Environmental Justice Factbooks
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TECHNICAL
BACKGROUND
REPORT
NOVEMBER 2020
GENERAL PLAN UPDATE AND CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
Dudek
Fehr & Peers
West Yost
Rincon
Page & Turnbull
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
NOVEMBER 2020
(January 2024: Updated section 6.4 Cultural Resources and a footnote on page 2-1 has been added to acknowledge the
annexation of parcel APN 0620060033 in November 2023.)
PREPARED BY:
Dudek
Fehr & Peers
West Yost
Rincon
Page & Turnbull
i
Table of Contents
1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................1-1
1.1 What is a General Plan?................................................................................................................. 1-1
1.2 Using the General Plan................................................................................................................... 1-2
1.3 Planning Boundaries and City Limits........................................................................................... 1-3
1.4 Purpose of the Background Report............................................................................................ 1-4
1.5 Format of the Background Report.............................................................................................. 1-4 2 Land Use and Community Development ...............................................................2-1
2.1 Planning Boundaries........................................................................................................................ 2-1
2.2 Evolution of City Form .................................................................................................................. 2-6
2.3 City of Sacramento Plans and Programs.................................................................................. 2-11
2.4 Plans and Programs of Other Jurisdictions ............................................................................. 2-54
2.5 Existing Land Use .......................................................................................................................... 2-67
2.6 Findings............................................................................................................................................ 2-74 3 Mobility.......................................................................................................................3-1
3.1 Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 3-1
3.2 Roadways .......................................................................................................................................... 3-2
3.3 Transit Services.............................................................................................................................. 3-25
3.4 Bikeways.......................................................................................................................................... 3-34
3.5 Pedestrian Facilities....................................................................................................................... 3-39
3.6 Aviation Facilities........................................................................................................................... 3-42
3.7 Waterway Facilities....................................................................................................................... 3-45
3.8 Railways........................................................................................................................................... 3-46
3.9 Local Transportation Development Funding Programs....................................................... 3-48
3.10 Transportation Funding............................................................................................................. 3-48
3.11 Parking........................................................................................................................................... 3-50
3.12 Transportation Demand Management................................................................................... 3-53
3.13 Transportation Safety ................................................................................................................ 3-55
3.14 Vehicle Fleet Electrification ...................................................................................................... 3-56
3.15 Mobility Findings ......................................................................................................................... 3-58 ii
4 Utilities .......................................................................................................................4-1
4.1 Sewer/Storm Drainage................................................................................................................... 4-1
4.2 Domestic Water............................................................................................................................ 4-22
4.3 Water Supply.................................................................................................................................. 4-29
4.4 Solid Waste..................................................................................................................................... 4-42
4.5 Electricity......................................................................................................................................... 4-47
4.6 Natural Gas..................................................................................................................................... 4-59
4.7 Telecommunications..................................................................................................................... 4-63
4.8 Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities....................................................................... 4-67
4.9 Findings............................................................................................................................................ 4-73 5 Public Services ...........................................................................................................5-1
5.1 Police Protection............................................................................................................................. 5-1
5.2 Fire Protection............................................................................................................................... 5-11
5.3 Parks and Recreation.................................................................................................................... 5-25
5.4 Civic and Government Facilities................................................................................................ 5-41
5.5 Libraries........................................................................................................................................... 5-48
5.6 Schools............................................................................................................................................. 5-54
5.7 Health Facilities.............................................................................................................................. 5-72
5.8 Human Services............................................................................................................................. 5-80
5.9 Findings............................................................................................................................................ 5-92 6 Environmental Resources.........................................................................................6-1
6.1 Agricultural Resources................................................................................................................... 6-1
6.2 Biological Resources..................................................................................................................... 6-12
6.3 Water Resources and Quality.................................................................................................... 6-35
6.4 Cultural Resources....................................................................................................................... 6-49
6.5 Mineral Resources......................................................................................................................... 6-92
6.6 Air Quality ...................................................................................................................................... 6-96
6.7 Greenhouse Gas and Climate Change...................................................................................6-110
6.8 Scenic Resources.........................................................................................................................6-130
6.9 Findings..........................................................................................................................................6-138 iii
7 Public Health and Safety...........................................................................................7-1
7.1 Geologic and Seismic Hazards ..................................................................................................... 7-1
7.2 Flood Hazards................................................................................................................................ 7-11
7.3 Fire Hazards.................................................................................................................................... 7-31
7.4 Aviation Hazards........................................................................................................................... 7-34
7.5 Noise................................................................................................................................................ 7-38
7.6 Hazardous Materials..................................................................................................................... 7-51
