A Sunrise Mall development proposal has been pulled from the Citrus Heights City Council agenda for a second time. // CH Sentinel
By Sara Beth Williams–
The city announced Thursday afternoon that the owner-initiated presentation for a proposed amendment to the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan has been pulled from the upcoming Citrus Heights City Council meeting agenda for a second time.
Originally, the proposal was to be presented to the City Council for discussion in mid-November 2024 and then was rescheduled for Jan. 22. The presentation has now been postponed again at the request of the property owner, Ethan Conrad Properties, according to the city.
The meeting was intended to discuss “potential adjustments” to the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan, including allowances for up to eight quick-service restaurants with drive-thrus, building and landscape materials sales, light industrial and storage uses, and automotive uses, the city said.
The City Council will reschedule the agenda item to a future date that is still to be determined. The city also said comments already submitted regarding the proposal have been received and will be given to the City Council as part of the review process for when the presentation is rescheduled.
Residents can continue to submit additional comments online via this form on the city’s website. For updates regarding the proposal and the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan, residents can visit sunrisetomorrow.net.
Rally’s drive-thru on Auburn Boulevard appears to have closed. // SB Williams
By Sara Beth Williams– Questions surround the apparent closure of a local drive-thru restaurant on Auburn Boulevard after only three years in business.
Rally’s, which serves food in a drive-thru format, has been closed for at least a week. The company’s listing on both Yelp and Google indicates that the restaurant is “temporarily closed,” and a location search on the company’s website also lists the location at 7911 Auburn Boulevard as closed. Previously, the restaurant operated from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.
A sign saying, “Sorry, we’re closed,” could be seen last Saturday but was taken down as of Thursday. The business still appeared to be closed on multiple visits to the location during the week by Sentinel staff. A green card could be seen posted in the front window, indicating that the restaurant had passed its most recent annual health inspection on Oct. 3, 2024. Owner Ben Aibuedefe did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
In October 2021, opening day for Rally’s burger drive-thru saw long lines of vehicles extending into the adjacent bowling alley parking lot, with additional customers lining up at a walk-up window. Aibuedefe had told The Sentinel prior to the grand opening, that he had struggled to hire enough staff, which initially delayed the opening.
According to previous reports, initial reviews on Yelp showed above 4 stars and positive comments, while current restaurant reviews show the restaurant has a 2.2-star rating, with multiple customers complaining about greasy food and rude customer service.
The lot where Rally’s sits is also listed for sale on commercial real estate site LoopNet for $1.6 million. The lot was initially listed for sale in early 2024 with an asking price of $2 million.
The long-vacant parcel was once an eye-sore but received significant improvements in curb appeal when Rally’s restaurant opened in October 2021.
The 890-foot burger joint features a drive-thru-only model, with no indoor seating by design. A small outdoor patio area has tables for diners to use.
Rally’s is a franchise location of the Florida-based Checkers Drive-In Restaurant Inc., which has over 800 locations nationwide and about 40 in California. The fast-food chain offers items like seasoned fries, big burgers, chicken wings, and milkshakes and markets itself in different parts of the country under the brand names Rally’s and Checker’s.
Sac Metro crews are battling a fire engulfing a home burning in the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, CA, Jan. 11, 2025. // Photo/video courtesy of Sac Metro Fire
By Sara Beth Williams– An engine from Citrus Heights is part of several fire crews sent to Southern California to fight the wildfires burning in Los Angeles County.
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Battalion Chief Parker Wilbourn reported after the Palisades Fire exploded in size last week that two strike teams were being deployed to help assist firefighters down south. The Palisades fire first began on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 7, and at least two strike teams were assembled and deployed within 24 hours, according to officials.
