Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Alright. Good evening. I would like to call to order the Elk Grove Planning Commission regular meeting for Thursday, 11/20/2025 at 6PM. I will begin with our land acknowledgment. We honor, respect, and acknowledge Elk Grove's first inhabitants, the Plains Miwok, who lived as sovereign caretakers of this land and these waterways since time immemorial.

We commemorate and advocate for their descendants, the Wilton Rancheria tribe, the only federally recognized tribe in Sacramento County who endure because of the bravery, resiliency, and determination of their ancestors, tribal members, and leaders. Will you all please take a moment to silence your electronic devices? And I will ask the clerk to read the customary greeting.

The Elk Grove Planning Commission welcomes, appreciates, and encourages participation in the meetings. The commission reserves the right to reasonably limit the total time for public comment on any particular noticed agenda item as it may be necessary. If you wish to address the commission during the meeting, please complete a speaker card and give it to the clerk prior to consideration of the agenda item.

Prior to consideration of the agenda item. Will the clerk please call the roll?

Commissioners, Sandra Poole. Present. Verender Singh.

Present.

Suman Singer. Present. Vice chair, Oscar O'Connor.

Present.

And chair, Juan Fernandez.

Present. Okay. I will ask Jason to lead us in the pledge of allegiance.

Hi.

I will give them a moment to sit down, and we will observe a moment of silence at the same time. Okay. Do I have a motion for the approval of the agenda? Chair, I move to approve the agenda as presented. Second. Moved by commissioner Singh and seconded by commissioner O'Connor. All in favor? Aye. Five o. All in favor of the agenda.

We now move to the public comment section where members of the audience may comment on any item not on the agenda that is of interest to the public and within the jurisdiction of the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission cannot take action on non agendized items raised under public comment until the matter has been specifically included on an agenda as an action item. Sandy, do we have any public comment speaker card submitted?

Not not for this item currently. Alright.

So I will declare the public comment opportunity open. And he's seeing no cards or speakers requesting to speak. I will close it. There are no consent calendar items. Can we move to call the first item five dot one?

Item five dot one is Shelton Meadows map and rezone. It's project PLNG twenty three zero zero three.

It's a password.

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Good evening commissioners Sarah Kirchkessner planning the project item 5.1 is the Sheldon Meadows map and rezone PLNG twenty three zero zero three the project consists of a rezone a tentative subdivision map subdivision design review as well as a determination of consistency with the general plan for an abandonment of a smud easement the project site is located at 8690 Bradshaw Road. It is located on the West Side of Bradshaw Road and is approximately 14 and a half acres. The project is surrounded by rural residential land uses to the east, west, and north. And the St. Maria Gretty Church is located immediately to the south.

The map proposes to subdivide the property into seven single unit residential parcels of at least two gross acres acres in size, which is consistent with the rural residential land use designation. The project is consistent with the general plan in the Elk Grove Municipal Code Title 23 standards. Here is the proposed map. The map is consistent with the lot size, lot widths, and lot depths, as well as all of the other requirements of the municipal code. The parcels will have access off of Bradshaw Road through a 22 foot wide gated private road.

And the project proposes to construct a detention basin that will span the southern portion of Lots one Through six. The detention basin shall be maintained by property owners through a declaration of covenants, conditions, restrictions, which are commonly known as CC and Rs. And the individual property owners will maintain their portion of the detention basin. Lot 7 will drain to the existing drainage ditch along Bradshaw Road. There is an existing 10 foot smut easement and power pole located within the future right of way of Bradshaw Road as designated in the general plan.

The project includes a condition of approval to relocate the pole and vacate the easement. The pole would be relocated within a new 12 onetwo foot public utility easement that will be dedicated with the project's final map. And the proposed abandonment is consistent with general plan policies MOB seven-three and CIF-two-two. No further environmental review is required. The project is consistent with state CEQA guidelines section fifteen thousand one eighty three and consistent with the general plan EIR staff recommends that the Planning Commission recommends City Council find no further environmental review adopt an ordinance for the proposed rezone from AR five to AR two and approve the tentative subdivision map subdivision design review and the determination of consistency with the general plan for the abandonment of the smud easement there was a green sheet that was provided to the commission earlier which had some minor changes to condition of approval number two so staff recommends that you include that minor change condition as part of your motion.

I'm available for any questions, and the applicant is also available to answer any questions that you have.

Commissioner Pool, do you have any questions?

No questions at this time. Thank you. Pardon?

Motion to sing off?

No question, mister Trek.

Okay. Let's go with Cohen. I was curious. On some of the other, parcel divisions that we've done similar to this, there was a, hydrology study that was done, and I think it was just on the other side on Bader on Pleasant Grove. Was there a hydrology study needed for this property in this proposed rezoning? I'm curious, and the retention basins will will suffice for any downstream water flow. Correct?

That is correct. A preliminary drainage study is required for all maps, and it was included as part of this project and specifically analyzed the detention basin and was determined that it would have no upstream or downstream impacts.

Okay. Just a little bit concerning looking at proximity of where the retention basins will be in conjunction to the church. There's not a lot of separation there where the retention basins would be for presumably Lots 5 And 6. But if the study was done, I don't think I have any other questions. Thank you. Okay. So with no other questions of staff, I will declare the public hearing open, and I will invite the applicant to come speak if they would like.

Thank you, commissioners. Thanks for the opportunity here. And, I just want to say, we are a few friends come together to build the houses. And this is the lot we found, and then we are waiting for the approval. Thank you.

And I'm Omar Sadiq with JTS Engineering. So if you guys have any questions, I'm here to answer. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. No questions from the applicant? Okay. All right. Sandy, is there anyone signed up to speak? Yes. Okay. Rachelle And Owen Reinwald. Good evening.