7.7 Emergency Response.................................................................................................................... 7-60
7.8 Findings............................................................................................................................................ 7-68 Appendix A: Roadway Levels of Service
Appendix B: Cultural Resources
Appendix C: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Information System
Appendix D: General Plan Noise Measurement Locations
Appendix E: Traffic Noise Model Calculations
Appendix F: Market Study
iv
List of Figures
Figure 2-1: Planning Boundaries .......................................................................................................... 2-2 Figure 2-2: Annexations........................................................................................................................ 2-4 Figure 2-3: Historic Sacramento ......................................................................................................... 2-7 Figure 2-4: Evolution of City Form..................................................................................................... 2-9 Figure 2-5: General Plan Land Use Designations .......................................................................... 2-15 Figure 2-6: Opportunity Areas.......................................................................................................... 2-21 Figure 2-7: Community Plan Areas................................................................................................... 2-23 Figure 2-8: Special Study Areas ......................................................................................................... 2-24 Figure 2-9: Specific Plan Areas........................................................................................................... 2-25 Figure 2-10: Zoning Districts............................................................................................................. 2-30 Figure 2-11: Overlay Zoning .............................................................................................................. 2-36 Figure 2-12: Strategic Neighborhood Action Plan Areas............................................................ 2-42 Figure 2-13: County Zoning Districts.............................................................................................. 2-57 Figure 2-14: Existing Land Use........................................................................................................... 2-68 Figure 2-15: Distribution of Existing Land Uses............................................................................ 2-70 Figure 2-16: Distribution of Existing Residential Uses................................................................. 2-70 Figure 2-17: Distribution of Commercial, Office, and Mixed Uses in the Planning Area .... 2-72 Figure 3-1a: Travel Lanes on Roadways............................................................................................ 3-6 Figure 3-1b: Travel Lanes on Roadways............................................................................................ 3-7 Figure 3-2a: LOS on Roadways.......................................................................................................... 3-12 Figure 3-2b: LOS on Roadways......................................................................................................... 3-13 Figure M-1: ............................................................................................................................................. 3-17 Figure 3-3: Truck Routes.................................................................................................................... 3-23 Figure 3-4: Commuters Taking Public Transit............................................................................... 3-26 Figure 3-5: Transit Network.............................................................................................................. 3-28 Figure 3-6: Commuters Biking to Work......................................................................................... 3-35 Figure 3-7: Proposed Bicycle Facilities............................................................................................. 3-37 Figure 3-8: Commuters Walking to Work..................................................................................... 3-41 Figure 3-9: Aviation Facilities............................................................................................................. 3-43 Figure 3-10: Railway Facilities ............................................................................................................ 3-47 Figure 4-1: City Combined Facilities.................................................................................................. 4-2 Figure 4-2: City Separate Facilities...................................................................................................... 4-3 Figure 4-3: Sewer SASD Facilities....................................................................................................... 4-4 Figure 4-5: Storm Sheds...................................................................................................................... 4-16 v
Figure 4-6 Water Facilities ................................................................................................................. 4-23 Figure 4-7: Summary of Retail and Wholesale Water Demand ................................................ 4-30 Figure 4-8: Groundwater Basins........................................................................................................ 4-34 Figure 4-9: Solid Waste ....................................................................................................................... 4-43 Figure 4.10 Disadvantaged Unincorporated Communities......................................................... 4-72 Figure 5-1: Police .................................................................................................................................... 5-8 Figure 5-2: Fire Stations ...................................................................................................................... 5-13 Figure 5-3: Fire Station Org Chart ................................................................................................... 5-14 Figure 5-4a: Parks ................................................................................................................................. 5-29 Figure 5-4b: Parks In Central City .................................................................................................... 5-30 Figure 5-5: Civic Community Facilities............................................................................................ 5-43 Figure 5-6: Sacramento Department of Convention and Cultural Services........................... 5-44 Figure 5-7: Libraries ............................................................................................................................. 5-49 Figure 5-8: Schools............................................................................................................................... 5-56 Figure 5-9: Hospitals............................................................................................................................ 5-74 Figure 6-1: Important Farmlands......................................................................................................... 6-2 Figure 6-2: Community Gardens......................................................................................................... 6-3 Figure 6-3: Williamson Act................................................................................................................... 6-7 Figure 6-4: Wetlands............................................................................................................................ 6-17 Figure 6-5: Sensitive Biological Elements......................................................................................... 6-20 Figure 6-6: Natomas Basin HCP........................................................................................................ 6-34 Figure 6-7: Average Total Monthly Precipitation .......................................................................... 6-36 Figure 6-8: Surface Water................................................................................................................... 6-38 Figure 6-9: Archaeological Sensitivity............................................................................................... 6-55 Figure 6-10: Historic Districts Landmark Parcel ........................................................................... 6-69 Figure 6-11: Sacramento County 2016 Emissions Inventory...................................................... 6-99 Figure 6-12 City of Sacramento 2016 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Sectors.........................6-111 Figure 7-1: Soils....................................................................................................................................... 7-6 Figure 7-2: FIRM Designations........................................................................................................... 7-14 Figure 7-3: FIRM Designations Critical Facilities........................................................................... 7-15 Figure 7-4: Airport Noise ................................................................................................................... 7-42 Figure 7-5: Noise Monitoring Sites................................................................................................... 7-44 Figure 7-6: EPA Sites............................................................................................................................ 7-54 vi
List of Tables
