ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - Citing state law, the Elk Grove Planning Commission on Aug. 1 upheld a decision to grant expedited review to a proposed affordable-housing project on Elk Grove-Florin Road.

Coral Blossom Apartments would bring 81 affordable apartment units to a lot on the west side of Elk Grove-Florin, to the south of Calvine Road. It is a project of Excelerate Housing, which previously proposed the affordable Oak Rose Apartments in Old Town Elk Grove.

The city’s zoning administrator in June found that the project is eligible for “ministerial review” under Senate Bill 35. Intended to speed up housing construction, the state law requires a simpler approval process for affordable housing projects that meet a jurisdiction’s “objective standards” for design.

Elk Grove resident Elizabeth Marshall then appealed the decision based on the city’s prior rejection of Oak Rose.

Marshall accused the city government of acting inconsistently by citing SB 35 to approve Coral Blossom. She contrasted this with the rejection of Oak Rose, which drew lawsuits from both the developer and the state, alleging a violation of the law. She said Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen “abuses her power” and made arbitrary, biased decisions during the Oak Rose deliberations.

Marhsall also criticized Old Town residents who opposed Oak Rose for “tossing” the project on her neighborhood.

Multiple public commenters from the neighborhood opposed the project. They acknowledged a need for affordable housing but said their area is the wrong place for affordable housing. They raised concerns about safety, as well as proximity to services such as police, medical care and public transport.

Elk Grove mayoral candidate Lynn Wheat said the city has put off its affordable housing obligations and she encouraged building “economically diverse neighborhoods.”

Nicole Restmeyer, an Elk Grove resident and board member of the Sacramento Housing Alliance, supported Coral Blossom. She said the city needs “to support our neighbors” with more affordable housing.

Responding to public comments, Marshall said there are better locations in Elk Grove for affordable housing.

“Let’s take a chance. Let’s look at this and see if we can’t actually work together and get this right,” Marshall said.

Commissioner Juan Fernandez asked whether there was any regulation concerning loitering near the property; Senior Planner Kyra Killingsworth said that is not part of the Planning Department’s considerations.

Commissioner Oscar O’con said the city is obligated by the state to build developments such as Coral Blossom. Commissioner Sandra Poole saw no evidence that the development wouldn’t meet SB 35’s standards.

“Knowing how contentious it is, I agree with what my fellow commissioners have said: We’re kind of bound by what the state law requires,” Poole said.

The commission voted 5-0 to deny the appeal.

The commission approved amendments to the city’s lighting standards, creating regulations for external lighting on single-family and two-unit residential lots. The commissioners had continued the item from July to get more information on the issue.

Under the proposal, an attached exterior light could not be higher than the eaves of the building it is attached to, and a brightness limit would apply if the fixture emits any light upward.

Freestanding fixtures must be no taller than 12 feet, emit no light upward and comply with a brightness limit. Fixtures between 12 and 20 feet could get approval through a minor design review, based on how much light would reach other properties.

Killingsworth said a minor design review would cost the applicant $5,200, last three to six months and involve a public hearing with the city’s zoning administrator. The lighting’s effect on neighbors would be measured with a photometric study.

Poole said she appreciated learning about the review process for taller light fixtures. She was concerned about how they would affect residential areas.

“There is significant cost involved and getting the study done, as well as meeting those standards,” Poole said, adding that these facts alleviated some of her concerns.

In public comment, Elk Grove resident Suzanne Pecci advocated the reduced lighting in rural areas. She acknowledged that new rural residents might want different amenities than older residents.

“All of us live here. It isn’t just new people coming in … it’s the old-timers that still live here, too. And there is a value in the rural area that just affords a different lifestyle,” Pecci said.

Pecci asked for greater outreach regarding planned changes. She said the city’s practice of notifying neighbors within 500 feet of the affected location is inadequate for rural areas.

Commissioner Varinder Singh supported the proposed standards.

“I think these will definitely help improve the lighting,” Singh said, but he suggested relying on educating residents rather than “forcing them to turn their lights off or not have stadium lights in the community.”

Based on a request from Commissioner Juan Fernandez, staff added a proposed amendment allowing band lighting under the eaves of single-family homes, if the light source itself is not visible from a public right-of-way.

O’con reiterated his opposition to taller fixtures in rural areas and he opposed the exception for band lighting.

The commission approved the lighting standards in a 4-1 vote, with O’con in opposition.