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Author: Sara Beth Williams

  • Citrus Heights pumpkin-growing legend dies

    Citrus Heights pumpkin-growing legend dies

    Ron Root (L) and Nick Kennedy (R) with one of the pumpkins the team grew in the 2023 season. A larger pumpkin than the one pictured here broke the state record for largest pumpkin in California, and placed second worldwide.
    Ron Root (left) and Nick Kennedy (right) with one of the pumpkins the team grew in the 2023 season. A larger pumpkin than the one pictured here broke the state record for largest pumpkin in California, and placed second worldwide. // CH Sentinel

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    A Citrus Heights man who became legendary for growing the state’s largest pumpkin in 2023, has died.

    Ronald Jay Root, who went by Ron, died on July 18 at 65 years old, according to his sister. Karen Root. Ron Root became famous in 2023 for growing the state’s largest pumpkin, which weighed over 2,400 pounds.

    A memorial service will be held for Root on Saturday, Aug. 23, at 2 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Center, located at 6151 H St. in Sacramento. All are welcome, the family said.

    Root was an avid outdoorsman, according to his sister, and never married, but “came close.” Karen Root said she and her brother were two of six children born in Oakland and that their father was also an avid outdoorsman. Root learned to hunt after he was 10 years old and loved hunting, his sister said.

    Ron’s childhood dream was to become a pilot, and he even received his pilot’s license before his driver’s license, according to an obituary. A graduate of Calaveras High class of ‘78, Root played football, then attended and graduated with an Associate of Science in Forestry from Modesto Junior College. Root worked as a timber faller and a cowboy and was a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy for ten years, his sister said, until he was forced to medically retire due to injuries sustained on the job.

    Root’s life tells a story of overcoming multiple obstacles and medical challenges in order to not only achieve his dreams and goals but also excel. Despite an eye condition barring him from joining the United States Air Force, Root was still able to graduate from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Training Academy. Over the years, Root participated on the Sacramento County Trap Shooting Team and won many medals, according to his sister.

    Later, after sustaining life-altering injuries while on the job, he found a new love and sense of purpose in the world of giant pumpkin growing. 

    “He was endlessly curious and had a wealth of knowledge on a variety of topics,” Root said of her brother in his obituary. She added that he loved gardening and specifically focused on tomatoes and giant pumpkins.

    In 2010, he won the Half Moon Bay World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off with a 1,535-pound pumpkin. In 2023, Root and his growing partner Nick Kennedy set a new California state record for the largest pumpkin, growing a pumpkin that weighed 2,497 pounds. The pumpkin took home second place at the World Championship.

    See the video here: CHWD releases new video highlighting record-breaking local pumpkin – Citrus Heights Sentinel

    Root said she has also helped her brother grow pumpkins for years. Kennedy has since moved on and now gardens with his wife.

    In 2024, though the Roots aspired to grow another gigantic pumpkin that would again break records, a mosaic virus devastated their entire garden.

    Mosaic viruses affect more than 150 types of plants, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. Some of the most commonly infected plants include tomatoes, squashes, cauliflower, and cucumbers, but many more are susceptible. Root said the virus significantly stunted pumpkin growth.

    For the 2025 growing season, Root said the gardening team, which included Root and another gardener who also grows produce on the old pumpkin farm along with them, had to start over, move the entire pumpkin patch to a new location in the farm, and sanitize all tools used last year with bleach before using them again this year to prevent the mosaic virus from returning.

    Fortunately, the hard work and precautions seem to have succeeded, and Root said she has 4 decent-sized pumpkins she’ll be entering into contests this fall.

    “He loved nothing more than to spend time outside among the trees and beside a lake with his dog, his family, and friends,” Root said of her brother, noting that he owned his own home for 30 years and purposefully purchased a big enough home so his mom could move in when the time came for her to do so.

    Ron Root is survived by his only sister, Karen Root; brother, Roger Root; and nieces and nephews, Kristen, Kelsey, and Kristopher Root.