Table 2-1: City of Sacramento Annexation History ....................................................................... 2-3 Table 2-2: General Plan Land Use Designations within 2035 General Plan Policy Area ..... 2-16 Table 2-3: Base Zoning, City of Sacramento.................................................................................. 2-31 Table 2-4: Overlay Zoning.................................................................................................................. 2-37 Table 2-5: Special Planning Districts................................................................................................. 2-38 Table 2-6: Zoning Designations Outside City Limits................................................................... 2-58 Table 2-7: Existing Land Use .............................................................................................................. 2-69 Table 3-1: Existing Journey to Work Mode Split............................................................................ 3-2 Table 3-2: Level of Service Definitions, Transportation Research Board, 2016.................... 3-11 Table 3-3: Level of Service Thresholds for City Roadway Segments....................................... 3-14 Table 3-4: Roadway Segments Operating at LOS E or LOS F, City of Sacramento, 2019 ................................................................................................................... 3-18 Table 3-5: Road Segments Exceeding Acceptable LOS Standards in Adjacent Jurisdictions, County of Sacramento, 2019................................................................... 3-20 Table 3-6: Truck Percentages on City Freeways, City of Sacramento, 2016......................... 3-22 Table 3-7: AMTRAK Interregional Service..................................................................................... 3-30 Table 4-1: Summary of Regional San and Sacramento Area Sewer District........................... 4-10 Table 4-2: Settlement Contract Maximum Diversion Schedule (acre-feet/year), Sacramento/U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Contract, 2007 ........................................................... 4-31 Table 4-3: Power Supply Resources................................................................................................. 4-49 Table 4-4: 2018 Power Content Label ............................................................................................ 4-50 Table 5-1: SPD Department Sworn Staffing Levels......................................................................... 5-2 Table 5-2: SPD Response Times 2012-2018 .................................................................................... 5-3 Table 5-3: SPD Workload 2018.......................................................................................................... 5-4 Table 5-4: 2018 Median Response Times ......................................................................................... 5-4 Table 5-5: City of Sacramento Crime Statistics Comparison for 2017-2018........................... 5-4 Table 5-6: Sheriff’s Department Sworn Staffing Levels.................................................................. 5-9 Table 5-7 County of Sacramento Crime Statistics, 2017.............................................................. 5-9 Table 5-8: Fire Station Facilities and Equipment............................................................................ 5-15 Table 5-9: SRFECC Dispatches ......................................................................................................... 5-19 Table 5-10: 2012-2016 Incidents....................................................................................................... 5-19 Table 5-11: City Parks Inventory by Community Plan Area....................................................... 5-27 Table 5-12: Existing Shared-Use Paths (off street) ....................................................................... 5-31 Table 5-13: Existing Neighborhood/Community Serving Park Acreage .................................. 5-32 Table 5-16: Park Type Acres Underserved and Addressing Deficiencies............................... 5-33 vii
Table 5-17: Community and Neighborhood Centers.................................................................. 5-34 Table 5-18: Policy Area Public Library Locations and Collections............................................ 5-50 Table 5-19: Policy Area Public Library Targets, Thresholds, and Goals.................................. 5-52 Table 5-20: Sacramento Public Library Service Ratios to 2025................................................. 5-52 Table 5-21: Sacramento City Unified School District.................................................................. 5-57 Table 5-22: Twin Rivers Unified School District........................................................................... 5-60 Table 5-23: Robla School District..................................................................................................... 5-61 Table 5-24: Natomas Unified School District................................................................................ 5-62 Table 5-25: San Juan Unified School District.................................................................................. 5-62 Table 5-26: Elk Grove Unified School District .............................................................................. 5-63 Table 5-27: Private Schools................................................................................................................ 5-64 Table 5-28: Persons Without Permanent Housing....................................................................... 5-86 Table 6-1: Community Gardens within the Policy Area................................................................ 6-4 Table 6-2: Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program Farmland Classifications within the Policy Area ........................................................................................................................... 6-5 Table 6-3: Special-Status Species Potentially Occurring in the Policy Area............................ 6-21 Table 6-4: Waterbodies Exceeding Water Quality Standards................................................... 6-40 Table 6-5: California State Landmarks............................................................................................. 6-61 Table 6-6: California Points of Historical Interest ........................................................................ 6-63 Table 6-7 California Register of Historical Resources................................................................. 6-64 Table 6-8: Summary of Ambient Air Quality Standards.............................................................. 6-96 Table 6-9: Summary of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Data in Policy Area.....................6-100 Table 6-10: California Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Projections....................6-108 Table 6-11: Unincorporated Sacramento County Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory 6-109 Table 6-12: City of Sacramento Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Projections..6-110 Table 6-13: Typical Illumination Levels in Foot-Candles...........................................................6-127 Table 7-1: Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale ..................................................................................... 7-4 Table 7-2: Representative Environmental Noise Levels.............................................................. 7-39 Table 7-3: Human Response to Ground Noise and Vibration................................................... 7-41 Table 7-4: Summary of Long-Term Noise Monitoring Locations ............................................. 7-46 Table 7-5: Short-Term Noise Monitoring Locations.................................................................... 7-47 Table 7-6: Ground-Borne Vibration (GBV) Impact Criteria for General Assessment......... 7-48 Table 7-7: Caltrans Recommended Vibration Levels................................................................... 7-49 Table 7-8: City of Sacramento Specified Exterior Noise Standards......................................... 7-50
1 Introduction
This chapter describes the purpose and organization of the General Plan and provides an overview of what a General Plan is, why it is prepared, and why it is important. This chapter also provides an overview of the purpose, organization, and format of the General Plan Background Report.
This chapter is divided into the following sections:
• What is a General Plan?
• Using the General Plan
• Planning Boundaries and Areas
• Purpose of the Background Report
• Format of the Background Report
1.1 What is a General Plan?
Every county and city in California is required by State law to prepare and maintain a planning document called a general plan. A general plan serves as the jurisdiction’s “constitution” or “blueprint” for future decisions concerning land use and resource conservation. All specific plans, subdivisions, public works projects, and zoning decisions must be consistent with the local jurisdiction’s general plan.
A general plan has four defining features:
• General. As the name implies, a general plan provides general guidance for future land use, transportation, environmental, and resource decisions. • Comprehensive. A general plan covers a wide range of social, economic, infrastructure, and natural resource issues. The issues include land use, urban development, housing, transportation, public facilities and services, recreation, agriculture, biological resources, and many other topics. • Long-Range. A general plan provides guidance on achieving a long-range vision of the future for a county or city. To reach this envisioned future, the general plan includes goals, policies, and implementation programs that address both near-term
and long-term needs. The Sacramento General Plan looks out to the year 2040 (roughly 25 years in the future).
