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Council introduces ordinance to rezone Elmer West site to Planned Development for 55 single‑family lots
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Summary
The council held a public hearing and introduced an ordinance to rezone a 10.13‑acre parcel west of Elmer Avenue to Planned Development (PD‑20) to allow an Elmer West subdivision of 55 single‑family lots; staff adopted a mitigated negative declaration and included perimeter design conditions to protect adjacent single‑story homes.
The City Council opened a public hearing and introduced, by title only, an ordinance to rezone approximately 10.13 acres on the west side of Elmer Avenue from R‑1‑X‑20 to Planned Development (PD‑20) to allow the Elmer West subdivision. Planning staff recommended adoption of a mitigated negative declaration and approval of rezoning, and council voted to introduce the ordinance (first reading).
Planner Jespreet presented the project background: the parcel is currently in Sutter County but within the city’s adopted sphere of influence and is proposed for annexation following rezoning. The tentative subdivision map (previously approved conditionally by the Planning Commission) showed 55 single‑family residential lots—equating to roughly 5.43 dwelling units per acre—consistent with the medium‑density general plan designation. The applicant proposed a minimum lot size of 4,000 square feet in code text, while the proposed map’s smallest lots are about 5,800 sq ft and corner lots about 7,000 sq ft.
Staff described required frontage improvements: full frontage (sidewalk, rolled curb and gutter, parking lane and bike lane) where indicated, and half‑street widening and curb extensions in areas to narrow travel lanes for traffic calming. The staff report also notes a traffic study (24‑hour count in January) that projects the development will operate within the general plan’s target level of service (maintaining a c or d service level at the studied intersections); the project will pay required traffic impact fees.
To reduce privacy and compatibility impacts, the council and staff noted conditions to require lots abutting existing single‑story homes to be single story or to use upper‑floor window treatments that keep windows at least six feet above the finished floor. Staff recommended and council introduced the ordinance and adopted the mitigated negative declaration; the council’s action was to introduce the rezoning ordinance by title only and waive to first reading for subsequent public process.
The public hearing included comments from nearby residents about traffic, sidewalk and safety concerns and the impact of additional homes on Elmer Avenue; staff and the applicant responded with details about frontage improvements, drainage plans, fence replacement, and the project’s traffic study scope. Council did not vote on a final map at this meeting; the action taken was to introduce the rezone ordinance and move the environmental and zoning measures forward in the adoption process.
