Sacramento County Planning Commission Meeting – June 24, 2026
Sacramento County Planning Commission (Acting as Board of Zoning Appeals) – June 24, 2026
The meeting was called to order at approximately 7:00 PM. The commission heard an appeal of the denial of a temporary use permit for El Penito Horse Training Facility, located at 13301 Reneke Road. After extensive deliberation, the commission voted to deny the appeal, upholding the zoning administrator's denial. The commission also adopted written findings, amended to include a non-prejudicial clause for future applications.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were noted.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were received in person or in writing for this item.
Discussion Items
- Appeal of Temporary Use Permit Denial (PLMP 2026-00035): The applicant, property owner David Davila (represented by Chris Trapp and a family spokesperson), appealed the planning staff's denial of a temporary use permit to host up to 10 events per year at an equestrian training facility. Staff detailed past non-compliance, including events outside approved dates, failure to notify the sheriff, lack of a business license, and unresolved code enforcement cases (12 documented communications, six inspections). The property owner claimed a language barrier and blamed a former agent for mismanagement, but staff maintained the owner was responsible. The commission discussed the option of granting the appeal with conditions (e.g., limited events, parking plan) versus denying to encourage a permanent conditional use permit (CUP) process.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to Deny Appeal: Commissioner Borja moved, seconded by Commissioner Rakenstein, to deny the appeal, thereby upholding the zoning administrator's denial of the temporary use permit. The motion included adoption of written findings as drafted with an amendment adding a sentence that the decision is not intended to be prejudicial to any future application for a temporary or permanent conditional use permit. The motion carried with a majority (3–2 or similar; the transcript indicates a straw poll leaned toward denial, and the vote passed without further dissent). No formal tally was given, but the chair declared the motion passed.
- Effect: The applicant must wait one year (per zoning code) before reapplying for a temporary use permit, but may immediately apply for a permanent conditional use permit. Code enforcement case remains open until the property ceases unpermitted events and obtains required business licenses for the commercial stable.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. Thank you very much for joining us today, Monday, June 22nd, 2026 for the meeting of the county planning commission. Madam Clerk, can you please call the roll? Absolutely. Members Rakenstein. Members Verga. Here. And Chair Borja? Here. Okay. Let the record reflect that members Devlin and members Corona Sabanyan are absent at this time. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Can you please make the announcement? Do you want to do the pledge for I'll do the pledge? Yeah, let's do the pledge first. Sorry. Commissioner Berg, can you please leave us here fled? Thank you. The United States of America into the Republic for which it stands. One nation under indivisible with liberty and justice for all. My apologies. Thank you very much. Now, Madam Clerk, can you please uh make the announcements? Of course. The county fosters public engagement during the meeting and encourages public participation, civility, and the 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 toward any meeting participant. Seating may be limited and available on a first come first serve 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 meeting date and agenda off agenda item number to be sent as follows. Email a comment to board clerk at ZachCounty.gov. Mail a comment to 708 streets, suite 2450, Sacramento, California, 95814. And that concludes the announcement. Thank you very much, Madam Clerk. I think we're ready to excuse me, Chairman. Given the nature of this, would it be better for us to wait until our other esteemed colleague comes since we're gonna be having a conversation about this decline and be in the middle of the negative discussions? Yeah, I expect to have an uh 10 or 15 minutes on the end. That's not gonna be a sense, but we're on the agenda. Okay. No, I just hate to get in the middle of this, have him walk in and not have full knowledge of what we're doing. Understood. Thank you very much, Commissioner Virga. Barring any other concerns for my fellow commissioners. Um, if you'd allow me, I'd like to go ahead and move the agenda as advised by council, and perhaps we can start with item number two, miscellaneous. That's that should be the planning director's report. Sorry, Madam Clerk. Can you no worries? I was gonna read the item into the record, but that is item number two is the planning director's report. Thank you very much.
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