A recent Ceres City Council approval allows El Rematito Flea Market to create a new parking lot for the Crows Landing Road venue.

On May 19 the council approved a new lot line adjustment that allows the flea market to expand parking into neighboring parcels.

Patrons have resorted to parking on the street.

Quetzal, the corporation that runs the flea market, asked for a lot line adjustment in 2013 in its quest to obtain two neighboring parcels to the north for the construction of a larger parking area. Since that approval, however, the operators learned that the configuration presented some financing challenges. They determined that a new lot line adjustment to include a fourth parcel - an existing parking area just south of the flea market - would resolve their dilemma.

The reshaping of the El Rematito Flea Market parcel also enhances development opportunities for the property to the north owned by G3 Enterprises. Tom Westbrook, director of Community Development for the city of Ceres, said that's because the parcel becomes square and not flag shaped.

One of the flea market parcels was annexed to the city of Ceres as part of the West Landing Specific Plan and annexation in 2012. That makes plans for expansion to fall under the jurisdiction of the city, not Stanislaus County. Prior to the annexation, the county had granted approval to plans to develop another parking lot that would accommodate 900 parking spaces.