dev.citrusheightssentinel.com

Author: Sara Beth Williams

  • Drive-thru eatery proposed for vacant restaurant on Sunrise Boulevard

    Drive-thru eatery proposed for vacant restaurant on Sunrise Boulevard

    A developer wants to demolish a vacant restaurant and build a new quick service restaurant in its place. // file photo CH Sentinel
    A developer wants to demolish a vacant restaurant and build a new quick service restaurant in its place. // file photo CH Sentinel

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    A vacant parking lot along Sunrise Boulevard could see the addition of another eatery with a drive thru.

    Patterson Properties is proposing the demolition of the former Marie Callender’s Restaurant & Bakery building in Citrus Heights to make room for a new quick-service restaurant with a drive-thru. The city confirmed Wednesday that other site improvements, such as lighting and landscaping, are also planned.

    A project description submitted to the city on Jan. 17 states that the proposed project involves the demo of a 9,000-square-foot existing property and the construction of a 5,000-square-foot quick-service building with two drive-thru lanes that will wrap around the side and back of the restaurant before condensing into a single lane around the final turn. The drive-thru layout will allow for up to 27 vehicles to queue at one time. A Conditional Use Permit will be required for the drive-thru.

    The project description letter also states that once a tenant is identified, a new Design Review Permit will be processed with specific building specifications.

    The property under consideration for demolition is located at 5525 Sunrise Blvd. and shares a parking lot with the former Boston’s Pizza and Sports Bar, with a main entrance on Birdcage Street. Pebble Beach Drive serves as another entrance point and separates the proposed drive-thru from the neighboring Hibachi Buffet restaurant.

    A site map for the project shows a drive-thru with two lanes wrapping around the main quick-service restaurant building, along with a proposed front patio featuring multiple round tables. The site plan also calls for the addition of 58 regular parking spaces, three ADA-compliant parking spaces, and 13 electric-vehicle-capable parking spaces.

    “We feel the proposed use for this site is ideal because of the location. It is located right off the busy Sunrise Blvd. with easy access and visibility,” the applicant wrote to the city, adding that the project will provide a use that is both “beneficial” and a “welcomed addition” for the Citrus Heights community.

    The name of the proposed quick-service restaurant is not being released at this time, Sunrise MarketPlace Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter said Wednesday. The project is under review, and a hearing date has yet to be scheduled, the city said.

    Marie Callender’s Restaurant & Bakery closed its doors in August 2019, following the same fate as a nearby Denny’s restaurant, which abruptly closed on Sunrise Boulevard in 2017.

    According to news reports, the restaurant’s parent company, Perkins & Marie Callender’s LLC, shuttered 19 under-performing Marie Callender’s locations, along with 10 Perkins restaurants, a diner chain with most locations in the Midwest and East Coast.

    Boston’s Pizza and Sports Bar also closed abruptly in December 2023. The building’s new owners recently announced plans to open a Korean BBQ restaurant in its place.

    Patterson Properties is a real estate company with multiple branches and focuses on commercial and residential real estate investment, development, and property management with a presence in the greater Sacramento region and beyond, according to the company’s website.

  • Citrus Heights Arts, city, collaborate to expand public art opportunities

    A mural can be seen at the Marketplace at Birdcage shopping center in Citrus Heights. // M. Hazlip

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    Citrus Heights Arts, in collaboration with the City of Citrus Heights, has several new and returning programs and initiatives planned for 2025, including an Art in City Hall Exhibit to showcase local art at City Hall.

    The Art in City Hall Exhibit will give artists opportunities to submit artwork for display inside City Hall, Citrus Heights Arts founder Gigi Rayford said during a March 12 City Council meeting. The artwork will need to adhere to specific standards and parameters that will be established collaboratively by the city and the Citrus Heights Arts board. Artwork will be available for purchase at the end of the exhibition, Rayford said. A date for the art exhibition has yet to be announced, but more information will be added to the nonprofit’s website in the near future.

    “Public art is more than decoration; it’s a catalyst for community engagement, economic growth, and civic pride,” Rayford said, adding that art is a “powerful tool.”

