Why the Sac Metro Chamber's sudden interest in the Summer Villas Project?

At the Nov. 5 Elk Grove Planning Commission hearing on the proposed Summer Villas project, several members of the public offered comments. The project seeks a significant change to Elk Grove's general plan to allow high-density housing in the city's designated rural area.

One speaker represented a chamber of commerce. That spokesperson used all the typical talking points from a chamber of commerce's playbook about the benefits of the 499 single-family dwellings for senior citizens.  

But here is the interesting part. The representative wasn't from the Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce, but from the far more influential Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (see video below).

Having watched scores of these housing development hearings in Elk Grove over the last 26 years, it is hard to recall a time when the Sac Chamber weighed in on such a relatively small project.

What's going on?

There could be a reasonable explanation. Or maybe not.

Perhaps the applicant's attorney or the applicant themselves called in a favor and asked for their appearance. Maybe one of the developers the applicant claims to be negotiating with to do the actual senior-focused development asked the chamber representative to speak.

Or maybe it is something closer to home. Maybe Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen and one or more of her city councilmen requested their appearance for political cover when they move to approve yet another change to the General Plan.

After all, aside from Councilman Kevin Spease, who has generally spoken during his time on the council in favor of preserving the rural area, neither the mayor nor the three other councilmen have shown their cards.

Could they be laying the groundwork to overturn the planning commission and back away from the long-standing promise to preserve the rural area?   

Consider these comments from Councilman Darren Suen in April 2023.

 "I don't live in the rural area, but I do have a great appreciation for the rural area," Suen said. "I also have an appreciation of the growing population, the scarcity of land, and our housing affordability crisis."

Very similar to some of the chamber representatives' talking points.

Does this mean the developer, the mayor, her city council, and the Chamber of Commerce are colluding to lay the groundwork for approval of the housing project?

There is no way of telling, but anyone who has observed Elk Grove poltics will acknowledge, like during normal political times, that developer money rules.

Conversely, as we saw in this week's mid-term elections, Elon Musk's hundreds of millions of dollars couldn't buy the results. For once, maybe Elk Grove's mayor and city council will ignore the money, act for the people, or live with the electoral consequences.