Deployed teams consisted of multiple fire crew personnel, at least five Type 3 Cal OES brush engines, a strike team leader from Metro Fire, and team leaders from several other fire teams from across the region. Crew members included four members from Engine 23 in Citrus Heights. Wilbourn said on Wednesday that Citrus Heights crew members are currently assisting on the Palisades Fire and are expected to assist for up to 14 days total before crews are swapped out. Wilbourn also said deployments “will not affect our response capabilities here at home.”
“The damage they’re reporting is nothing short of apocalyptic,” Wilbourn reported following the strike teams’ encounters with fighting the fires down south. “There are strong parallels with this fire to Maui, Santa Rosa, and other major incidents,” Wilbourn said.
Over the past week, fire crews have assisted on the front lines in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on the westside of Los Angeles, battling homes engulfed in flames, helping to save the family home of a Montecito Fire crewmember and assisting with a burning high school, which Wilbourn said puts the “compounding impacts” of the major wildfire event “into perspective.”
“Children won’t have a classroom to attend. People have lost their lives, their homes, their jobs, their livelihoods,” Wilbourn said.
NBC News reported Jan. 16 that at least 27 deaths have resulted from both the Palisades and Eaton fires, and 31 persons are reported as missing. At least 12,000 structures have been destroyed from both fires. Combined, the fires have burned over 37,800 acres, according to CalFire. Other small fires have also caused damage in outlying areas. AccuWeather estimates that the Los Angeles County fires may cost between $250 and $275 billion in damages.
The gated entrance leads to three large homes off Twin Oaks Ave, one of which was listed as the highest selling home in Citrus Heights in 2024. // SB Williams
By Sara Beth Williams– Compared to 2023, housing sales increased in 2024 throughout the county. According to Sacramento real estate appraiser and housing analysist Ryan Lundquist, the volume of sales in Sacramento County increased from 9,967 in 2023 to 10,711 in 2024. However, sales within Citrus Heights only increased by 11, according to local real estate agent Dave Silva. Here’s a look at the most expensive, and least expensive homes to sell in 2024.
Most expensive home sold: In 2024, the most expensive home sold for just over $1 million in March of last year. According to Silva, the home located at 8069 Twin Oaks Ave. was initially listed for $995,000 and sold for $10,000 above the listing price at $1,005,000.
The four-bedroom, three-bath home on the border of Citrus Heights sits on just over one acre and has had three owners, with the most recent owner only living on the property for two years, Silva said.
The two-story home consists of 2,900 square feet, and the property also includes an additional building that could be utilized as a garage or workshop according to the property’s description.
Least expensive homes sold: According to Silva, the least expensive home sold in Citrus Heights in 2024 was one unit in a four-plex condominium on Donegal Drive. The single unit was originally listed in June for $239,000 and remained on the market for over 100 days before selling at $210,000. The two-bed, one-bath unit consists of 797 square feet and was built in 1971. The small home first sold in 1993 for only $58,000.
The home on Donegal Drive is located in the Greenback Estates and includes an HOA maintenance fee of almost $300 per month, according to real estate site Zillow. HOA amenities include a community pool and other common areas, and HOA fees help cover roof maintenance and insurance for the structure.
According to Lundquist, the least expensive single-family detached home to sell in Citrus Heights in 2024 was an 888-square-foot home on Skylane Drive. The home at 6508 Skylane Drive sold for $278,000 in August, according to real estate site Zillow, but the house has since been relisted for sale at almost double the previous value. During remodeling, over 600 square feet of living space were added, according to the current listing.
By Sara Beth Williams– Residents have several different opportunities to weigh in on the proposed amendment for the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan. In a late update from the city Thursday afternoon, the proposal has been pulled from the upcoming City Council agenda for a second time.
Below, The Sentinel has compiled a list of ways in which residents can make their voice heard regarding their thoughts on the future of Sunrise Mall.
Online Comment form: Thursday is the last day for comments to be submitted via an online feedback form regarding the proposed amendment. The feedback provided through comments on the form will not be read aloud and will be added to the City Council staff report, which is compiled and then given to council members on Friday, Jan. 17, prior to the next council meeting.
