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  • Proposed 93-bed assisted living facility gains final extension from city

    care facility
    An architectural rendering of a new care facility in Citrus Heights was presented to the planning commission on Jan. 11.

    Nearly a decade after receiving necessary permits from the city, construction work on a vacant 4.5-acre lot on Sunrise Boulevard in Citrus Heights is expected to finally move forward this year.

    The 93-bed SummerPlace assisted living and memory care facility planned for 8220 Sunrise Blvd., located near the northern border of the city, originally received approval from the planning commission in 2008 — but the lot has continued to sit vacant for the past nine years.

    Associate City Planner Nick Lagura told commissioners Wednesday night that the owner, Neil Huettenhain, had encountered financing issues “beyond his control” which delayed the project, but the developer “believes he now has the proper team in place to move the project to construction.”

    Latest approval by planning commissioners on Jan. 11 granted the project an additional and final 12-month permit extension, with no major modifications made to the original plans. The extension request was approved unanimously, following an uneventful public hearing where no comments from the public were made.

    The latest site plan submitted to the city indicates a total of 43 parking spaces, a circular driveway design in front with a covered drop-off area, and a prominent water feature in the middle of the paved circle. The facility is also shown to feature a two-story design with an enclosed courtyard in the rear.

    According to various media reports, Huettenhain has been involved in the development of assisted care facilities in Rancho Cordova, Lincoln, and other parts of the region. In 2014, the Sacramento Business Journal reported the Citrus Heights care facility was estimated to cost $22.8 million to construct.

    Another assisted living facility for memory care, The Courte at Citrus Heights, opened on Sunrise Boulevard last year, about two miles away from where Huettenhain’s facility will operate.

    View additional images of the project: click here

  • Citrus Heights to gain 200 jobs with proposed shopping center

    The Citrus Heights Planning Commission gave unanimous approval Wednesday for a developer’s 5.7-acre proposal to bring several new restaurants, retail stores and a Smart & Final to the old Capital Nursery lot at Sunrise Boulevard and Madison Avenue.

    Smart and Final, Citrus Heights
    An artistic rendering from Planning Commission documents, showing the proposed new Smart & Final Extra! store at the old Capital Nursery site.

    According to the Commission’s agenda packet, the proposal would demolish about 18,000 square feet of existing improvements, and construct nearly 50,000 square feet of commercial buildings in their place — along with adding an equal amount of landscaping, and 276 parking spots.

    In addition to the Smart & Final Extra! store, a project description for “Capital Nursery Plaza” lists proposed tenants to be Moe’s Southwest Grill, Black Bear Diner, and potentially a financial institution as well as a “gelato/ice cream/frozen yogurt concept.” The drive-thru restaurant was not identified in the documents, but a use permit was requested to allow it to be in operation 24-hours-a-day.

    The six new buildings are designed to have “complementary architectural features,” and range in size between 2,600 and 27,000 square feet, with heights between 21 and 41 feet, according to the proposal.

    <<Related: “Chance to vote online for best Citrus Heights business ends Jan. 30″>>

    Although passing a major hurdle this week, a City planner said the project proposal still has permits, paperwork and approvals to get through before work could start.

    “It’s possible construction could begin as early as summertime,” said Citrus Heights Associate Planner Nick Lagura, mentioning construction documents and application for a building permit are yet to be submitted for approval. “As soon as our building official is able to approve the permit, the developer can begin construction.”

    According to the project description submitted to the Commission, the proposal would bring over 200 permanent new jobs in Citrus Heights, with positions ranging from entry-level to franchise ownership.

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    A City design permit analysis determined the proposal to be consistent with several of the City’s General Plan goals, including to “maintain the economic strength of retail centers by focusing retail activities at major intersections,” and to “revitalize and maintain corridors as economically viable and physically attractive.”

    According to documents approved by the Commission this week, the developer, Sacto Retail Ventures, LLC, will also be required to provide frontage improvements to both Madison Avenue and Sunrise Boulevard, including new sidewalks, vertical curbs and LED street lights.

    The site had been used as a retail nursery center since the 1960’s, but has been vacant for several years.