East Sacramento Preservation

East Sacramento Preservation and Save Sacramento Neighborhoods invite you to attend a community forum about the City of Sacramento’s plan to make landmark changes to our neighborhood zoning.

Join us on Zoom

Thursday

April 15^th

6:30 p.m.

When you look down many residential streets in Sacramento, you see row after row of single-family homes. This is Americana. This is the American dream – but with a twist. To realize the dream that comes with these homes, owners must pay substantial down payments and work long hours to cover the hefty mortgages involved.

Our city struggles with exorbitant pricing of rental properties and real estate. Scores of homeless citizens camp out on our streets. Achieving decent housing, let alone the American dream, is out of reach for many Sacramentans.

To solve this crisis, City leaders are proposing the re-zoning of neighborhoods to allow multiplexes and full lot build outs in all city areas.

The city’s 2022 General Plan includes a “Housing Element.” This plan proposes major changes affecting neighborhoods in Sacramento including ending single-family home neighborhoods by allowing up to six housing units on all lots.

The plan also eliminates residential and commercial requirements that off-street parking be provided for residents, customers, and clients and reduces lanes and available parking on certain major streets.

Additionally, the plan replaces gas heating, cooling and cooking with electricity in all buildings, starting with new buildings, and then including existing buildings.

Many Sacramentans are not aware of these changes or the implications for existing neighborhoods. The up-coming forum will summarize the city’s proposals and rationale and then offer a careful look at the proposed changes. It will also include a review of legislative proposals to eliminate single family zoning statewide.

Parts of the proposed plan have become increasingly controversial as residents become aware of the major changes the plan envisions. City advocates say that ending single family zoning will create affordable housing and right the wrongs of past racial discrimination. Opponents say the city provides no evidence for these claims, citing examples where upzoning has resulted in higher-cost housing and more racial segregation.

For information supporting the proposed General Plan, click here.

For information on concerns about the proposed General Plan, click here.

Join our panel to learn more about this issue.

Chris Jones, a resident of Colonial Heights in Sacramento since 2016, participates in several community organizations including the Colonial Heights Neighborhood Association, and Hope for Sacramento, a homelessness advocacy group. Chris holds a BS in Information Technology and an MB. He works as a Project Manager in the Healthcare/IT field.

Maggie Coulter is with Save Sacramento Neighborhoods and is president of the Elmhurst Neighborhood Association. She has worked as a land use planner and in affordable housing for the CA Dept. of Housing and Community Development. A long/time Sacramento resident and environmental activist, she is a supporter of peace and justice.

Emily Gabel-Luddy served for nearly 10 years on the Burbank City Council, twice as Mayor, focusing on affordable housing issues. She has broad experience in planning as a zoning administrator, and urban designer during her 30-year career as a public servant. She volunteers as a legislative analyst for Livable California.

Isaiah Madison is an urban planner and community organizer in South Los Angeles. He chairs his local Neighborhood Council planning committee, and devotes time to educating constituents on pending legislation and development proposals. He also serves on the Board of Livable California.

For more information, email: No2Rezone@gmail.com

The following information from the Trees for Sacramento Group concerns the plan to build a parking garage in Capitol Park and to cut down numerous heritage trees.

The Legislature’s Joint Rules Committee (JRC) has called for an “Informational Hearing” this MONDAY MARCH 22 at 11 a.m., in the Assembly Chamber of the State Capitol. It will also be online: https://www.assembly.ca.gov/media/chamber-video/audio

We need to let the JRC members know: they must preserve and protect our Capitol, Capitol Park, and the Capitol Park trees! The Committee will not take a vote at this hearing, but will receive updates on the status of the Project.

HOW YOU CAN BE HEARD:

1) Attend the hearing and speak during public comments – at the end of the agenda. The Capitol will be open – use the North Side entrance along L Street. You must wear a mask, and go through a security and temperature screening.

2) If you can’t attend, then listen/watch the livestream, and be prepared at the end to share your views by phone as if you were there.

It is likely that comments will be limited 2 minutes each. We’ve found that it helps to write out what you want to say – and practice saying it. If it’s more than 2 minutes long, you’ll need to edit. Say what you feel: we want the Legislature to know that this precious park and Capitol must be preserved!

Email your message to the committee at annex@asm.ca.gov)

Please make sure you have let your own Legislators know how you feel – use this handy tool to do so: http://www.saveourcapitol.org/phone2action

If you have not signed the petition . . .

Sign the Petition here Change.org Petition

Reading List:

PAC’s letter to California State Leadership on what to do about the Capitol Annex Project.

PAC Press Release Fact Sheet on Annex Project

#savecapitolpark

#sacramentocityoftrees