Presentation during CHASEN meeting: Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. Brian Holloway will be speaking on behalf of Ethan Conrad Properties regarding the proposed amendment at the next Citrus Heights Areas 7-8-9 meeting on Jan. 21. Holloway said in an email he’s interested in hearing the thoughts of residents and will make himself available to “answer questions and listen for our neighbor’s responses.” The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and take place at Foundation Christian Church in Citrus Heights. Foundation Christian Church is located at 7800 Wonder St.
Citrus Heights City Council meeting: The proposed amendment is also slated to be discussed in front of the Citrus Heights City Council as a non-action item. The City Council meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and will be held in the City Hall Chambers. Council meetings are open to the public, and residents are welcome to attend and give comment. City Hall is located at 6360 Fountain Square Drive.
Public comments submitted online: For those who can’t attend City Council meetings in person, public comments can be submitted online through the city’s website. All comments submitted online will be read aloud. Submissions of public comments are accepted until 4 p.m. on the day of the City Council meeting.
By Sara Beth Williams– Citrus Heights Areas 7-8-9 President Bill Shirley confirmed Friday that a representative from Ethan Conrad Properties will be speaking at an upcoming CHASEN monthly meeting regarding the proposed amendment to the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan.
In a December letter shared with The Sentinel by Shirley, Brian Holloway requested to speak to the largest combined Neighborhood Area association in the city to discuss the proposed amendment prior to the company’s presentation to the City Council on Jan. 22.
Holloway plans to present the general concept of the plan and said the proposed amendment to the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan will “bring the Sunrise Mall back to an active and viable retain complex.”
Holloway emphasized that the company is “very interested in receiving Neighborhoods 7, 8 & 9’s thoughts, comments and suggestions regarding the proposed amendments.” Holloway also said he would make himself available to “answer questions and listen for our neighbor’s responses.”
The next meeting with CHASEN is scheduled to take place on Jan. 21 at Foundation Christian Church at 7 p.m. Foundation Christian Church is located at 7800 Wonder St.
Ethan Conrad Properties will also speak to the City Council regarding the proposed amendment, where a general concept of the plan will be presented “for a discussion matter only,” Holloway said.
The Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan is a 147-page document that serves as a guideline for development of the mall property. According to online documents submitted by Ethan Conrad Properties, the proposed amendment supports multiple General Plan policies from the city, including preserving individual neighborhoods and promoting a prosperous business community, promoting new development, and maintaining the economic strength of retail centers by focusing retail activities at major intersections.
Both the proposal and the developer have received criticism.
In a phone call with The Sentinel, Citrus Heights Historical Society President Larry Fritz called the discussion forthcoming at the next City Council meeting “a true test” for the city.
“If Citrus Heights was still unincorporated, I think the county would have approved this proposal without thinking. I’m hopeful that the people will hold out for something better than what Conrad is proposing,” Fritz said.
Citrus Heights Communications Officer Marisa Brown said that aside from submitting public comments online or in person, residents can submit comments regarding the amendment proposal via an online feedback form. All comments will be included in the Staff Report, regardless of whether they were submitted back in November or more recently.
These comments will not be read aloud, as public comments are, but will be given directly to City Council members in a staff report. Comments can be submitted up until Jan. 16 so that they may be included in the City Council’s staff report, which releases the Friday prior to City Council meetings.
The next City Council meeting will be held Jan. 22 at Citrus Heights City Hall beginning at 6 p.m. Citrus Heights City Hall is located at 6360 Fountain Square Drive.
By Sara Beth Williams– Through the lenses of our staff and freelance photographers, The Sentinel has covered business, crime, civic and community events that have impacted our local city and the community beyond.
The following is a selection of 15 photos that have captured some of the 650-plus local news stories covered throughout 2024.