• Integrated and Coherent. The goals, policies, and implementation programs in a general plan present a comprehensive, unified program for development and resource conservation. A general plan uses a consistent set of assumptions and projections to assess future demands for housing, employment, and public services (e.g., infrastructure). A general plan has a coherent set of policies and implementation programs that enables citizens to understand the vision of the general plan, and enables landowners, businesses, and industry to be more certain about how they will be implemented.
1.2 Using the General Plan
The General Plan is used by the City Council, Planning Commission, and City staff on a daily basis to make decisions with direct or indirect land use implications. It also provides a framework for inter-jurisdictional coordination of planning efforts among officials and staff of the City and other government agencies (e.g., Federal, State, and local). City residents, property owners, and businesses also use the General Plan for a particular geographic area or for a particular subject of interest to them.
The General Plan is the basis for a variety of regulatory mechanisms and administrative procedures. California planning law requires consistency between the General Plan and its implementation programs. Implementation programs and regulatory systems of the General Plan include zoning and subdivision ordinances, capital improvement programs, specific plans, environmental impact procedures, building and housing codes, and redevelopment plans.
Over time the city’s population will change, its goals will be redefined, and the physical environment in which its residents live and work will be altered. In order for the General Plan to be a useful document, it must be monitored and periodically revised to respond to and reflect changing conditions and needs.
The General Plan should be reviewed annually. A more comprehensive and thorough review and revision should be done every five or ten years to document changes in local conditions based on the new data. State law permits the General Plan to be amended up to four times in any calendar year, unless special conditions apply as defined by Government Code Sections 65358(c) and (d). Each amendment may contain more than one change to the General Plan.
The General Plan should be user-friendly. To this end, the General Plan is divided into two documents: the Background Report and the Goals and Policies Report. The Background Report is further divided into nine chapters, and the Goals and Policies Report is divided into four parts and nine sections so that information can be easily referenced by subject or issue.
The following paragraphs provide a summary of the two component documents that make up the City of Sacramento General Plan:
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
• Background Report. The Background Report takes a “snapshot” of Sacramento’s current (2020) trends and conditions. It provides a detailed description of a wide range of topics within the city, such as demographic and economic conditions, land use, public facilities, and environmental resources. The report provides decisionmakers, the public, and local agencies with context for making policy decisions. Unlike the Goals and Policies Report, the Background Report is objective and policy-neutral.
The Background Report also serves as a setting for the Environmental Impact Report prepared for the General Plan.
• Goals and Policies Report. This report is the essence of the General Plan. It contains the goals and policies that will guide future decisions within the city. It also identifies a full set of implementation programs that will ensure the goals and policies in the General Plan are carried out.
As part of the City of Sacramento General Plan Update, the City also prepared a Master Environmental Impact Report (MEIR). The MEIR responds to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as set forth in Public Resources Code (PRC) 21100 and 21157 and CEQA Guidelines Sections 15126, 15175, and 15176. The Planning Commission and City Council will use the MEIR during the General Plan Update process to understand the potential environmental implications associated with implementing the General Plan. The MEIR is not part of the General Plan; however, it is intended to streamline project-level CEQA review for subsequent projects that are consistent with the General Plan.
1.3 Planning Boundaries and City Limits
The General Plan uses several terms to describe the city and areas beyond, including the following:
• City Limits. The jurisdictional boundary of the city. The city limits includes the area within a city’s corporate boundary over which cities exercise land use authority and provide public services. State law requires cities to adopt a general plan that at a minimum addresses physical development within this boundary. • Sphere of Influence. A sphere of influence (SOI) is the probable physical boundary and service area of a local agency, as adopted by a Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). A SOI includes both incorporated and unincorporated areas within which a city or special district will have primary responsibility for the provision of public facilities and services.
• Planning Area. A general plan, pursuant to State law, must address all areas within the jurisdiction’s planning area. The planning area encompasses all incorporated and unincorporated territory that bears a relationship to the long-term planning of the jurisdiction. At minimum, a jurisdiction’s planning area should include all incorporated land within the city limits and all land within the city’s Sphere of Influence.
1.4 Purpose of the Background Report
The Background Report provides a “snapshot” in time of the city’s existing conditions. The Background Report presents the physical, social, and economic resource information required to support the preparation of the General Plan. The data and information in the Report are generally current as of 2020.
The Background Report serves as the foundation document upon which planning policies and programs will be formulated later in the General Plan update. The document is also used as the “environmental setting” section of the General Plan MEIR.
1.5 Format of the Background Report
Each topical section of each Background Report chapter includes the following:
• Introduction. The introduction provides a brief description of the issues covered in the section.
• Existing Conditions. This section describes existing conditions as of June 2020 for each resource or issue area. Supplemental information developed since that time is provided in some cases.
• Regulatory Context. Each section summarizes the laws and regulations pertaining to the topics identified. Federal, State, and local regulations are described, as applicable.
• Findings. Each section contains a brief summary of key findings. The findings present key facts and preliminary issues from the section. These findings serve as the basis for the identification of issues to be addressed in the Policy Document. 2 Land Use and Community
Development
The Land Use and Community Development chapter describes existing development conditions, trends, and regulatory frameworks within the City of Sacramento 2035 General Plan Update Policy Area. This chapter includes the following sections: Planning Boundaries, which contains discussion of the planning area and annexation history; City of Sacramento Plans and Programs, which describes current plans within Sacramento; Plans and Programs of Other Jurisdictions, which describes the planning efforts of adjacent cities and regional entities; Existing Land Uses, which describes current land use conditions in Sacramento as well as upcoming development projects; and Findings, which describes some of the big issues related to land use and community development for consideration in the 2040 General Plan Update.
