Elk Grove Planning Commission denies General Plan Amendments needed for Summer Villas project
The Planning Commission's vote was a significant victory for rural residents who have organized a coordinated effort to oppose the General Plan amendment
By a 4-1 vote, tonight the Elk Grove Planning Commission accepted the city planning department's recommendation not to amend the city's General Plan to accommodate a controversial housing project in the city's designated rural area.
The Summer Villas project applicants are seeking to build 499 single-family dwellings on a 115-acre parcel near Sheldon and Waterman roads. The proposed subdivision would be senior development.
After hearing the staff presentation and dozens of public comments for almost two hours, the applicant's representative responded to some of the remarks. Attorney Matthew Keisling spoke for the applicants.
During his response, Keisling addressed claims of citywide opposition to the project. He noted that Elk Grove grew from 75,000 at the time of incorporation 26 years ago to over 185,000 residents.
"You are not hearing from all of them," Keisling told the planning commissioners. "You are not hearing from the rest of the city...they are not weighing in on this issue yet, and if you heard from them, you would hear there is a need for housing and a need for senior housing."
Keisling also acknowledged that if the General Plan was amended and the project approved, the applicants would sell the approved map to another developer. That developer would then engage in a public process to work out the subdivision's details.
Except for Commissioner Juan Fernandez, the other commissioners limited their remarks during their deliberations. Fernandez was the only commissioner who voted against the planning commission's negative recommendation, citing the need for more housing options.
Fernandez also implied that some of the rural area was rural in name only. He referenced the new housing development on Sheldon Road east of Waterman Road.
"There is not a single horse, not a single goat, in that community, and I think it was mentioned previously, all of those homes in media are listed as mansions. They are," Fernandez said. "That doesn't look like Elk Grove; it's Beverly Grove."
The Planning Commission's vote was a significant victory for rural residents who have organized a coordinated effort to oppose the General Plan amendment and the ensuing project. They have argued it would break the city's longstanding promise to preserve the designated rural area and could open the floodgates to high-density development in the community.
The project will next be heard by the City Council, which is not bound by the Planning Commission's decision.
