A trucking company on Service Road may add a two-story 9,000-square-foot building with a 3,000-square-foot transfer area to be used as an office and service center, the Ceres Planning Commission determined.

The commission met Aug. 7 and approved a Planned Community Development Plan (PCDP) for Mike Tamana Freight Lines. The business is located at the southwest corner of Service and Morgan roads.

Commissioners Bob Kachel, Hugo Molina and Couper Condit voted unanimously in support. Commissioners Laurie Smith and Gary Del Nero were absent.

The business owns and operates a fleet of over 75 sleeper cabs, five-day cab trucks, and 110 refrigerated trailers.

Currently, there are four existing buildings located on the site which are being used as a maintenance shop, dispatch center, security, and administrative offices and storage. The company has experienced problems during rains because the lot of mostly dirt puddles and doesn't drain well. Tamana wants to address the storm drainage problem while including a new office and service center to serve the operation.

Part of the project proposes a 9,000 square foot two-story building with a 3,000 square foot transfer area (12,000 square feet total) which will accommodate three truck bays for service and maintenance as well as a driver lounge/break room, a parts room, a dispatch center, and related offices. The project will also provide for 63 employee/guest parking stalls and 42 truck/trailer stalls to serve the operation.

For financial reasons, the project is intended to be constructed in three phases.

Phase 1 will include demolition of three existing buildings, the construction of the new building, the paving of an employee parking area and providing concrete to the south end of the proposed building. Service Road will be widened at the location with installation of curb, gutter, and sidewalk while the property will see installation of sewer, water, and storm drainage systems.

The second phase, one year out, called for providing concrete around the south end of the building to the existing loading dock; construction of a six-foot-tall masonry wall and the installation of landscaping within the two-foot wide planter strip along Service Road. An additional 40-foot access gate will be installed at the northeast corner for emergency access into the site.

The last phase will complete the project with concrete being poured for the remaining truck and trailer stalls, the installation of landscaping along the east end of the property, and the remodeling of the existing residence for a security office.