  • Construction underway on Citrus Heights food truck plaza

    Construction is finally underway at a proposed Citrus Heights food truck plaza. // SB Williams
    Construction is finally underway at a proposed Citrus Heights food truck plaza. // SB Williams

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    The site of an approved food truck plaza is now being demolished, and the owner said construction could be complete within the next several months.

    Heavy construction equipment could be seen onsite demoing the back of the lot at the long-vacant northeast corner of Auburn Boulevard and Twin Oaks Avenue, which is now surrounded by construction fencing with accompanying construction company signage.

    Property owner Jagtar Singh said over the phone a permit was finally received in mid-August, and he anticipates construction to be completed within four months.

    The current site has been vacant for years and features a large cement slab that was overgrown with weeds and surrounded by chain-link fencing. Singh has attempted to keep the weeds under control, according to observations by Sentinel staff. Previously Singh said he cleared weeds last year because they were becoming a fire hazard.

    Singh said the previous owner, who wanted to use the property for retail purposes, demolished the parking lot area prior to his acquiring the property. Photos from Google images show grass grew and covered the once-demolished parking area.

    The Sentinel previously reported that the former property owner had difficulty finding tenants to fill spots for his proposed shopping center, with plans never materializing.

    According to Alison Bermudez, senior planner with the city’s Planning Division, Singh purchased the Twin Oaks parcel in the fall of 2023.

    Online documents show that the plaza would accommodate up to 15 food trucks and include new landscaping and fencing, appropriate electrical and water hookups, and applicable garbage and food waste disposal locations for food trucks. Singh said the property would be well lit and perimeter fencing and security cameras would also be installed.

    The proposed plaza design incorporates a central space for tables with “covered pyramid awnings with lighting.” Several renderings also show colorful triangular canopies as an alternative to pyramid awnings. Lighting would “be directed inward away from neighboring properties,” documents state.

    Several more photos show another similar existing model, where food trucks line either side of a busy plaza and metal awnings cover a bustling central thoroughfare, with both round and rectangular tables provided for patrons to sit.

    Singh said he is planning to have a variety of food trucks, and wants to offer month-to-month rental spaces where trucks can permanently park. If things go well, Singh said he would like to offer six or 12-month rental agreements for parking spaces. Alcoholic beverages will not be available from any food trucks on site.

    Singh also wants to offer Electric Vehicle charging stations at the site so that drivers can charge their vehicles while eating lunch.

  • ‘It takes a village.’ Citrus Heights Neighborhood Area 11 delivers school supplies to elementary, K-8

    Area 11 board members stand with Kingswood K-8 VP with a cart of school supplies donated by Area 11 on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. From left to right, Area 11 president Jodi Ash, treasurer/secretary Kathy Wright, Kingswood K-8 VP Eric Roesser. // SB Williams
    Area 11 board members stand with Kingswood K-8 VP with a cart of school supplies donated by Area 11 on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. From left to right, Area 11 president Jodi Ash, treasurer/secretary Kathy Wright, Kingswood K-8 VP Eric Roesser. // SB Williams

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    For at least a decade, Neighborhood Area 11 has been donating school supplies to schools within the neighborhood, including Skycrest Elementary and Kingswood K-8.

    This year, Neighborhood Area 11 continued the tradition. On Thursday, Aug. 21, president Jodi Ash and treasurer and secretary Kathy Wright delivered a cart full of school supplies to Skycrest Elementary and Kingswood K-8 each in the morning, bringing smiles and receiving choruses of thanks from principals, vice principals, and office staff at both sites.

    New Skycrest principal Suzy Landuyt thanked Ash and Wright for the supplies and said she especially appreciates the notebooks because the school will be focusing on writing this year. Landuyt added that extra supplies come in handy throughout the year when classes run low. Landuyt was formerly the principal at Grand Oaks Elementary for eight years before moving to Skycrest this school year.

    Each cart delivered was filled with various school supplies, including markers, crayons, notebooks, Kleenex, hand sanitizer, pencils, new lunch boxes, and more.

