OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Sacramento Planning Commission Reviews Missing Middle Housing and Approves Townie Bar Permit on October 12, 2023

Planning & Design Commission — Thursday, October 12, 2023
BodySacramento, California
SessionPlanning & Design Commission
DateThursday, October 12, 2023
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:15

Vice Chair staff is ready when you are uh good evening.

0:21

Welcome to the Thursday, October 12th, 2023, 5 30 p.m.

0:25

meeting of the Planning and Design Commission.

0:28

The meeting is now called to order.

0:29

Will the clerk please call the roll to establish a quorum?

0:35

Thank you, Chair.

0:37

Commissioner Zhang.

0:38

Here and Commissioner Chase is absent.

0:42

Commissioner Lamas?

0:43

Here.

0:44

Commissioner Buckley?

0:45

Here.

0:46

Commissioner Caden.

0:47

Here.

0:48

Commissioner Massius Reed is absent.

0:51

Commissioner Young.

0:53

Here.

0:55

Vice Chair Wallace.

0:56

Here.

0:58

Commissioner Boyd is absent.

1:01

Commissioner Anja Day?

1:03

Here.

1:05

Commissioner Thompson absent.

1:08

And Chair Hernandez is absent.

1:10

We have quorum.

1:14

Thank you, Clerk.

1:16

I would like to remind members of the public in chambers that if you would like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip when the item begins.

1:24

You will have two minutes to speak once you are called on.

1:28

Is it three?

1:29

Do we have three?

1:30

It's three minutes.

1:32

Sorry, I'm reading my script too closely.

1:35

After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips.

1:38

We will now proceed with today's agenda.

1:41

Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Lands.

1:47

To the original people of this land, the Nissanan people, the Southern Maidu Valley and Plains, New York, the Nice, the Putwin Winton peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe.

1:59

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 active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's Indigenous Peoples' histories, contributions, and lives.

2:13

Thank you.

2:14

Please remain standing.

2:32

First order of business is the director's report.

2:36

Thank you, Chair.

2:36

I have one item for you this evening.

2:46

So we'll look forward to implementing that plan in the years to come.

2:50

That's all that I have.

2:51

Thank you.

2:52

Thank you, Stacia.

2:54

I believe we are not taking a consent calendar tonight.

2:57

Is that correct?

2:59

That is correct, Vice Chair.

3:01

All right, we'll we will um we'll take all the minutes at the next meeting.

3:08

Uh if we have no consent speaker, then we consent calendar.

3:11

We have no speaker slips on the consent calendar.

3:17

Okay.

3:18

That is correct.

3:19

Thank you.

3:20

All right.

3:20

So then I guess we will proceed with the public hearing calendar.

3:24

Item 2023-00892, the towney bar P23010.

3:32

Uh presentation.

3:36

Hi.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████33%
Land Use Planning██████████████████████████26%
Housing████████████████████████24%
Procedural███3%
Public Comments███3%
Community Engagement███3%
Public Engagement██2%
Business Regulation█1%
Urban Forestry█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Sacramento Planning and Design Commission Meeting Summary - October 12, 2023

The Sacramento Planning and Design Commission met on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall (915 I Street). The meeting included a public hearing for a conditional use permit for a new bar, followed by a discussion and review of the Missing Middle Housing Study preliminary recommendations. The commission voted unanimously to approve the Townie Bar permit and provided extensive feedback on the housing study. The meeting adjourned at 8:21 p.m.

Public Hearings

1. Townie Bar (P23-010)

  • Location: 710 K Street; APN 006-0380-001-0000; District 4
  • Proposal: Conditional Use Permit to establish a bar within an existing 1,200-square-foot ground-floor tenant space in the Central Business District (C-3-SPD), Central City Special Planning District, and Merchant Street Historic District.
  • Details: No alterations to the structure are proposed. The project was noticed to all residents, property owners, and neighborhood associations within 500 feet. Staff reported no comments or e-comments were received.
  • Action: Commissioner Xiong moved to approve the staff recommendation, seconded by Commissioner Kadin. The motion passed unanimously (7-0) with Commissioners Andrade, Buckley, Kadin, Lamas, Wallace, Xiong, and Yeung voting in favor. Absent: Boyd, Chase, Macias Reed, Thompson, and Chair Hernandez.

Discussion Calendar

2. Missing Middle Housing Study: Preliminary Recommendations Staff (Nguyen Nguyen, Associate Planner; Matt Hertel, Long Range Planning Manager; and consultants from Opticos Design) presented preliminary recommendations for implementing “missing middle housing” (duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, ADUs, bungalow courts) citywide. The study was commissioned in response to a 2021 City Council key strategy in the 2040 General Plan to allow a greater array of housing types. Key proposals included:

  • Establishing three missing middle housing districts (Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3) with varying unit caps (e.g., 2+2 ADUs, 4+2 ADUs, 6+2 ADUs) based on transit proximity and context.
  • A sliding-scale Floor Area Ratio (FAR) to incentivize more units (e.g., more units allowed higher FAR) and limit large single-family homes.
  • Modifications to development standards: increasing required open space from 100 to 125 sq ft per unit (but allowing setbacks to count), reducing front setbacks, allowing smaller minimum lot sizes (1,300 sq ft for homes 1,000 sq ft or less), and redefining driveway widths.
  • A local density bonus program (similar to San Diego’s) to encourage income-restricted units.
  • Anti-displacement strategies, including a displacement risk assessment and a one-year occupancy requirement before demolition.
  • A discretionary (staff-level) design review process for missing middle projects.

