Sacramento Planning and Design Commission Meeting – May 23, 2024

The Planning and Design Commission met on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at 5:31 p.m. at City Hall Complex, 915 I Street. Vice Chair Enoch Yeung presided in the absence of Chair Maya Wallace. The meeting included a consent calendar, two public hearings, two discussion items, and a director’s report. Commissioners present: Blunt, Buckley, Chase, Hernandez, Kadin, Lamas (arrived at 5:41 p.m.), Macias Reed, Reschke, and Yeung. Commissioners absent: Thompson, Xiong, and Chair Wallace.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (May 9, 2024) – Passed unanimously with one abstention (Commissioner Macias Reed).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 6 – Draft Sacramento Urban Forest Plan – Two public speakers addressed the commission:
  • Dan Puskowski (former Sacramento City Arborist, 33 years experience): Expressed concern that the plan lacks developer guidelines for street trees, noting that more trees have been removed in the past 10 years than in the prior 20. He argued that existing tree protection ordinances are insufficient and that the city must preserve existing trees to meet canopy goals.
  • Kate Riley (Trees for Sacramento volunteer, member of the plan’s advisory committee): Supported the plan’s ambitious goals but emphasized that implementation depends on the planning department and commission making tough decisions to protect existing trees. She called for a parallel process to quantify tree canopy value similar to the city’s floor-area-ratio (FAR) measurement for density.

Discussion Items

• Item 2 – The Market at The Mill, Alcohol and Tobacco Sales Request – Continued to the June 13, 2024, Planning and Design Commission meeting.
• Item 3 – Aaction Rents (P24-003) – Approved a Conditional Use Permit and Site Plan and Design Review for an equipment rental yard at 3904 Winters Street. The motion passed 8–0 (Commissioners Lamas, Thompson, Xiong, and Chair Wallace absent).
• Item 4 – Gateway Oaks Phase II (P23-033) – Approved a Conditional Use Permit for a drive-through restaurant, two retail buildings, and site improvements at the southwest corner of West El Camino Avenue and Gateway Oaks Drive. The motion passed 9–0 (Commissioners Thompson, Xiong, and Chair Wallace absent).
• Item 5 – Review of City FY2024-29 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for Consistency with the 2040 General Plan – Staff presented five new CIP projects (all park improvements). Commissioner Lamas, on behalf of Commissioner Jung, noted that Innovation Park in District 1 should be included in Tier 1 opportunity areas. The commission passed a motion 9–0 to forward a consistency report to the City Council.
• Item 6 – Draft Sacramento Urban Forest Plan Public Release – The commission received an overview of the plan, which aims to achieve 35% citywide tree canopy by 2045, requiring an estimated 25,000 trees per year. Staff and commissioners discussed:
  • Equity: Targeting priority areas (red zones on map) with low canopy, high heat, and disadvantaged communities.
  • Funding: Need for dedicated, long-term funding for maintenance and irrigation, beyond grant-based planting.
  • Tree protection: The current tree protection ordinance is limited; staff recommended amending city code to strengthen protections and incentivize preservation during development.
  • Infrastructure: Challenges with irrigation, sidewalk space, and utility conflicts. The plan recommends dedicated irrigation for new street and park trees.
  • Private property: 90% of trees are on private land; partnerships with residents and agencies are essential.
  • Historical context: Canopy disparities correlate with historical redlining and varying development standards.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar passed (one abstention).
• Item 2 continued to June 13, 2024.
• Item 3 approved unanimously (8-0).
• Item 4 approved unanimously (9-0).
• Item 5 motion passed (9-0) to forward CIP consistency report to City Council.
• Item 6 was received and commented on; no vote required. The public comment period remains open through June 21, 2024.
• The meeting adjourned at 7:07 p.m.