The San Bernardino Planning Commission on Dec. 9 approved a conditional use permit and a public-convenience-or-necessity finding that will let the Chevron service station at 1950 South Waterman Avenue upgrade from an ABC type 20 (beer and wine) to a type 21 general off‑sale license.

Deborah Martinez, the city planner presenting the application, said staff found the 0.42‑acre site is surrounded by commercial uses and already operates 24 hours at the pumps with a convenience store open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. She told commissioners the operator maintains 16‑channel DVR surveillance, a uniform security guard while the store is open, and two panic buttons monitored by Bay Alarm and the San Bernardino Police Department. Martinez said the census tract is close to the local cap on off‑sale licenses, requiring a PCN filing, but noted the parcel’s local crime rate is below the city average.

During the public hearing, community speaker Marco Luca and the business representative answered commissioner questions about signage, landscaping and a small unpermitted storage structure behind the store. Luca agreed that, if required as a condition of approval, ‘‘the city police department [may] access your security system,’’ and staff confirmed compatibility with police systems is a condition of approval.

Commissioners discussed whether the small storage structure needed demolition as a precondition. Staff said the requirement for a building permit depends on size; if the structure is under 120 square feet a permit is not required. Based on that review, staff recommended removing the demolition condition related to that specific shed; the commission accepted that change.

Commissioner Daley moved to adopt staff’s recommendation, a second was recorded, and the item passed on a roll call tally reported as a 6‑of‑7 vote in favor. Staff will finalize the resolution and the related conditions. The commission’s action is final unless appealed to the Community Development and Housing Department within the 15‑day appeal period.

The resolution approving the CUP and PCN (Resolution No. 2025058) includes a CEQA finding that the project is exempt under the city’s existing‑facilities categorical exemption (listed in the staff presentation as CEQA section 15,301). The record indicates the operator will retain current hours and security measures; staff and police will verify required camera compatibility before finalization.