Planning Commission backs Cordova Arena design, recommends development agreement to council

The Rancho Cordova Planning Commission recommended approval of the Cordova Arena and Downtown Dover development agreement after lengthy public comment and commissioner questioning. The commission voted unanimously to find the sale of city property at 2875 Kilgore Road consistent with the general plan and to forward a resolution recommending that city council determine the project exempt under CEQA guideline section 15183; commissioners then approved the arena design review and the DA by a 7-0 vote.

Arlene Granados Jones, planning division, told commissioners the project "is consistent with the Rancho Cordova general plan" and said staff’s analysis relies on the citywide general plan EIR supplemented for project-specific effects. The staff report lists conditions to address traffic, parking management, public safety plans and noise controls; those conditions are part of the package the commission recommended for council review. The formal motion to adopt the recommendations was seconded and passed without dissent. The action now moves to city council, which will consider the development agreement, a separate financial participation agreement and the land purchase agreement at a future public hearing.