Planning commission reinstates auto‑repair use at 6729 Fair Oaks Blvd.; approves Diego Woods plan, postpones Hartland Drive item

The Sacramento County Planning Commission on July 14 approved a certificate of nonconforming use to reinstate an automotive repair business at 6729 Fair Oaks Boulevard in the Carmichael community, approved a separate development plan review for a site on Diego Woods Drive in the Vineyard community, and postponed a use‑permit application for 5127 Hartland Drive after a commissioner disclosed a conflict that left the commission without a quorum.

The certificate for 6729 Fair Oaks Boulevard restores a decades‑old automotive repair use at a site that staff said was established in 1977 and later became a nonconforming use when the Fair Oaks Boulevard Main Street District Special Planning Area (SPA) was adopted in 2011. Emma James, an associate planner with Planning and Environmental Review and the lead planner on the project, told commissioners that the property’s business license history showed activity in 2004, 2016 and 2020 and that a lapse of more than 12 months had caused the nonconforming status to be lost. James said a 2023 code‑enforcement citation for inoperable and unregistered vehicles, junk and rubbish had been addressed and that the site was cleared; the code‑enforcement officer confirmed the case would be closed on approval of a certificate of nonconforming use.

Staff recommended that the commission recognize the project’s exempt environmental status and approve the certificate of nonconforming use subject to findings and conditions. James said the environmental determination was exempt under what staff cited as “section 15.301 of the California Environmental Quality Act.” Planning staff also noted that no physical changes to the site were proposed. The Carmichael CPAC (Citizen’s Planning Advisory Council) reviewed the application on May 14 and recommended approval by a 7–0 vote; the CPAC had asked about the code‑enforcement status, projected client counts and vehicle storage. Staff added Condition 8 to the permit package to “limit the facility to minor auto repair activities and prohibit auto sales on‑site,” a restriction commissioners adopted as part of the approval.

The applicant addressed the commission briefly, saying, “I do appreciate this effort that everyone’s done on my behalf. And I look forward to hopefully opening up soon.” Following a motion to adopt the staff recommendation and a second, the commission voted to approve the certificate. The clerk announced that the motion passed with the members present.

Item number PLMP2024‑00199, a use permit, special development permit and design review for property at 5127 Hartland Drive in the Antelope community, was removed from action and will be rescheduled. A commissioner disclosed service on the Sunrise Park and Recreation board, which left the body without a quorum; county counsel and staff advised that the item be dropped from the agenda, that planning staff work with the applicant on a new hearing date and that the item be re‑noticed. The environmental document for that item is listed in the record as a mitigated negative declaration.

Item number PLMP20204155, a development plan review and design review for a property on Diego Woods Drive approximately 374 feet west of Valley Wood Drive in the Vineyard community, was presented as noncontested. Kim Brigatierrez, principal planner, said staff was available but that the item did not require a presentation at the commission’s request. No public comments were received. A commissioner moved to adopt the staff recommendation, a colleague seconded, and the clerk announced that the motion passed with the members present.

Planning director remarks: there was no Planning Director’s Report on the July 14 agenda. Commissioners were told the next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for July 28 and that three items have been listed for that meeting. Staff said they expect to have four commissioners available for the July 28 meeting and that they will seek to accommodate the Hartland Drive item on a future agenda once the scheduling and noticing requirements are met. The commission closed the meeting at 5:46 p.m.; no public comments on agenda items were filed to the record for this session.