Q: I wanted to find out how close to our property line we can place a pool or spa. We live in East Sacramento, Sacramento County. I would appreciate any help you could give me. Thank you for your time, Noreen A: There are a number of state laws, regulations, and local ordinances affecting pools, but the ones regulating distance from property lines appear to be set by the local city or county. Since you are in the city of Sacramento, the City Code applies. This code provides that “no swimming pool or similar pool shall be located within a distance less than or equal to the depth of the deepest excavation for such pool from any property line, building or structure (one to one slope).” Sacr

The Soul of Sacramento, “What is it? Where is it? Let’s find it and celebrate it”. Facilitators: Kim Alexander of California Voter Foundation, Saxon Sigerson, AIA, Jason Silva, AIA and David Sarti, AIA. Sacramento is a place where people enjoy a unique quality of life – our goal is to create a resource to help people find what it is about our city that makes it such an enjoyable place to live? In an effort to create this resource we will be engaging event participants in a lively, interactive discussion, asking for your thoughts and feelings around a series of questions. Sample questions: • Where are the lovely courtyards? • Where is your favorite alley? • Which street might you walk do

New for 2012!!  Soul of the City is an engaging dialogue series between the public and the design profession on issues of importance to the community and the region with focus on improving communication, understanding and collaboration (formerly known as the 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue series).  Organized by the AIA Central Valley Chapter and the ASLA California Sierra Chapter, the dialogues are listed below for the year and the topics have come directly from the public and the profession from one of our dialogues last year.  We look forward to seeing everyone again this year for some engaging conversation!  See you at the first dialogue on February 29th, where we will kick-off the serie

Sacramento, CA | Busy morning Downtown commute interrupted Tuesday morning when a vehicle crashed into a building. Close to 7:30 Tuesday morning, the busy downtown commute was interrupted when a woman driving east on J Street, reportedly felt sick and passed out behind the wheel. Her vehicle hopped the curb and crashed into "Patino Building" at 1010 J St. The driver was transported to hospital via paramedics.

'Occupy' protesters in Sacramento marched on Capital Mall Friday afternoon with a stop at the Bureau of Indian Affairs at 650 Capital Mall with some definite opinions of Columbus and the recent celebration of Columbus Day. After their brief stop and rally at John E. Moss Building, they continued east on Capital Mall where they rallied again on the north steps of the Capital Building See video from demonstration>> View some other 'Occupy' articles on SacPress>>      

Please join us on Wednesday evening, September 28th at 5:45pm at the AIA Central Valley Chapter office for this month’s 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (4WDD). Encouraging community design excellence through the recognition of projects that exhibit Smart Growth principles in planning design and development actions. The Smart Growth Leadership Recognition Program seeks to encourage and promote those projects. How can this program be a benefit to your community and city? Find out at this month’s 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue presented by Bruce Monighan, AIA. For more information on the Smart Growth Leadership Program follow the link below. http://www.aiacv.org/resources/smart-growth/ Click he

Construction on R Street downtown is on schedule for completion this fall, and local residents and businesses are largely supportive of the revamped streetscape that adds sidewalks, lighting and other amenities. “It’s progressing wonderfully,” said Dino R. Grassini, a manager at the Fox and Goose Pub and Restaurant, which sits on 10th and R streets. “Teichert (the contractor) is really helping minimize the impacts on business.” Construction has been taking place on R Street from 10th to 13th streets since last September, and the goals of the approximately $2.75 million project are to make continuous sidewalks, add street lighting and benches, and preserve some of the historic character,

Please join us on Wednesday evening, July 27th beginning at 5:45pm at the AIA Central Valley Chapter office for the this month's 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (4WDD). LPAS Architecture + Design will be talking about their design and experiences with the Vegetative Green Roof at their newly constructed California State Lottery Headquarters. Curtis Owyang, Brady Smith and Dave Cubberly from LPAS will be giving the presentation and answering questions about the project and the first green roof of its kind in Sacramento. The California State Lottery Headquarters is LEED Gold Registered. Click here for the flyer. The event is FREE and open to anyone. Refreshments provided. Please RSVP to info@

Please join us on Wednesday evening, May 25th beginning at 5:45pm at the AIA Central Valley Chapter office for the this month’s 4th Wednesday Design Dialogue (4WDD). Gus Fischer, Architect and Partner with Dreyfuss & Blackford Architects will present their project, The California Independent System Operator (CA ISO) Headquarters facility. Gus will discuss how they are achieving LEED Platinum and its impact on the culture and community. This secure 275,000 SF complex on a 27 acre site is a consolidation of the organization’s operations, offices and public education components and just completed construction. The event is FREE and open to anyone. Refreshments provided. Please RSVP to info@

HGTV's home remodeling show "Bang For Your Buck" is coming to Sacramento for the first time. And if you're a homeowner who's recently renovated your master suite or an outgoing Realtor who'd like to appear on the show, a TV production company wants to talk to you. High Noon Entertainment is searching for three homeowners who've had their master bedrooms and bathrooms overhauled within the last three years. Applicants must send photos, renovation costs and applications by March 11. Executives with HGTV and High Noon Entertainment decided to take the show to Sacramento after all the attention the city and the region have been getting lately. Some of that attention has come from local effo

The Sacramento Regional Builders Exchange -the region's oldest and largest building industry related association - awarded scholarships to seven students enrolled in the Construction Management Programs at Sacramento and Chico State this week.  These students represent some of the brightest and most committed students in their programs and will make outstanding additions to the construction workforce.    The students were awarded scholarships after a process which involved written applications and oral interviews before a panel of industry experts.  These experts included representatives from: local general and subcontractors, architects, engineers, suppliers, and other industry related p

A Capitol NewsLink camera was outside Grocery Outlet at 1700 Capitol Ave early Thursday afternoon as a steady stream of potential customers waited outside the closed doors. One unsigned city permit apparently was holding up the well publicized opening scheduled for 7 a.m. Shortly after noon a crowd of about 50 to 70 had gathered while officials from the Berkley based Grocery Outlet were on hand to answer questions from the eclectic crowd ranging from seniors to state workers, local residents and a couple of vocal street people. As our camera left a promise of snacks and drinks was offered to quell a mild sense of unease in the crowd with negative comments being directly toward the City's B

Sacramento, CA Friday, May 1, 2009 Several Sacramento Police officers formed a blockade at the front entrance of the Five Fifty Five building on Capitol Mall today as demonstrators gathered to let their voice be heard by Bank of America officials. The downtown branch of Bank of America is located on the ground floor of the Five Fifty Five building. Bank personnel guarded the back ally entrance to be sure that those entering were there for bank business and not part of the demonstration. At this location the demonstrators were voicing their opinion of alleged misuse of bailout funds handed to the banks, and calling for the CEO of BofA to step down. When we attempted to question bank offici

Today on Ninth Street in front of the Gordon D. Schaber Courthouse, Assemblyman Dave Jones unveiled a new deal for Sacramento County to build a courthouse expected to cost $550 million. The new site of the building has not chosen yet but court officials would like it to be on the site of the two-story parking lot across Eight Street from the existing facility. It would house 35 to 49 new courtrooms for criminal proceedings. and funds to build the new court house will come out of the $5 billion lease revenue bond that was enacted buy the legislature last year. $550 million is alot of money…here's the costs of some other local State projects and what we got for the money. Federal Courthous