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El Rematito Flea Market proposes additional amendments to permit
• Extension of CUP granted to the Dec. 4 public hearing date
El Rematito Flea Market changes
An aerial photo shows the layout of the the El Rematito Flea Market on Crows Landing Road, Ceres. Operators want to relocate the food truck parking from the southeast corner to the northeast corner of the site. - photo by Image courtesy of Google Maps

One year ago the city extended by 12 months a conditional use permit so that El Rematito Flea Market on Crows Landing Road could operate with changes to their operations, which included a graveled overflow parking area of customers.

The operators now want to develop an event hall and relocate the food truck parking from the southeast corner to the northeast corner of the site. They also want to add two more parcels to the use permit. El Rematito also wants to streamline the permitting process for special events with predetermined conditions. But since, no site plan was submitted that reflected these changes, the Ceres Planning Commission on Monday decided to extend the life of the CUP and plan to discuss the flea market’s new plans at the Monday, Dec. 4 meeting.

“This extension should allow sufficient time for the applicant to prepare a complete proposal that can be fully analyzed,” noted Christopher Hoem, director of Community Development for the city of Ceres in his staff report to the commission.

El Rematito is a 29-acre flea market at 3025 and 3113 Crows Landing Road. The flea market operates Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is allowed to have up to 548 vendor spaces (155 enclosed spaces and 393 open air spaces).

In September 2020, the Planning Commission approved an amendment to the CUP to allow El Rematito Flea Market to operate for two years at which time the city would monitor and review the project. The flea market has been operating under a CUP originally approved by the city in 2015 but those changes to conditions allow the market to operate Thursdays through Sundays as well as operate a grub hub type of collection of food vendor trucks Mondays through Thursdays.

El Rematito has yet to submit a traffic management plan which was requested by the city a year ago. The city remains concerned about the venue’s popularity causing traffic to back up on Crows Landing Road past Whitmore Avenue to the north which is “causing delays and unsafe driving conditions.”

On Monday a number of residents living on Carol Lane located northwest of the venue showed up Monday to inform the city they don’t want their street being used for access to visitor parking. Nelson Gomez, a representative of the flea market, said the market has no plans to intrude on their neighbors.

Ceres resident John Warren was critical that in a year’s time, El Rematito hasn’t yet complied with the conditions of approval such as submitting a traffic management plan and providing reporting on sellers with permits and payment of sales taxes to the state.

“There’s supposed to be an update in the reporting process,” Warren told the commission. “I’ve asked several times and never received any information if these fees and taxes are being collected. So before any extension is granted, I want to know if these items are in place and they should be.”

Hoem said some of the items “are still being considered and some of them have already been accomplished.”

Gomez gave a history of the flea market which dates back before the city annexed the property. He stated that El Rematito has invested about $3 million in upgrades on the parcels as well as expansion of Crows Landing Road and installation of a traffic signal and paving for a lot accommodating 965 vehicles. He said the flea market has also added beautification as required by the city calling it “probably the best flea market in the state of California in terms of appearance.”

He said the flea market has already shown the city how it will mitigate traffic affecting Crows Landing Road at peak hours.

“We’re more than prepared to go forward on Dec. 4 but it’s not because we haven’t provided an incomplete application.”

He said all of the conditions have been met for years.

Gomez also said the flea market is interested in waiting to see what the City Council will be deciding regarding changes to its policy regarding food vendors in Ceres.