Expansion of Elk Grove Boundaries, Take Two

By An Elk Grove Taxpayer and Registered Voter | February 2, 2016 | On Wednesday February 3, 2016, the Sacramento Local Agency For...



By An Elk Grove Taxpayer and Registered Voter | February 2, 2016 |

On Wednesday February 3, 2016, the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) will be asked to approve a consultant contract for preparation of an environmental impact report (EIR) for one of the two pending applications to expand the city of Elk Grove's sphere of influence (SOI). An SOI expansion is a precursor to enable the city to master plan land for the ultimate expansion of their city boundary.

The consultant contract being considered by LAFCo on Wednesday will enable AECOM to prepare an EIR for an SOI application filed by Kamilos Cos.and Feletto Development Co. which covers approximately 1,200 acres on the south side of Kammerer Road, extending from the future extension of Big Horn to Highway 99, bounded by Eschinger on the south. A similar process is already underway for the City's application to add 100 acres for a future soccer complex and an additional 479 acres for related industrial and commercial uses off of Grant Line Road, approximately one half mile northeast of the Suburban Propane tank storage facility. 

In November, 2013, LAFCo denied the City's request to add a total of roughly 8,000 acres to its SOI. So in some respects, these latest two applications appear to represent a new incremental, or piecemeal approach to SOI expansion. This almost plays out like a movie sequel--Elk Grove Expansion Attempt, Take Two!

Taxpayers can find some comfort in knowing that the proposed EIR contract for $229,000 will be paid for by the applicants and not the taxpayers. But let's not forget that the City had spent over $1 million between 2007-2014 for its failed SOI attempt, and this does not include the price tag for its current soccer complex application. 

If one is expecting to see some new revelations in either EIR, forget it. The AECOM scope of work acknowledges that most of the information will be gleaned from the previous 8,000 acre EIR. And since there are technically no land plans associated with the applications, there are really no specific impacts required to be addressed according to the consultant. 

Concerned about loss of farmland? Concerned about water availability? Concerned about loss of wildlife habit? According to LAFCo, those concerns will evidently have to wait until the City begins master planning the SOI and they will take over the lead on preparing a more detailed EIR. 

With no specific land uses being proposed for this 1,200 acre SOI, it could appear to some that we are being asked to accept a pig in a poke. And in a way there is an element of truth to this. If the SOI is approved, then you must have confidence that the City will take the lead on an impartial and transparent land use planning process that considers the desires of all stakeholders in the city, current residents included. According to a July 31, 2015 article in the Sacramento Business Journal, Gerry Kamilos is quoted as saying that his 1,200 acres is being planned for about 5,000 homes and 20,000 commercial (i.e. retail) jobs. 

It will be interesting to see how close the eventual land plan comes to the prediction of Kamilos himself. But for the time being, we are told there is no plan and the EIR will have to be light on details.  





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4 comments

Anonymous said...

Surprise, surprise. They'll get those rooftops one way or another.

Anonymous said...

Elk Grove is well on its way to becoming a steaming dumpster fire of a sprawling suburb.

More houses means more high density low-income housing projects built in the East Franklin area and in the South East Planning Areas Mack Road south and March Lane (Stockton) north.

Anonymous said...

The current residents don't want a bigger city. Who does this benefit? The developers and land owners in the SOI. Current homeowners will see devalued home prices and more traffic on 5 & 99 to get to jobs in downtown Sacramento.

Anonymous said...

This city never ceases to amaze me. We have a 2003 General Plan and yes, it is being updated with a 2017 completion date. This AECOM application is taking acres of prime farm land and turning it into the building of 5,000-6,000 homes if approved. We have the Franklin Community with all it's problems that the city has never addressed until it's election time and the Mayor and his follower, LY are now holding a meeting with that community to do what is most likely nothing more than a campaign meeting, disguised as fixing a years old problem. The city just voted to place an additional CFD on Laguna Ridge residents, raising their Mello Roos taxes from 2% to 5% for 50 years. A Casino that can be seen by the new SEPA homeowners while they're enjoying their backyard BBQ's + what would be the newer AECOM homeowners down the road. I could go on and on about the millions thrown to the wind by this city with no regard for us taxpayers. You could just drop some suggestion in the box at City Hall and they would be all over it like a bunch of vultures...our city is easy pickens. Oh yea, forgot about the MLS with another year to go on that contract.

It's time this city got some new faces at the Peoples House.

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