Sacramento Planning Commission Reviews 2040 General Plan Draft - June 8, 2023
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Sacramento Planning & Design Commission Meeting – June 8, 2023
The Planning and Design Commission met on Thursday, June 8, 2023, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:38 p.m. to consider the Public Review Draft of the Sacramento 2040 General Plan, receive a status update on the Revisions to Vehicle and Bicycle Parking Requirements Project, and approve the consent calendar. The meeting included extensive public testimony and commissioner discussion focused on land use intensity, transit-oriented development, parking policy, and equity.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of May 25, 2023 Meeting Minutes – Passed 7 ayes, 1 abstention (Commissioner Buckley abstained because he was absent at the prior meeting).
Public Comments & Testimony
Item 2 – 2040 General Plan – Seven members of the public spoke:
- Greg Chen (Sacramento Council of Governments – SACOG) expressed strong support for the draft plan and recommended increasing maximum floor area ratios (FAR) within a half-mile of high-frequency transit stops, updating Vision Zero corridors on mobility maps, and coordinating with the regional transportation network plan.
- Kevin Dumler (YIMBY Sacramento) applauded the move to form-based FAR and requested raising FAR to 4.0 around light rail stations, eliminating parking minimums, and increasing FAR to 2.0 in high-opportunity areas.
- Ben Raderstorf (District 4 resident) supported the plan with changes: FAR 2.0 in wealthy areas, elimination of parking minimums with maximums, and FAR 4.0 near transit to enable four-story buildings.
- Ansel Lundberg (District 7 resident, YIMBY Sacramento) praised the switch to FAR, cited a personal example of density restrictions blocking housing, and urged higher FAR in transit and high-opportunity areas.
- Erika Butler (South Sacramento resident) raised three experiential concerns: need for public restrooms, limited transit hours (7 a.m. – 7 p.m. weekdays only for on-demand service), and safety/reluctance walking on arterial roads. She also requested study of annexation for her unincorporated pocket.
- Kay Crumb (District 6 resident, Strong SAC Town) supported the plan but recommended partnering with SAC RT for transit corridors, building more Class I bike lanes, closing or slowing select streets, and eliminating parking minimums with robust maximums to reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles.
- Troy Sankey (District 4 resident) stated the plan’s goals are “unambitious” and advocated adding a target for total VMT reduction (not just per capita), eliminating parking minimums, and densifying within a five-minute walk of light rail stations.
Discussion Items
Item 2 – Public Review Draft of the Sacramento 2040 General Plan Staff (led by Remi Mendoza) presented an overview of the four-part document, which aims to guide growth through 2040 with a focus on sustainability and equity. Key proposals include shifting to a form-based FAR system, permitting a variety of housing types, restricting new drive-through restaurants near transit, prohibiting new gas stations without EV charging, and adding a standalone Environmental Justice element. The plan also sets quantified targets such as reducing the share of renters spending >30% of income on housing from 50% to 30% by 2040. The public comment period runs through August 2023 via an online self-guided workshop; adoption hearings are expected in early 2024.
Commissioners asked detailed questions and offered feedback:
- Commissioner Xiong asked about participation numbers and suggested expanding outreach; staff noted the online workshop is open 24/7 and requested commissioner help with community events.
- Commissioner Chase raised concerns about the absence of an inclusionary housing policy; staff noted a concurrent study on mixed-income housing ordinance is underway.
- Commissioner Kadin questioned why FAR near some light rail stations (e.g., in Land Park, East Sacramento) is only 1.0, which appears inconsistent with the policy of higher intensities near transit. He requested a half-mile buffer instead of quarter-mile and a standardized baseline FAR for transit areas. Staff explained that lower FAR reflects existing low-density built environments and limited redevelopment potential.
- Commissioner Macias Reed (who grew up in the region) urged caution on the blanket prohibition of drive-throughs in areas like North Natomas where transit may be decades away. She also asked staff to consider equity in historic preservation and design guidelines.
- Commissioner Yeung inquired about jobs-housing balance and asked for a clearer expression of mixed-income goals near transit. He also confirmed that the Disabilities Advisory Commission had been consulted.
- Commissioner Buckley supported the inclusionary housing study and urged higher FAR in high-opportunity areas to advance fair housing.
- Commissioner Lamas asked about timing of the mixed-income study relative to the general plan; staff confirmed they are concurrent.
- Vice Chair Wallace praised the plan’s breadth (including arts and culture, environmental justice, economic gardening) but noted the need to protect BIPOC cultural venues from displacement.
Item 3 – Status Update on Revisions to Vehicle and Bicycle Parking Requirements Project and Appointment of Commissioners to Working Groups Staff (Ryan Dodge) reported that AB 2097 (effective January 1, 2023) already prohibits parking minimums within half-mile of transit stops in 44% of the city. The project will study eliminating remaining minimums, introducing maximums, and updating bicycle parking codes. Community engagement includes six workshops and two working groups (residential and non-residential). Commissioners Lamas and Xiong suggested including the South Natomas TMA and North Natomas Jive, respectively. After discussion, the Commission voted unanimously to continue the item to the next meeting (June 22, 2023) so that Commissioner Boyd (absent due to medical issue) could participate in the appointment process.
Commissioner Comments – Ideas and Questions Commissioner Chase reported on a visit to a Kennedy High School AP Government class that role-played homelessness site selection. He called for more such civic engagement opportunities.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar approved (7-0-1).
- Item 2 – No formal vote; commissioners provided comments for staff to consider in finalizing the General Plan draft ahead of the adoption hearings.
- Item 3 – Motion to continue to June 22, 2023, passed unanimously (8-0).
Next Steps: The public can submit comments on the 2040 General Plan via the self-guided online workshop through August 2023. The Parking Requirements Project working groups will be appointed at the June 22 meeting. Staff will return with the Climate Action & Adaptation Plan presentation on June 22.
Meeting Transcript
Staff is ready when you are uh good evening and welcome to the Thursday, June 8th, 2023, 5:30 p.m. Planning and Design Commission meeting. This meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call a roll to establish a quorum? Thank you, Vice Chair. Commissioner Zhang. Here. Commissioner Chase. Here. Commissioner Lamas. Here. Commissioner Buckley? Here. Commissioner Caden. Here. Chair Hernandez is absent. Commissioner Macius Reed. Here. Commissioner Young. Here. Commissioner Boyd is absent. And Vice Chair Wallace. Here. Thank you. We have quorum. Uh I would like to remind the members of the public in chambers that if you would like to speak on an agenda item, please turn to in a speaker slip when the item begins. For the members of the public who wish to join virtually, please refer to the agenda for your Zoom link. Once you have joined the meeting and wish to speak, click raise your hand to provide public comment when the chair confirms the public comment speaking period for your desired item. Online, if you are online, click on raise hand on the bottom of your screen. On the modal in the mobile app, you can raise your hand by tapping the raise hand option in the more tab. If you are calling in via telephone, to raise your hand, dial star nine. Then to unmute or mute dial star six. Speakers will be called on by the last four digits of their phone number. You will have two minutes. It's three minutes, isn't it? Three minutes to speak once you're called on. After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips and the raise hand feature in Zoom will be disabled. We will now proceed with today's agenda. Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's Indigenous People and Tribal Lands. So the original people of this land, the Nissanan people, the Southern Maidu Valley and Plains Miwok, Potwin Winton peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in the act of practice and acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's Indigenous Peoples History, contributions, and lives. Thank you. And please remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Our first business today is the director's report. Station will deliver an oral report. Thank you, Chair. I have no items for the director's report this evening. Thank you. Thank you.
openpublica.com