'Planners look at Yarbrough housing subdivision'
Copyright News-Ledger, August 1, 2007
By Steve Marschke
News-Ledger Editor
West Sacramento’s planning commission on July 19 found controversy in two local development projects.
One of those, the massive proposed Yarbrough subdivision in the city’s south, came before the commission for comments on a “draft environmental impact report.” Although the commissioners had few comments on the report, several members of the public did. Those comments are required to be answered in the final version of the “EIR.”
Planning staff member Charlene Hamilton explained the project:
“It’s comprised of 710 acres,” she said. “It proposes 3,004 units, along with a golf course, lakes (and other uses).”
The project is located in the city’s southwest area, south of Bevan Road and spreading eastward across Jefferson Boulevard from the ship channel. Proponents are asking for the right to build more homes in Yarbrough than was anticipated for the area in the city’s Southport Framework Plan.
Resident Pat Flint of the “Save Our City” group criticized the draft EIR, saying it “understates impacts.” She also wanted the city to take a different approach as it responds to requests by several different developers to build more homes than envisioned by the Southport Framework Plan.
“We’d like you to consider looking at all the developments as a whole, instead of individually,” Flint told the commission.
Burrows Road resident Don Johnson said his property is “completely surrounded by this project,” but that “it’s not only a good project, it’s probably the jewel of the Southport area.”
Another resident asked rhetorically of the large new development, “As human beings, do we absolutely have to consume every single species and resource available to us?”
After receiving a final version of the EIR, city officials will begin the process of passing judgment on Yarbrough’s plans. The project is proposed by David Stroud and ASB Properties of Fairfield.
A much smaller project in the city’s north area drew scrutiny, this time from the planning commission itself.
River Point West, planned for eight recently-cleared acres at the southeast corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Sacramento Avenue, came forward with a plan for 80 attached townhomes, 12 live-work lofts and 40,000 square feet of commercial space. Under its commercial zoning, the project needed city permission to have residential uses on the first floor of some of its buildings as well as the second floor.
Ron Morazzini, a member of the planning commission, commended the developer for “taking one of the biggest eyesores in the city and converting it to something that has the potential to be good, if not great.” But he added that the property “would be better sited for (more) commercial development than for the project as proposed. . . I think we can do better.”
“That’s the last big commercial property left in the Broderick/Bryte area that I’m aware of, and is that the best use of this property for the citizens of Broderick and Bryte?” echoed commissioner Charles Moore.
The commission agreed to table the developer’s requests in the hope that more changes, including a larger commercial component, could be negotiated. The item is on the commission’s agenda for August 15.
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