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Project Title: |
Frank's Tire Service - Development Plan Modification |
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County File(s): |
CDDP26-03019 |
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Applicant/Owner: |
DJ Frank (Applicant)/ Saranap Village Developers, LLC (Owner) |
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Zoning/General Plan: |
P-1 Planned Unit District, Cannabis Exclusion (-CE) Combining District/ Mixed-Use Community-Specific Density (MUC) |
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Site Address/Location: |
1326 Boulevard Way, Walnut Creek, CA 94595, in the Saranap area of unincorporated Contra Costa County (APN: 184-450-025) |
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California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Status: |
Categorical Exemption - Class 1: CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(a), Existing Facility |
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Project Planner: |
Joseph W. Lawlor Jr, AICP, (925) 655-2872 |
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Joseph.Lawlor@dcd.cccounty.us |
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Staff Recommendation: |
Approve (See Section II for Full Recommendation) |
I. PROJECT SUMMARY
The applicant, DJ Frank (on behalf of Frank's Auto Service & Repair, Inc., DBA Frank's Tire Service), requests approval of a Development Plan Modification (CDDP26-03019) to previously approved Final Development Plan CDDP13-03035 to remodel an existing commercial building and establish a tire sales, installation, and alignment shop, including associated site improvements and new business signage. The application also includes a request for a Tree Permit to allow the removal of one (1) code-protected 21.6-inch diameter Coast Live Oak tree due to poor health and proximity to the existing commercial building.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Department of Conservation and Development, Community Development Division (CDD) staff recommends the Zoning Administrator:
A. FIND that the project is categorically exempt from CEQA under Section 15301 of the CEQA Guidelines.
B. APPROVE the Development Plan Modification (CDDP26-03019) to Final Development Plan CDDP13-03035 to allow the commercial remodel and operation of a tire sales, installation, and alignment facility, and the Tree Permit for the removal of one (1) code-protected Coast Live Oak tree, based on the attached findings and subject to the attached conditions of approval.
C. DIRECT staff to file a Notice of Exemption with the County Clerk.
III. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. General Plan: Mixed-Use Community-Specific Density (MUC).
B. Zoning: P-1 Planned Unit District, Cannabis Exclusion (-CE) Combining District.
C. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): Categorical Exemption - Class 1: CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(a), Existing Facilities, which exempts the operation, repair, maintenance, permitting, leasing, licensing, or minor alteration of existing public or private structures and facilities involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former commercial use.
D. Previous Applications:
GP13-0003, RZ13-3224, SD13-9359, CDDP13-03035: On August 15, 2017, the Board of Supervisors approved a General Plan Amendment, Rezoning to P-1, Vesting Tentative Map, Preliminary and Final Development Plan, Land Use Permit, Variance, and Development Agreement for the Saranap Village Mixed-Use Project, which included the subject property (APN 184-450-025).
IV. SITE/AREA DESCRIPTION
The project site is an approximately 26,789-square-foot irregularly shaped parcel located at 1326 (and 1322) Boulevard Way in the unincorporated Saranap area near Walnut Creek. The parcel fronts Boulevard Way along its northwestern boundary and is developed with an existing 5,303-square-foot split-level (1- and 2-story) concrete masonry unit (CMU) and stucco commercial building positioned along the eastern property line. The building consists of a 4,462-square-foot main level (1326 Boulevard Way), currently occupied by a golf cart sales, display, and service business (VIP Golf Cart Service & Sales), and an 841-square-foot street-level business space (1322 Boulevard Way) at the northern corner fronting Boulevard Way. The western and southwestern portions of the parcel contain an asphalt surface parking lot with driveway access to Boulevard Way, while the southern portion of the lot consists of a gravel/unpaved yard area with mature trees along the perimeter.
The surrounding area is characterized by a mix of commercial and multi-family and single-family residential uses along the Boulevard Way corridor. Multi-family residential buildings are located to the north across Boulevard Way, to the west across Boulevard Way, to the east immediately adjacent to the rear of the building, and to the south adjacent to the southern property line. Commercial uses, including the applicant's existing automotive repair business at 1255 Boulevard Way, are located nearby along the Boulevard Way corridor.
V. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The applicant requests approval of a Development Plan Modification (CDDP26-03019) to Final Development Plan CDDP13-03035 to renovate the existing 5,303-square-foot commercial building and site to establish an indoor tire sales, installation, and wheel alignment facility (Frank's Tire Service), with no increase in building square footage. Specifically, the project includes the following components:
1. Main Level Interior & Exterior Remodel:
o Reconfiguration of the existing 4,462-square-foot main level to provide an open customer office, sales, and waiting area at the north end, a private office, an expanded ADA-accessible restroom, a relocated interior storage room at the southeast corner, and a central/southern indoor vehicle work area.
o Installation of a new 12-foot-wide by 12-foot-high commercial rolling steel door and a new 3-foot by 6-foot-8-inch half-lite metal exit door on the southern building wall to provide vehicular access into the vehicle work area.
o The indoor vehicle work area will contain two (2) vehicle lifts, one (1) alignment rack, an air compressor, a tire balancing machine, and standard tools, servicing an estimated 15 vehicles per day. Proposed hours of operation are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
2. Street-Level Space Remodel:
o Interior renovation of the 841-square-foot street-level business space at the northern end of the building (which includes two existing restrooms) and relocation of an existing 5-foot-wide transom window adjacent to the storefront entry door along Boulevard Way.
3. Parking, Paving & Site Accessibility Improvements:
o Addition of new asphalt paving directly south of the building to provide a turnaround and approach apron for the new south-facing roll-up door, as well as expanded parking.
o Re-striping and expansion of the off-street surface parking lot from 11 existing spaces to 16 total parking spaces (comprising 15 standard 9-foot by 19-foot stalls and 1 van-accessible 9-foot by 18-foot stall), an accessible path of travel, and a designated garbage and recycling enclosure area at the southern edge of the paved turnaround.
4. Signage:
o Installation of new non-illuminated wall signage on the West Elevation (facing Boulevard Way), including: (a) individual plastic letters reading "FRANK'S TIRE" (18-inch-high red letters) and "SERVICE" (12-inch-high blue letters) spanning 13 feet 10 inches wide; (b) a painted metal winged "F" logo sign (4'-1" high x 9'-0" wide) in black, silver, and red; and (c) refacing the existing 2’ x 8’ entrance sign box.
5. Tree Permit:
o Removal of one (1) code-protected Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) measuring 21.6 inches DBH and approximately 55 feet tall, located at the southeast corner of the building adjacent to an existing brick/CMU retaining wall. According to the Arborist Report prepared by Mitchell Mathers (ISA Certified Arborist #WE-10204A, Mathers Tree Service, dated August 13, 2026), the tree has advanced basal decay and rot in the lower trunk and root collar, leans over the building roof with minimal clearance, and poses a high risk of failure.
VI. AGENCY COMMENTS
An Agency Comment Request packet was routed on June 9, 2026, to a number of public agencies, including the Building Inspection Division, Public Works Department, Environmental Health Division, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (CCCFPD), Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San), and East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). Comments received by staff are included in the attachments and summarized below:
A. Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (Central San): In a letter dated June 22, 2026, Central San stated that the site receives sewer service and established three site-specific commercial conditions: (1) standard private side-sewers for commercial establishments must be 6 inches in diameter, requiring any existing 4-inch pipe to be upsized to 6 inches; (2) review by Central San's Environmental Compliance Section is required and may mandate new or modified pre-treatment devices; and (3) full-size improvement plans must be submitted to Central San concurrently with the building permit submittal.
B. Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (CCCFPD): In a letter dated July 6, 2026, the Fire District noted that the project remodels an existing building, and must comply with the 2025 California Fire Code (CFC). CCCFPD requires a Tenant Improvement Permit, submittal of building construction plans and any applicable deferred submittals (e.g., fire sprinklers, fire alarm, high-pile tire storage, or flammable/combustible liquid tanks, if proposed), and adherence to CFC Chapter 33 fire safety requirements during construction.
C. East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD): In an email dated June 10, 2026, EBMUD stated that it had no comments on the application.
VII. BACKGROUND
On August 15, 2017, the Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 2017-21 (RZ13-3224) and approved Final Development Plan CDDP13-03035 for the Saranap Village Mixed-Use Project, which rezoned approximately 4.6 acres-including the subject property at 1326 Boulevard Way ("Site C")-from R-B (Retail Business), N-B (Neighborhood Business), C (General Commercial), and M-29 (Multiple-Family Residential) to the P-1 Planned Unit District.
