Planning & Design Commission Meeting – May 8, 2025

The Sacramento Planning and Design Commission convened on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 5:31 p.m. to approve a consent calendar, conduct a public hearing on a third-party appeal for a liquor license modification, and review two annual progress reports: the 2040 General Plan Annual Report and the Climate Action & Adaptation Plan Annual Progress Report. The meeting adjourned at 7:30 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1 – Approval of Minutes (April 24, 2025): Passed unanimously on a motion by Commissioner Hernandez, seconded by Commissioner Blunt. Commissioner Lamas was absent. No public comments.

Public Hearings

• Item 2 – Third-Party Appeal: Northgate AM/PM Type 21 CUP (Z24-030): The appeal sought to overturn the zoning administrator’s approval to change the alcohol license from Type 20 (beer/wine) to Type 21 (beer, wine, distilled spirits) at 3501 Northgate Boulevard. Staff presented revised conditions negotiated with the appellant and applicant, including reducing dedicated shelving for spirits from 30 to 20 sq. ft., limiting sales hours to 8 a.m.–10 p.m., and requiring quarterly meetings with the Gardenland Northgate Neighborhood Association. The appellant expressed satisfaction with the compromise. Commissioner Lee made a substitute motion to deny the staff recommendation; it failed for lack of a second. The original motion to approve (denying the appeal) passed 11–1, with Commissioner Lee voting no. A condition on minimum container size (750 ml) was recommended but not included in the CUP at the city attorney’s direction; staff will coordinate with ABC to add it to the license.

Discussion Items

• Item 3 – 2040 General Plan Annual Report for 2024 (LR25-002): Senior Planner Amy Yang presented the first annual report since the General Plan’s adoption in February 2024. Highlights: 66% of housing development and 82% of non-residential development occurred in designated opportunity areas; 11 of 79 implementation actions completed, 47 in progress; housing burden among renters rose from 27.6% to 28% (2018–2023) and among owners from 52.7% to 54.8%. Public comment: Patty Waite (AARP) urged prioritizing older adult needs. Commissioners discussed missing middle housing applications (10 received), incentives for infill development, bus rapid transit schedules, roadway reallocation funding, VMT mitigation studies, and annexation of the Fruit Ridge/Florin pocket. No vote was taken; the item was for review and comment only.
• Item 4 – Climate Action & Adaptation Plan Annual Progress Report (LR25-001): Associate Planner Laura Tuller reviewed progress since the CAP’s adoption in February 2024. Key data: 92% of new housing units all-electric; 98% of single-unit homes all-electric; zero-emission vehicle sales reached 28% of new car purchases (surpassing state average); 649 residential and 195 commercial EV charger permits issued. Public comments (five speakers) from 350 Sacramento, Third Act, and others emphasized expanding solar on city facilities, opposing Assembly Bill 306 (electricity restrictions), supporting the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act (SB 684/AB 1243), and noting a recent federal grant termination ($980,000 from EPA) and a conditional $10 million Department of Energy award not yet under contract. Commissioners discussed the Sacramento Urban Forest Plan, transportation demand management, real-time VMT tracking, and the city’s air quality monitoring pilot (200 sensors distributed). No vote was taken.

Key Outcomes

• Item 2 vote (Motion to approve CUP, deny appeal): Passed 11−1 (Lee opposed).
• Items 3 & 4: Reviewed and commented; no formal action taken. Staff to incorporate feedback into future reports and upcoming August workshop on Title 17 update.
• General: Commissioners received updates on funding challenges, including lost federal grants and the city’s budget deficit. The chair noted that requests for the commission to take a position on state legislation (e.g., Climate Superfund bills) should be directed to the city’s Law and Legislation Committee.