2.1 Planning Boundaries
Figure 2-1 shows the City Limits and the City Sphere of Influence (SOI) as of 2019, the 2035 General Plan Policy Area. In addition, the City of Sacramento 2035 General Plan defines 10 Community Plan areas, five Special Study Areas, and 79 Opportunity Areas.
CITY LIMITS
The City Limitsinclude all incorporated land within the legal jurisdiction of the City of Sacramento.
This boundary encompasses approximately 101 square miles (64,425 acres) as of June 20191 .
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE (SOI)
The SOI is adopted by the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) and delineates the City's probable ultimate physical boundaries and service area. The SOI is intended to coordinate and shape logical and orderly development. The SOI outside of City Limits is 22 square miles (14,018 acres) as of 2019.
PLANNING AREA
2035 General Plan Policy Area
The approximately 103-square-mile (65,608-acre) 2035 General Plan Policy Area identifies areas for which the 2035 General Plan includes land use designations and policies. 1 In November 2023, the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission approved the annexation of parcel APN 0620060033, increasing the total area within City Limits by 3.49 acres.
Watt/I-80
Watt/I-80 West
Roseville Road
Marconi/Arcade
Royal
Oaks
Arden/Del Paso
Globe Avenue
16th Street
23rd
Street 29th
Street
39th
Street
48th
Street 59th
Street
University/
65th Street
Power Inn
College
Greens
Watt/Manlove
Starfire
Tiber
Butterfield
Mather Field/Mills
Broadway (& 19th)
4th Ave./
Wayne Hultgren
City College
Fruitridge
47th Avenue
Florin
Meadowview
Zinfandel
Cordova To
Swanston
Airport
Station
Club Center Dr/
N. Village Center
North Natomas
Town Center
East Town Center
Arco Arena
Arena
Blvd.
Gateway Park/
Market Place
San Juan Rd.
Pebblestone Way
W. El Camino Ave.
Richards
Blvd.
Franklin
Blvd.
Cosumnes River
Center Parkway
Morrison Creek
Railyards
Twin
Rivers
Del Paso Blvd
Raley Blvd
Land Park Dr
Grand Ave
Nor ht borou g h Dr
J St
Sheldon Rd
N 16Th St
K St
Northgate Blvd
39Th St
43Rd Ave
N St
Su tterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush R iver Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
Natomas Cen tra l D r
Riverside Blvd
Bruceville Rd
Elder Creek Rd Franklin Blvd
Club Center Dr
Auburn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Windbridg e Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
2 4Th St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Ha v enside D r
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd
X St
American Riv er D r
Mckinl ey Blvd
Elvas Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power Inn Rd
Norwood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Center Pkwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook D r
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65Th St
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
Gr een haven Dr
Florin Rd
H St
Hovnanian Dr
Tru xel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El Camino Ave
CollegeTown Dr
Brookfield Dr
Regency Park Cir
Engle Rd
13Th St
Gloria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Har v ard St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St Tower Brg
Westla k e P kwy
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission Av e
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5Th St
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azevedo Dr
Alta Arden Expy
S Watt Ave
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
Exposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
Elk Grove Florin Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N 12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natoma s Blvd
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blvd
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr 14Th St
Florin Perkins Rd
American River
E CommerceWay
Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Arden G arden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
Power Line Rd
Lone Tree Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
W Elverta Rd
Sacramento City Limit
Sphere of Influence
Policy Area
Existing Special Study Area
County Boundary
Water
Light Rail
Station
Blue Line
Blue/Gold Line
Gold Line
Green Line
Proposed Green Line Extension
Figure 2-1
Planning Boundaries
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Alkali Flat/
La Valentina
12th & I
Cathedral
Square
St. Rose of
Lima Park
- 9th & K St. Rose of Lima Park
- 7th & K
7th & Capitol
8th & Capitol
Archives Plaza
(Eastbound)
Archives Plaza
(Northbound) 8th & O
(Eastbound)
8th & O
(Northbound)
13th Street
16th Street
Sacramento
Valley
7th & I St/
County Center
8th & K St
Cathedral
Square
8th & H St/
County Center
J ST
3RD ST
10TH ST
9TH ST
5TH ST
N ST
L ST
0 ½ 1 2 Mile
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
The Policy Area encompasses the City Limits and two areas outside of City Limits, one in the North Natomas Community Plan Area, and one in the South Natomas Community Plan Area.
ANNEXATION HISTORY
In 1849, the newly incorporated City of Sacramento encompassed approximately five square miles.
Since then, the City has annexed an additional 96 square miles, resulting in its current (2019) size of approximately 101 square miles. Table 2-1 provides a summary of the acreage and population annexed over the course of the City’s history. The following section summarizes the highlights of the City’s annexation history from the City’s founding through 2019, also shown in Figure 2-2.
Table 2-1: City of Sacramento Annexation History
Annexed Area
Time Period Acres Square Miles Estimated Population
1849–1910 3,070 4.80 unknown
1911-1949 8,460 13.22 19,490
1950-1959 16,720 26.13 29,870
1960-1969 32,760 51.18 47,510
1970-1979 220 0.34 0
1980-1989 1,310 2.05 240
1990-1999 610 0.96 170
2000-2009 660 1.03 0
2010-2019 643 1 0
Notes:
1. Estimated population is for areas annexed at the time of annexation.
2. Acres and estimated population are rounded to the nearest ten. Square miles are rounded to the nearest hundredth.
Source: City of Sacramento, 2019.
1849 – 1949
Sacramento’s first century saw 18 square miles incorporated or annexed into the City. The size of the original City incorporation in 1849, which consisted of the land known as the Sutter Grant (Old City), was approximately five square miles. The City performed itslargest single annexation in 1911 when it incorporated approximately 10 square miles of land that included the eastern and southern Sacramento areas.
