DATE: February 4, 2026
TO: Chairperson and Members of the Community Development Commission
FROM: Development Services Department
TITLE: CONFIRMATION OF A CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION AND CONSIDERATION OF A DEVELOPMENT PLAN (RD24-00005), CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT (RCUP24-00002), AND REGULAR COASTAL PERMIT (RRP24-00003) TO ALLOW THE DEMOLITION OF AN EXISTING STRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF A FULL-SERVICE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION WITH UP TO 51 ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGERS, TWO TESLA BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS (BESS) AND A 3,457 SQUARE-FOOT CONVENIENCE MARKET LOCATED AT 1501 NORTH COAST HIGHWAY - ROVE EV CHARGING - APPLICANT: ROVE OPERATING, LLC.
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the Community Development Commission (CDC) adopt a resolution confirming issuance of a Categorical Exemption pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15332 (In-Fill Development Projects) and approving a Development Plan, Conditional Use Permit, and Regular Coastal Permit to allow the demolition of the existing structure and construction of a full-service electric vehicle (EV) charging station with up to 51 EV chargers, two Tesla battery energy storage systems, and a 3,457-square-foot convenience market located at 1501 North Coast Highway.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The project site, located at 1501 North Coast Highway, is a 1.08-acre parcel situated within the Townsite Neighborhood Planning Area. The site is located outside the appeal area of the Coastal Zone and has a General Plan land use designation of Downtown (DT), a Local Coastal Program (LCP) land use designation of Coastal Dependent Recreational and Visitor Serving Commercial, and a zoning designation of Downtown Subdistrict 6A (D-6A). The D-6A subdistrict permits highway-oriented commercial businesses and visitor serving uses related to the harbor and Interstate 5. An aerial view of the project site is provided in Attachment 3.
The site is currently developed as an automotive repair shop and tow yard and has been operating as such since 1971. Surrounding uses include a Denny’s restaurant and two gasoline service stations to the north (Mobil and Chevron), Interstate 5 to the east, mixed retail and a mobile home park (Sandy Shores) directly to the south, and a hotel and restaurant (Days Inn and Del Taco) to the west.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The project application is comprised of three entitlements including a Development Plan, Conditional Use Permit, and Regular Coastal Permit as outlined below, and the proposed project’s plan set can be found in Attachment 4.
Development Plan (RD24-00005) represents a request to allow for the demolition of the existing automotive repair shop and construction of a 3,457-square-foot single-story structure that would be ancillary to the EV charging stations on site. The proposed structure would include a dedicated lounge, restrooms and convenience market. The proposed lounge and restrooms would service customers utilizing EV charging stations, while the convenience market would service both customers utilizing EV charging stations as well as the public. The charging stations would be available for use 24-hours daily while the proposed market and lounge would be open from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM, seven days a week. The proposed market and lounge would have two to five employees working each day and overnight security.
The proposed EV charging facility would be supported by ancillary on-site battery storage units in the form of two Tesla Megapacks to supplement the electrical grid while vehicle charging is in use (hereby referred to as “Megapacks”). The proposed Megapacks would be approximately 29 feet in length, five feet in depth, and nine feet in height. They would be oriented in an east-west direction ten feet from the northern property line. For the purposes of this staff report, the Megapack located furthest east will be referred to as “Megapack East” and the unit furthest west will be referred to as “Megapack West.” Megapack East would be located approximately 158 feet from the proposed convenience market, 85 feet from the existing Denny’s restaurant, and 10 feet from the Megapack West. Megapack West would be located approximately 30 feet from the Mobil service station’s Snack Shop. Both Megapacks are located on decomposed granite paving and the property is enclosed by six-foot-high masonry walls. The technical specifications for the Megapack are provided in Attachment 5.
The City’s Fire Department reviewed the proposed project, including the battery storage component, for compliance with the recently-adopted Section 1207 of the 2025 California Fire Code (CFC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 855, and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 9540A. The Fire Department conceptually approved the project design upon initial review of the project. Per the project’s conditions of approval included in the attached resolution, the applicant will also be required to provide additional analysis and system testing to ensure fire safety prior to construction.
