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State of California • Natural Resources Agency Edmund a BrownJc,Governor 11 Department of Conservation John M.Inwrie,Assistant Diredor Division of land Resource Protection 801 K Street• MS 14-15 _ Sacramento,CA 95814 -- (916)324-0850 • FAX(916)3273430 May 26, 2016 VIA EMAIL: SSTOWERS(aSJGOV.ORG Ms. Stephanie Stowers San Joaquin County Community Development Department Development Services Division 1810 East Hazelton Avenue Stockton, CA 95205 Dear Ms. Stowers: SITE APPROVAL APPLICATION, EXPANSION OF MORRILL INDUSTRIES AGRICULTURAL MANUFACTURING FACILITY ON LAND CONSERVATION ACT CONTRACTED LAND, PA-1600076(SA) The Department of Conservation's (Department) Division of Land Resource Protection (Division) has reviewed the Site Approval Application for the Expansion of the Morrill Industries Agricultural Manufacturing Facility. The Division monitors farmland conversion on a statewide basis and administers the California Land Conservation (Williamson) Act, California Farmland Conservancy Program, and other agricultural land conservation programs. We offer the following comments and recommendations with respect to the proposed project's impacts on agricultural land and resources. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The project would allow the expansion of a custom agricultural manufacturing facility in three phases over eight years. Phase one includes the construction of a 16,800 square foot sand blasting and warehouse building. Phase two, to be completed within five years, includes the construction of a 4,973 square foot warehouse building and an 8,669 square foot warehouse building. Phases three, to be completed within eight years, includes the construction of two 8,000 square foot warehouse buildings. The project is located at 24754 East River Road, in the City of Escalon. The project site is further defined as Assessor Parcel Number 247-090-31 and is currently under a Williamson Act contract. PROJECT IMPACTS ON LAND UNDER A WILLIAMSON ACT CONTRACT Based on a review of 2014 National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) data', the Department found no evidence of agricultural use on the parcel. Proponents of the project might argue that an agricultural manufacturing facility should qualify as a compatible use since the primary output of the facility directly benefits agriculture. However, these factors do not outweigh the basic industrial nature of the facility. The provisions for compatible uses allow ' United States Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency, National Agriculture Imagery Program, 2014.