A medical-device firm’s expansion of its campus earned the Santa Maria Planning Commission’s approval on Wednesday night.
Planning commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the Hardy Diagnostics proposal for 1291 W. McCoy Lane, near several of the firm’s other facilities. Commissioner Robert Dickerson recused himself from the discussion and vote.
The 36,400-square-foot building is planned for a 2-acre, vacant, triangular-shaped parcel east of the former home of Moxie’s Cafe and the current site for the Santa Maria Public Market. Across the street are several other Hardy buildings.
Hardy expects the new facility, most of which would be a single level with a small area having a second level, would have combined manufacturing, warehouse and office uses.
Commissioners agreed to Hardy’s request for a slightly taller building than allowed under city regulations, seeking a height just less than 40 feet to accommodate manufacturing equipment inside the facility plus screening requirements for mechanical equipment on the roof.
“I like the project,” Commissioner Tom Lopez said. “I’m not concerned with the building height. I think the planned development permit allows us to go a little bit beyond. Architecture looks great. … I like it. It’s a great project.”
Commissioner Yasameen Mohajer agreed.
“I think the building’s beautiful. Good job,” she said.
“The fact that they’re expanding and they want to stay here is awesome. I think the site design makes sense,” Commissioner Esau Blanco said.
“I think it’s going to be a real added feature to that part of the neighborhood,” chairman Tim Seifert said.
The design includes “lots of windows for an industrial building, which add to the attractiveness of the building,” according to Frank Albro Jr., a planner for the city.
The new building would share the driveway with the nearby eatery, removing some parking spaces at the northeast corner of the lot. However, those spaces would be created elsewhere on the site so the number would remain unchanged.
Hardy Diagnostics, an employee-owned firm started by Jay Hardy, makes medical devices to identify micro organisms that can be dangerous to human and public health.
Hardy manufactures petri plates, dilution vials and transport tubes for viral samples, including 20 million viral transport tubes during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Ethan Brannon, Hardy director of manufacturing,
The new facility would allow Hardy to double its manufacturing capability, he added.
The core business involves making 2,700 products used in laboratory and pharmaceutical applications.
“Our research and development department is constantly working to innovate new discoveries to increase the rapid detection of these dangerous micro organisms as well as more recent pathogens similar to that of superbugs,” Brannon said, adding that those superbugs are resistant to available drugs and antibiotics.
Hardy has six properties, including acquiring the former Great White Dental building a few blocks away in 2020. The firm also has a large manufacturing facility in Ohio.
The company has maintained a consistent growth of 13% annually, Brannon said.
For the new location, Hardy expects to add about 40 employees, increasing the annual payroll by $3 million by 2027, Brannon added.