    According to Citrus Heights Arts’ website, the organization is also planning other events and programs for 2025. In the summer, Citrus Heights Arts is also unveiling an “AI in the Arts Program” in the summer of 2025. The initiative will offer workshops, resources, and collaborative opportunities to help artists “integrate AI” into their work and expand creative possibilities. The goal of the new initiative is to “foster a vibrant community where technology and creativity meet.”

    Art Beat is also slated to return in October 2025, Rayford said, describing the event as a “dynamic celebration” of music, performance, and visual arts designed to unite the community. Art Beat typically features vendors, performances from musicians and dance teams, and a showcase of local artists who also have performed “live” art shows.

    “None of this would be possible without the generous support of our community and the city of Citrus Heights,” Rayford said, praising Republic Services and City Councilmember Porsche Middleton for sponsoring the Art in City Hall initiative and Citrus Heights Arts programs throughout the year.

    The Citrus Heights City Council also gave the green light for the city to launch a Traffic Signal Control Cabinet Art Program and to establish a dedicated Arts and Culture web page, which will serve as a hub for various arts and culture programs and opportunities throughout the city. The Arts and Culture online resource hub will include visual arts and performing arts opportunities and funding options for organizations that want to pursue grant opportunities.

    Citrus Heights Arts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the arts in Citrus Heights and its surrounding communities. The nonprofit has been influential in bringing art to public spaces, in the form of murals in the Sunrise Marketplace, according to Middleton. Its mission is to “enrich the cultural life of the region” by providing opportunities for individuals of all ages and backgrounds to engage with the arts.

  • Comic-Con event sparks life at Sunrise Mall amid store closures

    Comic-Con event sparks life at Sunrise Mall amid store closures

    Ghostbusters of Sacramento at the Weekend Blender
    Sacramento Ghostbusters set up a booth at the Weekend Blender comic-con on Sunday, March 16, 2025. // SB Williams

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    A returning Comic-Con brought much-needed traffic to Sunrise Mall over last weekend.

    The Weekend Blender comic-con brought multiple vendors and cosplayers to Sunrise Mall Saturday and Sunday, attracting residents to the otherwise vacant mall. The vendors sold everything from anime, superhero, Star Wars, and other pop culture merchandise, to clothes, and cosplay merchandise. Music played over loudspeakers, and the event also featured pop culture and comic-related trivia games, a photo booth, and cosplay contests. Guests dressed in superhero, Pokémon, ninja, and Ghostbusters costumes frequented the vendor fair.

    One costumed guest who dressed in tactical gear and wore a brightly colored replica gun in a holster sparked concern from an individual outside the mall who contacted police mid-day on Saturday, the opening day of the Comic-Con.

    Police confirmed Monday to The Sentinel that there was never any danger to the public and that multiple guests were dressed in different tactical gear and carried fake weapons from their favorite TV shows. To ensure the public felt safe, officers did do a short walk-through of the mall during the event on Saturday, police confirmed.

    The Weekend Blender has consistently brought traffic to the mall twice a year since 2023. One commenter responding to a video of the Comic-Con posted on social media said the event is a “great way” to help bring back traffic to the mall and questioned why there weren’t more similar events hosted inside the mall.

    “Regular big events like this would pull in more businesses to rent space,” the commenter said.

    The Comic-Con event occurred in the midst of multiple impending store closures, including Hot Topic and Macy’s, which are slated to close by the end of the month.

    Sunrise Mall management and Sunrise MarketPlace Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter could not be reached for further comment regarding the event.

    The Weekend Blender event is organized by Pete Salazar, who said the events began in 2009 at the Sierra Vista Mall in Clovis, California, with a handful of vendors who sold arts and crafts, toys, and collectibles. By 2016, he said the event morphed into a semi-Comic-Con-style event with cosplay characters and celebrities making appearances, as well as more vendors who sell comics and anime merchandise.

    Currently, Salazar organizes up to six Weekend Blender events per year in three different malls, including Sunrise Mall, and is committing to two events per year, per mall.

  • Police: DUI checkpoint scheduled for Thursday night

    Police: DUI checkpoint scheduled for Thursday night

    Sentinel staff report–
    The Citrus Heights Police Department announced in a news release that officers plan to conduct a DUI and Driver’s License Checkpoint on Thursday, March 20, from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m. Friday, March 21.

