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Luxury Motorcars Permit Problem: Too Close To Regional Transit Station

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A high-end vehicle company plans to expand and relocate to Richards Boulevard, but Sacramento Regional Transit officials see it as a bad idea.

"It would be nice to have a little less ugliness on Richards Boulevard so it might actually improve the area and I'm good with that," said Kersten Pankatz, a Production Manager at Imperial Die Cutting.

Luxury Motorcars is located in East Sacramento but plans to move to 840 Richards Blvd, previously owned by Neumann Enterprises. But before they can move in, they need the city's planning division to approve a conditional use permit.

"This is a big venue close to downtown that would fit our business perfectly," said John Brasher, a partner with Luxury Motorcars. "I think our kind of business, that high-end specialty car business is a great sign of revitalization for our community and hopefully we can be part of the revitalization of the River District."

But in a December 2016 letter to the planning division, Sacramento Regional Transit denounces Luxury Motorcars saying "an establishment of this type will not encourage transit use and is not consistent with the principles of transit-oriented development."

RT prefers seeing things like offices and houses go up near the Richards Boulevard station because they attract more riders.

But the building just an eighth of a mile from light rail, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality opposes the auto shop, too. The department says it won't help light rail get more riders or make the River District a "transit-oriented community."

But at Rudy's Metals, Craig Kobel says new business could mean new shoppers in his neighborhood.

"I think it would be great for the area and stuff, you know, it would help spruce up the area, the economy," he said. "It might bring more jobs to the area."

A public hearing is scheduled for Thursday when the planning commission will hear from those on both sides of the issue

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