Draft EIR for Sunset Area and Placer Ranch Released

Draft Environmental Impact Report released for public comment

Members of the community can provide public comment on the draft environmental impact report for the proposed Sunset Area Plan and Placer Ranch Specific Plan through Feb. 22, 2019.

In addition, a public meeting will be held before the Placer County Planning Commission on Feb.14, 2019, to accept comments on the DEIR.

Sunset Area

The Sunset Area is an 8,497-acre area in unincorporated Placer County between the cities of Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln. Placer Ranch is 2,213 acres of land, located entirely within the Sunset Area Plan.

The goal of the Sunset Area Plan Update is to re-envision and re-brand the Sunset Area to create a unique employment, entertainment and education center that would provide regional benefit and create high-wage jobs for residents of nearby cities and unincorporated areas.

The Sunset Area Plan is an update to the County’s existing Sunset Industrial Area Plan, a community plan policy document aimed at guiding land development in the Sunset Area.

In addition to the Sunset Area Plan policy document, implementing zoning, development standards and design guidelines are proposed to guide future development in a cohesive manner.

The Sunset Area Plan establishes new land use designations and zoning districts that provide a regulatory framework for future land development projects. It includes land use and zoning changes that would allow land use types including innovation center, general commercial, entertainment mixed-use, business park, eco-industrial and light industrial. Land use and zoning changes proposed in the Sunset Area Plan would also allow for workforce housing aimed at supporting the employment-generating uses.

Placer Ranch Specific Plan

The proposed Placer Ranch Specific Plan is a development project that includes approximately 8.5 million square feet of commercial, employment and university-related, non-residential use; of which 4.5 million square feet would be located in a campus park district that would include office, research and development, light industrial and commercial uses. The proposed plan includes 300 acres of land planned for a future California State University, Sacramento satellite campus. At build-out, the school may support as many as 25,000 Sac State students. Sierra College may plan to locate a transfer center on the site to serve an additional 5,000 students. Ultimately, it’s envisioned that students will be able to begin their studies at Sierra College and complete four-year degrees at the same Placer campus.

Placer Ranch also proposes about 5,600 homes in a variety of density ranges; elementary and middle schools; approximately 330 acres of open space and parks; a town center with a vibrant, high-density residential and commercial, mixed-use area; and a bike and trail network that ties into existing trails and connects the university campus with the schools, parks and neighborhoods.

The Sunset Area and Placer Ranch Specific Plan are intended to create a major job center, catalyzed by proximity to the university campus.
“This area of south Placer County has the potential to serve as a beacon of economic prosperity and higher education for the entire region,” said District 1 Supervisor Jack Duran.

Comments on the draft environmental impact report for the Sunset Area Plan and Placer Ranch Specific Plan may be submitted until Feb. 22. The draft environmental impact report provides a program-level analysis of the Sunset Area Plan and a project-level analysis of the Placer Ranch Specific Plan.

The Placer County Planning Commission will conduct a public meeting on the draft EIR Feb. 14 at the Placer County Community Development Resources Agency, 3091 County Center Drive, Suite 190, in Auburn.

The public meeting will include a presentation by county planning staff, who will provide the planning commission and community members an overview of the plans and the draft EIR.

Review Online and at Local Libraries

The draft EIR is available for public review during normal business hours at the Placer County Libraries in Roseville, Rocklin, and Lincoln; the Placer County Community Development Resource Agency offices at 3091 County Center Drive, Auburn; and at the Placer County Clerk’s Office at 2954 Richardson Drive, Auburn.

For comments and questions regarding the project, please contact principal planner Crystal Jacobsen at [email protected] or call 530-745-3000.