By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights Planning Commission recently voted to approve the request to subdivide a 2.3-acre parcel of land on the corner of Mariposa Avenue and Church Lane into five residential lots.
At an April 24 Planning Commission meeting, four members of the Commission voted to approve the request to subdivide the lot, including Chair Natalie Price, Commissioner Marcelle Flowers, Commissioner Thomas Scheeler, and Commissioner Andrew Van Duker.
Vice Chair Oleg Shishko recused himself from the vote because he lives within 500 feet of the property site. Commissioner James Remick was absent from the April 24 meeting.
Community Development Director Casey Kempenaar told The Sentinel that several speakers at a Jan. 14 Planning Commission meeting expressed concern related to the loss of the parking spaces located on the lot, including the former owner, Citrus Heights Fellowship.
In an effort to give both parties time to meet and confer, the city told The Sentinel via email that the Commission did not take any action in January. Between January and April, the Commission confirmed that the parking spaces in question were located within the boundaries of the 2.3-acre lot.
In a written response provided to the Commission in April, Dionysus, LLC, the new owner of the lot, addressed in detail several concerns previously brought to the Commission in January, including traffic levels and diminished safety, commitments made prior to purchasing the lot, and the allocation and utilization of parking spaces.
Jarrett Facino, an elder with Citrus Heights Fellowship, told The Sentinel in an interview that they are disappointed that they couldn’t come to an agreement with the new owner but plan to attempt to confer with any future developers, or arrange for additional parking alternatives.
“We don’t want to be part of any type of division or hardship because [the owner] is within his legal rights to build as he wishes,” Facino said, adding that the church does not plan to appeal the Commission’s decision at this time.
See prior story: Church, neighbors speak out against proposed subdivision on Mariposa Avenue
A note to our readers: Our policy is to disclose to you any unavoidable conflicts of interest in our reporting. In this case, we want to acknowledge that the publisher of The Sentinel lives within 500 feet of the vacant lot addressed in this article. In an effort to remain objective and impartial in our coverage, this story was deliberately assigned to, edited and written by staff members who do not reside near the project.
