Sacramento Planning and Design Commission Meeting: January 26, 2023
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Sacramento Planning and Design Commission Meeting – January 26, 2023
The Sacramento Planning and Design Commission convened via Zoom on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at 5:31 p.m. to consider a consent calendar, two public hearings, and a discussion item. The meeting included approvals, a continuation, and a staff presentation on the Healthy Places Index tool.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of January 12, 2023 Meeting Minutes (File ID: 2022-02416): The commission passed a motion (8 ayes, 2 abstentions – Commissioners Lamas and Macias Reed, not present at the previous meeting; Commissioner Boyd absent) to approve the minutes.
Director’s Report
- Staff reported that a request from Commissioner Boyd to establish a commission subcommittee on parking is under review, with additional information to follow after consulting the City Clerk’s office.
Public Hearings
Item 2: 4080 24th Street – Proposed Storefront Dispensary (P22-036)
- Staff Presentation: Robert Williams presented a proposal to establish a cannabis dispensary (storefront with delivery) in an existing 4,000-square-foot commercial building on 0.5 acres in the Heavy Commercial (C-4-R) zone. The project required a Conditional Use Permit and Site Plan & Design Review. The site is within 600 feet of a tobacco retailer and 300 feet of residential zones, triggering commission review.
- Public Comments: Five community members (L Inman, Eliana Green of Hood Incubator, Maisha Bahati, Kika Keith of Social Equity Owners and Workers Association, and Kevin Hooks) spoke in strong support, citing applicant Malakai Men’s role in Sacramento’s equity program (CORE ordinance) and the need for legal cannabis businesses in historically impacted areas.
- Applicant Presentation: Malakai Men, a drug war survivor and lead advocate for the city’s CORE program, described his 25-year career in community economic development. He noted the site is down the street from where he grew up and will repurpose vacant properties with no significant opposition.
- Commissioner Questions & Discussion: Commissioners asked about environmental review (categorical exemption per CEQA Guidelines), parking, and site compatibility. No significant concerns were raised.
- Vote: Motion to approve passed unanimously (10 ayes; Commissioner Macias Reed recused). The approval includes an Environmental Exemption, a Conditional Use Permit, and Site Plan & Design Review.
Item 3: Sacramento Music Hall (P20-041)
- Staff Presentation: Angel Anguiano presented a proposal to repurpose two vacant warehouse buildings (total 31,905 sq ft after supplemental update) into an event venue (bar/nightclub) and restaurant on 6.36 acres in the Manufacturing, Research & Development (MRD-SWR) zone within the Sacramento Center for Innovation (SCI) Specific Plan. The applicant requested a Conditional Use Permit to allow the bar/nightclub use (assembly use permitted by right, but alcohol service deemed bar/nightclub), a Conditional Use Permit for an off-site parking lot (75 spaces at 3009 Power Inn Road, leased from Regional Transit), Site Plan & Design Review, and a Tree Permit to remove 12 city trees.
- Public Comments – Opposition:
- Rita Gallardo Good (Sacramento State) stated the university’s neutral position but reiterated concerns about consistency with the SCI plan.
- Rachael Brown (Power and Alliance) expressed concerns that the project does not align with the SCI vision and could negatively impact nearby businesses.
- Matt Keasling (Taylor & Wiley, representing Dimension Properties and Power and Alliance) argued that the project is inconsistent with the SCI plan and urged the commission to impose conditions to codify operational limits (e.g., hours of operation, number of events). He noted that without binding conditions, a future operator could operate as a bar 7 nights a week until 1–2 a.m.
- S. Samaniego, a nearby resident, voiced concerns about noise and the project’s compatibility with the area.
- Applicant Response: Diane Kinderman, attorney for the applicant, presented a compromise: the applicant agreed to four of seven proposed conditions from Power and Alliance (conditions 4,5,6,7) and proposed a modified condition 1 (restaurant kitchen closes at 10 p.m. on non-event nights, closes at 11 p.m.; event venue hours remain as proposed). The applicant disagreed with conditions 2 and 3, which would limit the number of nighttime events per month.