    “It takes a village,” Ash said after donations were dropped off at Kingswood K-8.

    Ash said the first area president was the “brainchild” of the school supplies drive over 10 years ago, and that those who regularly attend Area 11 meetings are familiar with the annual school supplies drive. The area begins to collect supplies as early as July. This year, school in the San Juan Unified School district began on Aug. 14 and Wright said the group typically delivers supplies during the second week of school after calling each office to ask what supplies are specifically needed.

    “Everybody knows this is one of the two things we do each year,” Ash said, adding that the neighborhood area also adopts families during the Christmas season in order to provide gifts.

    Neighborhood Area 11 meetings are held every third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Century 21 Office, located at 7919 Pebble Beach Drive, Suite 101. Light refreshments are available at 6:30 p.m.

  • New mattress store in Citrus Heights sets ribbon cutting date

    New mattress store in Citrus Heights sets ribbon cutting date

    A mattress store is planned to fill the space formerly home to Skechers in the Citrus Town Center. // SB Williams
    A mattress store is planned to fill the space formerly home to Skechers in the Citrus Town Center. // SB Williams

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    A new mattress store coming to the Citrus Town Center has set an opening date, according to the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce.

    Jones Lang LaSalle Brokerage Inc. (JLL) property management leasing materials list Mancini’s Sleepworld as “Coming Soon” to 7975-B Greenback Ln. in the building that formerly held Skechers, before the shoe store relocated to the former site of Walgreens across the street. In a recent update, the company set a ribbon cutting date for Sept. 10.

    The vacant store front which will house Mancini’s Sleepworld is located adjacent to Marshall’s and Half Price Books.

    Skecher’s relocated across the street to the corner of Sunrise and Greenback at the end of 2024. Sunrise MarketPlace Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter said the store’s lease expired at the end of 2024.

    Walgreens, which stood prominently on the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Greenback Lane, closed almost a year and a half ago, after announcing in 2023 that it expected to close 150 of its roughly 9,000 stores in the United States by the end of its fiscal year in 2024. A report by CNN cited theft as well as declines in prescription sales as reasons contributing to the closures.

    Related: Vacant Walgreens in Citrus Heights to get new tenant—Citrus Heights Sentinel

    Sacramento Business Journal reported in May that the Bay Area-based mattress company secured leases for four Sacramento area locations, including a location in Roseville, which opened in May, and locations in Citrus Heights, Rocklin, and Folsom.

    The Rocklin store is scheduled to open mid-July in the Rocklin Commons center, followed by the Citrus Town Center location, expected to open one month later, according to the business journal. A confirmed opening date was not immediately available from Sunrise MarketPlace or Jones Lang LaSalle Brokerage Inc. by press time.

    Mancini’s Sleepworld was founded in 1969 by Carl and Patsy Mancini, according to the company’s website. The flagship store, still open today, was located in Sunnyvale, California, and was originally a full-line furniture store named Mancini’s Furniture.

    The ribbon cutting on Sept. 10 is scheduled from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m. The new Mancini’s Sleepworld will be located at 7975-B Greenback Ln. in Citrus Heights.

  • Citrus Heights Police: 49 illegal fireworks citations issued with the help of drones

    Still shot of a video of drone footage shared by the Citrus Heights Police Department during the Aug. 13 City Council meeting, showing July 4, 2025 illegal fireworks footage. // SB Williams
    Still shot of a video of drone footage shared by the Citrus Heights Police Department during the Aug. 13 City Council meeting, showing July 4, 2025 illegal fireworks footage. // SB Williams

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    Citrus Heights Police have issued nearly 50 illegal fireworks citations, the Chief of Police reported during an update presented to the Citrus Heights City Council.

    Police Chief Alex Turcotte reported that 49 citations have been issued throughout the city since the Fourth of July, and that 350 individual illegal fireworks were observed during Independence Day celebrations. Citrus Heights Police Logs between July 3 and July 5 show almost 300 illegal fireworks calls, with the majority of calls occurring on July 4,

    Each device discharged is considered a separate violation based on the recently updated illegal fireworks ordinances, which state that fines are issued per device.