Top story of 2024: Pastry Chef and owner José Tellez stands in front of Pastry Heaven. // SB Williams
Pastry Chef and owner José Tellez stands in front of Pastry Heaven European Bakery, located on the border of Citrus Heights and Fair Oaks in the Almond Orchard Shopping Center. Tellez was once a former Ettore’s pastry chef. Read the full story here.
The Goodwill store at 7120 Auburn Blvd. closed in January. // M. Hazlip
Goodwill Industries closed in January 2024 after 20 years in operation at the prominent and highly visible corner of Auburn Boulevard and Old Auburn Road. Later in the year, Bearpaw Outlet and DarkHeart Brewing reclaimed the vacant space. Read the full story here.
Neighbors help load branches from a fallen tree on Rollingwood Boulevard during a February 2024 storm.
During high winds on Feb. 4, 2024, a large tree fell across Rollingwood Boulevard, blocking traffic and impacting properties both across the street and diagonally. Photo shows the fractured tree, which fell overnight, and neighbors assisting to clean up the debris so that traffic could pass through. Read the full story here.
Citrus Heights Economic Development and Community Engagement Director Meghan Huber moderates a cannabis workshop held at City Hall on April 3, 2024. // M. Hazlip
Dozens of people filled seats in the council chambers where a public workshop regarding adding an ordinance to allow cannabis dispensaries in Citrus Heights was held on April 3, 2024. Economic Development and Community Engagement Director Meghan Huber moderated the event. Read the full story here.
The food court at the Sunrise Mall is vacant and dark except for a mobile coffee cart. // Sara Beth Williams
Photo shows a vacant food court within Sunrise Mall in mid-April 2024, except for the Espresso Bar coffee cart. Tragically, the coffee cart has also closed as of mid-November 2024. Read the full story here.
City officials from Sacramento joined representatives of Sacramento Steps Forward at a June 5 press conference announcing a 29 percent decrease in people experiencing homelessness. // M. Hazlip
State and City officials and representatives, including former Mayor Darrell Steinberg, joined representatives of Sacramento Steps Forward at a June 5 press conference in Downtown Sacramento announcing a 29 percent decrease in people experiencing homelessness in the county. A point-in-time count of unhoused individuals found just over 60 homeless individuals in Citrus Heights, a number homeless advocates found hard to believe. Read the full story here.
Fireworks can be seen from City Hall during the Stars and Stripes celebration 2024. // M. Hazlip
Freelancer Mike Hazlip captured a photo of kids on bikes watching aerial fireworks over Citrus Heights City Hall during the second annual Stars and Stripes community Independence Day celebration on June 29, 2024, which saw nearly double the attendance from 2023. Read the full story here.
A car smashed through Baba Smoke N’ Vape on Aug. 6. // SB Williams
A stolen vehicle smashed through the front of a local smoke shop early in the morning of Aug. 6, taking out the entire storefront. The owner estimated overall damage was $30-40,000. Read the full story here.
The landscaping was removed along Auburn Blvd during Summer 2024. // SB Williams
The long-awaited second phase of the Auburn Boulevard Complete Streets project began in the summer. A lone construction sign stands in a barren landscape once filled with greenery in the Grand Oaks Shopping Center on Auburn Boulevard, following a mass removal of trees and shrubbery. Read the full story here.
A memorial for Jerry Garcia drew an estimated 350 people on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. // SB Williams
A memorial for Jerry “Garsh” Garcia, a long-time coach for the Citrus Heights Little League, drew an estimated 350 people to Garsh Field at Rusch Community Park on Aug. 31, 2024. Garcia passed away in July and many said he left a legacy. Read the full story here.
Bill Van Duker (left) and Uddhav “Gary” Giri stand in front of the new Minuteman Press as Van Duker passes the business on before retirement. // M. Hazlip
With nearly five decades in the printing business behind him, Bill Van Duker stopped the presses at All Star Printing as he turned a page to a new chapter, in 2024. Read the full story here. In the photo, Van Duker (left) and Uddhav “Gary” Giri stand in front of the new Minuteman Press as Van Duker passed the business on before retirement.
