Sacramento Planning & Design Commission Meeting – April 8, 2021

The Sacramento Planning and Design Commission met on Thursday, April 8, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. via teleconference. The meeting included a consent calendar, public hearings on four items, and a discussion calendar. All commissioners were present except Lynn Lenzi and Kendra Macias-Reed. Commissioner Alix Ogilvie recused herself from Item 5. The meeting adjourned at 7:23 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of the meeting minutes of March 25, 2021: Moved, seconded, and carried (9-0-2, with two absent) to approve.
• Director’s Report (oral report): Received and filed; the Planning Director noted that the City Council authorized the Housing Element to be sent to the state and approved the Sacramento Valley Station Area Plan.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 4 (16R Mixed-Use): Jameson Parker, representing the Midtown Association (a property and business improvement district), spoke in support of the project, citing the need for housing and the activation of a long‑vacant parcel. He urged approval.
• Item 5 (1760 Challenge Way Cannabis Dispensary): Three callers spoke:
  • Leslie Gray (District 3 resident) expressed strong support, noting her medical needs and desire for a safe, accessible dispensary location.
  • Phil Tesher, representing retail properties near Arden Fair, opposed the project, citing concerns about vandalism, homelessness, and inadequate police response.
  • Raquel, a CORE program graduate, expressed mixed feelings, supporting cannabis businesses but concerned about the impact of the moratorium on equity applicants.
• Item 6 (Appeal of 2678 5th Avenue Fence Deviation): Multiple callers spoke in support of retaining the fence as built. Speakers included neighbors who praised the fence’s aesthetic quality and compatibility with the Curtis Park neighborhood. No caller spoke in opposition. E‑comments and letters overwhelmingly supported the fence.

Discussion Items

• Item 3: Ordinance to Update Terminology Related to Somatic Practitioners (File ID 2021-00344) – Staff presented a citywide proposal to replace the term “somatic practitioner” with “massage therapy practitioner” and “somatic practitioner establishment” with “massage therapy establishment” in Title 17. The changes are minor and do not alter substantive requirements. The Commission held a public hearing with no public comments. A motion to forward the ordinance to the City Council with a recommendation of approval passed 9-0-2.
• Item 4: 16R Mixed-Use (P20-023) – 1619 R Street – Staff presented a request to rezone a 0.89‑acre parcel from Office Business Low‑Rise Mixed‑Use (OB‑SPD) to General Commercial (C‑2‑SPD) and to approve site plan and design review for a six‑story, 150,779‑square‑foot mixed‑use building with 104 apartment units, 12,000 square feet of open space, 4,200 square feet of ground‑floor commercial space, and 101 parking spaces. A deviation for building height is included. Staff noted a supplemental sheet addressing a public comment and clarifying conditions C39‑C41. Commissioners discussed parking quantity, transit‑oriented development goals, and the city’s work plan for parking maximums. The Commission voted 9-0-2 to forward the project to the City Council with a recommendation of approval.
• Item 5: 1760 Challenge Way Cannabis Dispensary & PUD Amendments (P20-026) – Staff requested commission approval of a conditional use permit, PUD schematic plan amendment, and PUD guidelines amendment to allow a storefront cannabis dispensary in an existing 7,821‑square‑foot building. The site is in the Point West PUD. Commissioner Wallace disclosed she had discussed the item with staff. Public testimony included support and opposition. The Commission approved the project 8-0-3 (with Ogilvie recused, Lenzi and Macias-Reed absent). Vice Chair Pluckebaum clarified that the decision is a land‑use determination separate from operating license and equity issues.
• Item 6: Appeal of 2678 5th Avenue Fence Deviation (DR20-113) – The property owner appealed the Zoning Administrator’s decision requiring removal of a 16‑inch lattice atop a six‑foot fence along the street side. Staff recommended approving the fence height on the interior side yard (7’4”) but denying the deviation for the street side and requiring the fence to be cut to six feet. The applicant presented photos and letters of support, arguing the lattice enhances privacy and security and complements the craftsman character of the neighborhood. After public testimony, Commissioner Chase moved to approve the project with modified conditions: the fence on the alley side may remain at 7’4”; on the street side, the first section (approximately one bay, about 8 feet) wrapping around from the alley may also remain at 7’4”, then drop to six feet; and the vertical posts may exceed the horizontal fence height by up to six inches, with final details to be coordinated by staff. The motion passed 9-0-2 with the modifications.

Key Outcomes

• Item 3: Motion to initiate and forward the somatic practitioner terminology update to the City Council with a recommendation of approval – passed 9-0-2.
• Item 4: Motion to forward the 16R Mixed‑Use project (rezoning and design review) to the City Council with a recommendation of approval – passed 9-0-2.
• Item 5: Motion to approve the cannabis dispensary and PUD amendments (conditional use permit, PUD schematic plan and guidelines amendments) – passed 8-0-3.
• Item 6: Motion to approve the fence deviation appeal (denying the appeal) with modified conditions – passed 9-0-2. The conditions allow the fence to remain at 7’4” on the alley side and for one bay on the street side, then dropping to six feet, with posts potentially extending up to six inches above the fence top, as coordinated by staff.
• Consent Calendar: Minutes approved (9-0-2). Director’s report received and filed.