    DUI checkpoint locations are determined after analyzing data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes, according to police. The purpose of DUI checkpoints is to “promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road.”

    Past checkpoint operations typically include officers briefly stopping vehicles to look for signs of alcohol and drug impairment, as well as checking drivers for valid licensing.

    Police also advise that drugs can also impair driving, including many prescription drugs and even some over-the-counter medications. While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal, police warned.

    The Citrus Heights Police Department says it announces DUI operations in advance as a public awareness tool to help deter drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel in the first place. The department also regularly deploys “DUI Saturation Patrols,” which specifically search for and pull over drivers showing signs of intoxication.

    Drivers charged with a first-time DUI face an average of $13,500 in fines and penalties and a suspended license, according to police.

  • Small grocer in Citrus Heights seeks alcohol license

    Rangoon Grocery Store is located at 7601 Sunrise Blvd., in Citrus Heights. // S. Williams
    Rangoon Grocery Store is located at 7601 Sunrise Blvd., in Citrus Heights. // S. Williams

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    A local Asian grocery store has submitted for review a Letter of Public Convenience and Necessity to allow for the off-sale of beer, wine, and spirits at its existing location, according to the city.

    Rangoon Market, which is requesting an off-sale Type 21 alcohol license, opened in March 2023 and sells an assortment of Asian and American foods and goods. In an interview with The Sentinel in 2023, the owner of the family-run market said they received advice from other Burmese friends and family who own businesses both in and out of state. Rangoon Market is located on the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Old Auburn Road. The owner also expressed a desire to expand the grocery shop to additional locations in the future.

    A Letter of Public Convenience and Necessity, referred to as a PCN, is typically required when a business applies for certain types of alcohol licenses in areas considered “high crime” or where the number of existing licenses exceeds a state-determined threshold. According to the market’s application, four establishments in the specified census tract currently already sell alcoholic beverages, while only two are permitted. Additionally, the total number of reported criminal offenses in the area exceeds the target average for the specified district.

    Rangoon Market is located at 7601 Sunrise Blvd., in a space formerly occupied by the Citrus Mart convenience store, which shuttered during the pandemic. Along with the market, the shopping plaza includes Master Donuts, a coffee drive-thru, a barber shop, SAFE Credit Union, and a graphics printing shop. The Family Outpost, a family-owned thrift store, is the most recent addition, reclaiming the space formerly occupied by Dollar N More.

    A date for public hearing has yet to be determined, the city said.

    Rangoon Market is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

  • 25-year-old Citrus Heights man dies in car crash

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    A man who died in a solo-vehicle crash last week in Fair Oaks has been identified as a Citrus Heights resident, according to local news reports.

    Juan Israel Ratzan Chicajua, 25, of Citrus Heights, was killed in the crash on March 12, according to the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office.

    Sacramento Metro Fire District officials responded to the crash around 7:30 p.m. with the intent to extract an individual, later identified as Chicajua. Chicajua was pronounced deceased at the scene, officials said Wednesday, adding that California Highway Patrol was investigating the crash.

    Chicajua was driving at an unsafe speed eastbound on Sunset Avenue when the car veered off the road, according to CHP.

    The road was closed for about two hours after the crash, according to CHP news releases on social media. It was raining at the time and the road was wet, CHP said. It is unclear if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash.

  • Guest Opinion: Addressing homelessness through unified action

    By Rosario Rodriguez–
    When I took office, tackling the homelessness crisis was my top priority. As a member of the Folsom City Council, I witnessed firsthand how fragmented and uncoordinated the response was between the County of Sacramento and individual cities.

    Each jurisdiction worked independently, duplicating efforts, lacking coordination, and ultimately failing to drive meaningful change. This disjointed approach has led to a system that simply doesn’t work. Homelessness is a regional crisis, and until we commit to working together as one unified force, we won’t see a real decline in the numbers.

    According to the most recent Point-in-Time count, Sacramento County has at least 6,615 homeless individuals—though I firmly believe this is an undercount. Even with this conservative estimate, the picture is stark: we have a fraction of the shelter beds, permanent supportive housing, and services needed to meet the demand. Without a collaborative strategy, we remain stuck in a cycle where homeless individuals are simply moved from one city to another as encampments are cleared, rather than being placed on a meaningful path to stability.

