the same evening. Zoom Webinar Meeting ID 824 8423 0393, Passcode 551089. Written comment to pccomments@lodi.gov is accepted until 3:00 p.m. the day of the meeting.

PC Item 4a — 401 North Ham Lane Tentative Parcel Map (PL2026-013)

Applicant Jeff Gates (owner Olive Branch, LLC) proposes to split one legal lot into two at 401 North Ham Lane, APN 035-330-05, a 10,700-square-foot parcel in the Residential Medium Density (RMD) zone. Staff finds the site is already two legal lots dating to a 1957 conveyance under a single APN, and tonight's request only re-divides the western legal lot into Parcel 1 (5,193 sq ft) and Parcel 2 (5,507 sq ft). Access will come off Neplus Court, not Ham Lane. CEQA is a Class 15 categorical exemption under Guidelines §15315 (Minor Land Divisions). Staff recommends approval. This item is unrelated to tonight's SPARC hearing.

PC Item 4b — Maverik Type 21 ABC Use Permit at 4872 East Kettleman Lane (PL2023-042 U)

Directly linked to tonight's SPARC review. Applicant Todd Meyers of Maverik, Inc. seeks a Use Permit authorizing an ABC Type 21 Off-Sale General license — beer, wine, and distilled spirits for off-site consumption — at the same 4872 East Kettleman Lane store, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. CEQA is §15162 (no further review, relying on the 2025 IS/MND). Because ABC has determined all Lodi census tracts are overconcentrated, the Commission must also make an affirmative Public Convenience or Necessity (PCN) finding under Business & Professions Code §23958.4 before ABC will issue the license. Staff's PCN rationale rests on proximity to the freeway interchange, added retail variety in a corridor with a single competing station, sales tax capture from non-Lodi travelers, and Maverik's prepared-food business model. Staff recommends approval.

Open Issues Across the Two Bodies

Procedural sequencing. A SPARC denial or continuance would not stop the Planning Commission from acting on the Use Permit later the same evening, but it would leave the site plan unresolved — and any Use Permit becomes moot without site-plan approval. The August 2026 Rogers Media outcome is the recent template for a split.
PCN discretion. Because the whole city is classified overconcentrated, the Planning Commission has real latitude to add conditions, deny, or require alternate mitigations on the alcohol license. Reasonable evidence to develop: number of existing Type 21 licenses in the census tract, Police Department crime data for the corridor, and empirical food-to-alcohol mix data for comparable Maverik locations.
Shared CEQA reliance. Both bodies apply §15162 to the same 2025 IS/MND. New information of substantial importance raised at either hearing could affect both findings and would need to be addressed on both records.
Farmland conversion detail is missing from the current packet. The MMRP calls for an agricultural conservation easement or in-lieu fee before building permits, approved by the County Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee, but the packet does not disclose the acreage of Important Farmland being converted, the mitigation ratio, or the estimated in-lieu payment.
First application of the January 2024 code amendment for the alcohol overlay. The Council's January 3, 2024 amendment made convenience-store and gas-station uses subject to Use Permits in GC. Maverik's 2023 filings predated that change on the site plan itself; the Type 21 alcohol Use Permit heard by the Planning Commission tonight is the first time the amendment is being applied to a Maverik station in Lodi.

Context from the August 26, 2026 Meeting

The August 26, 2026 minutes up for approval as Item 2 document the last SPARC action of the summer. The Committee reviewed and denied three Rogers Media programmable electronic message signs proposed on City property, including a Highway 12/Westgate site and one near the animal shelter. The same evening, the Planning Commission approved the linked Use Permit for the signs 3-1, Commissioner Woehl dissenting. The Assistant City Attorney clarified that a Planning Commission Use Permit approval does not, by itself, override a SPARC design denial; the applicant would still need SPARC approval to move forward. The precedent — a SPARC design denial and a Planning Commission Use Permit approval on the same evening — is directly relevant to tonight's dual review of the Maverik file.

References

Site Plan And ArchitectureMeeting Summary

Don Bradford