    Of the 49 citations issued in 2025, 21 were observed through the use of drones in the air. Only three citations for illegal fireworks were listed on July 4, 2024, police incident logs.

    $221,000 in fines have been issued thus far, with $10,800 collected, Turcotte said, adding that the records unit has assisted in both helping track data and helping those who wish to protest their fines do so without having to first put up a portion of the fine prior to having a hearing. The records unit has also set up payment plan options, allowing people to pay for fines over time.

    New this year, the Police Department utilized Unmanned Aircraft System pilots who were specifically trained to operate drones in difficult airspace. When deployed over Citrus Heights, drones were able to take footage of illegal fireworks, and with the help of a map overlay, code enforcement officers were able to identify addresses where illegal fireworks were being discharged.

    Code enforcement officers were also brought into the dispatch center over the Fourth of July to help handle the high volume of illegal fireworks calls, which Turcotte said represented 52 percent of all calls over the Fourth of July.

    In past years, the call percentage has been 44 and 48 percent in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Turcotte attributed the higher volume of calls to proactivity.

    “The better we are at protecting, the more you’re going to see some additional calls for service,” Turcotte said.

    Just like last year, residents in the city were also able to use the SeeClickFix app to send in reports of illegal fireworks online and to indicate whether they were willing to be a witness and attest to the crime. Witness attestation requires witnesses to be willing to verbally attest to the crime in a hearing. The SeeClickFix online application saw 61 total reports.

    Turcotte said this year’s various enforcement methods utilized was “seen as pretty successful.”

    “Every jurisdiction is suffering the same issue, and I think a lot of them are trying to increase accountability measures,” Turcotte said, adding that the Police Department has received calls from nearby agencies and others from as far away as Southern California, who are looking to see how they can use drone technology to help combat illegal fireworks.

  • Inaugural ‘Citrus Nights’ concert in the park planned for Citrus Heights this fall

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    A brand-new community event is coming to Citrus Heights this September.

    With a pause put on Sunday Funday, which typically takes place at Rusch Park annually each September, the city is gearing up to host a new event at Van Maren Park called “Citrus Nights.”

    The city announced on social media Tuesday that the free event will take place Thursday, Sept. 19, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Van Maren Park, located at 6601 Thalia Way.

    The event promises live music and food vendors, along with a beer and wine garden hosted by the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce. A band has yet to be named, and more details regarding the event will be forthcoming, the city said.

    Businesses are also being invited to take part in the inaugural celebration by sponsoring. Sponsorship details can be found on the city’s website.

    When asked about Sunday Funday earlier this summer, and why it wasn’t scheduled for this year, Recreational Coordinator with the Sunrise Recreation Park District, Tori Thorpe, said, as the planning process began for the district’s 75th anniversary event, the city of Citrus Heights opted to pause Sunday Funday and offered its support toward the 75th anniversary celebration instead, because the dates would ultimately land so close together. The 75th anniversary Jubilee event is scheduled for Oct. 4.

    The city has hosted a handful of events at Van Maren Park, including the annual Stars and Stripes celebration for three years, and City Scoop this summer. A list of City Scoop locations was given to residents to vote on in the spring.

  • New drive-thru coffee shop approved in Citrus Heights

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    Dutch Bros Coffee’s application proposing a drive-thru-format coffee shop on Auburn Boulevard, has been approved, according to city records.

    The site was previously home to Rally’s Burger, which closed abruptly in January after just over three years in operation.

    The scope of the project consists of reusing the existing outside patio and exterior landscaping and making minor improvements on the interior. The landscaping was revamped prior to the construction of the former Rally’s Burger.

    New design renderings submitted to the city by Dutch Bros show the building repainted with company brand colors. // Dutch Bros

    New design renderings submitted to the city by Dutch Bros show the building repainted with company brand colors. A planning document indicates that new wayfinding and directional elements are also planned for the existing parking lot.

