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Record of Proceedings

Sacramento Planning and Design Commission Meeting on Council Call-Up Provisions - October 14, 2021

Planning & Design Commission — Thursday, October 14, 2021
BodySacramento, California
SessionPlanning & Design Commission
DateThursday, October 14, 2021
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:23

Chair, we are live streaming.

0:25

You may start the meeting at any time.

0:29

Thank you.

0:30

Um, welcome to the City of Sacramento's Planning and Design Commission hearing.

0:34

The date is Thursday, October 14th, 2021.

0:38

For staff commissioners and applicants logged into the meeting, please remember to mute yourselves except while speaking.

0:44

For members of the public tuning in, in addition to submitting e-testimony, you have the option to join the Zoom meeting from a link on the meeting agenda.

0:53

Comments submitted either through email or e-comment before 5 p.m.

0:57

today have been received by staff and available to commissioners to review.

1:01

If you would like to leave an e-comment during the hearing, please do.

1:05

Staff will pull up e-comments posted after 5 p.m.

1:08

today, and we will take a moment to review.

1:11

Members of the public participating via Zoom.

1:14

If you would like to speak on an agenda item, please use the Zoom Raise Your Hand feature when the item begins in order to provide public comments.

1:22

The clerk will call on you and allow you to speak.

1:24

You will have three minutes to address the commission.

1:27

If you go over your allotted time, you will be asked to make your final comments and will then be muted.

1:32

Tonight's agenda also has more detailed written instructions to help you use the raise your hand feature.

1:39

If you wish to speak on a subsequent agenda item, you will need to raise your hand again when that item begins.

1:44

If there are any interruptions in your video stream, we ask that you please refresh your browser.

1:49

We'll move in to the agenda.

1:52

We have no changes to our agenda.

1:55

We will move into roll call.

1:57

Commissioners, please unmute your mics.

2:02

Okay.

2:03

Commissioner Commissioner Boyd.

2:06

Commissioner Buckley.

2:08

Here.

2:10

Commissioner Chase.

2:11

Here.

2:13

Commissioner Cobil.

2:16

Commissioner Lenzi.

2:18

Here.

2:19

Commissioner Ogilvy is absent this evening.

2:23

Commissioner Pluckybaum?

2:25

Here.

2:26

Commissioner Wallace.

2:27

Here.

2:28

Commissioner Monconnelly.

2:30

Here.

2:31

Commissioner Yee.

2:33

Here.

2:34

Commissioner Young.

2:36

Here.

2:37

Vice Chair Hernandez.

2:39

Here.

2:40

Chair Monsieur Sreed.

2:41

Here.

2:42

You have a quorum.

2:44

Okay, thank you, Station.

2:45

We'll move on to the consent calendar, Commissioners.

2:48

If you're abstaining from one of the items, please mention so during the roll call vote.

2:53

Move into the approval of the meeting minutes of September 23rd, 2021.

2:58

Do I have a motion?

3:07

I'll second.

3:08

Okay, I have a motion by Commissioner Pluckybaum and a second by Vice Chair Evundus.

3:14

We can go to a vote.

3:16

Commissioners, please unmute your mics.

3:19

Commissioner Buckley.

3:23

Hi.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Land Use Planning████████████████████████████████████████40%
Procedural█████████████13%
Cannabis Regulation█████████9%
Community Engagement█████████9%
Public Participation███████7%
Development Review███████7%
Housing███████7%
Affordable Housing█████5%
Public Comments███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Sacramento Planning and Design Commission Meeting on Council Call-Up Provisions - October 14, 2021

The Sacramento Planning and Design Commission held a teleconference meeting on October 14, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. UTC (via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The primary agenda item was a discussion on the appropriateness of adding a council call-up provision for land use entitlements in Title 17 of the Sacramento City Code, as requested by the Law and Legislation Committee. The meeting included a consent calendar and a detailed discussion of historical call-up data, with commissioners providing comments to be reported to the committee.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Meeting Minutes (September 23, 2021): Passed unanimously with a roll-call vote. Commissioner Wallace abstained, noting they had missed the prior meeting.
  • Director’s Report: Received and filed; no oral report was given.

