Bad Fit
City must reject Alhambra self-storage proposal
By Cecily Hastings
September 2025
A controversial development proposal that threatens the landscape and quality of life in East Sacramento is inching forward at 1125 Alhambra Blvd.
The project would replace the shuttered Rite Aid and Jamba Juice with a six-story, 211,000-square-foot mini storage and retail space.
The mini storage might sound like just another commercial redevelopment. But a closer look proves why it’s a bad fit. And why it sets a harmful precedent for neighborhood planning.
A Massive, Monolithic Structure Out of Scale
The biggest problem is the building’s size. The structure would cover the entire 0.87-acre site, sidewalk to sidewalk. With no setbacks, the six-story mass would dwarf surrounding structures—townhomes, a historic firehouse and medical offices.
Drawings submitted with entitlement applications don’t capture the visual and spatial dominance. While the developer claims the design is “efficient,” the result is a monolithic box suited for an industrial zone.
A Use That Fails the Neighborhood
A towering mini storage isn’t a vibrant community hub. It’s a warehouse with minimal retail space. The 6,500-foot retail footprint is likely to be divided into tiny spaces of 800 to 1,500 feet, not enough to support local merchants.
The rest—more than 200,000 square feet—is self storage. No housing. No services. No community benefit. A misuse of valuable infill land.
Incompatible with Alhambra Corridor Vision
Alhambra Boulevard is an important corridor. Community members and urban planners envision this stretch as a walkable, mixed-use location that encourages interaction, retail, housing and jobs. A massive, dead-use storage facility undercuts that vision.
Environmental and Tree Removal Concerns
The planning application includes a request to remove protected private trees. These trees are part of our “City of Trees” identity. They provide shade, reduce heat and support habitat. Demolishing the site and paving over nature is environmentally harmful and culturally tone-deaf.
Traffic, Access and Safety
The project funnels traffic into a congested, complex area. With entry on L Street and exit onto Granada Way, the project could increase traffic hazards for pedestrians, cyclists and neighbors.
Alhambra is busy while Granada is a narrow residential street. Large self-storage facilities often require maintenance and surveillance to discourage crime and loitering—issues that impact surrounding neighborhoods.
Precedent for Future Overreach
The project sets dangerous precedents. The developer wants a General Plan Amendment to increase the maximum floor area, asking to rewrite planning rules to suit a financial model.
If granted, the amendment could open the floodgates for oversized, inappropriate developments.
No Real Community Support
There’s no evidence the project has community backing. Neighborhood groups are organizing in opposition. The East Sacramento Community Association expressed concerns and wants to hear from the community.
While the developer claims the project will benefit nearby medical patients and improve efficiency, this justification feels disconnected from what the neighborhood needs.
What Should Go There Instead?
No one wants a vacant site. But that doesn’t mean anything else is better. What East Sac needs is thoughtful, well-scaled developments, moderate-density housing, neighborhood retail and pedestrian accessibility.
We need projects that contribute to the community’s health and livability, not fortress-like silos that generate revenue for out-of-town developers.
What’s Next?
The city is preparing environmental studies, and the project will go before the Planning Commission and City Council. Now is the time for residents to organize and insist on better projects.
Attend community meetings. Contact Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum. Send emails to the Planning and Design Commission. Demand a project that reflects the best of East Sac—not the worst of developer overreach.
Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. East Sacramento Community Association President Tricia Stevens and Louise Buford contributed to this column. They can be reached at tricias056@gmail.com and louisembuford@gmail.com.