    Site plans for the coffee shop show two drive-thru lanes wrapping around the building, along with an escape lane. The building has69 an 827-square-foot footprint. According to the applicant, the double drive-thru can comfortably hold 22 vehicles in its stacked queue without impacting existing traffic.

    Rally’s, which also served food and drinks in a drive-thru format, closed in the beginning of January without warning. At the time, the lot was listed for sale on commercial real estate site LoopNet for $1.6 million after initially being listed for sale in early 2024 with an asking price of $2 million, according to the real estate agent at the time.

    The parcel, located on the corner of the parking lot housing Fireside Lanes, was vacant for many years, and often housed a Christmas tree lot in years gone by. Once an eyesore, the lot received significant improvements in curb appeal when Rally’s opened in October 2021.

    Currently Citrus Heights has two Dutch Bros coffee drive thru’s, one on Lichen Drive, and one on Madison Avenue.

  • Classic Ford finds new future after decades hanging in Citrus Heights gas station

    Western States Mechanical Owner Jesse Larranaga lifts the 1930 Ford Model A with a forklift as Randy Pastor looks on with family and friends of this gas station.
    Western States Mechanical Owner Jesse Larranaga lifts the 1930 Ford Model A with a forklift as Randy Pastor looks on with family and friends of this gas station. // Mike Hazlip

    By Mike Hazlip–
    After spending decades on display above the entrance at Pastor’s Valero gas station and espresso bar, an historic vehicle is off to a new home.

    Frequent visitors to the convenience store and coffee bar that was owned by Randy Pastor and his family might recall the antique Ford Model A suspended from the ceiling near the entrance. Pastor recently sold the business, and the car had to go, he said.

    The vehicle would prove to be a complication for the new owner’s insurance company, Pastor said in an interview at the scene, and he was looking for a good home for the 1930 car. The problem was getting it down.

    That’s when Jesse Larranaga, owner of Western States Mechanical, offered to help, Pastor said. Western States Mechanical of Galt was contracted to help facilitate the change of ownership, Larranaga said. Pastor offered Larranaga a deal: get the car down, and it’s his. Larranaga took him up on the offer, utilizing two forklifts and employee Josiah Rao for a delicate three-hour process that lasted well into the evening of Friday, August 1.

    “Get it out, get it down, and you guys can have it,” Larranaga said of Pastor’s offer. “We’ve done sketchier stuff than this, but this was a challenge.”

    The first step was to level the car that had been hung at an obscure angle to give Pastor’s customers a better view of the vehicle. The Ford sat on a metal frame that was hung by metal rods. The rods were secured to large beams above the ceiling.

    Larranaga used one forklift to support the frame until it was level. Then he lifted the frame gradually to take the weight off of the rods as Rao climbed into the attic to loosen them from the beams. About two hours in, Larranaga brought another forklift to help support the car.

    Then, another delay: Larranaga had to make a trip to Home Depot for a cutting tool. Finally, the last of the rods were cut loose, freeing the Ford from its perch for the first time in decades. Larranaga brought it down slowly as Pastor and his family watched.

    Larranaga said the process was “interesting,” and added that he and his company had never taken a car down from a ceiling before.

    “We’ve put bigger stuff than this up on roofs, but never in a building, so this is a first,” he said of the experience.

    Pastor’s daughter, Holly Woltzen, said she remembers riding in the rumble seat as a child as she and other family members gathered around the car for one last look once the Model A was at ground level. The vehicle has been in the family for five decades, according to Pastor.

    When Pastor’s parents started the business in 1975, they had initially thought of a race car theme, throwing out the idea of displaying a NASCAR under the floor with clear plexiglass over it and adding a black and white checkered floor pattern, Karen Pastor said.

    The Pastors recalled that Randy’s mother ultimately suggested a different theme would attract more women to the establishment and be better for business. The family agreed, and decided to hang their Model A above the entrance, she said. It’s been there ever since.

    “It’s not getting sold,” Larranaga said of the future for the newly acquired vehicle. “It’s going to get up and running and we’re going to enjoy it and take it to shows and other people can enjoy it.”

