A new innovative pilot project that permits actual local community involvement in land use decision-making began October 1, 2005. These Councils, now known as Commissions, have been made permanent in January 2009.

This change represents a streamlining of government into a "one-step process" from the previous "two-step" approach that involved the Community Planning Advisory Councils (CPACs), the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors.  

Today, nine residents of Arden Arcade appointed by the Board of Supervisors exercise real authority to review and decide land use matters that was held previously by the Project Planning Commission, Policy Planning Commission, Zoning Administrator or Subdivision Review Committee.

Essentially, the Board of Supervisors has changed the delegating authority from those four hearing bodies to the Community Planning Commissions.  While the Board of Supervisors still retains jurisdiction for certain approvals as before and remains the ultimate authority for appeals, the Arden Arcade Community Planning Commission now bears the responsibility for making land use decisions affecting their community.

Members of the Arden Arcade Community Planning Commission have undergone training on the California Environmental Quality act, the General Plan, the Brown Act, planning procedures, zoning codes and more in order to assume their important ground-breaking responsibilities in this unique local government experiment.  This pilot project will operate for two years and be evaluated.

By streamlining the process, applicants seeking entitlements should recognize that the elimination of the CPAC means their projects will be heard by community members at the decision-making stage without the benefit of any pre-public vetting process that functioned via the former CPAC meetings.  Therefore, it is highly recommended that applicants seeking entitlements take on the responsibility to reach out and consult with adjacent property owners, neighbors, community groups and other interested parties about project applications in order to perform the necessary due diligence prior to having their application heard by the Arden Arcade Community Planning Commission.  Seeking input early in the development process rather than at the actual hearing stage may prove beneficial and cost-effective in terms of the expenditure of time and resources. 

The creation of the Arden Arcade Community Planning Commission represents a dedicated commitment by the Board of Supervisors to improve the local governmental regulatory process as well as to utilize the talents and skills of our residents in improving the quality of life we all enjoy here in Sacramento County.  

SUSAN PETERS
Supervisor, Third District