Discussion Items

  • Item 3: Review and Comment on Adding a Council Call-Up Provision in Title 17 for Land Use Entitlements
    • Staff (Associate Planner Garrett Norman) presented historical data on call-ups from 2005 to present. A total of 29 projects were called up: 24 from 2005–2013 (when call-ups applied broadly) and 5 cannabis-related since 2017. The average delay caused by call-ups was approximately 4.5 months, with the longest at 16 months and the shortest at 1 month. Of the 29 call-ups, 86% (25 projects) resulted in no change to the original decision; only 4 outcomes were altered. The majority of called-up projects were residential (14), followed by cannabis (5).
    • Commissioners discussed several questions posed by staff: pros and cons of call-ups, which land uses might warrant them, whether call-ups undermine the commission’s role, the relationship with the existing appeal process, uncertainty for developers, and whether call-ups create better projects.
    • Commissioner Positions (summarized):
      • Commissioner Pluckebaum, Wallace, Buckley, Chase, Hernandez, Young, and Wong-Connelly generally opposed broad call-up provisions, citing redundancy with the existing appeal process, additional delays (average 4.5 months), increased uncertainty for developers, and the risk of politicizing land use decisions, especially for housing. They emphasized the importance of the streamlined process adopted in 2013 and noted that 86% of call-ups did not change outcomes, indicating inefficiency.
      • Commissioner Coville initially supported the call-up for drive-through restaurants but later reconsidered, noting the historical trend of council removing call-ups to depoliticize decisions.
      • Commissioner Boyd supported call-ups as a necessary check by elected officials and the citizenry, arguing that the commission should not prioritize developer convenience over public input and that the city meets its housing inventory (as per HCD), though others disputed this.
      • Commissioner Lenzi supported call-ups for elected officials, particularly for controversial uses like alcohol sales, drive-throughs, and cannabis, asserting that council members have the best insight into district priorities. He opposed housing call-ups.
      • Commissioner Yee suggested call-ups might be appropriate for new or controversial uses (e.g., cannabis) where policy guidance is still evolving, but generally opposed broad call-ups due to uncertainty. He also noted that the lack of litigation after appeals suggests the current process works.
      • Chair Macias Reed and Vice Chair Hernandez echoed concerns about redundancy and the lack of evidence that call-ups create better projects, emphasizing the need to maintain streamlining and avoid undermining the commission’s work.
    • Staff clarified that the appeal process allows community members to challenge decisions for a nominal fee (~$300), while developers pay higher fees (~$4,000). Call-ups currently exist for cannabis and large gas stations near truck routes. Only the council member of the relevant district or the mayor can initiate a call-up.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal motion or vote was taken on the call-up provision; the item was a discussion-only review and comment.
  • The commission’s comments and feedback will be compiled into a staff report to be presented to the Law and Legislation Committee and subsequently to the City Council for further consideration.
  • The City Council retains the option to consider a pending ordinance specifically establishing call-ups for drive-through restaurants while the broader policy discussion continues.
  • The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:30 p.m. UTC (based on the agenda timeline and transcript duration).

Meeting Transcript

Chair, we are live streaming. You may start the meeting at any time. Thank you. Um, welcome to the City of Sacramento's Planning and Design Commission hearing. The date is Thursday, October 14th, 2021. For staff commissioners and applicants logged into the meeting, please remember to mute yourselves except while speaking. For members of the public tuning in, in addition to submitting e-testimony, you have the option to join the Zoom meeting from a link on the meeting agenda. Comments submitted either through email or e-comment before 5 p.m. today have been received by staff and available to commissioners to review. If you would like to leave an e-comment during the hearing, please do. Staff will pull up e-comments posted after 5 p.m. today, and we will take a moment to review. Members of the public participating via Zoom. If you would like to speak on an agenda item, please use the Zoom Raise Your Hand feature when the item begins in order to provide public comments. The clerk will call on you and allow you to speak. You will have three minutes to address the commission. If you go over your allotted time, you will be asked to make your final comments and will then be muted. Tonight's agenda also has more detailed written instructions to help you use the raise your hand feature. If you wish to speak on a subsequent agenda item, you will need to raise your hand again when that item begins. If there are any interruptions in your video stream, we ask that you please refresh your browser. We'll move in to the agenda. We have no changes to our agenda. We will move into roll call. Commissioners, please unmute your mics. Okay. Commissioner Commissioner Boyd. Commissioner Buckley. Here. Commissioner Chase. Here. Commissioner Cobil. Commissioner Lenzi. Here. Commissioner Ogilvy is absent this evening. Commissioner Pluckybaum? Here. Commissioner Wallace. Here. Commissioner Monconnelly. Here. Commissioner Yee. Here. Commissioner Young. Here. Vice Chair Hernandez. Here. Chair Monsieur Sreed. Here. You have a quorum. Okay, thank you, Station.

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