Elk Grove Planning Commission Meeting – September 3, 2026: Mural Approval and Fee Policy Discussion
Elk Grove Planning Commission Meeting – September 3, 2026
The Elk Grove Planning Commission met on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the City Council Chambers. The meeting lasted 31 minutes, adjourning at 6:31 PM. Commissioners present: Varinder Singh (Vice Chair, acting Chair), Juan Fernandez, Sandra Poole, and Suman Singha. Chair Oscar O'Con was absent. The Commission approved a mural on a non-historic building in Old Town, discussed fee concerns raised by the applicant, and received updates on upcoming projects and fee structure reviews.
Consent Calendar
- Item 4.1 – Regular Meeting Minutes of May 21, 2026: Continued due to a missing second on a motion and attendance issues; will be brought back when Chair O'Con is present.
- Item 4.2 – Regular Meeting Minutes of August 6, 2026: Approved unanimously. (Motion to continue 4.1 and approve 4.2; seconded; all in favor.)
Public Comments & Testimony
- Randy Becker (public speaker): Expressed frustration over the $4,500 fee charged to the nonprofit applicant for the mural, noting that not all murals on Main Street paid that amount. He urged the Commission to refund the fee and revisit the policy, stating the mural promotes hometown hero Kyle Larson and that the fee is cost-prohibitive for future art projects.
Discussion Items
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Item 5.1 – 9036 Elk Grove Boulevard Mural (PLNG26-022): Senior Planner Kyra Killingsworth presented the staff report. The mural, already installed in 2025, depicts NASCAR driver Kyle Larson on the east wall of a non-contributing building in the Old Town Historic District (built late 1950s/early 1960s). Staff found the project exempt from CEQA (Guidelines Section 15301) and recommended approval based on compatibility with the Old Town Special Planning Area (SPA) guidelines.
- Applicant’s comments: The applicant described the mural’s creation, including a signature by Kyle Larson sealed into the artwork. He questioned why the Planning Commission must approve murals on non-historic buildings and noted the $4,500 application fee equaled the artist’s payment, calling it cost-prohibitive for nonprofits. He suggested the SPA regulations be updated.
- Commissioner Fernandez asked whether all muralists paid the same fee, and staff confirmed fees are set by city council resolution and based on time and materials. Staff noted a comprehensive fee update is underway and that the SPA may be revised in coming months.
- Commissioner Sandra Poole asked about a website on the mural; the applicant clarified it was "Hendrickcars.com" (Kyle Larson’s sponsor).
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Director’s Report: Community Development Director Christopher reported:
- City Council approved a moratorium on personal storage facilities and will update regulations within two years.
- Upcoming Planning Commission items: Summer Flats project (September 17) and incubator project (October 1).
- A state grant for historic preservation work was received; grant agreements will go to City Council next week.
- Recognition of Historic Week at the end of September.
- Discussion on fee structure: staff is updating fees comprehensively (last update 2011); some fees are moving from flat fee to time-and-materials. Nonprofits may seek fee reductions through council action.
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Planning Commission Matters: Discussion about the role of the Arts and Creative Economy Commission vs. the Planning Commission for murals. Staff noted that a code amendment would be required to change the SPA requirements, and the council has asked staff to review the issue.
Key Outcomes
- Mural Approval (Unanimous): The Commission voted to adopt a resolution finding the project exempt from CEQA and approving the Old Town Design Review for the 9036 Elk Grove Boulevard Mural (PLNG26-022), based on findings and conditions in the draft resolution. Motion by Commissioner Poole, seconded by Commissioner Fernandez; all in favor (4-0).
- Minutes: Item 4.1 (May 21, 2026) was continued; Item 4.2 (August 6, 2026) was approved.
- Fee Policy: Staff will consider the applicant’s concerns about fee disparities and nonprofit impacts during the ongoing fee program update; a potential refund may be processed after final staff hours are accounted for.
- Upcoming: The Commission will hear the Summer Flats project on September 17 and review SPA revisions in the future.
Meeting Transcript
Meeting Thursday, September 3rd, 2026 at 6 p.m. We will begin with the land acknowledgement. We honor, respect, and acknowledge Elcrow's first inhabitants, the Plains Mewak, who lived as sovereign caretakers of this land and these waterways since time immemorial. We commemorate and advocate for their descendants. The Wilton Rancheria tribe, the only federally recognized tribe in Sacramento County who endure because of the bravery, resiliency, and determination of their ancestors, tribal members, and leaders. At this time, please silence your electronics and cell phone devices. The clerk will read the customary greeting. The Elk Grove Planning Commission welcomes, appreciates, and encourages participation in the meetings. The commission reserves the right to reasonable reasonably limit the total time for public comment on any particular notice agenda item as it may deem necessary. If you wish to address the commission during the meeting, please complete a speaker card and give it to the clerk to consider to consideration of the agenda item. Thank you. And now the clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Sandra Poole. Present. Present. Present. Present. Absent. Thank you. I invite Commissioner Juan Fernandez to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. All right. I pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic or which one nation under uh invisible vote with the call. If you would please join us in a moment of silence. Next on the agenda, we have approval of the agenda. Can I get a motion to approve? Chair, I move that we approve the agenda for this evening. Can I get a second? Second. All in favor? Public comment. Members of the audience may comment on any item not on the agenda that is of interest to the public and within the jurisdiction of the planning commission. The planning commission cannot take action on any non-agendized items raised under public comment until the matter has been specifically included on an agenda as an action item. I will now open the public comment opportunity. Do we have any speakers? No. No. All right, I will close the public comment. We will then move to consent calendar items. 4.1, the regular meeting minutes of May 21st, 2026. Chair, um, I have a parliamentary question on item 4.1. Um I noticed there wasn't a second on the motion, and I was wondering if it's about that motion. Uh just a moment. Let me check the minutes. Yeah, we'll um review the tapes and we'll revise um the minutes with respect to that item, and uh we would request that you would continue um approval of these particular minutes if that's acceptable to the commission. I believe based on attendance at this meeting, we do not have a quorum to approve uh 4.1 because need uh commissioner Fernandez and I were here, and uh Chair O'Conn is missing this evening. So oh thank you. Um I appreciate that. Yes, it looks like the minutes were actually continued due to two abstainees, uh Fernandez and Singha, and it looks like um oh uh Chair O'Conn was absent. Um so if you wanted to abstain again this evening on those minutes, um we could just continue it.
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