- Commissioner Discussion: Several commissioners expressed that substantial progress had been made but noted that key conditions (especially limiting the number of events) remained unresolved. Commissioner Young suggested continuing the item to allow further negotiation. Commissioner Macias Reed moved to continue to the next meeting (February 9, 2023).
- Vote: Motion to continue passed 10-1 (Commissioner Boyd dissented). The project will return on February 9, 2023.
Discussion Calendar
Item 4: Healthy Places Index Discussion (File ID: 2022-01443)
- Staff Presentation: Marcus Adams introduced the Healthy Places Index (HPI) tool, a data resource used to identify health equity indicators. Staff demonstrated its application in evaluating land-use proposals (e.g., alcohol sales permits, gas stations) and noted that it has been used in four staff reports to date. The tool helps address overconcentration of sensitive uses and inform conditions of approval.
- Commissioner Comments: Commissioners thanked staff and discussed potential proactive uses of the tool, including prioritizing investment in underserved areas and integrating it into the forthcoming Environmental Justice Element of the 2040 General Plan.
- No action was taken; the item was for review and comment only.
Commissioner Comments & Welcome
- The commission welcomed new Commissioner Julio Lamas, who introduced himself and his background in housing and community development.
- Chair Hernandez acknowledged Lunar New Year (Year of the Rabbit).
Key Outcomes
- Approved: Conditional Use Permit for a dispensary at 4080 24th Street (Item 2) – unanimous (10-0, 1 recusal).
- Continued to February 9, 2023: Sacramento Music Hall (Item 3) – voted 10-1 to allow additional negotiation between the applicant and Power and Alliance.
- No action: Healthy Places Index Discussion (Item 4) – informational only.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Chair, we are live. Thank you very much, Jacob. Good evening. We have a new commissioner joining us today for their first meeting, and he'll have a chance to introduce himself after the discussion calendar item. Let's call this meeting of the City of Sacramento Planning and Design Commission to order. Today is Thursday, January 26, 2023. The time is 5:31 p.m. Will the clerk please call the roll to establish a quorum. Thank you. Commissioners, please unmute and turn on your video. Commissioner Boyd is absent. Commissioner Buckley. Commissioner Chase. Commissioner Caden. Here. Commissioner Lamas. Here. Commissioner Macius Reed. Here. Commissioner Zhang. Here. Commissioner Yi. Here. Commissioner Young. Here. Vice Chair Wallace. Here. And Chair Hernandez. Here. Thank you. We have a quorum. Thank you very much. A few brief housekeeping reminders since this meeting is being held virtually via Zoom. For members of the public who wish to join, you can find the Zoom link on the agenda. And once you've joined the meeting and wish to speak, please use the raise your hand feature when your desired desired item begins in order to join the queue. We will first hear a staff presentation. The applicants will have an opportunity to speak. Commissioners can ask questions, and then we will open up the public comment period where the clerk will call upon you to speak. If you're joining us online, click on raise hand at the bottom of your screen. If you're in the mobile app, you can raise your hand by tapping the raise hand option in the more tab. And if you're calling in via telephone to raise your hand, dial star nine, then to unmute or mute yourself, you can dial star six, and speakers will be called upon by the last four digits of their phone number. You will have three minutes to let us know your opinion. Members of the public may also submit written electronic comments for the record, an email address and a link to submit your e-comments online are also available on the agenda. As a reminder for folks who are logged in to the Zoom meeting as a panelist, please also use the raise your hand feature for any questions or comments during the appropriate time. And for commissioners, please turn on your cameras. We can now move on to the land acknowledgement. Thank you. You may be seated. Our first business today is approval of the consent calendar, which includes draft meeting minutes from our January 12th meeting. Clerk, are there any members of the public who wish to speak on this item?
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