The Abridged version:
- Plans for an apartment complex near Alhambra Boulevard appear to be moving forward, as developers aim to build a six-story, 302-unit project that would fill an entire city block.
- On Tuesday, the Sacramento City Council could vote to cede its ownership of Chinatown Alley, which bisects the project site.
- Although the project previously faced vocal opposition from adjacent neighborhoods, there are currently no legal challenges to the project.
The long-vacant Mary Ann’s Bakery site in East Sacramento appears one step closer to being developed into a new apartment building.
On Tuesday, the Sacramento City Council is slated to vote on an abandonment of the portion of Chinatown Alley that goes through the site.
The council signed off on plans earlier this year to allow for a six-story apartment complex, six-story parking garage and ground floor coffee shop in the area. Project plans would see demolition and redevelopment of most of the city block bounded by Alhambra Boulevard, 30th Street, C Street and D Street.
Sign Up for the Morning Newsletter
The Abridged morning newsletter lands in your inbox every weekday morning with the latest news from the Sacramento region.
A pair of empty warehouses currently fill the site, as well as three homes and a duplex. Plans detail that the new apartment building would keep much of the brick facade of the historic buildings currently on the site.
If the council approves the latest proposal, the city would cede its ownership of the alley. The vote would clear the way for a developer to demolish infrastructure in the 20-foot alley and replace it with more robust water mains, electrical lines and telecommunications infrastructure.
The number of apartment units has shrunk slightly, and the number of parking spaces has increased since the project was initially approved in April, according to a city staff report. The report describes 302 units, down from 332 units approved earlier this year. The number of parking spots increased to 344 spaces, up from 322 earlier this year.
No legal challenges despite previous opposition
Neighborhood associations in East Sacramento had expressed both vocal opposition and support for the project.
A coalition of neighborhood associations worked with a public relations firm to organize formal opposition to the project. When the Sacramento Planning and Design commission unanimously approved the project, two groups filed separate appeals to halt the project and send it before the Sacramento City Council for a decision. In late April, the council unanimously approved the project.
Despite the contention, no lawsuits have been filed in recent months over the project plans. The city of Sacramento is not facing any formal legal challenges or organized opposition to the project, according to spokesperson Jennifer Singer.
Carl Seymour, president of the Casa Loma Terrace-East Sacramento Neighborhood Association, said he was not aware of any active challenges to the project. The association previously led an appeal against the apartments.
