Planning commissioners split on Carmichael office-to-apartment conversion; recommendation fails

The Sacramento County Planning Commission on Aug. 25 considered a proposal to convert a vacant office building at 4748 Engel Road in the Carmichael community into 16 one‑bedroom apartment units and did not recommend approval to the Board of Supervisors, with the commission recording two votes against the staff recommendation and one in favor.

Staff and the applicant described the project as an infill office‑to‑multifamily conversion. Erwin Huerta, associate planner and project manager for the proposal, told commissioners the project site is zoned BP (business professional) and lies within the Mission Oaks neighborhood preservation area. The application requested a use permit, a special development permit to deviate from multiple multifamily standards (including covered parking, unit entry articulation and private open‑space dimensions), a variance from a 25‑foot continuous landscape planter requirement, a development plan review under the Mission Oaks NPA (section 532‑12.1), and a design review finding of substantial compliance with countywide design guidelines. Huerta said staff concluded the project is exempt from CEQA under California Public Resources Code section 21159.25 (streamlined infill exemption) and recommended approval subject to findings and conditions.

Why it mattered: the project proposes market‑rate rental…