While CDDP13-03035 authorized future multi-story mixed-use redevelopment across Sites A, B/B1, and C, Section I(f) of Ordinance No. 2017-21 specifically provides for the continued use and re-tenancy of existing buildings on the site prior to demolition:
"Pending demolition, existing uses within this District may be continued, and existing buildings within this District may be used for any permitted or conditionally permitted use that would have been allowed under the zoning that applied before this P-1 District took effect..."
In addition, Section I(c)(20) of Ordinance No. 2017-21 permits "Any other retail businesses, defined to mean the sale, barter, and exchange of retail goods, wares, merchandise, services, or other personal or real property or any interest in them for profit or livelihood" within the P-1 District. Because the proposed commercial remodel involves substantial physical modifications to the existing building and site (installing a new 12-foot by 12-foot roll-up door, adding southern asphalt paving, and reconfiguring surface parking), approval of a Development Plan Modification by the Zoning Administrator is required pursuant to Section I(f) and Section I(n) of Ordinance No. 2017-21.
A Notice of Intent to Render an Administrative Decision was mailed on July 17, 2026, to neighboring property owners within 300 feet. Staff received 17 responses to the notice requesting a public hearing. The primary concerns raised in the hearing requests related to potential operational noise, and consistency with the neighborhood, which are addressed in Section VIII (Staff Analysis) below.
VIII. STAFF ANALYSIS
A. Appropriateness of the Use: The project renovates an existing 5,303-square-foot commercial building that currently operates as a golf cart sales, display, and service facility (VIP Golf Cart Service & Sales) to accommodate an indoor tire sales, installation, and wheel alignment shop (Frank's Tire Service), while also upgrading the 841-square-foot street-level commercial suite at 1322 Boulevard Way. The renovation does not expand the existing building footprint, upgrades restroom and parking accessibility to current ADA standards, increases on-site parking from 11 to 16 spaces, and restricts operations to weekday daytime hours (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday). As conditioned to control operational noise and verify stormwater compliance for the new southern paving area, the project is an appropriate commercial use along Boulevard Way.
B. General Plan Consistency: The project site is located within the Mixed-Use Community-Specific Density (MUC) land use designation under the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan. The MUC land use designation allows for a wide range of neighborhood- and community-serving retail, personal service, office, hospitality, entertainment, and public uses. Maintaining and upgrading an existing neighborhood-serving commercial building along the Boulevard Way corridor aligns with the commercial intent of the MUC designation.
To verify consistency with the 2045 General Plan Health and Safety Element (Noise and Vibration Policies HS-P14.1 through HS-P14.7), the applicant submitted a project-specific acoustical analysis prepared by Acoustics Group, Inc. (Frank's Auto Service & Repair Tire Alignment Facility Noise Study, dated August 26, 2026). The study measured baseline ambient noise levels at the project site and at the four nearest residential boundaries: north, east, south, and west.
Under worst-case unmitigated conditions - assuming all service bays operate simultaneously with pneumatic/impact equipment while the new 12-foot by 12-foot south-facing roll-up door is open - predicted peak-hour operational noise would be 37.6 dBA at the northern boundary, 43.8 dBA at the eastern boundary, and 47.3 dBA at the western boundary (all compliant with ambient noise limits), but would reach 58.4 dBA at the southern residential boundary, exceeding the current lowest daytime ambient noise level of 48.8 dBA.
To reduce operational noise at the southern boundary below ambient levels, the Noise Study recommends installing a clear vinyl acoustic barrier curtain across the full height and width of the south-facing roll-up door opening, or keeping the metal roll-up door closed during active service operations. In addition, the study recommends keeping the south-facing exit door closed with airtight perimeter seals, installing rotary electric vehicle lifts instead of pneumatic lifts, using low-noise/electric tools, locating and shielding the air compressor inside the work bay out of the southern line of sight, and installing acoustical absorptive panels (minimum NRC 0.75) on the service bay walls and ceiling. With these measures incorporated, peak-hour operational noise at the southern boundary drops to 35.5 dBA (more than 13 dB below the ambient noise floor), and ranges from 32.7 to 37.2 dBA at the other three boundaries. To ensure the proper installation of these noise control measures, Condition of Approval #12 requires the project acoustical consultant to verify during building permit plan check that the door specifications, airtight seals, and/or vinyl acoustic curtain achieve the modeled sound transmission loss prior to permit issuance and final inspection, and that the facility implement all recommendations from the Noise Study.