    At the same time, we cannot allow illegal encampments and the status quo to continue.  Sacramento County residents should not bear the brunt of inaction—whether it’s in the form of blight, negative impacts on local businesses and neighborhoods, or increased crime.

    These encampments are unsafe, both for those living in them and for the surrounding communities. Clearing them isn’t just about restoring order; it’s about ensuring individuals have access to the treatment and services they need to get back on their feet.

    The solution is clear: we must drastically increase the availability of shelter and supportive housing, while ensuring that our local government—county and city—works together in a unified system. This includes:

    • Coordinating Resources Across Jurisdictions: Rather than cities and counties working in isolation, we need a shared strategy to efficiently allocate shelter beds, housing and services where they are most needed.
    • Maximizing Existing Shelter Capacity: We must better manage our available shelter beds to ensure individuals have a safe place to go when encampments are cleared.
    • Expanding Services Alongside Shelters and Housing: Simply providing housing isn’t enough. True progress requires robust mental health care, substance use disorder treatment, and job training programs to help individuals transition back into society. Without these critical services, the cycle of homelessness will continue.
    • Holding Ourselves Accountable: A fragmented approach has failed us. It’s time for all local governments to take responsibility and focus on results over bureaucracy. As elected officials, we must ensure real-time data is used to improve efficiency and effectiveness, enabling quick action and problem-solving.
    • Requiring Outcomes from Community Partners: Organizations receiving government funding must be held accountable, with key performance indicators based on measurable and achievable results reported monthly.
    • Establishing Effective and Efficient Communication: Homelessness is the top priority for most of us living in Sacramento County, and addressing it requires clear, concise, and timely communication. We must utilize data to foster dialogue, understanding, and collaboration to drive better outcomes.

    Sacramento County has a unique opportunity to set a new standard for addressing homelessness—not through fragmented efforts by individual cities and agencies, but by coming together as a unified force.

    I’ve been working to bring leaders together, including recent meetings with Sacramento City Mayor Kevin McCarty, to develop a collaborative strategy that will drive real, lasting change. We are joining forces to bring leaders from all cities in Sacramento County to identify the gaps and challenges within the current system, uncover deficiencies, and create a cost-effective, long-term plan to significantly reduce homelessness throughout our county.

    If we fail to collaborate, the crisis will only deepen. But if we unite, we can build a system that helps move individuals off the streets and into stable, fulfilling lives.

    I want to hear from you—how can we better coordinate our efforts? Reach out to my office at 916-874-5491 or email supervisorrodriguez@saccounty.gov. Let’s come together and take real action to solve this crisis.

    Sacamento Supervisor District 4, Rosario Rodriguez
    Sacamento Supervisor District 4, Rosario Rodriguez

    Rosario Rodriguez represents Sacramento County Supervisorial District 4, which includes the cities of Citrus Heights and Folsom, and the unincorporated communities of Orangevale, Antelope, North Highlands, Rio Linda, Elverta, and Rancho Murieta.

     

  • Mobile animal vaccine, micro-chip clinic coming to Citrus Heights

    By Sara Beth Willims–
    An animal services mobile vaccination clinic is coming to Citrus Heights this month, City Manager Ash Feeney announced last week.

    The mobile clinic is scheduled to visit Citrus Heights on Sunday, March 23, at 7555 Old Auburn Rd., a property recently purchased by the city. The clinic is operated by the Bradshaw Animal Assistance Team (B.A.A.T.) through the Bradshaw Animal Shelter and plans to offer free vaccinations, micro-chipping, and treatment of minor medical conditions for dogs only, according to Feeney’s announcement.

    The mobile clinic will operate from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will accept customers on a first-come, first-served basis.

    The property on Old Auburn Road was home to Citrus Heights Preschool for decades until it closed abruptly in the spring of 2024. The City of Citrus Heights finalized the purchase of the property in November 2024.

    The B.A.A.T. Mobile Outreach Trailer provides wellness services for animals in areas where a “disproportionate number of animals come to animal shelters” or where there is “limited access to veterinarian care,” according to the Sacramento County Animal Care Services website. The mobile clinic is staffed by a veterinarian and registered veterinary technicians.