    As the family said goodbye to not only the classic car that graced their ceiling, but their generational legacy, Karen Pastor emphasized that the employees and customers who patronized Pastor’s Valero over the years were the reason for the success of their business.

    Woltzen confirmed with The Sentinel that the family will still continue operating the Citrus Heights Car Wash, as well as the auto care center, and that they still plan to rent Penske trucks.

    The Pastor’s Valero has since been sold to Arco, with business up and running as of Aug. 8. By Saturday, Aug. 9, multiple drivers filled the gas station pumps once again.

  • Property owners voice concerns about commercial property re-occupancy ordinance draft

    A vacant building formerly home to Rite Aid on the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Arcadia Drive.
    A vacant building formerly home to Rite Aid on the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Arcadia Drive. // SB Williams

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    Property owners expressed concerns regarding the proposed draft of a commercial property re-occupancy ordinance during a lightly attended public workshop last week.

    During the workshop, held on Aug. 11 at City Hall, city officials emphasized that the ordinance was a draft and encouraged questions and feedback from attendees after presenting the details of the ordinance. Several business owners were present as well as a representative from the Sunrise Marketplace business improvement district, Citrus Heights Police Department and Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sheri Merrick.

    The goals of the ordinance are, according to the city, to provide guidelines and support for property owners in order to ultimately help reduce blight, prevent crime, practice proactive maintenance, and maintain properties so that they are “market ready.”

    “This item is a building block on a number of different blocks that we’ve been building on for a firm foundation of a clean and safe community,” Feeney said in his opening remarks at the workshop.

    During the presentation made by the city’s Economic Development and Community Engagement and Community Development Department, the city said property owners would be required to register a vacant building within 30 days and pay about $1,100 annually until the building is occupied. Upon registration, property owners will need to provide a statement of long-term plans, maintenance and security plans, and contact information for the owner. Feeney later stated that the city does not always have access to the most up-to-date contact information for property owners.

    Property owners would also be required to pay monitoring fees annually, which would cost about $1,100 for properties that are less than one acre and $5,600 for vacant properties that are larger than one acre.

    Registration and monitoring fees would only required for a vacant building or shopping center strip that might house multiple tenants and do not apply to each vacant business suite. Exemptions from some fees would be provided for properties where the building is 75 percent occupied and have no active code violations, or if a building is actively under construction, or construction permits or use permits are actively being pursued. Monitoring fees would be partially waived at a prorated rate once vacancies are filled, according to draft language.

    One property owner, who manages properties at a shopping center on Greenback Lane, expressed significant concern over the potential of having to pay fees that range in the thousands of dollars. The property owner explained that insurance rates all around have increased significantly and he’s also planning to revamp the entire landscape and asphalt in his parking lot.

    Tiffany Clement, another property management representative from Merlone Geier, which manages Sunrise Village, challenged the city’s assertion that property owners aren’t attempting to fill vacancies in a timely manner and that fees will help property owners fill vacancies faster.

    Clement and Merrick both worried that if property owners are required to pay thousands of dollars in fees annually, property owners will pass the high costs onto their tenants, resulting in higher rental fees.

    Merrick wanted to know how many property owners in the city owned multiple properties and worried that the high cost of registration and monitoring fees would result in costs being passed on to tenants. Merrick also questioned what jurisdictions nearby have utilized similar programs and whether or not they were successful.

    Clement, who is also the Chair of the Board of Directors for Sunrise Marketplace, listed all the benefits property owners and businesses receive when paying fees to the business district, including added security personnel and extra marketing, but questioned what the benefit of being required to register with the city will be.

    Economic Development and Community Engagement Director Meghan Huber said the city plans to provide property owners with a support packet when they register. The packet is to include maintenance checklists, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) guidelines, staff contact directories, and business marketing and permitting resources, including business attraction program information.

