Elk Grove Planning Commission Special Meeting - September 25, 2023

The Elk Grove Planning Commission held a special meeting on September 25, 2023, at 6:00 PM to consider a single public hearing item: the Capital Improvement Project Design Review for the relocation of the Elk Grove Library to a former Rite Aid building at 9260 Elk Grove Boulevard. Commissioners present: Acting Chair George Murphy, Juan Fernandez, and Oscar O'Con. Vice Chair Suman Singha and Chair Sandra Poole were absent. The commission unanimously approved a resolution recommending City Council approval of the project, subject to additional conditions.

Consent Calendar

• No consent calendar items were on the agenda.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Jacqueline Braz expressed concerns about child safety in the outdoor children's patio area, particularly given adjacent activities. She questioned supervision and potential loitering. Staff clarified that the area would be fenced with a six-foot decorative fence and that security cameras would be installed. The commenter also noted traffic issues at the Waterman Road and Elk Grove Boulevard intersection, including vehicles using the right-turn lane to go straight.
• A second speaker (name not provided) raised concerns about traffic safety at the same intersection, noting that vehicles frequently make U-turns from the library exit and that the right-turn lane is misused for through traffic. They requested that the median be extended or that the driveway be restricted to right-in/right-out only. Staff acknowledged the issues but stated they are outside the project scope and would be relayed to public works and police.

Discussion Items

• Item 5.1: Elk Grove Library Relocation (WFC046) – Staff presented a design review for the remodel of an existing ±18,147 square foot retail building to become the new Elk Grove Library. Key features include: repainting, addition of windows, a pre-function plaza with a book locker canopy, a fenced children's patio, electric vehicle charging (10 stalls initially, expandable to 26), a library-of-things shed, bike racks, and a 110-person meeting room. The project is exempt from CEQA (Class 1, Section 15301). Staff recommended adoption of a resolution approving the design review.
• Commissioners asked detailed questions about EV charging standards, shade structures, security cameras, blue-light emergency phones, bike rack placement, outdoor staff area security, the library of things inventory, and potential digital signage. Staff and Sacramento Public Library (SPL) representatives (Director Peter O'Quellan and Deputy Director Jeremy Keller) answered, noting that cameras will be installed internally and externally, and that the library of things will be responsive to community surveys.
• Commissioner Fernandez suggested adding speed bumps to deter cut-through traffic and increasing the number of bike racks, which staff agreed to include as conditions.
• SPL confirmed that the meeting room would be available for community use and that all loaned tools (e.g., lawnmowers) would be electric.

Key Outcomes

• Motion and Vote: Commissioner Fernandez moved to adopt the resolution approving the project, including conditions for speed bumps and increased bike racks. Commissioner O'Con seconded. The motion passed unanimously (3-0).
• Conditions Added: Staff will coordinate with public works, fire department, and police to install speed bumps at appropriate locations in the parking lot to deter cut-through traffic, and will increase the number of bike racks at the site.
• Future Steps: The City Council will consider the project at a meeting on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 (as noted by Acting Chair Murphy). The resolution will be transmitted for final approval. Construction is expected to begin around mid-2024.