Antioch City Council Rejects Idea of Private College on Auto Center Drive

During Tuesday night’s Antioch City Council meeting, in a 4-1 vote, the council rejected a use permit for Contra Costa Career College at 1700 Auto Center Drive.

Last night’s action was in response to an appeal by Thomas Nokes of the Planning Commissions 6-1 vote in favor of to allow the college. Mr. Nokes stated the property was zoned for retail such as automobiles, not for a college. Mr. Nokes highlighted his goal of further developing the land for more car dealerships.

“I just don’t see how a college in that location brings any benefit to that area. It’s a very strong retail area and I think automotive which it is designed for would bring the city the sales tax it needs and jobs it sorely needs. This town does not have a lot of good paying jobs,” said Nokes. “I think we supply some of the best jobs in the city and have for years. “

Stacey Orozco, director and owner of Contra Costa Career College, highlighted that she spent nearly 2-years looking for a facility for her expanding business which she started in 2007.

“The school provides education and career training with job placement assistance. We had over 900 graduates last year with 90 percent of those graduated were placed in jobs within the community,” explained Orozco. “I believe we bring revenue in a different form. They are making really high salaries, they live in the community so they are spending money here. They live and work here.”

Orozco stated she was new to the process and was still learning.

“Honestly, if he wanted to buy the building, why didn’t he? It was for sale probably a year and a half prior to us coming in and wanting to purchase it,” said Orozco. “The college employees staff at $25-36 an hour so we also pay our employees well…. We are located in Blue Rock shopping center and have grown out of the area. We are in 6000 square feet now and need more space and there is no space available there. We lease that site and want to purchase something. We want to stay in Antioch instead of being forced into another community.”

She noted she didn’t want to go out of Antioch because this new building was a good fit.

“This building is perfect. It has the right amount of parking spaces for our student population. An amazing amount of square footage would be perfect for us to run new programs. Right now, we are confined to such a small space that we can’t start any new programs. We have been approached by many medical facilities such as Stanford, our students get externships and are hired. Kaiser takes our students…. We have incredible placement rates, we have waiting lists waiting for our students to come to them. Basically we want to add an x-ray technician program. We want to add an ultrasound program, an ER Tech program and these are all request from medical facilities in Antioch, Brentwood in Oakley. The county hospital are asking us to add these programs because they have job needs.”

Orozco noted that her closest competition for similar programs is in Richmond.

“We are the only one of our kind. Our students will bring business to the area as we have 900 students who will shop in the area, eat in the area, they are going to do business, go to Costco, to me it’s a perfect spot to have a vocational school. Just the area itself is going to feed our school and give opportunity to the residents in the Somerville corridor. We help those kind of people get trained and employed. I believe we do Antioch a huge service by providing education. We want more education and more employed community and that is what we do. I know its right across the street from a big car dealership, but it is honestly a perfect location for the college to be.”

Mayor Wade Harper asked if Orozco looked into other locations. Orozco stated that they looked at multiple locations but none of them offered the parking with the square footage and visibility.

During Public Comments, Mike Luca who is a commercial real estate broker who represents Mr. Nokes.

“Your land is one of the largest economic and natural resources that you have. I’ll remind the council that in 2011, it was voted upon that the west side of auto center drive allow sales of autos. So the plan in 2011, was to transform this area and build upon what Mr. Nokes has done with his properties and allow more automotive uses in this area. Tonight from my expertise, as a real estate broker, I urge you not to deviate from that plan. The reason is that automotive properties, land that is zoned and allowed for the use of automotive sales is a scarce resource in any community. Take any city you can think of… the uses that work best are ones that are complimentary to automotive dealerships. Let’s not forget that Mr. Nokes, at least three of his dealerships in Antioch are in the top 10 of sales tax generators. So to take away a strategic property whether it’s Mr. Nokes or another auto dealer or complimentary automobile use that could potentially occupy such a facility would be a complete waste of a resource.”

City Staff later corrected Mr. Luca stating the plan in 2011 was to allow more auto sales as part of the overall plan, not make it the only land use.

Councilman Tony Tiscareno asked Orozco that during her search for the right place, how long was the process.

“We have been squeezed into our location for more than 2-years now. So we have been in the process of looking for a spot for two to two-and-a-half years,” said Orozco.

Tiscareno then asked how long the property was for sale. Orozco noted it was for sale for 2-years and that she was no in escrow condition on the use permit.

“Are you at a point where you may lose a deposit at this particular point,” asked Tiscareno.

Orozco stated her escrow was contingent on the use permit being approved. Tiscareno then asked about looking for other sites. She highlighted she looked all over from new buildings, remodeled, existing spaces .

“Parking is the biggest issue because for colleges we had to have a 5-to-1 ratio and we couldn’t find anything that was sufficient square footage with the amount of parking available,” said Orozco.

She highlighted she looked into expansion at Blue Rock, off Sunset and other locations.

Mayor Wade Harper asked who advised her that it was not an authorized use and at what point were you advised.

