Sacramento Planning & Design Commission Summary: May 13, 2021
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Sacramento Planning & Design Commission Meeting Summary
On May 13, 2021, the Sacramento Planning and Design Commission convened to consider a consent calendar, a public hearing on a third-party appeal of the Albright Village housing project, and a review of the city's Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The meeting resulted in the denial of the appeal, approval of the project, and a finding of consistency for the CIP.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Meeting Minutes of April 22, 2021: The commission unanimously approved the minutes.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Albright Village Appeal: Multiple callers expressed support for the project, citing the need for housing, thoughtful design, and compatibility with the neighborhood. Speakers included representatives from the Midtown Association, Turtle Commercial Real Estate, the Hodgson Company, a Southside Park resident, and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. One caller, Jason (the neighbor to the west), voiced concerns about noise and privacy from balconies, requesting a reduction in balcony depth from 8 to 6 feet. The appellant, Pamela Rosada (president of the Richmond Grove Neighborhood Association), argued that the design did not fit the historic character, cited inadequate neighborhood outreach, and raised privacy issues.
Discussion Items
- Third-Party Appeal of Albright Village (Z20-090): Staff recommended denying the appeal and approving the project, which includes subdividing a 0.59-acre lot into 14 single-family homes with associated improvements at 1234 U Street. The appellant’s concerns included density, facade articulation, lighting, historic district anticipation, and balcony privacy. The applicant noted voluntary modifications such as additional street-facing entries and reduced fence heights. Commissioners discussed the project's compatibility, design, and outreach efforts. The commission voted to deny the appeal and approve the project as conditioned.
- Review of City FY 2021-26 Capital Improvement Program (CIP): Staff presented seven new CIP projects (parks, street improvements, bike/pedestrian trails, bridge maintenance) and found them consistent with the 2035 General Plan. The commission forwarded a finding of consistency to the City Council.
Key Outcomes
- Albright Village Appeal: The commission denied the third-party appeal and approved the site plan, design review, tentative map, and tree permit as conditioned. (Motion by Commissioner Chase, second by Commissioner Yi; motion passed.)
- CIP Consistency: The commission forwarded a recommendation of consistency with the General Plan to the City Council for the FY 2021-26 Capital Improvement Program.
Member Comments
- Commissioner Lindsay raised concerns about a lack of accessibility to the previous meeting’s video stream for the South Natomas item. Staff acknowledged the issue and noted that IT is investigating.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, that's 30 seconds. You can start whenever you like. Welcome to the City of Sacramento's Planning and Design Commission hearing. Today is May 13th, 2021. For all the folks logged into the meeting, please remember to mute yourselves except when speaking. For members of the public tuning in, in addition to submitting e-testimony, you have the option to phone in during the public comment period. Stacia will share a screen now to uh display both options. Comments submitted either through email or e-comment before 5 p.m. today have been received by staff and are available to commissioners to review. If you'd like to leave any e-comment during the hearing, please do. Staff will pull up e-comments posted after 5 p.m. and we'll all take a moment to review uh during the public comment period for that item. If you're calling in to speak on an item, please refer to the instructions on the screen now. After you dial in, you'll be prompted to select the hearing item number to move into that item's queue. So be sure to confirm that in advance of dialing. You can call in at any time before and during the public comment period for the item, and you'll be placed on hold until it's until you're called upon to speak. If you're waiting to call in, please keep in mind that it may take a minute or so to move through the queue. When it's your turn to speak, please turn down the volume on the device you're listening on as there's a slight delay. If there's any interruption in our video stream, please refresh your browser. If that's unsuccessful, please let us know. With that, let's move on to the agenda. Are there any changes in tonight's agenda? I'm not aware of any. I don't think there are any. All right, let's call the roll. And then we'll also vote. Commissioner Buckley. Here. Commissioner Boyd. Commissioner Chase. Commissioner Hernandez. Here. Commissioner Lindsey. Here. Commissioner Messius Reed. Commissioner Wallace. Here. Commissioner Won Connolly. No, no, I'll here. Commissioner Yee. Here. Commissioner Young. Here. Vice Chair Plucky Baum. Here. And Chair Covell is absent tonight. You have a quorum. Thank you. The only item on consent tonight is the minutes. Do we have a motion to approve the minutes?
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