//Photo courtesy Dignity Health
After a year of negotiations and community input, the Citrus Heights Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Wednesday night for the proposal to build a 68,000 square feet medical building at the current City Hall site, and build a new hall on Antelope Road.
While the City calls the proposal a “once-in-a-lifetime” deal that would give residents a new City Hall and bring jobs and dollars to the area, opponents say the numbers “don’t make sense,” and plan to be at Wednesday’s meeting to advocate for keeping City Hall at its current location on Fountain Square Drive.
“We’re taking every opportunity to make our point known, whether it’s through the Planning Commission, or through the City Council.” said proposal opponent Tim Schaeffer, who heads up a volunteer group called Save City Hall.
Schaeffer said his group is made up of about 25 volunteers who have been circulating petitions, sign-waving, and educating residents as part of their effort to keep City Hall in the civic center, next to the Police Department and the recently built Community Center.
The civic center aspect of the proposal to move City Hall is expected to be a major point of discussion at tonight’s meeting, due to the wording of Goal 21 in the City’s General Plan which states that government services are to be concentrated at a “civic center complex.”
A City staff report suggests that the Planning Commission eliminate the “civic center complex” language from the goal to allow the proposal to go through. The report also recommends the commission approve several other key entitlements needed for the projects to go forward, including the approval of zoning code amendments, tree permits, design review permits, and an environmental report’s findings.
Following the Planning Commission’s recommendations, the City Council is expected to take up the matter at their July 24 meeting.
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If you plan to go tonight:
Planning Commission meeting
Public Hearing
7:00 p.m., July 9, 2014
City Hall Council Chambers
7117 Greenback Lane