The Citrus Heights Rotary Foundation donated $100,000 on Oct. 23 to the Citrus Heights Veterans Memorial Project nonprofit during a Citrus Heights Rotary Club meeting. // SB Williams
The Citrus Heights Rotary Foundation donated $100,000 on Oct. 23 to the Citrus Heights Veterans Memorial Project nonprofit during a Citrus Heights Rotary Club meeting. The nonprofit veterans organization plans to construct the first permanent 80 percent-replica Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall on the west coast. Read the full story here.
Vehicles line up to drop off ballots at Citrus Heights City Hall on Nov. 5, 2024. // M. Hazlip
Freelancer Mike Hazlip captured vehicles lining up to drop off ballots at Citrus Heights City Hall for the general election on Nov. 5, 2024. The election resulted in a new face on the City Council, with Kelsey Nelson taking the seat formerly held by Bret Daniels. Read the full story here.
An unknown suspect drove their vehicle through JCPenny at the Sunrise Mall on Sunday, Dec. 15, causing destruction. // Mike Hazlip
A photo captured the aftermath of a vehicle that drove through the exterior entrance of JCPenney at Sunrise Mall on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. Police say an unidentified male stole a pickup truck, rammed through one entrance, stopped to steal jewelry, and drove out through another entrance. Read the full story here.
Brewery owners Rick and Cynthia Lee stand in front of an interior wall decorated with pirate ships inside DarkHeart Brewing, Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. // SB Williams
DarkHeart Brewery owners Rick and Cynthia Lee stand in front of an interior wall decorated with a pirate ship and helm inside DarkHeart Brewing, Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, one day after opening. The nano brewery is the first local in-house brewery in Citrus Heights in more than 10 years. Read the full story here.
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Sentinel Staff Report– This week’s letters to the Editor discuss the Neighborhood Cleanup and red light camera fines.
Two Days for Neighborhood Pickup is Unreasonable!: While it’s true that most of us don’t need more than 2 days to get our piles out, most of us DO need those 2 days to be on the weekend. Especially with the short days of winter, we’re off to work and back in the dark. When our pickup is scheduled in the middle of the week, that leaves little daylight time for us to set out our piles. I guess we’ll just have to ‘stage’ our trash on our lawn instead – how that helps ‘blight’, I have no idea! But threatening to fine us, when our bills continue to raise at rates that blow away cost of living increases is the WRONG answer to a few extra days of rubbish – especially when the excuse for WM not picking up the piles on time is built in! This was a TERRIBLE idea and should be thrown out with the next pickup! –Hana Bernard, Citrus Heights
Red light traffic cost: A few years ago, I was fined $498 for running a red light at the corner of Oak and Sunrise. I was turning right onto Oak at a very slow speed and ran the red light. Not another vehicle was in that intersection. Buy the way, a right turn light controls that intersection now. In addition to the $498, I had to pay for traffic school and the costs together was over $600. I am a senior citizen on a very limited income, and this charge was very difficult for me to pay! I have had a speeding ticket in years of driving. In addition, I read in the paper that the state of New Jersey charged $80 some dollars for a red light violation.
Thank you for letting me tell my experience with running a red light in Citrus Heights. — Marilyn Rice, Citrus Heights
Red light tickets in Citrus Heights: Yes, I agree the fine is crazy especially for a first time offender like myself that received one too. The cop seem not liking the color of my skin and couldn’t give me a ticket on anything else so I got a red light ticket after he followed me for awhile. I flied a complaint but they did nothing in my favor. I’m sick of getting treated different because of the color of my skin. Always stay strong though, but it’s hard. — Harold Switzer, Roseville
*Our policy is to publish every letter that is received, as long as it is between 100 and 250 words. Submit a letter and view our Letter to the Editor policy here.
