Sacramento Planning & Design Commission Meeting - March 12, 2026

The Planning and Design Commission met on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 5:30 PM at City Hall, 915 I Street, Sacramento. The meeting included a consent calendar, a public hearing on short-term rental regulations, a discussion of the 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report, and an informational presentation on the Urban Land Institute's ONE HEAT report. The meeting adjourned at 9:06 PM.

Consent Calendar

• The Commission approved the minutes of the February 26, 2026 meeting. Commissioner Enoch Yeung abstained. The motion passed unanimously with 11 ayes and 1 abstention.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Short-Term Rental Amendments (Item 2): Several members of the public spoke.
  • Amar Deen (Unite Here Local 49) expressed support for the amendments, stating that short-term rentals harm affordable housing and hotel workers. He urged a vote yes.
  • Kayleigh Olgerson (Sacramento Metro Chamber) opposed the amendments, arguing they would divert attention from higher priority issues, reduce TOT revenue (over $2 million annually), and harm the visitor economy and workforce housing.
  • Josh O'Kane (Sacramento Association of Realtors) opposed the primary residence requirement, noting that short-term rentals fill hotel capacity gaps and provide housing for traveling nurses and government contractors. He encouraged collaboration.
  • Nick Avdis (on behalf of family) opposed the lot limit of one short-term rental, arguing his sister's family built three ADUs on their lot and should be allowed to rent them.
  • Deborah Schmidt (short-term rental host) opposed the amendments, stating the data from 311 complaints is unreliable and should not be used to justify policy. She relies on the income to supplement retirement.
  • Jacob Schmidt opposed the amendments, calling them anti-small business and anti-housing. He urged a 45-day moratorium and noted the data is inaccurate.
  • Jose Alvarado (Airbnb public policy manager) opposed the ordinance, stating dedicated short-term rentals are less than 0.15% of housing stock, and most hosts share their homes fewer than 90 nights a year. Airbnb remitted $2.1 million in TOT in 2025.
  • Janna Merriam (long-time host) opposed the restrictions, stating she provides an essential service for visitors and relies on the income. She lives with multiple sclerosis and needs the flexibility.
• Housing Element Report (Item 3): No public comments.
• ULI Report (Item 4): No public comments.

Discussion Items

• Short-Term Rental Amendments (Item 2): Staff presented a proposal to amend Title 5 and Title 17 to require short-term rental permits be for the owner's primary residence, limit to one per owner, limit to lots with 4 or fewer dwellings, and require more data from hosting platforms. The commission discussed enforcement challenges, the impact on tourism and housing supply, and the potential loss of 80% of secondary permits (approximately 258 units). Concerns were raised about the accuracy of 311 complaint data and the impact on ADU construction. The commission supported amendments to define regulations per property rather than per building, allow up to 4 short-term rentals per property, explore a grandfather clause for existing permits, and eliminate the owner occupancy requirement for new construction (ADUs, SB9 units, etc.). The commission also questioned the 6-person occupancy limit.
• 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report (Item 3): Senior Planner Greta Soos presented the report. In 2025, the city produced 2,073 housing units, a 15% increase from 2024. Of these, 930 were deed-restricted affordable units (34% of total). The city's RHNA target is 45,580 units over 8 years (5,700 annually). 2025 production reached 48% of the annual target. 390 ADU permits were issued in 2025, with 1,448 since 2021, surpassing the housing element goal of 680. 37% of implementation programs have been completed. Housing Manager Yayin Isle provided updates on several affordable housing projects. Commissioners praised the staff's efforts and noted the importance of production in moderating rents.
• Urban Land Institute Technical Assistance Panel Report - ONE HEAT (Item 4): Urban Design Manager Bruce Monighan presented the report, which focused on integrating heat mitigation into land use planning and design. The report recommends prioritizing shade, treating trees as critical infrastructure, using new green infrastructure techniques (e.g., Silva Cells), updating design guidelines for climate performance, and collaborating with the county on an MOU. Commissioners discussed the importance of tree preservation, the challenge of planting trees in compacted soil, and the need for valley-centric design.

Key Outcomes

• Short-Term Rental Amendments (Item 2): The Commission passed a motion (10-1, with Commissioner Lamas dissenting) to recommend the City Council adopt the ordinance with the following amendments:
  1. Apply regulations per property, not per building.
  2. Allow up to 4 short-term rentals per property.
  3. Explore a grandfather clause for existing permit holders.
  4. Eliminate the owner occupancy requirement for new construction (ADUs, SB9, etc.).
  5. The Commission questioned the 6-person occupancy limit and recommended further review.
• Housing Element Report (Item 3): The Commission reviewed and commented on the report. No formal action was taken.
• ULI Report (Item 4): The Commission reviewed and commented on the report. Staff will continue to work on an MOU with the county and bring policy proposals back to the commission.