Citrus Heights Walmart grocery pickup area expansion approved

By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights Planning Commission last month approved an expansion project at Walmart on Auburn Boulevard in a 6-0 vote.

The project, which is to take place at 7010 Auburn Blvd., includes exterior updates, an expansion for the online grocery pickup area, and updating and expansion of online grocery pickup parking spaces.

Submitted documents to the city show the expansion of the main building with a new addition near the current Garden Center. The new addition will expand the area for online grocery pickup and add roughly 3,200 square feet, plans show. This extra space will serve as a stockroom for employees to prepare customer orders, which will be delivered to parking spots outside. Plans indicate that the current online grocery pickup storage area will be removed to make way for the new addition.

All exterior paint will match existing neutral brown tones, and new safety barriers will match existing ones. Design renderings show that the new addition of the building will include three curved metal awnings and four decorative columns on the front. These will match the current building design and be painted in the existing Terra Cotta color, documents state.

Additionally, online order pickup parking spaces will be re-striped to meet brand standards. Several regular parking spots will be converted to online grocery pickup spaces, increasing the total pickup spots. Documents from the applicant state that the overall distribution of regular and accessible parking spaces won’t change.

Plans also include the addition of several safety features, including new crosswalk markings that will be added near the new building addition to “safely manage the movement” of both employees and vehicles through the area. Further, site plans call for power washing of the sidewalk in front of the store and on the side of the new online grocery pickup area.

Design and use permits, along with an amendment to the Stock Ranch Guide for Development were also recently approved for a new Starbucks in the same shopping center last month.

The Starbucks will be located on an undeveloped parcel facing Auburn Boulevard. Designs show the planned construction of a proposed 2,308-square-foot building with a drive-thru lane wrapping around the back.

The Stock Ranch plan, approved in February 2001, provides for the development of 570,000 square feet of commercial areas as well as over 43 acres for residential development and 32 acres of open space, according to the city’s website. Development of the plaza began with construction of the Costco building in 2003 and Walmart in 2005.

Commissioner Kelsey Nelson, who won election to the City Council in November, was not present for the Dec. 10 vote to approve plans for Walmart’s expansion.