Public review of draft Placer Ranch, Sunset Area plans coming fall of 2017

Published on April 05, 2017

The public will get a closer look at draft Placer Ranch and Sunset Area plans in fall 2017 as Placer County moves forward with its vision for south Placer to create a vibrant community, and promote economic growth and job development for decades.

At Tuesday’s board of supervisors meeting, county planners presented a status update of the Sunset Area Plan and Placer Ranch Specific Plan, an overview of key tasks and a timeline for project completion.

The Sunset Area is an 8,900-acre area in unincorporated Placer County that sits between the cities of Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln. Placer Ranch is 2,213 acres of land entirely within the Sunset Area Plan.

The early draft of the Area Plan will include concepts such as an entertainment mixed-use district; a 400-acre innovation center district; and an eco-industrial district.

Placer Ranch includes 300 acres of land to be dedicated to California State University, Sacramento for a possible satellite campus. Additionally, Sierra College plans to locate a transfer center on the site that serves an additional 5,000 students.

The Placer Ranch Specific Plan also proposes residential developments, including an active adult community; 5,837 residential units in three density ranges; elementary and middle schools, lots of parks and open space; a university town center with a vibrant, high-density residential and commercial area; and a bike and trail plan that ties into existing trails and connects the university campus with the schools, parks and neighborhoods.

Critical to the Sunset Area and Placer Ranch plans, the Placer Parkway road project outside Rocklin, Roseville and Lincoln is proceeding, as well. In March 2017 the board of supervisors approved county staff to move forward with the final design of phase one of the project. The project’s first phase will extend from the Whitney Ranch interchange on state Route 65 at the east end, to Foothills Boulevard North. When finished, the parkway will connect state Route 65 to routes 70 and 99, decreasing travel time between Rocklin and Sacramento and relieving congestion on Interstate 80, especially at its interchange with state Route 65 in Roseville.

“Placer Parkway is a critical piece of the future development in south Placer,” said Michele Kingsbury, the county’s project manager leading the Placer Ranch effort. “University of Warwick, a proposed Sac State satellite campus and a diverse mix of housing choices and employment opportunities all work together to further our economic development goals, but Placer Parkway is the artery that connects them all.”

In the coming months, it is anticipated that technical studies and administrative drafts of the area plan and specific plan will be completed with preliminary public review drafts available by fall 2017. The public will get another chance to review the plans when they are released a second time with the environmental impact report. Public workshops dates will be announced later this year, which will seek input from the community and stakeholders.