A new assisted living and memory care community could soon be coming to East Main Street, as the Turlock Planning Commission will consider authorizing a minor discretionary permit for the construction of the Turlock Assisted Care Center.
Guy Simile of the Guy and Gina Simile Family Trust requested the permit to build a two-story 67,430 square foot building that will include a total of 82 assisted living apartments at 1015 and 1043 E. Main St.
That site has long been home to medical services. The former Turlock Medical Clinic and Boies' Pharmacy were constructed at the E. Main Street and Colorado Avenue corner in the late 1950s. In 2003, Sutter Gould Medical Foundation bought and operated the clinic until moving to its new location on Christoffersen Parkway in 2014.
The construction plans of the new assisted living center include demolishing the medical office building and the old Boies' Pharmacy. The two-story home to the east of the medical office will be relocated out of the city.
Although the assisted living center will be of new construction, the project has been designed with a Craftsman style architecture and will include features such as a front-gabled roofline, decorative wooden roof beams, exposed rafter tails and exterior paint colors that complement the character of the older Turlock neighborhood.
As required by the City, a 7-foot masonry wall will be constructed along the north property line separating the commercial use from the homes to the north. The property owner to the east of the site has requested that the masonry wall be extended to the length of east property line providing a barrier preventing car lights from shining into the windows of the residential four-plex located next door.
If approved, the assisted living center will be the tallest structure in that area, ranging in height from 27 to 30 feet at the roof ridge line.
City staff received several calls and letters about the project from neighboring property owners, and because of this response the permit request was put before the Planning Commission.
Neighbors expressed concern about adequate parking, traffic, location of deliveries, noise from emergency response vehicle sirens, the impact of vehicle lights shining into nearby residences and the impact of a two-story building on the single family residence to the north.
If the minor discretionary permit is approved by the Planning Commission, Turlock Assisted Care would still need to apply to the Community Care Licensing Division of the California Department of Social Services to be licensed as a residential care facility for the elderly before opening for business.
The Turlock Planning Commission is also expected to:
• Consider approving a Planned Development for the expansion of an existing walnut processing plant currently located at 400 D St. onto 400 Third St., including the reuse of a 2,500 square foot office building, and construction of a 62,500 square feet for a warehouse, packing and cold storage facility and 900 square feet of fumigation space. The project also includes 13 new employee and visitor parking spaces that will be provided on Third Street. A Planned Development is required to grant an exception from the 20-foot front and corner side yard setback requirements for the Industrial Zoning District. Buildings are proposed to be located approximately 10 feet from the abutting property line.
• Hold a public hearing to consider recommendation to the City Council to adopt an update to the City's Housing Element.
• Consider providing recommendations of approval for the following items that fall under the Stanislaus County Planning Commission's purview:
- Development of ordinance amendments that: 1.) Promote the State Density Bonus law, which offers developers the incentive of increased density and flexibility in development standards in exchange for the construction of affordable housing; 2.) Enforce the state and federal laws that prohibit discrimination in housing; 3.) Define emergency shelters and designate a zone or zones where at least one year-round emergency shelter will be allowed without a conditional use permit; 4.) Defining transitional and supportive housing, and noting that these types of housing shall be treated as residential uses in all residential zones; 5.) Outline a reasonable accommodation process to respond to requests for exceptions to zoning and land-use regulations and procedures which are necessary to make housing available to an individual with a disability protected under fair housing laws.
- Permit for a project that will replace two existing modular buildings with a single modular with the same square footage at the Excell Center in the 2500 block of Youngtown Road in Turlock.
- Amend the Use Permit for R.A.M. Farms at 716 N. Daubenberger Rd. in Turlock. to extend the length of the season and winter hours of operation , and expand small seasonal activities to both the fall and winter season.
The Turlock Planning Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Yosemite Room at City Hall, 156 S. Broadway.