Stanislaus supervisors will consider plans for farm equipment dealership near Keyes
Stanislaus County supervisors will consider a 17-acre rezone for a farm equipment dealership near Keyes during a public hearing Tuesday morning.
Belkorp Ag applied for the rezone to build an agricultural equipment dealership in the 4600 block of Nunes Road, on the east side of Highway 99, north of Keyes Road.
The plans include a 57,000-square-foot two-story building for retail sales, service, parts and administrative offices, plus an area for outdoor display of farm equipment.
Belkorp is a Modesto-based company with dealerships selling John Deere agricultural, golf and turf equipment in Modesto, Patterson, Merced and Stockton, with four other sites in Northern California. A Belkorp dealership at Crows Landing Road and Whitmore Avenue would be relocated to the Keyes property, county staff said.
Chief Operating Officer Nathan Green said the plans are preliminary. “We don’t own the land. It needs to be zoned appropriately before we can purchase the property,” Green said.
The dealership does not need the entire 17 acres. The remainder of the land could be used for businesses such as restaurants, service stations or equipment sales.
Angela Freitas, planning and community development director, said the proposal has not raised any concerns in the community. The county Planning Commission unanimously approved the rezone Oct. 1.
“We are happy they are staying within the county,” Freitas said. “This is the type of development we were hoping for along this corridor. Hopefully, it will create a synergy for other things to develop.”
The new dealership will give Belkorp more space for equipment maintenance service. The site next to Highway 99 has better north-south access, and there is good east-west access for customers on Keyes Road.
A trucking business operated at that location for years. In April 2006, the county zoned the land for Cherokee Plaza with plans for a beauty college, restaurants and retail stores. The plaza was never built.
Green said the demand for farm equipment has grown since the Modesto dealership was built on Crows Landing Road decades ago. But more than four years of drought have affected the demand for agricultural equipment, he said.
Ken Carlson: 209-578-2321
At a glance
The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the basement chamber of Tenth Street Place, at 1010 10th St. in Modesto. The board will consider the following items:
▪ The first year financial report for the 2015-16 fiscal year;
▪ Approval to sell sheriff canines Sam and Kane to their current handlers;
▪ Appointments to community advisory councils, as well as board appointments to flood control, water and reclamation districts.
This story was originally published November 2, 2015 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Stanislaus supervisors will consider plans for farm equipment dealership near Keyes."