Elk Grove is teeing up a big personality change for the stretch of Elk Grove Boulevard long branded as Old Town, and some longtime uses could find themselves out of style. City staff this week rolled out a package of rule changes that would rebrand the corridor as "Historic Main Street" and tighten what kinds of shops, signs and public art are allowed there. The pitch is to guard the area’s historic buildings while steering new development toward an artsy, family-friendly vibe.
Under the proposal, staff would prohibit most new personal-service businesses, including many hair and nail salons, along with certain auto-accessory uses such as window tinting and detailing. Personal-service permits would be capped at 12, which staff say is roughly a two-thirds cut from the current number. The draft would also shift approval of murals from the Planning Commission to the zoning administrator and split alcohol-serving businesses into separate categories, a move staff say could open the door for more restaurants and brewpubs while still holding the line on bars and similar nightlife spots. Existing personal-service and auto-accessory shops could keep operating as long as they do not expand or sit vacant for extended periods, according to The Sacramento Bee.
Where the plan applies
The Historic Main Street Special Planning Area covers roughly 90 acres and about 200 parcels along Elk Grove Boulevard between Elk Grove-Florin Road and Waterman Road, according to the City of Elk Grove. During public outreach, residents consistently flagged historic-building preservation as a top priority, and staff say the rule rewrite is meant to channel new development while protecting the district’s older structures.
The city already has art and streetscape work in motion. The environmental notice for the Elk Grove Mural Festival offers a glimpse of those efforts and lists Senior Planner Kyra Killingsworth as the contact for the application, according to CEQAnet.
Council reaction and public input
At the July 22 City Council meeting, councilmembers sounded intrigued but cautious. Rod Brewer said he looked forward to continued community talks while keeping the district’s historic character intact. Kevin Spease backed the idea of an update but questioned whether the proposed cap on salons was the right move.
As part of the outreach, residents were asked to pick a "persona" for Historic Main Street. The options included "artsy," "family-friendly," "nightlife," "relaxed" and "upscale," and the engagement results show artsy and family-friendly in the lead. The city’s online portal explains the engagement process and will guide how the draft evolves, according to the City engagement portal, and local coverage has recapped the council’s debate over the proposal, The Sacramento Bee reports.
What happens next
City staff plan to assemble a full draft of the updated Special Planning Area rules, then take it out for public review and hearings before the Historic Preservation Committee and the Planning Commission. After that, staff will ask the City Council to adopt the plan and make related municipal code changes within the next year, according to the City of Elk Grove. Staff say the update will move in tandem with streetscape upgrades and other downtown projects that are already underway, and Senior Planner Kyra Killingsworth is listed as the staff contact for the SPA work in city materials.
If the council ultimately signs off, the rules would overhaul which small businesses can set up shop on Elk Grove Boulevard, putting a clear thumb on the scale for eateries, arts uses and historic preservation rather than a dense strip of salons and car-service operations. City leaders will have to decide how far to lean into that new vision while keeping faith with the long-standing tenants who helped keep Old Town alive in the first place.
