SCH Number 2025010969

Project Info

Title

Don Chapin Sand Dryer Plant

Description

The Don Chapin Sand Dryer Plant Project (project) is the construction and operation of a new sand drying plant and precast concrete manufacturing facility as an addition/expansion to the Don Chapin Ready Mix Concrete Batch Plant located at 23878 Ingomar Grade in the Volta area in Merced County. The project site consists of three parcels with a cumulative acreage of 11.91 located directly adjacent and to the east of 23878 Ingomar Grade on the northeast side of South Ingomar Grade, 960 feet east of South Volta Road in the Volta area, identified as Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APNs) 081-060-086, -087, and -088. The project would include the construction and operation of a sand dryer plant and precast concrete manufacturing facility with an operations building, truck scale, and other associated equipment; three (3) storage buildings; and other associated features, including a precast shop office and breakroom, an employee parking area, concrete storage areas, a catch basin, a lined retention basin, and fencing. The proposed sand dryer plant would be constructed in the western portion of the project site and would encompass a total area of 23,000 square feet. The proposed sand dryer plant would consist of a sand dryer, a load-out belt, a feed ramp, two (2) feed hoppers with a feed belt, product storage bunkers, an operations building, and a truck scale. The proposed sand dryer plant would be equipped with a 75-foot-tall elevator and up to eight (8) storage silos 36 feet tall, and a screening system that is atop the silo system that is an additional 25.5 feet tall making the silo and screen system a total of 61.5 feet tall. The maximum height of the tallest part of the proposed sand dryer plant would be 75 feet. The plant would sort and dry pre-washed sand products into dried sand products for bagging and bulk use in value-added processes. Additionally, the precast concrete manufacturing operation would utilize new and returned concrete from the on-site ready mix plant to manufacture concrete products such as highway barrier rails, septic and other tanks, catch basins, and other associated precast concrete products. The products would be stored on-site and picked up by customers or delivered using facility trucks. The project would include the construction of three (3) storage buildings for dried materials located in the northwestern portion of the project site, including a 12,000-square-foot storage building for bulk products, a 10,020-square-foot storage building for sacked products, and a 12,000-square-foot storage building for bagged storage. The storage buildings are planned to be constructed in two (2) or three (3) phases. The 12,000-square-foot storage building for bulk products and the 10,020-square-foot storage building for sacked products would be constructed in the first phase or second phase of construction. The 12,000-square-foot storage building for bulk products would be constructed in the second or third phase of construction. The project includes the construction and installation of other proposed structures and equipment, including a 4,000-square-foot precast shop office and breakroom, a 20,060-square-foot employee parking area, precast concrete storage areas, a catch basin, a lined retention basin, fencing, security lighting, and utility infrastructure. The existing vehicle ingress and egress located at 23878 Ingomar Grade would be maintained and no new points of ingress or egress would be created on the project site. The project includes the installation of a 4,000-square-foot precast concrete shop office and breakroom in the northern portion of the project site. The precast shop office and breakroom would be used as a breakroom, small office space, and storage for tools. The project includes the construction of a 20,060-square-foot employee parking area in the southwestern portion of the project site. The parking area would consist of 16 parking stalls and asphalt-concrete paving. The proposed sand dryer plant would be closed to the public and no visitors or customers are expected. Further, ample parking for employees and all visitors exists at the Don Chapin Ready Mix Concrete Batch Plant location and, as a result, no new Americans with Disabilities Act or electric vehicle stalls are required or proposed. The project includes the construction of a precast tank/catch basin, a pumping system, and a lined storage retention basin with the capacity to capture a 10-year stormwater elevation of 100.45 feet, with a maximum level of 101.5 feet and a total volume of 3.25 acre-feet. The purpose of the retention basin is to catch all stormwater and surface runoff from leaving the project site. The stored and retained water would be returned to the ready mixed concrete batch plant for use in the concrete manufacturing process. The project includes the installation of 6-foot-tall chain link fencing topped with three (3) strands of barbed wire and equipped with a view guard. The fencing would be installed along the entire perimeter of the project site. A total of ten (10) outdoor lights would be installed for security purposes only, four (4) on the sand dryer plant and a total of six (6) on the operations, breakroom, and storage buildings. The project would utilize the existing water well located on the Don Chapin Ready Mix Concrete Batch Plant location and no new water well would be required. The project would not require any additional water use for plant operations or employee facilities. Additionally, the project would utilize the existing septic system located on the Don Chapin Ready Mix Concrete Batch Plant location and no new septic system would be required on the project site. An existing Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) natural gas line is present along Ingomar Grade and would provide natural gas to the project once connected. In addition, the project is expected to be provided with electricity by a service drop from PG&E, consisting of at least 1,200 amps. It is anticipated that the project would require 9,000,000 British thermal units (Btus) and 600 amps of electrical service. The additional service is being installed for potential future truck charging facilities for electric-powered trucks and equipment. The Don Chapin Ready Mix Concrete Batch Plant location is currently being permitted to install solar power augmentation, which would add solar power to the existing ready mix concrete batch plant and the proposed sand dryer plant. Installation of solar power is not included in the proposed project. Construction of the project would result in approximately 11.91 acres of ground disturbance, including 5,600 cubic yards of cut and 2,460 cubic yards of fill with 3,200 cubic yards to be balanced or stored on-site. Construction activities are anticipated to begin in early 2025 and would occur over a total estimated timeframe of 36 months, including up to four (4) weeks for grading activities, four (4) weeks for the construction and installation of the proposed drainage basins and underground utilities, 12 to 16 weeks for construction of the sand dryer plant and building foundations, and a phased two-year period for final site construction. Construction activities would be limited to weekdays during daytime hours (7:00 a.m. through 3:30 p.m.). Construction activities would require the use of an aerial lift, a crane, an excavator, a forklift, a grader, two (2) tractors, a paver, a roller, a rubber-tired loader, a scraper, and other similar construction equipment. Construction activities would include four (4) to five (5) construction workers per day. Water for dust control would be used on an as-needed basis depending on the season of construction. Operation of the sand dryer plant is anticipated to commence in mid-2025 and the operation of other proposed buildings and facilities would commence in 2026 and/or 2027. Operation of the project would result in approximately 30 daily vehicle trips, including 18 truck trips. Truck trips would be required to haul sand and other materials to the sand dryer plant from Los Banos and to haul/ship the finished product. The proposed sand dryer plant would be closed to the public and no visitors or customers are expected. The proposed sand dryer plant and precast concrete operation would operate Monday through Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and would employ six (6) new employees. The project would result in approximately 50 gallons per day of additional wastewater flows that would be treated by the existing septic system located at the ready mix concrete batching plant. No additional water use for project activities would be necessary. The sand dryer plant would require the use of natural gas and electricity provided by PG&E. The project proposes to construct and operate a new sand drying plant and precast concrete manufacturing facility as an addition/expansion to the adjacent Ready-Mix Concrete Batch Plant (“Don Chapin Ready Mix Concrete Batch Plant”). The project would include the construction and operation of a sand dryer plant and precast concrete manufacturing facility with an operations building, truck scale, and other associated equipment; three (3) storage buildings; and other associated features, including a precast shop office and breakroom, an employee parking area, concrete storage areas, a catch basin, a lined retention basin, and fencing. The project site is located on northeast side of Ingomar Grade, approximately 948 feet east of Volta Road in the Volta area, identified as Assessor’s Parcel Numbers (APNs) 081-060-086, 081-060-087, and 081-060-088. The project site is designated and Industrial land use in the General Plan and zoned M-1 (Light Manufacturing).

2 documents in project