Planning Commission approves Granite Bay congregate‑living health facility with variance to reduce parking

The Placer County Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit and a variance Wednesday for a proposed 18‑bed congregate living health facility at 3140 Spahn Ranch Road in Granite Bay, allowing the project to operate in the Residential‑Agricultural zoning district and reducing required off‑street parking from 18 spaces to 9.

Associate Planner Jared Peters told the Commission staff concluded the project remains within the scope of a mitigated negative declaration (MND) adopted by the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 24, 2019, and that the previously approved project is otherwise unchanged aside from a prior rezone that has been completed. Peters described planned site work: internal renovations to an existing 5,800‑square‑foot residence plus approximately 2,700 square feet of additions, widening the private driveway and bridge to 20 feet to meet Fire District requirements, constructing a turnout for emergency vehicles, installing sprinklers and an emergency generator, abandoning septic and well in favor of public connections, and adding a fire hydrant and trash enclosure.

Peters said traffic analysis estimated the facility would generate about 36 daily trips (about one AM peak trip and three PM peak trips), below the county’s 110‑trip screening threshold. Because the use will be staffed in 12‑hour shifts beginning at 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., staff said peak commuter traffic impacts would be limited. The South Placer Fire Protection District reviewed access and equipment needs and requested that proposed condition 31 (a CFD annexation requirement) be removed because the district was still finalizing CFD implementation; staff struck condition 31 but retained condition 13 requiring a will‑serve letter from the fire district before improvement plan approval.

Peters recommended approval of the conditional use permit and the parking variance to reduce off‑street spaces from 18 to 9, noting staff believes 18 spaces would be excessive given the project’s operational profile. The variance’s findings are documented in the staff report; staff added a condition requiring the applicant to add parking if on‑site demand exceeds available stalls.

The proposal drew several members of the adjacent neighborhood for public comment. Neighbors raised concerns about vehicle speeds on the private roadway, the single ingress/egress at the end of Spahn Ranch Road, emergency vehicle access and turnaround, the potential for increased ambulance calls, potential impacts to property values, and a photo‑submitted allegation that a septic leak had been seen near Linda Creek. One neighbor reported collecting signatures from 87 community members opposing the project.

Planning staff and county environmental health officials said they inspected the site after complaint photos were submitted and found no active sewer leakage or sewage on the ground; Environmental Health said the septic system was not discharging to the creek. Peters said site inspections did not corroborate the photos’ suggestion of an active sewage spill.

Applicant BJ Singh described family ownership of the site for more than two decades, said the project had previously passed the Granite Bay Municipal Advisory Council hearings, and said the proposed operation differs from an assisted‑living or memory‑care facility. Singh said the company operates an 18‑bed facility in another county and experiences roughly one emergency transport per month; he added the facility model includes on‑site medical staffing and is therefore less likely to require frequent ambulance transfers than some assisted‑living models.

Commissioners asked detailed questions: engineering staff confirmed the bridge reconstruction must be designed and certified to support a 75,000‑pound fire truck and be inspected under permit; Planning staff confirmed the project would decommission the existing septic and register the septic abandonment with Environmental Health; and staff reiterated that the proposed public sewer and water connections would replace the on‑site septic and well. Peters said erosion‑control measures and construction‑period BMPs would be required at the improvement plan stage.

After public comment, the Commission moved, seconded and approved the MND determination, the conditional use permit (with condition 31 removed as requested by the Fire District), and the parking variance. Roll calls recorded unanimous affirmative votes from Commissioners Beckler, Alves, Johnson and Chair Dahlgren. The decision may be appealed within 10 days of the hearing by any person who appeared or submitted written comment; an appeal requires a filing fee.