  • More Arrests, More Tech: Citrus Heights cracks down on retail theft

    A chart from CHPD showing the number of arrests made before and after receiving an Organized Retail Theft grant.
    A chart from CHPD showing the number of arrests made before and after receiving an Organized Retail Theft grant, shared with the City Council on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. // SB Williams’

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    The Citrus Heights Police Department recently provided an update on the implementation and progress of a $2.7 million Organized Retail Theft grant awarded to the department last year to help combat theft-related crime.

    The police department was awarded $2,752,138 in grant funding from the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) under the Organized Retail Theft Grant Program.

    The goal of the grant was to provide jurisdictions with resources to curb the high rates of organized retail theft, Citrus Heights Police Chief Alex Turcotte said during a March 12 City Council meeting.

    As of the end of 2024, the department has spent $862,703, with the remaining funds allocated toward grant-related activities through 2026. Grant funding covers costs for organized retail theft technology, data evaluation and collection, and assigned personnel to help combat organized retail theft. This includes a full-time Real-Time Information Center operator and a part-time dedicated organized retail theft detective.

    The Real-Time Information operator is hosted in Elk Grove and provides real-time assistance and monitoring for in-progress crime in Citrus Heights, while also helping identify and share crime trends and repeat offender data across jurisdictions.

    A part-time organized retail theft detective helps lead investigations, works closely with loss prevention specialists at local businesses, and shares data and trends. Turcotte said the addition of a new detective has been a success.

    The police department has specifically focused on increasing technology to help combat organized retail theft, Turcotte said. Implemented technologies include the installation of 55 fixed license plate cameras and the deployment of three mobile camera trailers, with another three currently under consideration.

    Prior to receiving the grant, the police department had been utilizing several public cameras as well as privately owned cameras provided by property owners who wanted to assist in combating theft.

    Additionally, new Peregrine software has been implemented, which aggregates data from multiple databases into one centralized online location for easier analysis.

    A chart shared with the Citrus Heights City Council on Wednesday showed a higher number of reported organized retail theft incidents following the grant, along with an increase in arrests. For motor vehicle-related thefts, the chart shows a significantly lower number of incidents, combined with a higher number of arrests following the grant. There were 76 arrests during the one-year period following the grant, compared to 55 before.

    “It’s not that impressive yet,” Turcotte said, adding that the statistics are only “specific to the grant objectives” and that the department is still in the “implementation phase.”

    Other technologies in the process of being fully implemented include Live 911 software, which allows officers to hear live 911 calls coming into dispatch. A larger video wall is also planned as part of a future Communications Center remodel project.

    At the conclusion of the grant program, a third-party agency reviewer is slated to evaluate the efficacy of the grant program in a local evaluation report, according to Turcotte.

    The grant was approved by the City Council in November 2023, and the funding must be spent within three years, with an end date of Dec. 31, 2026.

  • Citrus Heights donut shop forced to briefly close after health inspection

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    A local donut shop is back open after being hit with health code violations that forced its shut down earlier this month, according to a Retail Food Safety official inspection report dated March 5. The shop was allowed to reopen following a subsequent inspection on March 7.

    During the initial visit to Master Donuts, a health inspector found “five dying mice” stuck on glue traps under a storage rack where flour was stored, according to the report. As well, more than 20 mice droppings were observed on the floor beneath large kitchen equipment and under dry storage racks.

    In a subsequent inspection on March 7, the report noted that all cleaning and sanitation requirements had been completed, no live or dead mice were observed, and no droppings were observed. According to the report, glue traps have been placed throughout the facility, and the shop has signed an annual contract with a pest control company.

    Master Donuts declined to comment to The Sentinel on Friday regarding the closure.

    The facility still needs to address other repairs according to the March 7 report, including fixing broken tiles, closing a gap between hood filters inside a ventilation hood, and properly patching holes between a two-compartment sink to ensure no gaps remain. Longer timelines are typically given for making repairs.

    Master Donuts recently transferred ownership to a new owner after the previous owner, Vongdee Cheak, chose to retire. Cheak owned Master Donuts for 31 years and still comes in occasionally to visit, the new owner said in a previous interview.

    The donut shop is open from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and is located at 7601 Sunrise Blvd., in a shopping center anchored by SAFE Credit Union.