1950 – 1959
During the 1950s, the City annexed 26 square miles, which included a population of roughly 29,870 people. The largest annexations during this period included the Riverside Area (7.7 square miles), Elder Creek (3.9 square miles), and Meadowview (3.0 square miles).
Del Paso Blvd
Raley Blvd
Land ParkDr
Grand Ave
Nor ht borough D r
J St
Sheldon Rd
N 16Th St
K St
Northgate Blvd
39Th St
43Rd Ave
N St
Sutterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush Ri ver Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
Natomas Cen tra l Dr
Riverside Blvd
Bruceville Rd Elder Creek Rd Franklin Blvd
Club Center Dr
Auburn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Win dbridge Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
2 4Th St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Ha venside Dr
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd
X St
American River Dr
Mckinley Blvd
Elvas Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power Inn Rd
Norwood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Cente r Pkwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook D r
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65Th St
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
Gr een haven Dr
Florin Rd
H St
Hovnanian Dr
Truxel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El Camino Ave
CollegeTown Dr
Brookfield Dr
Regency ParkCir
Engle Rd
13Th St
Gloria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Ha rv ard St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St
Tower Brg
Westlake P kwy
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission A v e
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5Th St
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azeved o Dr
Alta Arden Expy
SWatt Ave
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
Exposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
Elk Grove Florin Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N 12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natomas Blv d
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blvd
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr 14Th St
Florin Perkins Rd
American River
E Comme rceWay Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Arden Garden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
Lone Tree Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
Power Line Rd
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
Annexation
Time Period
1849 to 1910
1911 to 1949
1949 to 1959
1959 to 1969
1969 to 1979
1979 to 1989
1999 to 2009
2009 to 2019
Sacramento City Limit
Policy Area
Sphere of Influence
Water
Figure 2-2
Annexations
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2018
Aspen 1
34.2 acres
2016
Beach Lake Road
0.82 acres
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2019
Panhandle
594.7 acres
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
1960 – 1969
The City annexed more land during the 1960s than in any other decade to date; approximately 51 square miles. Most notably, this included four Natomas annexations (totaling 13.9 square miles), Gardenland/Robla/Del Paso Heights (7.5 square miles), and the City of North Sacramento (5.7 square miles).
1970 – 1979
The 1970s began a trend of a reduced number and acreage of annexations. During this decade, the City completed eight annexations of approximately 0.5 square miles. The largest annexation was Belmar Reorganization (0.2 square miles).
1980 – 1989
During the 1980s, the City annexed a total of two square miles with 240 inhabitants. The largest annexations of this decade were the Willowcreek Reorganization #1 (0.8 square miles) and the Valley Jag AKT Reorganization (0.3 square miles).
1990 – 1999
In the 1990s, the City annexed approximately one square mile. The two largest annexations were the Cosumnes River College Area (0.7 square miles) and the Willowcreek Reorganization (0.1 square miles).
2000 – 2010
In 2004, the City completed the 15-acre Airgas annexation. The City also completed one detachment, the McClellan detachment, where the City gave up 19 acres of annexed property to the County because an existing building straddled the City-County boundary. In January of 2008, the City completed the Greenbriar annexation, adding 622 acres (1.0 square miles) to the northwestern edge of the city.
2010 – 2019
Since 2010, the City has completed three annexations: 1-acre Beach Lake Road at the southern edge of the city along Interstate 5 (I-5) in 2016; 34-acre Aspen 1 at the eastern edge of the city along Watt Avenue in 2018; and the 607-acre “Handle” portion of the Panhandle in North Natomas, between Elkhorn Boulevard and Del Paso Road.
2.2 Evolution of City Form
To understand why Sacramento looks the way it does today, it is useful to examine how it came to have its current form and character. One of the key lessons from that history is the role of transportation in shaping Sacramento from its origins in the mid-19th century to the present.
Sacramento was established from a land grant to John Sutter by the Mexican Government in 1839, but the form of today’s City did not emerge until 1849 with the discovery of gold in the Sierras. It was at this point that John Sutter, Jr. had an official plan for the City prepared and a City charter was adopted. Sacramento quickly became a transportation hub for prospectors and supplies on their way to the gold fields. Gold seekers arriving in San Francisco took steamships up the river to Sacramento, where they disembarked at Sacramento and transferred to wagons for the remainder of the journey. The original City platting establishes the rectilinear grid of streets that is now the Central City, including the lettered streets North B through Y (now Broadway), and the numbered cross-streets First through Thirty-Fourth (Figure 2-3).
Unlike many western cities whose streets respond to the north-south/east-west orientation of the United States Geological Survey’s township and section lines, the City’s original street grid was oriented to the Sacramento River in recognition of the importance of the riverfront to the new City.
Early drawings show First (or Front Street) as a bustling embarcadero paralleling the riverfront with buildings on the east side of First Street facing out onto a waterfront lined with docks and ships (Figure 2-3). All of the lettered streets extended down to the waterfront without interruption.
Besides the waterfront, the City’s earliest businesses were established along J Street, the main route from the river to the gold fields.
The pattern of today’s Central City is remarkably true to the original platting maintaining the rectilinear grid of 365-foot square blocks. The major difference is the large-block development of the area north of C Street which wasn’t built out as platted due to flooding problems. In addition, beginning in 1860, a 10-block area was set aside for the construction of the Capitol building and Capitol Park.
