RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - Despite the technical hiccups that accompany any Zoom meeting, Anatolia community residents made it loud and clear–they weren’t happy with the building of affordable housing in their backyard. Three parcels of land are being eyed in the south west section of Anatolia Drive and Chrysanthy Boulevard for the building of single story cottages for seniors and larger two story apartments for families.

Many residents called in to the January 19 meeting to voice their feelings and with the exception of one, all were critical raising concerns about home values, crime, alternative locations and site suitability.

One man - after pointing to a Zinfandel location as more appropriate - said the proposed property is right at the entrance of Anatolia and would “detract and devalue all the existing homes” due to what he believed the inevitable low cost building. Safety was an issue for a woman who said children living in the proposed housing would have nothing to do and could endanger themselves trying to cross Sunrise Blvd. Others brought up a current lack of police presence and what the influx of more people in the community would mean for that. The effects on schools were also a large concern.

While acknowledging the need for Affordable Housing, Craig Osbourne, Vice President of the HOA, said the Anatolia location was “not the right fit, not for residents and for prospective residents and a negative for Rancho Cordova.”

The one dissenting view came from a woman who said, “It is never someone’s choice to be poor” and why would Anatolia residents deter them from trying to better themselves. She posited they could be deterring their future doctor or a future president. She ended her comments by saying she would never want to move to Anatolia which was met with “Good. Don’t” by an unknown member of the public.

Discussion of the potential project site also got off to a rocky start when the representative from a possible developer was unable to attend the meeting leaving both councilmembers and residents without information they had been hoping to hear. Vice Mayor Donald Terry looked visibly upset about the absence of the developer.

After the public comments, Councilmember Siri Pulipati did not feel it was an ideal location. Councilmember David Sander was touched to hear the sense of community by Anatolia but felt more discussion was needed. Councilmember Linda Budge’s remarks highlighted the need for Rancho Cordova’s Seniors to have a home to transition to when they cannot manage their former homes. Both Budge and Sander brought up future development coming to the area that would administer to the growing population.

Vice Mayor Terry said without a real proposal from the developer, he could not evaluate anything at the time, ending with “We shouldn’t move forward today.”

In contrast, the approval to issue Special Bonds for the acquisition and construction of certain public facilities and payment of certain fees and an update on the Great Plates Delivered program placing meals on the tables of seniors went off without a hitch.

Slightly more heated though was discussion concerning Royal C Store owner Sunmeet Ghuman’s desire to expand his smoke shop into a full convenience store with sales of beer, wine and spirits sales and acquiring the required permits.

Council and community members praised Ghuman’s business practices and character but feared if the Mather Field Road location sold alcohol it would bring increased crime and be a danger to youth especially those who utilize the Sports Complex. A 2020 crime report referenced showed 3,648 calls for police service had been made and 328 reports written - all within a half mile radius of the Royal C Store.

One woman who joined the meeting remarked the store “wouldn't be a benefit to the community,” while another said “we’ve got to protect our youth.” On the other side, one man spoke highly of the owner and advocated for expansion. Through a public comment submitted by e-mail, Mark Berry suggested a café-style business instead. In total, public comments amounted to around 20 for no to 33 for yes.

Councilmembers Budge and Pulipati were enthusiastic in regards to a larger convenience store just sans alcohol sales. Vice Mayor Donald Terry said he couldn’t approve alcohol sales in “good conscience”. Mayor Garret Gatewood expressed similar sentiments with his colleagues.

New findings based on the night’s discussion would be presented at an upcoming meeting along with a final vote on action.

An item to discuss, mobile home regulations, was moved to the next city council meeting.

Other notable moments of the January 18 meeting were presentations by lobbyists Joe Gonsalves of Gonsalves & Son and Jen Covino of Simon and Company Inc. Legislative matters discussed were relief and funds for small businesses, the Children’s Museum, the homeless, mental health programs, what areas the Biden administration will be focusing on in the months ahead and how Rancho Cordova is specifically affected.

Based on discussion with the Sacramento County Health Officer, City Manager Cyrus Abhar said COVID-19 vaccine information for both city staff and the general public would be forthcoming soon.

The council meeting concluded with councilmember Budge saluting the memory of Sacramento Deputy Adam Gibson who recently lost his life in the line of duty.