A developer’s proposal to demolish the old Wells Fargo office building at Sunrise Boulevard and Sungarden Drive in order to build a new ARCO gas station has generated enough emails to city leaders that the mayor of Citrus Heights has called for a community meeting on Monday night at city hall.
According to online planning department records and a public notice posted at the development location, the proposal was submitted by Barghausen Consulting last month and includes plans for a 3,000-square-feet AM/PM convenience store, a 42-feet-by-110-feet covered area for eight gas pumps, and a small car wash. Sacramento County Assessor’s records indicate the nearly one-acre parcel at 7056 Sunrise Blvd. is owned by prominent real estate developer Angelo Tsakopoulos, with the existing 9,500-square-feet structure built on the site in 1981.
[Document: see proposed site plan]
Resident Nancy Graham, who’s lived near Sungarden Drive for 46 years and heads up the Sunrise Oaks neighborhood association, has been a vocal opponent of the plan and said she has encouraged community members to voice opposition to the city.
>>See a map of the neighborhood boundaries and learn more about Citrus Heights’ 11 neighborhood areas: “Neighborhood groups REACH out to connect Citrus Heights residents”
“This would have an enormous impact on this entire area,” said Graham, calling it an “inappropriate” location for a 24-hour gas station. She questioned whether large tanker trucks could adequately access the location and said the proposed selling of beer and wine on the site would also “draw in undesired people after hours” and increase crime and loitering.
Mayor Jeannie Bruins told The Sentinel that she called for the Nov. 28 meeting “because of the volume of emails” she’s received about the project and “the questions people are asking.” Bruins said she and a planning department staff member plan to be available to answer any questions from the community about the project and the process, “and generally educate the citizens about what the city can and cannot do.”
Jayna Karpinski-Costa, who is the president of the nearby Sylvan Old Auburn Road neighborhood association, said her group will not be formally protesting the proposal, but would prefer seeing a restaurant like Mimi’s Cafe instead of the gas station.
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She also said the area already has an “abundant” supply of liquor stores and questioned whether the project would be cost-effective for the developer, noting two competing gas stations and convenience stores at the nearby intersection of Sunrise Boulevard and Old Auburn Road.
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Meeting info
Monday, Nov. 28, 2016
6-8 p.m.
City Hall (community room)
6360 Fountain Square Dr.
Citrus Heights, CA