The proposed project would incorporate a variety of landscape materials including 15 new trees (eight coast live oaks, four strawberry trees and three Aleppo pines), shrubs and groundcover (refer to Attachment 4 for the landscape plan). The project, as proposed, would provide an overall landscape coverage of 24 percent, thereby exceeding the City’s urban forestry requirements.
Conditional Use Permit (RCUP-00002) represents a request to allow for the operation of a convenience market at this location. A convenience market requires a conditional use permit pursuant to Article 12 Section 1220 of the Oceanside Zoning Ordinance. The convenience market would be located within the proposed 3,475-square foot building and offer higher quality food and beverage choices to customers, including fresh fruit, vegetables, and health-forward snacks.
Regular Coastal Permit (RRP24-00003) represents a request to allow for development of an EV charging facility within the non-appealable area of the LCP Land Use Plan jurisdictional boundary. State and local streamlining laws for EV charging stations do not supersede or modify the Coastal Act and must be consistent with the standards for development in the Coastal Zone. Several Coastal Act policies directly and indirectly support the development of EV charging stations, as EVs are a critical part of our shift to cleaner transportation that reduces GHG emissions and air pollution, and can thus help reduce the effects that climate change and sea level rise are having on marine resources, public coastal access, and other coastal resources. The proposed project would include a total of 63 parking stalls, of which up to 51 would be standard EV, two would be accessible EV, one ambulatory EV, eight would be standard (non-EV), and one would be standard accessible. The proposed EV charging stations would be capable of accommodating all types of EVs currently on the market. Parking and charging facilities for the site would be accessible from both North Coast Highway and Carmelo Drive.
The proposed project would contribute to the City’s existing Climate Action Plan (CAP) goals and policies to help reduce local greenhouse gas emissions by promoting EV infrastructure installation. Such strategies include:
• Reducing barriers to EV market penetration by providing increased local charging infrastructure
• Establishing public-private partnerships to increase charging infrastructure at existing office and industrial facilities.
Key Planning Issues The proposed project has been reviewed for compliance with the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, LCP, and CEQA.
1. General Plan Conformance
The General Plan Land Use Map designation for the subject property is Downtown (D). The proposed project is consistent with this land use designation and the policies of the City’s General Plan as follows:
Land Use Element
Goal 1.12: Land Use Compatibility
Objective: To minimize conflicts with adjacent or related land uses.
Policy B: The use of land shall not create negative visual impacts to surrounding
land uses.
1501 North Coast Highway is currently developed as an auto repair shop and tow yard. The proposed use would be consistent with redevelopment in the downtown area and would bring forward a development that would support the City’s Energy and Climate Action Element through the introduction of EV charging stations and numerous shade trees.
Energy and Climate Action Element
Policy ECAE-2f-1: Promote the installation of public electric vehicle charging facilities at convenient locations throughout the City.
The proposed project would install up to 51 electric vehicle chargers that would accommodate all types of electric vehicles currently on the market. The proposed location is near both Interstate 5 and State Highway 76. This location would not only serve the residents of Oceanside, but also members of the travelling public.
Policy ECAE-5a-7: Encourage new development to incorporate shade trees, to the extent practical and financially feasible.
The proposed project would add 15 shade trees to a site that currently has zero shade trees.
Economic Development Element
Policy EDE-2f-1: Promote commercial uses that serve the needs of the City’s daytime
population, particularly those who work in Oceanside but live elsewhere.
The proposed project would provide EV charging stations to not only the residents and employees of Oceanside driving electric vehicles, but to commuters and visitors as well. The proposed project would provide EV charging stations that accommodate all types of EVs currently on the market and would introduce a convenience market offering higher quality fresh food and beverages for purchase.
2. Local Coastal Program (LCP) Conformance
Per the City’s LCP Handbook, all projects requiring Development Plans or Conditional Use Permits require issuance of a Regular Coastal Permit. Regular Coastal Permits in the Downtown District are subject to Community Development Commission (CDC) approval.
