Monthly Archives: February 2013

East Sacramento Preservation Board Member Addresses McKinley Village Issue

WHAT TO DO WITH 48 ACRES!

It was obvious at the East Sacramento Preservation meeting last week that no one is crazy about 400 homes that are supposed to look like East Sac or River Park neighborhoods. Yet, time and time again over the past decade the community is being asked to accept high density housing or high rise office buildings.

The property was surplus land from the construction of the freeway, so Cal Trans sold it and the City zoned it to industrial that is compatible with the landfill across the freeway. This development was intended to connect to former State Route 148, eventually connecting to Richard’s Boulevard and Interstate 5. That being said, there was never an intension of opening-up this property to the McKinley neighborhood, yet every proposal does exactly that…at the expense of burrowing under the railroad tracks to gain access and jeopardizing flood protection. We get comments like it’s too expensive to build an overpass. Or, it’s not cost effective, etc…. but it’s okay to negatively impact the neighborhoods. Amazing.

The property is adjacent to the freeway with terrific sight-lines all the way to the railroad tracks. Potential land uses, then, should take advantage of this fact and design land uses that are oriented toward the West, toward the freeway, not easterly impacting the McKinley neighborhood. If I owned the property I’d look for businesses that take advantage of freeway access and visibility, i.e. automobile oriented uses like we’ve seen off Fulton Avenue where car dealerships jump out at you at the Marconi curve. With on and off access to the freeway, aren’t there an array of automobile uses that would want to locate there: Big-O Tires, Midas Muffler, etc, and maybe even a small strip commercial to support automobile uses. Thousands of cars and trucks pass this site daily. Isn’t there a land use that’s car- compatible?

Housing in my view is not a good use for this property. Unfortunately, that’s all the community has heard….infill development, high density urban living, etc. without public transportation or an employment base to support it. There are plenty of other infill housing sites in Sacramento.

Riverview Capital Investments’ excellent reputation in developing “green urban projects” seems to be confined to building houses. Commercial land uses can be clean energy projects and equally “green!” I agree with Councilman Cohn: Riverview Capital Investments is a leader in the financial world and they have the expertise to do a great job of developing the famous 48 acres…..but it doesn’t need to be housing.

How does an orchard or a Soil Born Farm sound?

Terry Kastanis

Board Member

East Sacramento Preservation Neighborhood Group

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East Sacramento Preservation Neighborhood Association Monitors Changes in General Plan

Community Development Department Logo
The City of Sacramento invites you to be a part of the 2035 General Plan update!  Your input is essential because a General Plan is only successful if it reflects the goals and priorities of those who work and live in our community.At the meeting, staff will provide an overview of the key policy changes to the 2035 General Plan Update and then engage participants in order to obtain your feedback on the direction we’re heading with our proposed policy changes.

Meeting Details

Weds, February 27

6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

New City Hall Lobby

915 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

What is the General Plan?

The purpose of the 2035 General Plan is to plan for important community issues, including new growth, housing needs, and environmental protection. Furthermore, this plan will project future demand for infrastructure improvements (sewer, water, roadways, parks, and emergency services.)

Since the current General Plan was adopted in the 2009, some of the implementation measures have been completed but now new opportunities and challenges have arisen. We need an updated plan to manage Sacramento’s future growth, attract high quality businesses and jobs, protect natural resources, conserve energy and water, promote high quality design of buildings and public spaces, provide land for new parks and schools, and maintain public safety and municipal services-all of which contribute to the quality of life that residents have come to expect.

A cornerstone of this project includes several updated policies and programs that will form a blueprint for the physical development of our city through 2035.

What are the proposed changes during this update?

  • Incorporate Climate Action Plan (CAP) into General Plan
  • Create urban Level of Service (LOS) traffic standards in Mobility Element
  • Update Housing Element
    • Serves as the City’s housing strategy to address current and future housing needs, particularly those of lower-income households.  Includes updated demographic and housing information
    • City must ensure it has sufficient vacant residential sites to accommodate its share of the region’s future housing need
    • Plan must be certified by the State by fall of 2013
    • Will include recommendations for changes to the mixed income and housing trust fund ordinance
    • Update Tier 1 Priority Investment Site Inventory (key new growth areas)
    • Identify Tier 1 Investment Sites catalytic public infrastructure investment priorities
    • Update demographic data/projections consistent with 2035 SACOG MTP
    • Update park acreage requirements to better match existing service level

Got questions?

If you have any questions please contact Remi Mendoza at (916) 808-5003 orRMendoza@cityofsacramento.org. Or visit the 2035 General Plan Update project website.

 

 

 

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