Curtis Park Village, a proposed Sacramento urban development that has seen its share of changes over the years, is morphing again.

Months before site roadwork is to begin, developer Paul Petrovich has asked the city's permission to alter the project's housing mix and commercial footprint.

Faced with squeezing an extra storm water detention basin onto the 72-acre property, Petrovich Development Co. proposes to make room by eliminating 11 single-family homes, replacing them with 11 apartments near a planned neighborhood park.

Developer Paul Petrovich also wants to turn a two-story commercial building into two one-story buildings, possibly for a movie theater and a health club. He said potential tenants have said a two-story building doesn't work.

The development will be built on a former railyard between the tracks bordering Sacramento City College on the west and the Curtis Park neighborhood on the east. A pedestrian bridge over the tracks will connect to the City College light-rail station.

The project design is the product of a years-long tug-of-war between Petrovich and Curtis Park residents who pushed for a more walkable, urban site.

The proposed changes will be reviewed by the Planning Commission and City Council. The Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association and City Councilman Jay Schenirer will host a community meeting Oct. 24 at the Sierra 2 Center to discuss the changes with city officials and developer representatives.

Petrovich proposes to make room for the larger commercial footprint by eliminating a road on the west side of the park, replacing it with an esplanade for cyclists and pedestrians.

Schenirer said the proposed alterations, on first look, do not appear to change the overall feel of the project.

"But I do want to hear from the neighborhood," he said. "This was a long process and people are invested in what they came up with."

Schenirer said the fundamental question is: Will the commercial area still have a village feel suitable for pedestrians and bicyclists? "We don't want a suburban-type mall."

Phil Harvey, Petrovich senior vice president and the project's manager, said the changes will improve the residential portion of the site by making room for gated alley driveways and rear parking for residents.

In total, Curtis Park Village will have 178 single-family lots and 349 multifamily units, including 90 senior housing units.

The main access roads to the site will stem from 24th Street, Portola Way, Fifth Avenue and Donner Way at the north and Sutterville Road at the south.

Work could start as early as December or January.

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