Title
PLN21-0027; Consideration of a Resolution approving a Conditional Use Permit to allow the expansion of an existing metal recycling facility at 1091 Doolittle Drive onto two adjacent parcels. Zoning District: IG, Industrial General; Alameda County Assessor's Parcel Numbers 77A-649-7-4, 77A-649-6-5 (existing operations); 42-4530-1-1 and 42-4530-1-2 (proposed expansion). Alco Iron & Metal Company (applicant)
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION
The applicant, Alco Iron & Metals (Alco), is seeking approval of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to expand an existing metal recycling facility at 1091 Doolittle Drive onto two adjacent vacant one-acre parcels west of the existing facility. The purpose of the expansion is to improve on- and off-site circulation, reduce the visibility of material stacks from the public right-of-way, and enhance operational safety. No new buildings or increases in processing capacity are proposed, or would be authorized under the approval of this CUP.
A Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was prepared and circulated for the project in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Comments were received and addressed through revisions and mitigation measures.
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt a Resolution (Attachment 1) adopting the MND and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP); and adopt a Resolution (Attachment 2) approving a Conditional Use Permit to allow the expansion of an existing metal recycling facility onto two adjacent parcels, subject to the recommended Findings of Fact and the recommended Conditions of Approval.
RELATIONSHIP TO SURROUNDING AREA
The project site is located at the southwest corner of Doolittle Drive (State Route 61) and Eden Road approximately 400 feet west of the intersection of Doolittle Drive and Davis Street (State Route 112), as shown on Attachment 3. The subject site and surrounding properties are zoned IG (Industrial General) and occupied by heavy industrial uses, including metal recycling, automobile dismantling, and equipment storage. The City’s Water Pollution Control Plant is located nearby, at the terminus of Eden Road.
BACKGROUND
Conditional Use Permit Requirement
Alco has continuously operated a metal recycling facility at the subject site since 1953. Alco’s operation consists of the receipt, outdoor storage, sorting, staging, and preparation of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals for shipment to end users. Processing activities include mechanical sorting, segregation by material type, and preparation for shipment through cutting, compacting, and staging. These activities are consistent with the Zoning Code’s definition of a Heavy-Processing Facility, which requires a CUP in the IG Zoning District.
Historically, Alco has operated without a CUP because the use was established prior to the CUP requirement for Heavy Processing Facilities in the IG Zoning District. The Zoning Code allows existing legal non-conforming uses to continue in perpetuity, even if regulations change, unless they are discontinued for more than 12 months or abandoned. When an existing industrial use expands its operational footprint or increases intensity, a CUP is required to review the expansion’s compatibility with current zoning and development standards. In this case, Alco’s proposed expansion onto adjacent parcels necessitates a CUP under the Zoning Code.
Existing Site Conditions
The existing Alco facility contains six buildings, ranging in size from 1,692 SF to 14,660 SF to support the existing operation. Ground surfaces are generally paved, compacted dirt and gravel, or covered with large steel plates. Access to the existing facility is from both Doolittle Drive and Eden Road. Large loads are delivered to the site through a driveway on Doolittle Drive. Trucks are weighed before and after delivery and deposit their loads on the large, easterly parcel. The site contains four large metal scrap piles.
The proposed expansion area consists of two vacant lots with compacted soil and gravel. No structures are located in the proposed expansion area.
Eden Road
Eden Road is an unpaved roadway abutting the northern side of the project site. The roadway provides frontage and access to several industrial parcels, including the existing Alco facility and the proposed expansion area. In a separate and prior action, the City Council approved the vacation and transfer of Eden Road to the applicant’s parent company, subject to conditions requiring that the roadway be improved and constructed to City standards and that access be maintained for all properties fronting Eden Road, including the City’s Water Pollution Control Plant. The Eden Road transfer and street improvements are not part of this CUP, although the improved roadway is functionally related to the proposed expansion. Once constructed, Eden Road would provide an additional and more direct truck access route to the facility, improve circulation along Doolittle Drive and Davis Street and support safer and more efficient industrial operations.
PROPOSAL
The proposed CUP would allow the reconfiguration of the metal recycling operations on the existing site, and expansion of those operations onto two adjacent vacant lots. The expansion of the use onto the adjacent lots would allow for improved site circulation (reducing traffic operations on Doolittle Drive), reduction of the visibility of material stacks from the public right-of-way, and enhancement of operational safety. The proposed project is not intended to increase the amount of materials received or processed at the facility, but to improve handling of materials. Overall, the proposed project would not increase equipment use, employee count, hours of operation, or amount of material processed on-site. Any future proposal to add buildings, introduce new processing activities or product lines, expand operations to additional parcels, or materially increase operational intensity would require amendment of the CUP and additional discretionary review.
