After unanimously approving plans for another gas station and car wash, members of the Ceres Planning Commission on Monday evening signaled they’d like the City Council to consider enacting a moratorium.

The commission voted 5-0 to approve an application to subdivide an 8.66-acre parcel at 1200 E. Whitmore Avenue west of Highway 99 into five parcels and to build a car wash on one of those new parcels and a gas station on the other. The projects are proposed for parcels fronting Whitmore Avenue west of the Flyers station while the land behind them would remain earmarked for community commercial.

The commission approved a Conditional Use Permit for the two-phase development. The first phase calls for a 4,000-square-foot car wash with 18 vacuum stalls; and the second phase project would build a 4,500-square-foot gas station and convenience store on the other parcel. The service station is proposed with 16 pumps, and 17 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.

The three remaining parcels are sized at under an acre, 1.16 acres and 4.79 acres.

The project site is adjacent to the previous approved O’Reilly’s Auto Parts and Dutch Bros. projects and to the east is an existing Flyer’s gas station and McDonald’s.

Senior Planner Teddie Hernandez said that no specific companies have been named for the new businesses.

Ceres resident John Warren told the commission that he’s tired of seeing more gas stations and car washes being approved, and noted the state’s push to move toward electric powered vehicles.

“Ceres does not need another gas station,” Warren told the panel. “Ceres does not need another car wash. Ceres does not need another convenience store adjacent to the gas station. There’s one at that location already. You’ve got a Flyers convenience store and gas station there. Who’s gonna come with their electric vehicle and use one of those 18 spaces in the middle of nowhere?”

Warren suggested using the eight acres for affordable housing instead.

“As commissioners you do not have to approve this just because it’s properly zoned and it’s all the criteria,” said Warren.

This year two new gas stations opened in Ceres, including the Union 76 station at the 7-Eleven on Whitmore Avenue; and the Union 76 station that opened this past summer on the outskirts of Ceres at 1212 Joyce Avenue west of Herndon Court. An AM/PM mini mart is being constructed at the northwest corner of Morgan at Service roads. Also set to open soon is a service station in the Ceres Gateway Center at Service and Mitchell roads. A gas station/mini mart has been approved for the northeast corner of Hatch Road and Herndon Avenue.

In 2022, George’s Gas & Grill store opened at the corner of Central Avenue and Caswell Avenue and in 2021 the 7-Eleven on Herndon Avenue opened with fuel pumps.

Earlier this year critics bemoaned the approval of another car wash in Ceres, the Quick Quack Car Wash in the Ceres Gateway Center. 

Property owner Ajmer Randawa of Mountain House told the commission that he is trying to develop a grocery store on the bigger remaining parcels and retail to the other smaller parcels.

Saying there is no question that Ceres needs more housing, Commission chairman Bob Kachel said the acreage is designated for commercial to serve the west side of Ceres by the Ceres General Plan. He said it’s encouraging to see interest in developing the west side.

Kachel commented: “Yeah there’s been discussion in the commission about number of car washes – I guess we have a lot of really dirty cars here in Ceres, I don’t know – but this would be the first one on that side of the community that I’m aware of which I think speaks well to that community and the growth of Ceres. We have to consider the General Plan when we’re looking at the overall picture here. We’re not here to consider the ramification or the justifications or to balance residential versus commercial; that decision was made by the General Plan a few years ago and that plans is still in effect for years to come. And this applicant is making an application consistent with that General Plan and consistent with the zoning out there so with that I can’t see anything which would allow me anyway to vote against the project.”

Commissioner Cerina Otero agreed with Kachel in the project being consistent with zoning but said “I also think that Ceres does have a lot of gas stations right now. I don’t know how much more space we’ll have for more but is there a chance we could consider for the future to amend the zoning code so we can prohibit additional gas stations until we build out new subdivisions or new areas in Ceres?”

Kachel said it sounded like a policy decision requiring council leadership. “I’m not sure we can do that on our own at this point in time.”

Community Development Director Christopher Hoem said if the commission agreed, he could pursue a conversation with the City Council to see if they are interested in a moratorium on additional gas stations and car washes.

He noted that since the item wasn’t on the agenda the panel couldn’t take action.

Commissioner Ruldop “R.J.” Jammu suggested the city couldn’t enact a “blanket” ban, saying the city needs to consider where future housing is planned for the west side of Ceres.

Commissioner Gary Del Nero offered no opinion and Kachel said he considers the matter more of a market drive issue.

“If the market says another car wash, another gas station is what the market can support then I’m not in a position to evaluate that or even feel we have the tools to evaluate that.”

But Kachel said the commission didn’t object to Hoem talking to the council about what can be done to limit the development of fueling stations and car washes.

Otero expressed concerns about the two projects having too many parking stalls – 27 for the gas station and convenience store when only 24 are required due to size of the building. She noted there will be a large number of parking stalls once the new O’Reilly’s goes in next door. Hoem said the city can look into a standard for maximum number of parking stalls as some cities have done.