“I had no idea until I came to the first public hearing when they told me somebody was appealing our conditional use,” explained Orozco.

Mayor Harper then asked her if she looked it up or why she didn’t check with the city to see if it was a authorized use.

“No, I had no idea,” said Orozco.

Forrest Ebbs, of Antioch, then chimed in to clear the zoning and general plan and authorization saying the conversation was drifting off track.

“Just for the record, the General Plan designation of Business Park, which has a primary purpose to provide light industrial, research and development, and office-based firms seeking an attractive and pleasant working environment and prestigious location. So the use is allowed in the range of light industrial to office. There was not a prominent retail use attached to it. In 2011 the change made was to allow auto sales in a business park designation which was not previously allowed. I know some of the statements tonight about it being required to be retail, but the zoning standards alone that is not a requirement for it to be auto related by the zoning standard as it stands today.”

Epps further highlighted that the Somersville Road focus area, that the policies speak very heavily to strong sales tax generating, auto uses but noted that boundary does end at Costco Way. It does not include this property, instead they are neighbors.

“I want to be very clear that this is not a retail zone, the question about it not being a permitted use, its absolutely a permitted use and require a use permit. Similarly, auto sales at the same location also require a use permit. So they are on equal ground as far as the zoning is concerned,” explained Epps.

Councilwoman Mary Rocha asked about Orozco’s second choice.

Orozco said they had one, but the Western Career College building wanted as much as $12 million dollars—saying this was an “ideal building” but could not afford it within her budget. A second location at Longs at Lone Tree and Deer Valley, but stated that building was $7 million and could not afford it. She also tried to negotiate with Blue Rock Center on a solution but nothing worked out.

“We charge students $2,500 and not $20,000 as we want to keep tuition low for our students. We also work within our means and we cannot afford that amount of space with that amount of parking, I haven’t found anywhere in Antioch,” explained Orozco. “I looked all over and actively searching both high and low in Antioch. This is what we found.”

Councilman Tony Tisacreno then asked Mr. Nokes about how if the property was on the market for two-years why he didn’t buy it.

“I did, I thought I was in contract. I had a contract with AAA and sent it to my attorney for approval and after I sent it back they said they signed a deal the day before.”

Tisacreno asked if there was a multiple bid process and you were out bided.

“That is correct,” said Nokes.

Councilwoman Monica Wilson called this a tricky situation while applauding Ms. Orozco’s entrepreneurship while also applauding Mr. Nokes for all the business he has generated in the city.

“What I really had to do was look at the land and the area without any prejudice either way and so I went back to the general plan and talk my way through this,” explained Wilson.

She said per the General Plan, Mr. Nokes is a sales tax generator while Mr. Orozco produces people who could join the workforce.

“Looking at the general plan just looking at the land I am leaning more towards Mr. Nokes,” said Wilson. “But I do sympathize with Ms. Orozco but I do lean more with Mr. Nokes.”

Mayor Pro Tem Lori Ogorchock stated she did not believe a college was going to generate the sales tax, revenue and the jobs they were looking for.

Councilman Tony Tiscareno noted he was torn between this decision saying the city does need revenue, but stated the need for education as well.

“What disturbs me is that you (Mr. Nokes) went through the process and tried to purchase the building, unfortunately were outbid. You as a business man you understand that sense that there is competition and the contract was awarded to the college and is in escrow,” explained Tiscareno. “They have taken those steps and one of things we have heard through emails and complains is that we also need to build up our education as well and be able to create jobs other ways as well. Hopefully Antioch is high is employment for medical resources.”

Tiscareno highlighted he was familiar with Mr. Nokes model but also Orozco’s model will create jobs and provide a service to the medical field. He said it was a difficult call but was leaning towards Orozco because they went through the process and are ready to go upon approval.

Councilwoman Mary Rocha stated that she had been there long enough to know why they set up Auto Center with the automobiles.

“That was the plan of action in mind was to take that whole area and put in car dealerships. That is the difficulty I have is knowing the history and know where we were going,” explained Rocha. “At this point I would deny that opportunity for you to produce.”

Mayor Wade Harper stated he was glad Tiscareno asked Ms. Orozco if she was going to be out any money, she said she was not going to be out of any money.

“We made it Auto Center drive because we wanted retail and automobiles. And anyone is an Antioch resident who purchases a car, even if they purchase the car in another city, there are taxes that come back to the city of Antioch and I think the school there is not the best location and I would encourage you to look for other locations.”

Harper hopes she can work out a deal or a lease somewhere else in the city.

“I think putting a school there is detrimental to what we are trying to do there for economic development and bringing in jobs, retail and sales tax. I applaud your effort and I think you should keep trying for another location but I want to see retail and autos on that street. After all, its Auto Center Drive.”

Motion to deny the permit was denied in a 4-1 vote with Tiscareno being the dissenting vote. This overturns a 6-1 Planning Commission Vote who supported the use permit.