Although water transport helped establish the City, rail transportation soon became a more significant element in the City’s growth. In 1856, Sacramento became the first California city to have a railroad with the establishment of the Sacramento Valley Railroad, which ran from the waterfront east along R Street and what is now Folsom Boulevard, to Folsom. By 1869, Sacramento was the western terminus of the nation’s first transcontinental railroad, and the Southern Pacific Railroad located its rail yards atop the filled American River slough, adjacent to the Sacramento River, with its rail line extending east along the alignment of B Street. Rail expansion continued in the late 19th century and early 20th century with a Southern Pacific line extending south along the riverfront from their rail yards, a Western Pacific line extending north-south through the Central City along 20th Street, and a Central California Traction Co. line extending east from the riverfront along X Street and Stockton Boulevard.
Figure 2-3
Historic Sacramento
While a boon to the City’s growth, this increase in rail traffic affected City form in two ways: it resulted in increased industrialization of the waterfront and greater obstruction of the previously unimpeded contact with and orientation to the river from the Central City neighborhoods.
On the other hand, rail transportation not only facilitated intercity travel and commerce, it also facilitated City growth beyond its initial platting. The development of Oak Park, the City’s first suburb, was facilitated by the City’s streetcar network. By 1894, Sacramento had eight streetcar lines extending out from the Southern Pacific Depot. By 1911, the ‘streetcar suburbs’ to the east and south, including Land Park, Curtis Park, Oak Park, Tahoe Park and East Sacramento, had an estimated population of 15,000 and were annexed into the City, thereby tripling the City’s land area.
Figure 2-4 shows the historic growth of Sacramento from its establishment in 1849 to the present, beginning with the original town platting, the 1911 annexations referenced above, and then subsequent annexations up to the present.
During and following World War I, the Central City continued to develop as State government facilities expanded and the City built its own civic buildings in the City Beautiful style.
Development in East Sacramento was supported by the establishment of institutions such as Mercy and Sutter hospitals, the Turner Hall German-American Cultural Center, and the American Can Company factory. The two World Wars and the Great Depression slowed Sacramento’s outward expansion, with no new annexations occurring between 1911 and the end of World War II. By 1950, limited expansion occurred in the east with the annexation of the River Park, Colonial Village, Colonial Heights, Tallac Village, Lawrence Park, and Fruitridge Manor neighborhoods.
As shown in Figure 2-4, prior to 1960 Sacramento grew primarily to the south and east. City expansion north of the American River was slowed by the limited crossings of the American River and the ownership pattern. The land north of the river was part of a different Mexican land grant, Rancho Del Paso, and remained in single ownership until 1910 when some subdivision began. Rail service allowed small towns, such as Rio Linda and North Sacramento, to form. In 1924, the City of North Sacramento incorporated as an independent City. During World War II, defense and related industrial employment demands brought new workers to Sacramento, including African American workers at McClellan Air Force Base who settled in Del Paso Heights after being excluded from the housing market. Although not annexed until the 1960s, the development patterns in North Sacramento and Del Paso reflect an older pre-suburban concept of neighborhood development that is less automobile-oriented.
Figure 2-4
Evolution of City Form
Beginning with the year that World War II ended, Sacramento began a period of unprecedented growth aided by the growing post-war economy, strong housing demand, and the national trend toward suburbanization. Over the next two and half decades, Sacramento incorporated land, most of it undeveloped, at a voracious rate. Annexation during this period was initially focused toward the south, though beginning around 1960, the City began to annex large areas to the north, including the Natomas, Northgate, and Gardenland areas. In 1964, the City of North Sacramento was annexed into the City of Sacramento. From 1946 to 1970, the City of Sacramento added nearly 60,000 acres of land, expanding almost seven times its 1945 size of just over 9,000 acres. Despite Sacramento’s many annexations, substantial residential and commercial growth still occurred on unincorporated lands outside the City’s boundaries.
This massive post-war expansion was made possible by the dramatic growth in automobile ownership and the development of freeways, such as Interstates 80 and 5 and U.S. 50, which allowed quick travel to once outlying areas. The freeways, however, also disrupted existing development as land was cleared for this new infrastructure and created barriers between historically connected neighborhoods. The construction of I-5 dramatically altered the relationship of the Central City to the Sacramento Riverfront, and threatened the very existence of Old Sacramento. Only vocal protests and a historic designation finally saved Old Sacramento from demolition, but the resulting freeway demolished several historic neighborhoods and created a barely penetrable barrier between Central City and the historic riverfront.
The influence of the automobile not only affected the geographic extent of the City. It also had profound implications for the design of new neighborhoods. Sacramento’s older historic neighborhoods were designed for a period when walking and horse-drawn vehicles were the predominant modes of transit. As a result, these neighborhoods are compact and scaled to the pedestrian, with short blocks and an interconnected grid of streets. They also tended to have a mix of uses because people could less easily travel long distances for goods and services. With the advent of the automobile neighborhoods became less dense and blocks grew larger, scaled to the speed of car rather than the pedestrian, and uses became more segregated. Residential design also changed to accommodate the automobile. Garages and driveways became more prominent features.
Whereas in the historic neighborhoods the street served important civic and social function where people could interact and buildings were set close to the public right-of-way, the auto-oriented suburbs tended to abandon their streets to cars and set their buildings far back from the public right-of-way.
As residents moved out to these new ‘freeway suburbs’, retailers followed them in a new built form suited to the suburban lifestyle: the shopping mall. In 1954, Sacramento’s first large shopping mall, Country Club Shopping Center, opened and was soon followed by others such as Southgate and Florin Center. These shopping centers are largely characterized by large anchoring department stores and smaller shops in between, with indoor, privatized pedestrian promenades. Acres of parking lots separate the street and the store frontage. As consumer preferences have changed in recent times, many of these malls stores have experienced falling revenues and persistent vacancies.
