Sacramento County Planning Commission Meeting – July 29, 2024
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Sacramento County Planning Commission Meeting – July 29, 2024
The Sacramento County Planning Commission met on July 29, 2024, from approximately 6:03 PM to 6:28 PM. The commission considered three items: a non-contested use permit amendment, a six-year time extension for a senior living development, and a use permit for a self-storage facility. All items were approved unanimously. The commission also heard public comments on labor standards and received a report on pre-approved ADU plans.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1: PLNP 2023 00296 – Use permit amendment, special development permit, and design review for 8101 Sunset Avenue. Staff presentation was waived, no public comment was offered, and the commission approved the staff recommendation unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- On Item 3 (self-storage): Jennifer Harris, a resident living approximately two miles away, expressed strong concern about the four-story height of the proposed building and the number of storage facilities in the area. She acknowledged the investment in the blighted property but urged the commission to consider more beneficial uses, such as training centers for electricians or plumbers.
- General public comment: Angela Adams, a carpenter with 16 years of experience, advocated for area labor standards, fair wages, local hiring, and apprenticeship training. Cesar Placentia also spoke in support of livable wages, healthcare accessibility, and construction apprenticeships.
Discussion Items
- Item 2: PLNP 2024 00035 – Six-year time extension for Generation Village Carmichael Commons, a senior living community at 5601 Winding Way. Staff presented the project, noting minor updates to conditions (items 42 and 43 revised for consistency). The Carmichael Old Foothill Farms Community Advisory Council recommended approval (6-0). The applicant (James Cheney, school board chair) and developer expressed enthusiasm. Commissioners questioned tree mitigation measures and confirmed no changes were needed. The commission voted unanimously to approve the extension, setting a new expiration date of March 24, 2030.
- Item 3: PLNP 2022 00353 – Use permit, special development permit, and design review for a 91,900-square-foot, four-story self-storage facility at 3438 Watt Avenue. Staff described deviations from the required front yard setback (23 feet proposed vs. 50 feet required) and loading dock setback (35 feet proposed vs. 75 feet required from residential uses). The building has been vacant for nearly 30 years and is subject to a code enforcement case. The Art and Arcade Community Planning Advisory Council recommended approval (with three absences noted), and the Design Review Advisory Committee found the project in substantial compliance. The applicant provided a noise analysis concluding the project meets county standards and noted the loading dock is an at-grade door. Commissioners discussed the redevelopment benefits, the lack of a corridor plan, and the hope that the project will spur further investment. The project was approved unanimously.
Planning Director's Report
- Todd Smith presented pre-approved ADU plans (three to five variations, 460 to 1,184 square feet) that are now available for free on the county website. These plans have been pre-checked by the building department for structural, electrical, and plumbing code.
Key Outcomes
- Item 1: Approved unanimously (5-0).
- Item 2: Approved unanimously (5-0) with a six-year time extension to March 24, 2030.
- Item 3: Approved unanimously (5-0) with findings and conditions.
- Next meeting: August 12, 2024, with two non-contested items; August 26, 2024, also planned.
Note: The meeting transcript indicates July 22, 2024, but the instruction provided to the summarizer specifies July 29, 2024, which is used here.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. We're going to go ahead and call to order the county planning commission for July 22nd, 2024. If you'll please call the roll. Commissioners Borja. Conklin. Here. Corona Sabignano. Devlin. Here. And Rathel. Here. And we do have our quorum. If you'll please stand with me for the Pledge of Allegiance. I Pledge Allegiance. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God. Indivisible with liberty and justice for all. And yes. The county fosters public engagement during the meeting and encourages public participation, civility, and use of courteous language. The commission does not condone the use of profanity, vulgar language, gestures, or other inappropriate behavior, including personal attacks or threats directed towards any meeting participant. Seating may be limited and available on a first come first served basis. To make an in-person public comment, please complete and submit a speaker request form to the clerk. Each individual will be invited to the podium to make a comment. Members of the public may send a written comment, which is distributed to commission members and filed in the record. Contact information is optional and should include the uh meeting date and agenda or off agenda item number to be sent as follows. Email a comment to board clerk at SAC County.gov or mail a comment to 700H Street Suite 2450, Sacramento, California, 95814. And that brings us to the non-contested portion of the agenda. Please call item number one. So your uh item number one this evening is PLNP 2023 00296, and the request is for a use permit amendment, special development permit and design review. It is located at 8101 Sunset Avenue, approximately 165 feet northeast of the intersection of Sunset Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard in the Fairworks community, and the environmental document is an addendum to a prior mitigated negative declaration. Good evening, Commissioners Todd Smith Planning Director. Uh welcome, Commissioner Borja. Uh this item is non-contested, so we would defer to the commission if you would like a full staff presentation. Any requests for a staff presentation this evening? All right, Commissioner Borja. Commissioner Devlin, uh, any requests for a staff presentation or questions for staff this evening. Um thank you. None at none at this time. All right. At this time, Chair, I just want to acknowledge or let you know I'm here virtually. Oh, thank you so much. Uh, Commissioner Carno Sabnano, do you have any other any questions or would you like to see a presentation from staff this evening? No, I'm good. Thank you. All right. Uh at this time we'd like to invite the applicant up to address the commission if they would like to. And we can get you sworn in. Okay, sir. If you please raise your right hand and the appropriate responses, I do. Do you swear that the testimony you're about to give the commission is the truth, so help you God.
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