Sacramento Planning and Design Commission Meeting Summary - June 22, 2023
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Sacramento Planning and Design Commission Meeting Summary - June 22, 2023
The Planning and Design Commission met on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at 5:30 PM in the City Hall Council Chamber. The meeting was called to order by Chair Hernandez with a quorum of nine commissioners present (Commissioner Macias Reed absent). The agenda included a consent calendar, two public hearings, and two discussion items. The meeting adjourned at 7:58 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the minutes of the June 8, 2023 meeting.
- Adopted a resolution finding the disposal of real property by the Sacramento Area Sewer District at Norma Court to be consistent with the 2035 General Plan.
- Passed by a vote of 8-0-1 (Chair Hernandez abstained due to absence at previous meeting).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 3 (Dutch Bros at Elder Creek Road): Jason Voorhees, project architect, spoke in support, noting the dual-lane drive-thru design and traffic management plan.
- Item 4 (McClatchy Park Monopine): Renita, a nearby resident, expressed strong opposition, citing concerns about property value, health risks from RF emissions, and visual blight. She stated she worked two jobs for 16 years to buy her house.
- Public Comments – Matters Not on the Agenda: A speaker urged the commission to prioritize tree canopy in transportation plans and advocated for higher FARs near transit to address the housing shortage.
Discussion Items
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Item 5: Revisions to Vehicle and Bicycle Parking Requirements Project (Continued from June 8)
- Staff provided an update on the project timeline and working group structure. Commissioners debated whether to have one integrated working group or two separate groups (residential vs. commercial/industrial/mixed-use). The City Attorney clarified that the agenda only allowed appointment to the two groups as recommended.
- Commissioners Chase, Boyd, and Kadin expressed interest in serving. After discussion, the Commission made two separate motions.
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Item 6: Public Review Draft of the Sacramento Climate Action & Adaptation Plan
- Staff presented an overview of the CAP, including greenhouse gas reduction measures (e.g., SMUD’s zero-carbon plan, building electrification, mode shift targets) and adaptation strategies for heat, flooding, and air quality. The CAP aims for 63% below 1990 levels by 2030 and net zero by 2045.
- Commissioners made comments and asked questions:
- Commissioner Kadin noted that many reductions depend on adoption of the General Plan and asked about contingency planning. He recommended mapping areas for the 90% growth goal and clarifying VMT thresholds.
- Commissioner Chase emphasized past green building work and asked about the Age-Friendly Action Plan, which is being developed with AARP.
- Vice Chair Wallace inquired about transit integration and the feasibility of mode shift targets.
- Commissioner Kadin stressed that achieving transit and active transportation goals requires drastically increasing densities near transit, specifically higher Floor Area Ratios (FARs) near high-frequency transit corridors.
- Commissioner Boyd raised concerns that lane reduction strategies may push vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to freeways, and that low-income residents depend on cars due to inadequate transit service. He questioned the data behind housing need numbers and highlighted the loss of tree canopy from infill development.
Key Outcomes
- Approval of Dutch Bros at Elder Creek Road (Item 3): Approved 9-0. Includes a Conditional Use Permit for a 1,191 sq ft drive-through restaurant, Site Plan and Design Review for a 3,207 sq ft building, and a deviation to minimum parking requirements on a 1.17-acre parcel. Conditions of approval were modified to adjust hours (5 AM opening on Sundays/Thursdays), clarify no amplified ordering systems, and require a landscape berm.
- Approval of McClatchy Park Monopine (Item 4): Approved 9-0. Authorizes a Conditional Use Permit and Site Plan and Design Review with a height deviation for an 85-foot monopine telecommunications facility near the baseball field. The facility will replace an existing 61-foot light standard pole to accommodate multiple carriers.
- Appointment of Commissioner Kadin to Residential Parking Working Group (Item 5): Motion by Vice Chair Wallace, seconded by Commissioner Yeung. Passed 9-0.
- Appointment of Commissioner Chase to Commercial/Industrial/Mixed-Use Parking Working Group (Item 5): Motion by Vice Chair Wallace, seconded by Commissioner Buckley. Commissioner Boyd designated as alternate should Commissioner Chase be unable to serve. Passed 9-0.
- Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (Item 6): No formal action taken; comments and feedback were provided for staff consideration. The public review period is open through the end of August 2023, with a final workshop scheduled for June 29, 2023.
Commissioner Comments – Ideas and Questions
- No additional comments.
Meeting Transcript
Again. Chair, staff is ready when you are. Thank you very much. Good evening, everybody. Welcome to the June 22nd, 2023 meeting of the Planning and Design Commission. We will call the meeting to order. Clerk, will you please establish a quorum? Thank you, Chair. Commissioner Zhang. Here. Commissioner Chase. Here. Commissioner Lamas. Here. Commissioner Buckley. Here. Commissioner Caden. Here. Commissioner Macius Reed is currently absent. Commissioner Young. Here. Commissioner Wallace. Here. Commissioner Boyd is currently absent. And Chair Hernandez. Here. Thank you. We have quorum. Thank you very much. We'll start off by reminding members of the public and in the chambers if you would like to speak on an agenda item to please turn in the speaker slip when your item begins. For members of the public who wish to join virtually, please refer to the agenda for the Zoom link. And once you've joined the meeting and wish to speak, raise your hand to provide public comment when the chair confirms the public comment speaking period for your desired item. If you are online, click on raise hand at the bottom of your screen 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 by telephone to raise your hand, Dal star nine, then to unmute or mute yourself, Dal star six. Speakers will be called upon by the last four digits of their phone number. Um everyone will have three minutes to uh speak once you're called upon. And after the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips and the raise hand feature on Zoom will be disabled. We'll now proceed to with today's agenda. If you'll please rise for the land acknowledgement. Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people, tribal and tribal lands. To the original people of this land, to the Nissanon people, the Southern Maidu, Valley and Plains, Miwok, Petwin Wintoon peoples, and the people of Wilton Ranteria, 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 today in the active practice of acknowledgment and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous peoples' history, contributions, and lives. Thank you. Please remain standing forward the uh 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. You may be seated. We'll start off with the director's report. So for that, I will pass it over to Stacia.
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