Oak Rose proponents will not appear at Elk Grove City Council hearing; notes ‘good-faith negotiations’ in statement
When the Elk Grove City Council holds its second hearing to reconsider approval of the Oak Rose supportive housing project tomorrow night, the proponents will not appear.
As reported by KCRA this morning, Dana Trujillo, the chief executive officer of Excelerate Housing Group, developer of the Oak Rose project in Old Town-Historic Downtown Elk Grove, issued a statement confirming they will not appear at the hearing.
Trujillo’s statement said, “We do not believe our attendance at the October 11 Elk Grove City Council meeting is appropriate, given these continuing good-faith negotiations and the ongoing litigation over the unlawful discretionary review process the city relied on to reject the Oak Rose project.”
According to individuals who attended the July 27, 2022, Elk Grove City Council meeting, the Oak Rose proponents were treated uncivilly by project opponents
The statement did not elaborate on the “good-faith negotiations” with the city. During the September 27 city council meeting, Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen mentioned the Oak Rose project proponents were offered to relocate to unspecified parcels near Elk Grove-Florin and Calvine roads. The Sacramento County Tax Accessor lists two parcels in that vicinity, zoned RD-30, for high-density multi-family housing.
The county lists 8480 Elk Grove-Florin Road as 2.2 acres and was sold on February 1, 2023. The other parcel at 8484 and 8490 Elk Grove-Florin Road, which is 2.17 acres, was sold on February 2, 2023.
Other nearby vacant parcels are located just south at 8541 and 8551 Elk Grove-Florin Road, which are combined 1.91 acres. 8551 is zoned for open space and may not be eligible for a rezone (see map below).
According to individuals who attended the July 27, 2022, Elk Grove City Council meeting, the Oak Rose proponents were treated uncivilly by project opponents. Most opponents identified themselves as City Council District 2 residents and merchants.
When the project proponents did not appear at the September 27 meeting, Singh-Allen and her city council decried their absence and used that as justification to delay their decision. Notwithstanding the two secret meetings held by the city council since September 27, the city’s professional staff led by the city attorney Jonathan Hobbs has urged the city council to reverse their July 2022 decision and approve the project.
