Public meeting held on SB 35 mixed‑use proposal in Diamond Springs as residents raise safety and traffic concerns

The board held a public meeting Aug. 26 after county staff received a Senate Bill 35 (SB 35) notice of intent for a mixed‑use project in Diamond Springs that would add 16 residential units over an existing commercial building on Pleasant Valley Road.

Staff outline and legal context

County planners explained SB 35’s two‑track, largely ministerial process: an initial eligibility review (60 days and limited resubmittal time) and an objective design‑review track (90 days for smaller projects) that must rely on objective, externally referenced standards rather than subjective judgments. The law applies where jurisdictions have not met Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) targets and includes special rules for projects within opportunity‑map “moderate” or “low” resource census tracts; those maps triggered the board meeting required by SB 4/23 once staff received the developer’s notice of intent.

Staff described the proposed Diamond Springs site: a commercial parcel on Pleasant Valley Road zoned for mixed use…