Planning & Design Commission 8/24/2023

The City of Sacramento Planning and Design Commission met on August 24, 2023. The commission reviewed the draft evaluation of the Mixed Income Housing Ordinance and potential amendments; no ordinance changes or funding decisions were made. Staff and consultants reported that current market conditions make increased affordable-housing requirements difficult for many projects to support, while prior, stronger market conditions could support options such as a 10% on-site requirement in some cases and fees of about $10 per square foot in most areas, with higher amounts in selected areas. Commissioners discussed balancing affordable-unit production, housing feasibility, displacement prevention, and overall supply; staff plans to bring preliminary recommendations back in October. The workshop also covered the draft building electrification strategy, including possible future requirements, grant-supported pilots for low-income homes and small businesses, and an estimated need for three to seven additional staff to fully implement a building-performance-standards program. Staff noted that a Ninth Circuit ruling affecting Berkeley’s electrification ordinance is informing the city’s approach. Both workshops were informational, with no formal action taken.

Other business included receiving the director’s report on the 2040 General Plan draft and the release of its draft Master EIR for a 45-day comment period, and approving the June 22 meeting minutes. The commission also considered GoodBottle’s conditional-use permit for off-premises alcohol sales at its proposed J Street location; a roll-call vote was taken, but the transcript does not clearly capture the final result. No contracts, solicitations, vendor selections, or procurement awards were identified.