New Tool to View Planning Activity

AgencyCounter is the City of Sacramento’s new online tool to easily view planning applications and proposed development projects in the city. 

Use the AgencyCounter to: Explore the map feature to view the planning activity and history for a specific property or area of the city. Sign up for an auto notification via email when a planning application is submitted within your chosen area of interest. Download the project application, project exhibits and other supplemental materials. Contact the assigned planner for more information or to submit comments on a project. View the AgencyCounter Scorecard to see projects under consideration by Council District and recently approved projects.

City to Consider Entitlement Extension

With hopes that the worst real estate downturn would be over by 2012, the City is now hoping a third extension won’t be needed in 2015. According to the Sacramento Business Journal, the City of Sacramento will soon mull over another three-year extension of already obtained building entitlements that are soon set to expire.  Staff from the Community Development Department is tentatively set to ask the City Council to approve the extension at its Jan. 24 meeting.

With hundreds of projects stalled throughout the city due to the real estate market collapse and the inability to achieve financing, this second extension just might be what the city needs when the economy improves. If these projects are still viable, they could be a few months from breaking ground because they would be considered “shovel ready.” Typically, entitlements can take 18 months or longer to acquire, this includes environmental, design and other approvals a project needs.  Depending on the size of the project they can cost a few thousand to tens of thousands.

In midtown, a project like the Tribute Building by Michael Heller Jr. at 20th Street and Capitol Avenue might still be doable if this extension is renewed. I would think that most if not all the proposed residential high-rise towers planned will not get built unless they received subsidies, like most of the current projects under construction in the grid. A second extension just might be what gets developers out in front when economic winds finally change.

Will IBM Help Sacramento?

I think this might be helpful and the City should look into this.

Deficits and cramped budgets are plaguing local governments around the country this year. Almost half a million dollars worth of technology and consulting services would be a more than welcome gift for most cities – and this is exactly what IBM is offering with its new Smarter Cities Challenge.

The pro bono program will grant 50 North American cities up to $400,000 in technology and consulting resources to help find solutions for local issues. IBM is now encouraging Sacramento to apply for the grant by December 31.

The grant could be used to make Sacramento greener and more sustainable, or to improve citizen engagement with our city. It could help build out our infrastructure in ways that are both creative and effective, or it could just assist with Mayor Johnson’s plans to improve government and foster economic development.

To learn more about the program, you can visit the Smarter Cities website.

It’s an open question: how could $400,000 in technology-based services from IBM benefit Sacramento?

If you ran the city, what problem would you solve? Is there a project you would help?