9 hours ago
Upper Westside development on Natomas farmland to be considered by planning commission
Farms versus future growth — it's a debate in Sacramento County that will be up for a vote next week. Developers want to build thousands of new homes on property that's outside the designated urban area.
The land is on the west side of South Natomas between I-80 and the Sacramento River.
Three decades ago, this land, within sight of Downtown Sacramento, was spared from urban development and set aside specifically for farming and wildlife habitat. Now, developers have submitted plans called the Upper Westside to build new homes and businesses on these 2,000 acres.
Former Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo is now president of the Environmental Council of Sacramento and is leading opposition to the project.
"This project is huge. It's frankly the size of Galt. It is 25,000 people, over 9,000 housing units, 3 million square feet of commercial," Fargo said.
Fargo calls the area "prime foraging habitat."
Josh Harmatz lives along Garden Highway, which runs parallel to the river, and is concerned that all the new homes and businesses will triple the traffic on the narrow two-lane levee road.
"There's just no room and there's no shoulder for this amount of traffic," Harmatz said.
Project supporters say the development will create much-needed new housing for the Sacramento region.
Plans also include four new schools, 83 acres of new commercial businesses, ten parks, and its signature feature — a tree-lined canal that can be used for recreation.
"It's an extraordinary proposal that aligns seamlessly with the county's vision for smart, sustainable planning," said Nick Avdis, Upper Westside land use attorney.
Opponents say the development would wipe out decades of efforts to preserve open space, protect wildlife, and support farming in Natomas.
"We were doing great plans for 25 years, and this particular project is against all of them," Fargo said.
The Sacramento County Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the Upper Westside project at its meeting Monday night. The plan would also need to be approved by the county Board of Supervisors before building could begin.