Citrus Heights Police Chief Alex Turcotte presented a New Year’s Eve enforcement update to the Citrus Heights City Council, Jan. 8, 2025 // SB Williams
By Sara Beth Williams– In an update to City Council last week, Citrus Heights Police Chief Alex Turcotte said New Year’s Eve was “relatively peaceful” in Citrus Heights this year.
Turcotte reported the department received 62 complaints for illegal fireworks between Dec. 31, 2024, and Jan. 1, 2025, and 17 citizen attestations to illegal firework activity.
“This is not new, there’s a problem in Citrus Heights with illegal fireworks,” Turcotte said, calling illegal firework activity “dangerous,” and emphasizing that fireworks impact “a great amount” of the local community. Turcotte also said Citrus Heights is “by no means alone” in its struggle to curb illegal firework activity.
Because the offense is a misdemeanor, officers are required to witness illegal fireworks activity from the launch site, and tracing aerial fireworks back to the actual parcel or catching someone in the act is “difficult.”
In an effort to curb illegal fireworks, prior to New Year’s, the Police Department launched a social media campaign called “You light it, we’ll cite it,” requesting the help of citizens to voluntarily report illegal fireworks activity using the SeeClickFix app and agree to attest to witnessing any fireworks activity.
Turcotte called the 17 citizen attestations “encouraging” and added that the department is currently vetting the witnesses and their statements and will pursue legal action accordingly. The Citizens Attestation test program allows officers to legally press charges by way of citizens’ witness accounts of illegal activity, Turcotte explained.
This past New Year’s Eve and overnight into New Year’s, Turcotte said the “perception” seems to be that fewer fireworks were heard in most areas of the city, except in one neighborhood of the city where there are “chronic” offenders. Several City Council members affirmed that fewer aerial explosions were heard in their own neighborhoods than in years past, including Vice Mayor Marijane Lopez-Taff.
“Last year it was like World War III,” Lopez-Taff said, adding that this year was “significantly quieter.”
Mayor Jayna Karpinski-Costa said she heard fewer fireworks but more gunshots this year.
Turcotte explained that while illegal fireworks complaints were higher than in 2023, overall call center volume decreased by 12 percent compared to 2023, and that the utilization of the SeeFixClick app allowed more people to easily notify police of complaints, while the call center handled other service calls.
Following a night of celebratory explosions, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District reported on Jan. 1 that for the fourth year in a row there were no fireworks-related injuries or fires overnight.
Throughout Metro Fire’s jurisdiction, officials reported receiving 13 fireworks-related complaints, a 40 percent decrease from the same time period a year ago. No complaints were received from Citrus Heights, Sac Metro officials said.
Sentinel Staff Report– Latest police logs show an increase in code enforcement and vehicle violations, while showing a decrease in disturbances and suspicious circumstances. Below is a summary of police logs from Jan. 2 to Jan 8, 2025.
Animal control: 9 (up from 8)
911 hangups: 32 (up from 22)
Code enforcement: 21 (up from 10)
Traffic accidents: 26 (down from 34)
Vehicle violations: 268 (up from 261)
Theft: 39 (up from 26)
Homeless-related: 23 (up from 18)
Vandalism: 8 (up from 5)
Violent/threats: 31 (up from 24)
Disturbance: 86 (down from 106)
Suspicious circumstances: 147 (down from 154)
All incidents: 1112 (down from 1114)
Arrest logs can be viewed on the city’s website here. Full police activity logs can be viewed by date here:
The Citrus Heights Police Department notes that its logs “are not intended as a full and complete list of all police activity,” with some information not displayed for legal reasons, such as arrests of minors. As such, police advise that summary totals based on public logs may differ from weekly incident and arrest totals posted by police on social media.
The department notes on its website that: “All arrested suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty. Additionally, the original crimes, nature of offenses, and charges may be amended or dismissed as further information is made available.”
Editor’s Note: police log summaries are published with assistance from AI, but edited by humans. Please contact us if you spot an error.