The General Plan Land Use Element (Goal 1.32 - Policy A) specifies that the City shall utilize the certified LCP and supporting documentation for review of all proposed projects within the Coastal Zone. Specifically, the goals and policies of the LCP Land Use Plan shall be the guiding policy review document for coastal development.
The proposed Regular Coastal Permit would conform to the LCP, including policies within the plan. The LCP contains policies that require development to maintain the character of the existing neighborhood, preserve public coastal views and provide adequate public access to the coast.
Staff finds the application complies with applicable policies of the LCP as follows:
The City shall maintain existing view corridors through public rights-of-way.
The subject request to allow for the construction of the EV chargers and convenience market would not impact public views as the proposed project site is located mid-block and would not obstruct or alter any existing view corridor through public rights-of-way.
The City shall ensure that all new development is compatible in height, scale, color and form with the surrounding neighborhood.
The proposed scope of work consists of development constructed to a maximum height of 21 feet, well below the maximum height of 45 feet for the zoning district. The proposed building would be compatible in scale, color and form with surrounding commercial uses.
The City shall ensure adequate access to and along the coast be provided and maintained.
The proposed EV charging stations would allow for adequate access as the State transitions away from fossil fuel-based vehicles to EV. As the proposed project is located near existing traditional fuel resources and does not displace any existing parking or infrastructure, the proposed project would be consistent with providing additional public coastal access opportunities for any persons operating EVs.
3. Downtown Zoning Ordinance Compliance
The proposed project is subject to the Downtown District land use and development standards within Article 12 of the Zoning Ordinance. The proposed project site is located within Downtown Subdistrict 6A, which provides sites for highway oriented commercial businesses and visitor serving uses related to the harbor and the Interstate 5 freeway. As proposed, the project meets all applicable requirements of Downtown Subdistrict 6A, as outlined in Attachment 6.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The proposed project is categorically exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15332: “In-Fill Development Projects.” The site is an urbanized area and would not result in any potentially significant environmental impacts. The Notice of Exemption prepared for the project is included as Attachment 7.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
The applicant posted a Notice of Project Application sign on both the North Coast Highway and Carmelo Drive frontages, a legal notice was published in the newspaper, and notices were sent to property owners within a 1,500-foot radius and to tenants within a 100-foot radius of the subject property. Notices were also sent to individuals and/or organizations requesting notification.
The applicant held a community outreach meeting at the project site on August 13, 2025; one person attended.
Staff have received one letter of opposition regarding the project at the time of writing this report (Attachment 8).
FISCAL IMPACT
Does not apply.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
On October 22, 2025, the Downtown Advisory Committee (DAC) was presented with the project and after due consideration voted 5-0-4 (Abril, Marshall, Manley, Rosales absent) to recommend CDC approval of Development Plan (RD24-00005), Conditional Use Permit (RCUP24-00002) and Regular Coastal Permit (RRP24-00003). The DAC Memo can be found as Attachment 9.
Following the October 22,2025 DAC meeting, the site plan and landscape plans were updated to ensure that the Megapacks would comply with the 2025 California Fire Code that went into effect on January 1, 2026. Megapacks will be subject specifically to CFC Section 1207, NFPA 855, and UL 9540A.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
Pursuant to Oceanside Downtown Zoning Ordinance Article 12, the CDC is authorized to hold a public hearing and consider the evidence presented at the public hearing. After conducting the public hearing, the CDC shall approve, conditionally approve, or deny the project. The resolution has been reviewed and approved as to form by the City Attorney as General Counsel for the CDC.
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Prepared by: Nichole Weedman, Planner II
Reviewed by: Darlene Nicandro, Development Services Director
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Staff Report
2. CDC Resolution
3. Project Site Location Map
4. Project Plan Set
5. Tesla Megapack Datasheet
6. Zoning Ordinance Compliance
7. Notice of Exemption
8. Public Comment Letter
9. DAC Memorandum