Sacramento City Council Rejects Housing Plan Amid Crisis
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Sacramento City Council unanimously opposed a senior housing project in South Sacramento that would have added 24 units to the crowded rental market.
The vote comes as Sacramento leaders describe a citywide housing shortage they have labeled as a crisis. The city planning commission previously approved the project 7-1.
The proposed Luther Gardens Apartments was set for the site of an empty field in a neighborhood near Florin Road zoned for single-family use. Developer Robert Pecora's request to change that to multi-unit zoning was denied.
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"Well I'm very upset, I'm very angry," Pecora said. "As far as I can see, the project is dead. I'm finished."
Renderings show the proposal with units ranging in size from 800 to 1,000 square feet. Pecora said the rental units would have served as homes for people aged 55 and older.
Sacramento City Planning Director Tom Pace said the public should not be confused by the city's rejection of this particular project in the midst of a housing shortage.
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"The vast majority of housing projects that are proposed get approved," Pace said.
City Councilman Larry Carr represents the district where the proposed apartment complex sits. He voted no on the plan, citing concerns the apartments were too dense and not located close enough to services seniors need.
"There's no doubt we need housing," Carr said. "We all agree on that, but we need the right kind of housing."
According to Yardi Matrix, a national multifamily data firm, 96 percent of rental properties in Sacramento are full.