Public Comments on Item 2

  • David (member of the public): Expressed personal struggle with housing costs, citing a recent rent increase to $2,525 per month, and thanked the commission for considering the proposal.
  • Ansel Lundberg (District 7 resident, House Sacramento board member): Voiced support for missing middle housing but opposed unit caps and discretionary review, favoring form-based codes and ministerial approval. He supported reducing minimum lot sizes (preferring zero) and other liberalizations.
  • Ben Raderstorf (House Sacramento Vice President, District 4 homeowner): Criticized the unit caps and new discretionary hurdles, arguing they contradict the city’s pro-housing stance and council direction. He stressed the need to prioritize affordable housing over aesthetic concerns.
  • Connor Finney (renter, District 4): Expressed disappointment, stating the draft recommendations walk back climate and fair housing goals. He called for removing unit caps completely or at least raising Tier 2 to Tier 3 levels, and criticized historic preservation exemptions as mirroring redlining maps.

Commissioner Discussion & Feedback Commissioners praised the study’s thoroughness but raised several concerns and offered specific recommendations:

  • Commissioner Kadin: Argued that unit caps are unnecessary and inconsistent with a form-based approach; recommended raising Tier 2 caps to 6+2 ADUs and Tier 3 to 8+2 ADUs; expanding Tier 3 beyond the proposed 0.26% of residential land; eliminating the discretionary review process; and not reducing FAR below General Plan levels for projects that maximize units.
  • Commissioner Buckley: Requested clarification on the FAR/unit cap relationship; urged stronger anti-displacement strategies targeted at vulnerable areas (e.g., Oak Park) and more differentiation between neighborhood character and historic preservation.
  • Commissioner Yeung: Highlighted the need to address financial feasibility and transparency; suggested exploring a local density bonus for very-low-income units; recommended challenging the narrative that density reduces property values.
  • Commissioner Thompson: Emphasized the need for clear definitions (e.g., “house scaled”) and consideration of building code thresholds; suggested individual homeowner incentives and streamlined processes.
  • Commissioner Lamas: Suggested engaging financial institutions to help homeowners navigate financing for missing middle projects.
  • Commissioner Andrade: Asked about opposition and unintended consequences; noted that density alone doesn’t guarantee affordability (citing San Francisco and Orange County).
  • Commissioner Zhang: Encouraged broader public outreach to build awareness and acceptance of the proposed changes.
  • Vice Chair Wallace: Acknowledged the balance staff is trying to achieve and noted the study is still early; encouraged continued evolution.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved the Townie Bar Conditional Use Permit (7-0).
  • Reviewed and commented on the Missing Middle Housing Study; staff will incorporate feedback into final recommendations and present to City Council on October 24, 2023.
  • A virtual webinar on attainability and ownership recommendations is scheduled for October 19, 2023.
  • Staff will consider raising unit caps, eliminating discretionary review, refining FAR sliding scale, and enhancing anti-displacement measures based on commissioner input.

Meeting Transcript

Vice Chair staff is ready when you are uh good evening. Welcome to the Thursday, October 12th, 2023, 5 30 p.m. meeting of the Planning and Design Commission. The meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call the roll to establish a quorum? Thank you, Chair. Commissioner Zhang. Here and Commissioner Chase is absent. Commissioner Lamas? Here. Commissioner Buckley? Here. Commissioner Caden. Here. Commissioner Massius Reed is absent. Commissioner Young. Here. Vice Chair Wallace. Here. Commissioner Boyd is absent. Commissioner Anja Day? Here. Commissioner Thompson absent. And Chair Hernandez is absent. We have quorum. Thank you, Clerk. I would like to remind members of the public in chambers that if you would like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip when the item begins. You will have two minutes to speak once you are called on. Is it three? Do we have three? It's three minutes. Sorry, I'm reading my script too closely. After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips. We will now proceed with today's agenda. Please rise for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's Indigenous Peoples and Tribal Lands. To the original people of this land, the Nissanan people, the Southern Maidu Valley and Plains, New York, the Nice, the Putwin 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 active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's Indigenous Peoples' histories, contributions, and lives. Thank you. Please remain standing. First order of business is the director's report. Thank you, Chair. I have one item for you this evening. So we'll look forward to implementing that plan in the years to come. That's all that I have. Thank you. Thank you, Stacia. I believe we are not taking a consent calendar tonight. Is that correct? That is correct, Vice Chair. All right, we'll we will um we'll take all the minutes at the next meeting.

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