Planning and Design Commission Meeting – August 14, 2025

The Sacramento Planning and Design Commission held a regular meeting on Thursday, August 14, 2025, at 5:30 PM in the City Hall Council Chamber. The meeting covered three agenda items: approval of prior meeting minutes, a public hearing for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the Old Ironsides Bar, and a discussion on initiating text amendments to Title 17 to align with the 2040 General Plan. The meeting adjourned at 7:02 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of Minutes (File ID: 2025-00276): The Commission unanimously approved the minutes from the June 26, 2025, regular meeting and the July 28, 2025, special meeting. Motion passed 9‑0, with Commissioners Blunt, Kadin, Lamas, and Lee absent.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public speaker slips were submitted for any agenda item. No public comments were received.

Discussion Items

• Old Ironsides Bar CUP (P25-006): Staff presented a request to convert a 2,592‑square‑foot restaurant space at 1901 10th Street into a bar use under a Type 48 alcohol license, removing the food‑service requirement. The project is located in the General Commercial (C‑2‑SPD) zone, Central City Special Planning District, and South Side Historic District. An environmental exemption was recommended under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 (Existing Facilities). No public comments or opposition were received. A motion to approve passed 9‑1‑0, with Commissioner Lamas abstaining and Commissioners Blunt, Kadin, and Lee absent.

• 2040 General Plan and Title 17 Consistency (LR25-003): Staff provided a status update on the multi‑phase effort to update Title 17 (Planning and Development Code) to implement the 2040 General Plan. Key changes include consolidating 27 land use designations into 10, regulating building intensity via floor area ratio (FAR) instead of density, removing maximum residential density caps, and codifying the Missing Middle Housing interim ordinance. Two discussion questions were posed to the commission: (1) what types of neighborhood‑serving commercial uses should be allowed in residential zones (N1, N2, N3), and (2) when balancing development intensity near transit, should the city prioritize increased height or reduced open space? Commissioners expressed strong support for the update, with many favoring height over reduced open space to preserve Sacramento’s character and tree canopy. Concerns were raised about solar access, adjacency to single‑family homes, and the economic viability of small‑scale commercial uses. The commission also discussed integrating housing into declining commercial corridors and using impact fees to incentivize neighborhood‑serving commercial tenant improvements. A motion to initiate the rezoning and text amendments was made by Commissioner Macias Reed and seconded by Vice Chair Chase. The motion passed unanimously 10‑0, with Commissioners Blunt, Kadin, and Lee absent.

Key Outcomes

• Old Ironsides Bar CUP: Approved (9‑1‑0, Lamas abstained). The CUP allows a bar use at 1901 10th Street. Hours of operation remain 11:00 AM to midnight, though the police department recommended noon to midnight; staff deferred to ABC for final determination.
• Title 17 Update Initiation: Approved (10‑0). Staff will proceed with preparing the draft ordinance and rezoning map, with community engagement planned for spring/summer 2026 and final adoption anticipated in winter 2026.
• Next Steps for Title 17 Update: Staff will return to the commission in spring 2026 with consultant findings on Missing Middle Housing standards, followed by a community engagement framework presentation in summer 2026.