Placer Supervisors approve revised Bickford Ranch development

Published on December 09, 2015

A revised plan for the Bickford Ranch housing development located between Loomis and Lincoln was approved by a 4-1 vote today by the Placer County Board of Supervisors.

The board last approved the project in 2004, but the current property owner proposed revisions to the project to reflect current market demands. The project had been on hold for several years after a series of bankruptcies and the recent downturn in the market. The revised plan had already been recommended for approval by the Horeshoe Bar/Penryn Municipal Advisory Council and the Placer County Planning Commission.

Among the changes are the elimination of a golf course and driving range, commercial space and high-density residential units. The revised, 1,928-acre project eliminates the previously approved golf course and the associated hillside grading, and in place of the golf course will develop an 11-mile loop trail for hikers and equestrians. The resulting project will maintain much of the existing hillsides in their natural state. The development will also feature a new elementary school under the Loomis Union School District.

“This is a great project, and it is even better now with the changes,” said Board Chairman Kirk Uhler. “Bickford Ranch is going to be a nice place to live, but the open space it provides is a huge benefit to all our residents and our environment, too.”

The vote also approved the revised environmental documentation for the project and changed its zoning to reflect the new use.

District 2 Supervisor Robert Weygandt voted against approval, citing concerns about the adequacy of open space mitigation fees proposed under the revision.

Project developers LV Bickford Ranch, LLC must now seek project permits from federal and state agencies, after which the developer will submit subdivision maps to the county for review and approval.