Sacramento Planning & Design Commission Meeting – October 28, 2021
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Sacramento Planning & Design Commission Meeting – October 28, 2021
The Sacramento Planning and Design Commission met on Thursday, October 28, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. via teleconference. The meeting included approval of the consent calendar, a public hearing on a cannabis delivery-only dispensary, and a major discussion on the Innovation Park Planned Unit Development (PUD) and California Northstate University (CNU) Medical Campus. No votes were taken on the latter item, which was for review and comment only.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Meeting Minutes of October 14, 2021: A motion by Commissioner Wallace, seconded by Commissioner Covell, passed unanimously (all present voted aye; Commissioner Buckley joined after the vote).
- Director’s Report (Oral): Received and filed. The report noted that on October 19, 2021, City Council approved the Opus Student Housing Project on Folsom Boulevard and the Clear Channel Billboard Relocation project, which the commission had recommended in 2019.
Public Hearings
Item 3 – Aurum Translucence Delivery CUP (P21-035): A request for a Conditional Use Permit to establish a delivery-only cannabis dispensary and modify a previously approved cannabis production facility within an existing ±8,640-square-foot building at 108 Otto Circle. Staff recommended approval subject to conditions. No public comments were received (no e-comments or speakers). The item was approved by motion (Commissioner Macias Reed moved, Commissioner Pluckebaum seconded) with all present voting aye; Commissioner Buckley did not vote as she joined late.
Discussion Items
Item 4 – Innovation Park Planned Unit Development and California Northstate University Medical Campus (P18-077): This was a presentation and discussion only; no action was taken. The project proposes transforming the 183-acre former Sleep Train Arena site into a mixed-use development anchored by a teaching hospital and university campus. The applicant team (Sacramento Kings, CNU, and design consultants) presented the PUD districts, circulation network, open space plan, and detailed hospital design. Commissioners raised numerous questions and comments, including:
- Concerns about the DAG (Design Advisory Group) process and whether comments were adequately addressed. Staff confirmed the applicant had responded thoroughly.
- The commitment to the building design and the process for future changes: Staff stated the design for Phase 1A (hospital) will be conditioned and any substantial changes must return for site plan and design review.
- Zoning: The request to change the general plan designation from Urban Center High to Urban Center Low and rezone to C2 with a PUD. Commissioners questioned the wholesale change and the appropriate zoning; staff and applicant explained the need for a PUD to prohibit incompatible uses and implement the city’s urban infill vision.
- Parking: Discussion on parking needs for the hospital (approximately 306 spaces required by code, but applicant determined a higher number using operational methodology). The parking structure location and ground-floor activation were debated.
- Central plant location: Concerns about its prominence near residential; applicant noted they are designing a more architectural facade and will address activation.
- Flood risk: Questions about underground parking and flood mitigation. The hospital’s critical components will be elevated above the 200-year floodplain; surface parking will be at grade and may flood in a 200-year event.
- Sustainability: Applicant committed to LEED Gold for the hospital. Commissioners encouraged use of native landscaping, dark-sky lighting, permeable paving, and biodiversity/climate sections in the PUD.
- Housing strategy: Applicant stated a commitment to a mixed-income housing strategy, with 10% of total units (minimum 20 units/acre) as affordable. They are discussing with SHRA (Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency) potential land dedication or developer obligations. Commissioner Young urged inclusion of affordable housing for students and service workers and dispersion throughout the site.
- Community outreach: One commissioner noted the need for broader citywide outreach beyond the internet; staff said they will send information to community groups and use a project website and email.
- Public comment: One speaker, Lori Bremner, owner at Bella Rose condominiums adjacent to the site, expressed excitement but asked for open space near her complex, a sound wall during construction, and a direct access gate to the bike/walking path.
Key Outcomes
- Consent calendar approved.
- Item 3 (Aurum Translucence) approved with conditions.
- Item 4 (Innovation Park PUD/CNU) was for review and comment only. The project will return to the Planning and Design Commission on November 29, 2021, for a recommendation to City Council, with City Council consideration expected in February 2022. Staff will incorporate commissioner feedback and continue working with the applicant on outstanding design and policy issues.
Meeting Transcript
Thank you, Chair. We are live and staff is ready when you are. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the City of Sacramento's Planning and Design Commission hearing. The date is Thursday, October 28th, 2021. For staff commissioners and applicants 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 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 for commissioners to review. If you would like to leave an e-comment during the hearing, please do so. Staff will pull up any e-comments posted after 5 p.m. today, and we will take a look, 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 then we'll be muted. Tonight's agenda has more detailed written instructions to help you use your raise your hand feature. If you wish to speak on a subsequent agenda item, you will need to raise your hand again when that next item begins. If there are any interruptions to your video stream, please refresh your browser. We'll move on to the agenda. We have no changes to the agenda today, so we'll move on to roll call. Commissioners, please unmute your mics. Commissioner Boyd. Commissioner Buckley. Commissioner Chase. Commissioner Covell. Here. Commissioners Lindsey and Ogilvy are both absent. Commissioner Pluckabom? Here. Commissioner Wallace. Here. Commissioner Wang Connolly? Yes. Commissioner Yi. Here. Commissioner Young. Here. Vice Chair Hernandez is also absent. Chair Messias Reed. Here. You have a quorum. Thank you, Statia. We'll move on to the consent calendar. Commissioners, if you're abstaining from one of the items, please mention so during the roll call vote. We'll move to approval of the meeting minutes of October 14th, 2021. Do I have a motion? I'll move.
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