    The city expressed concern over the number of property owners who are not local and presented examples of properties with absentee owners that have been vacant for multiple years. Huber said she, not being a broker herself, has attempted to bring “no less than five quality leads” to a vacant property in her role in economic development. Huber explained that vacant properties suffer neglect and become deteriorated, and that in turn invites vandalism.

    “All of this decline affects property values, resulting in lower marketability and rent potential, and even more importantly, it affects business neighbors,” Huber said.

    Community Development Director Casey Kempenaar also mentioned that when properties are so neglected that infrastructure becomes severely damaged, the buildings are no longer able to be leased out and may need to be demolished, such as with the former Marie Callender’s building, which now has approval to be demolished and rebuilt into a smaller drive-thru restaurant.

    City Manager Ash Feeney emphasized that the proposed ordinance is not intended to be “punitive” or “a money grab” and is designed to address absentee property owners who leave properties to neglect. At the conclusion of the workshop, Feeney also said the city plans to incorporate property owners’ feedback into the draft.

    In an email to The Sentinel, Sunrise Marketplace Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter said the business improvement district had previously sent comments and feedback to the city and hopes that the city will also consider their comments as they revise.

    In an email Friday, Aug. 15, the city sent a summary of what was discussed, stating, “Participants shared a range of ideas and perspectives that will help refine the program. The discussion concluded with alignment ensuring the program remains responsive to the business community and grounded in the needs of Citrus Heights.”

    The ordinance, when revised, will need to go before the City Council to be approved, but a date has yet to be determined. A full version of the draft ordinance can be viewed online here.

    Want to share your thoughts on this proposed ordinance? Submit a letter to the editor or opinion column for publication: Click here.

    *This story was updated to more accurately describe Huber’s efforts to attract new businesses.

  • New bakery, restaurant, planned for Citrus Heights shopping center

    Two new businesses are coming to the Cooperwood square shopping center.
    Two new businesses are coming to the Cooperwood square shopping center. // SB Williams

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    Plans for a new bakery shop and a separate restaurant are in the works for a building in Copperwood Square on Sunrise Boulevard.

    BAD Bakers and a Mongolian Barbeque restaurant are in the works for one of the buildings in the Copperwood Square shopping center off Sunrise Boulevard, according to a report from the Sacramento Business Journal.

    The strip building at 7056 Sunrise Blvd., which is currently home to a drive-thru Starbucks location, is expected to acquire the two new eateries in the near future, a broker from ROME real estate group told the Journal. Lease deals were signed recently, according to representatives from both ROME and The Trafton Group.

    The restaurant is expected to occupy a 3,200-square-foot space, and BAD Bakers will fill a 1,100-square-foot space adjacent to the existing Starbucks.

    The restaurant space needs remodeling and kitchen equipment added, the report said. The operator previously ran a Mongolian barbeque restaurant at Westfield Galleria in Roseville but will operate here in Citrus Heights under a different name.

    The shopping center anchored by FoodMaxx and Planet Fitness has seen multiple tenants come and go over the years, including the closure of Hometown Buffet in 2016. In 2022, Planet Fitness expanded into the former Hometown Buffet building.

    An ARCO gas station was also proposed for the site which now houses the Starbucks, but plans were dropped after receiving a significant amount of pushback from the local community. The proposal was originally submitted by Barghausen Consulting in 2016, and included plans to demolish the existing bank and office building and construct a convenience store, eight gas pumps, and a small car wash.

    A month after being proposed, nearby residents packed out a community meeting at City Hall to voice concerns about blight, possible increased crime from alcohol sales and a 24-hour convenience store, traffic, “noise pollution,” and general opposition to having a gas station at a location near homes.

    A new building was ultimately constructed in 2021.

    The restaurant space needs remodeling and kitchen equipment added, the Journal’s report said. The operator previously ran a Mongolian barbeque restaurant at Westfield Galleria in Roseville but will operate here in Citrus Heights under a different name.

    Copperwood Square is anchored by FoodMaxx, Dollar Tree, and Planet Fitness.

    Related: Martial Arts academy coming to Citrus Heights – Citrus Heights Sentinel