C. Zoning Consistency: The site is zoned P-1 Planned Unit District (governed by Ordinance No. 2017-21) with a Cannabis Exclusion (-CE) Combining District overlay. No cannabis uses are proposed. The project complies with the specific development standards of Ordinance No. 2017-21 as follows:
• Permitted Uses (Sections I(c)(20) & I(f)): Section I(c)(20) permits retail businesses selling retail goods, merchandise, and services for profit or livelihood, and Section I(f) authorizes existing buildings within the P-1 District (pending demolition for the broader mixed-use project) to be used for any permitted or conditionally permitted use allowed under the prior zoning (Retail Business R-B and Neighborhood Business N-B). Retail tire sales and indoor installation/alignment within an existing auto/golf-cart service building are consistent with these provisions.
• Parking Requirements (Sections I(h) & I(j)): Under Section I(h) of Ordinance No. 2017-21, retail and commercial uses require 1 space per 300 square feet of gross floor area (or as required by County Code Section 82-16.406 as of February 15, 2017). For the 4,462-square-foot main level occupied by Frank's Tire Service (1326 Boulevard Way), 15 parking spaces are required (4,462 / 300 = 14.87); for the entire 5,303-square-foot building including the 841-square-foot street-level suite (1322 Boulevard Way), 18 spaces would be required (5,303 / 300 = 17.67). The project expands on-site off-street parking from 11 spaces to 16 spaces (15 standard spaces and 1 van-accessible space). Furthermore, Section I(h) permits non-residential spaces to be accommodated along the street frontage, and Section I(j) authorizes CDD to approve any deviations in the design, layout, or parking provisions without the need for a variance.
• Building Height (Section I(m)): Section I(m) limits building heights to the February 17, 2017, Maximum Height Zone Map. The project makes no changes to the height of the existing building (which is 13.6 to 15.5 feet tall).
• Signage (Section I(c)(24)): Section I(c)(24) allows business signage subject to compliance with a sign program approved by CDD (also governed by CDDP13-03035 Conditions #37-38). The proposed non-illuminated wall lettering ("FRANK'S TIRE SERVICE"), and metal "F" logo sign are consistent with these conditions.
D. Tree Permit: The applicant requests a Tree Permit to remove one (1) code-protected 21.6-inch diameter Coast Live Oak located at the southeast corner of the building adjacent to an existing retaining wall. Consistent with County Code Section 816-6.8010(2)(A) and (C), the Arborist Report prepared by ISA Certified Arborist Mitchell Mathers (August 13, 2026) demonstrates that the tree suffers from advanced basal decay and rot in the lower trunk and root collar, compromises structural stability, and overhangs the occupied building and southern vehicle circulation area with minimal clearance. Because the high risk of failure cannot be mitigated through pruning, removal is warranted. Condition #13 requires the planting of three (3) minimum 15-gallon drought-tolerant replacement trees on the site.
IV. CONCLUSION
The proposed Development Plan Modification (CDDP26-03019) to remodel the existing commercial building at 1326 and 1322 Boulevard Way for a tire sales, installation, and alignment facility and the Tree Permit to remove one decaying code-protected Coast Live Oak tree are consistent with the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan, P-1 Rezoning Ordinance No. 2017-21, and Final Development Plan CDDP13-03035, as conditioned. Staff recommends that the Zoning Administrator approve County File CDDP26-03019 based on the attached findings and subject to the attached conditions of approval.
Attachments:
• Attachment A: Findings and Conditions of Approval
• Attachment B: Maps and Plans (Christopher J. Gilman, Architect, dated May 30, 2026, 6 Sheets)
• Attachment C: Arborist Report (Mathers Tree Service, dated August 13, 2026)
• Attachment D: Noise Study Report (Acoustics Group, Inc., dated August 26, 2026)
• Attachment E: Agency Comments
• Attachment F: Ordinance No. 2017-21 (RZ13-3224) and Prior Approval CDDP13-03035
• Attachment G: Hearing Requests and Comments