The Chevron gas station at 2895 N. Main St. in Walnut Creek wants to start selling alcohol at its convenience market.

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the request Thursday, Sept. 24, at 6 p.m. in the Council Chamber at 1666 N. Main St.

The application, filed as No. Y26-019, asks for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to sell alcoholic beverages alongside gasoline at the station's existing 2,064-square-foot convenience market, according to the commission's meeting agenda.

The property is zoned Service Commercial.

Under that designation, a gas station selling alcohol needs a CUP, which lets the commission attach conditions to make the use compatible with the surrounding area, according to the city's use-permit guidelines. The commission's decision is final unless someone files an appeal within 10 calendar days of the decision's mailing, at which point the City Council would hold a separate hearing.

City staff has recommended a California Environmental Quality Act categorical exemption for the project under Section 15301, which covers existing facilities. The staff's full report on the CUP itself had not been posted as of Sept. 17. The agenda states the report will be available on the city's website after 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18.

Gerardo Victoria, the associate planner handling the application, can be reached at (925) 943-5899, extension 2369, or at [email protected].

How to weigh in

Residents who want to comment have several options. Written comments must reach the city by 4 p.m. Sept. 24 to be included in the official record and provided to commissioners before the hearing. Comments can be mailed to City of Walnut Creek, Attn: Planning Commission, 1666 North Main Street, Walnut Creek, CA 94596, or emailed to [email protected].

In-person speakers at the hearing get two minutes each unless Chair Pamela Nieting sets a different limit. Speaker identification cards are available in the Council Chamber.

The meeting will also be livestreamed on the city's website and broadcast on Comcast Channel 28 (incorporated Walnut Creek only), Rossmoor Channel 1082, Astound Channel 31 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99.

A detailed copy of the application is on file at the Community Development Department on the second floor of City Hall, 1666 N. Main St., during regular business hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.

The commission's next regular meeting after the Sept. 24 hearing is scheduled for Oct. 8 at 6 p.m.