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Read the full story with edited quotes and resources below.
The Falls of Elk Grove - a New Meeting Center
Wednesday, the City Council will vote
on the entitlements for a proposed event center named “The Falls of
Elk Grove”. Entitlements are all the city plan amendments and
rezoning needed to make a new construction project possible. This
includes parcel changes, conditional use permits, environmental
impact studies, and adjustments to zoning.
This will be the first new events
complex of its kind in the western region created by the Falls Event
Center company of Salt Lake City. Though Elk Grove will be the first
of this new design, we won't be unique in the Sacramento region.
Roseville is planning their own “Falls Center”
But what is
unique is how the Falls may benefit Elk Grove and the new City
Center.
The
location of the Falls is just a weedy patch of dirt right now. It's
half-way between Big Horn Blvd and Laguna Springs Drive, stretching
from Elk Grove Blvd to Civic Center Drive. You can see a map below.
The plan is for two, tall one story buildings surrounded by tree lined parking, that are promised to fit into the City Center design. Here's an artist's rendition of the planned
buildings.
The
planned meeting spaces are extremely large at 6,000 square feet each.
In comparison, the largest meeting place in the City now is only
about half that size – 3,300 square feet found at the Holiday Inn
Express on west Stockton.
Having
two of those spaces available is will make a big difference in the
area, according to heather Ross, Elk Groves Economic Development
Coordinator:
“When
we were going through the process of asking what was wanted for the
Civic Center the response we got most often was “event
space”...it's a place where the community as a whole can have
weddings, graduation parties, all sorts of events.” (edited)
Each
of the two buildings is planned to have one large space, a number of
smaller rooms, catering prep areas, and even a private movie theater.
“It's
an incredibly versitile event space for a lot more events” said
Ross. (edited)
The
Falls company has also created a unique way to plan local events,
according to . Jerry Aples, local consultant for the project with
Burrell Consulting. The center will host an online service to help
book, plan, and even redesign the facility to meet your needs.
The
Falls of Elk Grove center seems to make sense as expanded meeting
place for the city as a whole, but what good will it do for the City
Center? Heather Ross:
"With
the Library, the children's museum, the conference center, there'll
be a lot of dynamic activity going on, right there in the center of
town." (edited)
The
project is still in the early stages and has a long way to go.
“If
approved Wednesday the next step will be the building permit stage.”
(edited)
Throughout
this development process is the question of how this might adversely
affect the city. Lynn Wheat, founder of Elk Grove Grasp – an
organization opposing unnecessary growth in Elk Grove, has voiced
many criticisms of rezoning and the City's General Plan. When we
contacted her, Ms Wheat was still reviewing the over 179 pages of
documents published on Friday for the council. She promised to
comment City Council Meeting on Wednesday, and RadioElkGrove will
bring you an update later this week.
Link
to Staff Report:
If
approved, developers believe the first of the 2 new buildings may be
ready by the end of the year.
You
can read the full story and get links to the Staff report, photos,
and a link you can follow to see the city council meeting live
online, by clicking “read more” at the bottom of today's posting.
You're
listening to RadioElkGrove.
1 comment:
I want to add a correction. I am not the founder of Elk Grove Grasp; I am an organizing partner. This group was founded by various community members in Elk Grove who have come together to educate and draw attention to the Elk Grove Sphere of Influence Application with LAFCO. As for myself I have spent the past twelve years speaking out against many of the multiple general plan amendments and rezones. I believe our city has done and continues to piecemeal plan which negatively impacts current residents and future residents of Elk Grove.
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