Good evening. Good evening, commissioners. Thank you, Commissioner Fernandez, for asking that question regarding drainage. So I appreciate that. So good evening. My name is Rochelle Owen Reinwald. I am here speaking regarding the Sheldon Meadows Map and Rezone. My comments will focus on this project as it fits within the rural Elk Grove special planning area And what that means for future decisions in the rural area. So first I want to acknowledge that the staff report does confirm about this project. In that, Sheldon Meadows maintains the two acre lot minimums.

It relies on the private wells, as well as septic systems. And it applies rural roadway standards. So we appreciate that along the Bradshaw Road corridor. The elements are consistent with the rural residential general plan, that designation and with the adopted policies for the rural Elk Grove SPA. So in other words, this is an example of a project that follows the rules we've already set for rural development.

So we appreciate that. Because this project is being justified as consistent with the rural SPA, excuse me, rural residential standards, it effectively establishes a benchmark for the rest of the rural area. So if Sheldon Meadows is considered acceptable because it, you know, one, keeps parcels at or above the two acre threshold, does not extend public sewer water, and it uses rural road designs, then any future proposals in the rural SPCA I've got SPCA on my mind, sorry. Exactly, good push for them. It is the giving season.

That reduces lot sizes, extends urban infrastructure, or introduces a suburban pattern. We would be moving away from the same standards used to support that approval. So because I interrupted myself, I'll repeat that. Because of this, and we've accepted this according to staff reports, then any future proposal in the rural SPA that reduces lot sizes, extends urban infrastructure, or introduces a suburban pattern would be moving away from the same standards used to support this approval. So maintaining that consistency is important to avoid gradual policy drift and to keep the rural SPA functioning as it was originally intended.

Third and final, there is a broader cumulative context. Other recent proposals in the rural area, I think the most recent was the Summer Villas SPA. They seek urban level services and higher densities. Those are very different from the Sheldon Meadows model you have in front of you tonight. So for long term planning, is helpful to have one clear principle.

Projects that align with rural policies and standards should move forward. Projects that introduce urbanization into this rural SPA should not. So in closing, Sheldon Meadows, as described in the staff report, fits within the city's existing guidelines for the rural framework. Two acre lots, private wells and septic and rural road improvements. I do respect fully ask that the Commission continue to apply these same rural SPA standards consistently, especially when evaluating future projects in the rural area. So that decisions remain predictable and aligned with the city's adopted policies. So thank you so much for your time and your consideration.

Yes. Thank you, Mrs. Redhorn. Is there anyone else lined up to speak? Okay. The applicant has the opportunity to respond to the comments if they would like. No, thank you. Okay. All right. Then I will declare the public comment opportunity closed and move to commission deliberation. So I always start with commissioner Pool, but I'm gonna start to the left and ask commissioner Singh.

No further discussion at my part. I'm ready to move to the motion if the rest of the commission is.

Don't let me get in your way.

Okay, then I move that we adopt a resolution recommending that the city council find that no further environmental review is required under CEQA pursuant to state CEQA guidelines section fifteen one eighty three, adopt an ordinance approving a rezone and adopt a resolution approving a tentative subdivision map, subdivision design review, determination of consistency with the general plan for the abandonment of a smud easement for the Sheldon Meadows map and rezone project based on the findings and subject to the conditions of approval included in the draft resolution with the revisions to the condition the revisions to condition two as provided in the supplemental information green sheet.

Second. I have a motion by commissioner Singh and second by commissioner Pool. All in favor? Aye. Motion passes five zero.

Alright. And we have no regular agenda items. We will move to the director's report. Mister Christopher Jordan.

Good evening, chair and commissioners. Jason is actually asked to do it this evening, and so I will give him that honor.

Surprise. Literally

passed the

mic. You asked.

It was in jest, but I appreciate it. Well, fortunately, are no director items at this time. And we'll let you know about some recent city council and zoning administrator actions. Last week on the twelfth, the appeal of the Maverick fueling station was held by council. And the project approval from recommend as recommended by the commission was upheld.

On Monday of this week, the seventeenth, Sony administrator held a hearing for Hilton Garden Inn repaint, minor design review, and that was also approved. Future agenda items to look to for the planning commission, we have confirmed for the fourth Wellington Crossing, which is a DRMNA. What?

It's a tentative subdivision map for a condoization and design a minor design review, along with a design review for subdivision layout. I need You'll learn them eventually.

I need the pocket acronym translator. We also, on the fourth, will have the major signed program amendment to the village. And on December 18, are projecting bringing forth the Sheldon Park Estates Unit 4 tentative subdivision map. Zoning administrator upcoming on December 15 is the Marriott Spring Hill Suites minor design review. And upcoming city council matters.

On December 10, which is the last meeting of 2025, council will be hearing the general plan open space element and implementation work program updates. And that seems to be the end of the director's report for 11/20/2025. What? Oh, and you have your packets for the December 4 meeting at your stations.

Thank you. All right. You made it. You made it through the Questions? Yes. JC,

I've got a quick question for you. So the forthcoming matters on December 18, is that confirmed or is that tentative?

Still tentative.

Still tentative? Okay. Thank you.

Will you keep there?

As far as I know.

Okay. Yeah. Good call out to check check the calendar. I may be volunteering on the eighteenth, so I might need to lean on my vice chair to run that meeting. Perhaps I will let you know. But the fourth looks good. Is anybody else planning any holiday travel or going to be out of town?

No. I planned my schedule around the planning commission.

Planning around planning. Very, very astute of you. Okay. Yeah. The fourth looks Okay on my calendar. No absences. Thank you. With that, I'll call us adjourned.