Public review drafts of the Sunset Area Plan and Placer Ranch Specific Plan are now available, public workshop set for Feb. 22

Published on February 01, 2018

Members of the community can get a closer look at preliminary drafts for the proposed Sunset Area Plan and Placer Ranch Specific Plan through Feb. 28 as Placer County moves forward with its vision for south Placer to create a vibrant community and promote economic development and job growth in the region.

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 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.

Critical to achieving success within the Sunset Area is the advancement of the Placer Ranch Specific Plan. Components of the proposed Placer Ranch Specific Plan include a planned university campus; residential, commercial and mixed use developments; and parks and open space.

The proposed plan includes 300 acres of land to be dedicated to California State University, Sacramento for a possible satellite campus. At build out, the school may support as many as 25,000 Sac State students. Sierra College plans 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.

The Sunset Area and Placer Ranch Specific Plan are intended to create a major job center, catalyzed by proximity to the university campus. In the Sunset Area, land use and zoning changes could allow for almost 30 million square feet of non-residential uses, including the land use types of 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 could also allow up to 2,500 homes.

The Placer Ranch Specific Plan would add an additional 9 million square feet of commercial, employment and university-related, non-residential use; of which 5.4 million square feet would be located in a campus park district that would include office, research and development, light industrial and commercial uses.

It also proposes about 6,000 homes in a variety of density ranges; elementary and middle schools; thousands of 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.

Preliminary public review drafts of the Sunset Area Plan and Placer Ranch Specific Plan will be available for review until Feb. 28. Draft plans are available online.

The Placer County Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing and workshop on the plans Feb. 22 at the Placer County Community Development Resources Agency, 3091 County Center Drive, Suite 190, in Auburn. The planning commission agenda will be available online beginning Feb. 15.

The public hearing and workshop will include a presentation by county planning staff, who will provide the planning commission and community members an overview of the plans and an opportunity to offer input to help refine the plans before completion of the environmental impact report phase of the project.

Preparation of an environmental impact report for the Sunset Area Plan and Placer Ranch Specific Plan is currently underway, expected to be available this spring.

The final Sunset Area Plan and Placer Ranch Specific Plan, and the final environmental impact report for both plans, are expected to be released and considered by the planning commission and Placer County Board of Supervisors by the end of the year.

For comments and questions regarding the project, please contact principal planner Crystal Jacobsen or associate planner Emily Setzer or call 530-745-3000.