Hearing for proposed storage facility project in Auburn neighborhood continued to June 18

A storage facility project proposed for an empty lot within the Train Village neighborhood in Auburn will return to the Placer County Zoning Administrator on Thursday, June 18. The project, known as Foothill Storage, would feature a three-story self-storage facility with 840 storage units, 23 parking spaces and an EV charger. According to Mitigated Negative Declaration documents, the project site, located on the corner of Dolores Drive and Terry Lane, is currently an undeveloped 2.36-acre site that is designated General Commercial in the Auburn/Bowman Community Plan. A hearing to consider the adequacy of the California Environmental Quality Act analysis and the project's minor use permit and design review agreement was initially held on May 21. Martin Romero, associate planner for Placer County, provided the hearing officer with an overview of the project to include the location of the proposed facility, current zoning, operation and proposed landscaping. According to Romero, the county received 31 comment letters during the Mitigated Negative Declaration 30-day review period, which included 27 letters from members of the public with noted concerns of environmental impacts, traffic safety, fire safety, light pollution, property values, project aesthetics and scenic vistas. In response to the concerns, Romero confirmed the proposed project would require a building permit, be subject to the county's noise ordinance and construction would be limited to approved times, would be taking advantage of the site's existing conditions for the proposed height and was consistent with Placer's design guidelines. Romero also noted although the project proposes 840 storage units, operations are relatively low intensity. The hearing officer received 14 comments from residents in opposition of the project and noting concerns which included the safety of the children who live and play in Train Village, the possible degradation of the neighborhood's quiet and privacy, traffic safety and the loss of the natural habitat the site's meadow provides. Commenters also noted seeing no need for the project in Train Village and requested a complete environmental review, a height reduction and using the lot for a more community-supportive use - or if the project were approved, to change the project's access on Terry Lane to an emergency-only use. "If this meadow must be lost, why not let the sacrifice count for something," Kurtis Ostrom said. Jack Baranowski added, "This is kind of like a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich; you can do it, it just doesn't make much sense." Following the comments and gaining additional clarification from Applicant Enrique Wallace, Crystal Jacobsen, the May 21 hearing officer, confirmed the analysis of the site is complete and the lot is a commercial district. "While there is a need to find a balance, there's also, you know, recognizing that you're living up against a commercial district and so what we try to do is address conflicts with those uses," Jacobsen said. Jacobsen confirmed she was not ready to make a decision on the project and requested Wallace to look into a different design for the Terry Lane access, create more visual simulations down Terry Lane and to sit down with members of the community before the next hearing. The item was continued to the June 18 Zoning Administrator meeting. According to the agenda, the item is scheduled for 10:35 a.m. The public is invited to attend in the Planning Commission chambers, 3091 County Center Drive in Auburn or online at placer-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/91023942163. The June 18 agenda and staff report can be found at placer.ca.gov/AgendaCenter#cat20. Residents' concerns Train Village residents Ostrom and Steve Rigney met with the Auburn Journal after the hearing to express residents still have many concerns about the project. "We just think it's really inappropriate for the site," Rigney said. "It doesn't benefit the community really at all." Both residents noted they continue to be concerned about the need for the project in a residential neighborhood, the project creating a safety concern, the possibility of increased traffic and the proposed facility's appearance, as the project proposes yellow roll-up unit doors. The men also expressed concern over the possibility of losing the neighborhood's scenic view of the vistas, due to the project's proposed three-story design. "That's my big concern, that they're just gonna wall us in," Ostrom said. Rigney added, "They made a point that the design guidelines do not do anything to protect private vistas. But the thing is, if six or seven houses on that street (Terry Lane) can step out their front doors and see, is it really private? … If all those people can see it, there's nothing private about it. It's a community vista." The men said their goal for the next hearing is to seek a height reduction. Rigney mentioned the community's Change.org petition has reached more than 540 signatures. As of Thursday morning, the petition had 579 signatures. The petition provides an overview of the Foothill Storage project as well as renderings of project alternatives residents feel would be a better use of the space, like a town square or an apartment complex. Ostrom and Rigney noted these uses would be something the community could actually use or provide the opportunity to support local businesses.