Physical Changes
The applicant is proposing to grade the two-acre expansion area to level it and lay steel plates directly on the graded surface. A new scale and scrap piles would be moved to the expansion area to allow better sorting and circulation. Code-compliant fencing would be installed. The proposal also includes the addition of 45 new parking spaces and new landscaping and stormwater improvements.
Operational Changes
A new circulation pattern would be established wherein trucks would enter the site from Doolittle Drive, circulate through the site to the proposed expansion area, and then exit back onto Doolittle Drive. The Eden Road access gate would be used for overflow traffic to reduce traffic build up on Doolittle Drive. These improvements are intended to reduce truck queuing on Doolittle Drive and Eden Road.
STAFF ANALYSIS
As discussed below, staff believes the project would support improved public health, safety and welfare by facilitating safer operations, improving on-site and off-site circulation and improving the aesthetic quality of the site.
Aesthetic Improvements
The proposal would involve the relocation of scrap piles currently visible from Doolittle Drive and Davis Street to less visible locations, improving the image of San Leandro’s northerly entrance. Proposed conditions of approval would require ongoing maintenance of landscaping in good condition and removal/replacement of fences taller than seven feet which do not have building permits.
Site Access and Circulation
The proposed expansion would improve site access, internal circulation, and overall operational efficiency, and would not increase traffic volumes or intensify use. Access to the Alco facility is currently provided primarily from Doolittle Drive, with truck movements concentrated within a constrained operational yard. Existing conditions result in internal congestion due to overlapping truck queuing, weighing, material staging, and circulation activities.
Compatibility with Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan
The subject site lies within an Airport Influence Area (Zone 2 - Inner Approach/Departure Zone) for the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan for the Oakland International Airport. The Alameda County Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) held a public hearing on January 21, 2026, to review Alco’s proposal and adopted a resolution determining that the proposal was consistent with the adopted Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan. The ALUC recommended several conditions of approval to reduce potential hazards, including a staff training requirement, the presence of certain safety equipment, and the recordation of an avigation easement to the Port of Oakland. Those conditions have been incorporated into the recommended conditions of approval for this CUP.
GENERAL PLAN CONFORMANCE
The proposed project would be consistent with the following General Plan policies.
• Policy LU-7.6 Circulation and Land Use Improvements. Improve the appearance, operation, and safety of the street system in San Leandro’s industrial districts, with an emphasis on better conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists, reducing conflicts between truck traffic and residential traffic, and improving connectivity between destinations.
• Action LU-7.6.D: Eden Road. Improve the Eden Road/West Davis area in a manner that attracts higher value industrial uses and improves the appearance and image of this area. This should include paving of Eden Road and frontage improvements on adjacent properties.
• Policy LU-7.8: Sense of Place. Create a stronger sense of place and a more positive regional image in the industrial districts through improved site planning, landscaping, architecture, façade improvements, fencing and screening, and design, as well as investments in streetscape improvements.
FINDINGS OF FACT
To approve the proposed Conditional Use Permit, the Planning Commission must make certain findings of facts and/or determination pursuant to the Zoning Code. Staff has analyzed the proposal and determined that the required findings can be made, as detailed in Attachment 2, Exhibit A.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
A Mitigated Negative Declaration was prepared and circulated for the proposed project in accordance with the requirements of CEQA. The IS-MND concludes that the project would not result in any significant environmental impacts with implementation of identified mitigation measures.
The public comment period for the MND began on October 24, 2025, and ended on November 24, 2025. Five comments on the MND were received, addressing utilities, airport operations, surface transportation, and environmental justice. Staff subsequently prepared revisions to the document (shown in the document in redline-strikethrough format). All of the mitigation measures have been incorporated in the recommended conditions of approval for the project.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
A notice of public hearing was published for this project in the East Bay Times Daily Review newspaper on February 20, 2026, at City Hall, on the property, and by mail to property owners within 500 feet of the subject property. Notice was also provided to those who submitted comments on the MND.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt a Resolution adopting the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program; and adopt a Resolution approving a Conditional Use Permit to allow the expansion of an existing metal recycling facility onto two adjacent parcels, subject to the recommended Findings of Fact and the recommended Conditions of Approval.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1: Planning Commission Resolution 2026-xxx (CEQA)
Exhibit A: Mitigated Negative Declaration
Exhibit B: Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program
Attachment 2: Planning Commission Resolution 2026-xxx (CUP)
Exhibit A: Findings of Fact
Exhibit B: Existing and Proposed Site Plans and Truck Circulation
Attachment 3: Vicinity Map
Attachment 4: ALUC Resolution 2026-01
PREPARED BY: Cindy Lemaire, AICP, Senior Planner