As discussed above, since 1970, annexations have become infrequent and small in size even though the City’s population continues to grow, increasing from 250,000 in 1970, to 400,000 in 2000, and now just over 500,000 in 2018. This growth has been accommodated within existing City boundaries on land annexed in the preceding decades, with growth happening in North Natomas,
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
North Sacramento, South Sacramento, and the Airport Meadowview planning areas. Even with this growth, there are areas that remain lightly developed. The street grid of these later developments tends to be quite different from the original Sacramento street grid, with a few main arterial roads connecting rounded, indirect residential streets and frequent cul-de-sacs. While these were efficient for automobile transportation, poor connectivity and infrequent safe arterial crossing locations meant that these areas were not friendly to walkers or bikers, and increased Sacramento’s car dependence.
More recently, there has also been significant interest in redeveloping areas in Central City, including the Railyards, Richards Boulevard, and Docks areas, that are targeted for new higher density development oriented to a more traditional street grid. Some future development is also likely to occur outside the existing City boundaries, including the development along Riverfront Street in the City of West Sacramento, throughout Sacramento County, and in other surrounding jurisdictions. But for the City of Sacramento, much of the outwards growth has been achieved; the future will be less about establishing new forms and patterns as the City expands outward, and more about working within the infrastructure framework and development patterns that are already established.
Historically, water, rail, and automobile transportation have played a significant role in shaping Sacramento’s form and character. With the introduction of the first 18.3 miles of light rail by Sacramento Regional Transit in 1987 to a total of 43 miles of light rail service and 52 light rail stations in 2020, light rail may be the next major transportation influence on the City’s form as existing and proposed light rail corridors become a focus of new development. Station areas such as 65th Street and Swanston present an opportunity for higher density mixed use development to support transit ridership and enhance social and economic vitality. Connection to the waterfront as a resource for recreation and enjoyment has also become a greater priority, as shown by the development of the American River Parkway river trail system.
Sacramento’s urban form reflects development patterns of the past while the land use and character are constantly changing to meet residents’ needs. While the physical form of the City will be resistant to change, the City is dynamic and will continue to grow and change in response to economic, social, and political forces.
2.3 City of Sacramento Plans and Programs
2035 GENERAL PLAN (2015)
The City of Sacramento’s General Plan is the overarching planning document for land use and development decisions within City Limits. The General Plan is updated every five years and comprehensively updated every 10 years. The last comprehensive update of the General Plan was in 2009, resulting in the 2030 General Plan. In 2015, the City completed a five-year technical update, resulting in the 2035 General Plan. The 2015 update included:
• Forecast through 2035. The 2030 General Plan and Master Environmental Impact Report (MEIR) evaluated projected growth through the year 2030. However, the significant slowdown in development activity since 2008 warranted a reduction of the housing,
employment, and population projections to be consistent with SACOG’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan and an extension of the planning horizon to 2035. • Traffic Level of Service (LOS). One of the primary policy changes in the 2035 General Plan was the modification of Policy M 1.2.2 relating to LOS. This policy calls for the City to implement a flexible context-sensitive LOS standard. The City’s specific vehicle LOS thresholds were defined based on community values with respect to modal priorities, land use context, economic development, and environmental resources and constraints. As such, the updated policy states that the City will strive to operate the roadway network at LOS D or better for vehicles during typical weekday AM and PM peak-hour conditions with exceptions where LOS E and F are allowed.
• Parkland Service Level Goals. The 2035 General Plan adjusted parkland dedication policy to maintain feasible actual parkland availability.
• Compliance with recent flood risk legislation. The 2035 General Plan included updates to comply with Assembly Bill (AB) 162, Senate Bill (SB) 5, and the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan.
• Integration of the Climate Action Plan into the General Plan. Prior to adoption of the 2035 General Plan, the City had a Climate Action Plan (CAP) that was adopted in two phases in 2010 and 2012. As part of the 2035 General Plan update, the CAP’s measures and actions were incorporated into the General Plan and the CAP was rescinded. The General Plan’s climate action policies aim to reduce community GHG emissions to 15 percent below 2005 baseline levels by 2020, 49 percent by 2035, and 83 percent by 2050.
General Plan Policy Direction
The General Plan’s goals, policies, and implementation programs are a roadmap to achieving Sacramento’s vision to be the most livable city in America. Underlying the vision is a set of six themes that thread through the General Plan. These include: Making Great Places; Growing Smarter; Maintaining a Vibrant Economy; Creating a Healthy City; Living Lightly – Reducing Our “Carbon Footprint”; and Developing a Sustainable Future. The General Plan organizes policy direction into 10 clearly defined topical elements, which have not been reorganized or comprehensively changed since the 2009 General Plan comprehensive update:
• Land Use and Urban Design Element. This element recognizes that the quality of life in Sacramento is dependent on creating and preserving attractive buildings, streets, and public spaces that facilitate and enrich the life of the community. A key part of the Plan’s land use and urban form direction is the way it addresses policy from a geographic standpoint. Policies addressing land use and urban design are combined to ensure that the physical forms and patterns of future development create a compatible and complementary mix of residential, employment, commercial, and service uses. • Historic and Cultural Resources Element. This element addresses the importance of Sacramento’s historic and cultural resources, which create a distinct sense of place for residents and visitors.
• Economic Development Element. This element looks at the importance of increasing individual wealth, creating employment opportunities, developing facilities, as well as
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
providing services and community amenities. The policies provide for the retention and expansion of existing businesses, attraction of new businesses to increase job opportunities for Sacramento’s residents, and development of an educated and skilled workforce. • 2013-2021 Housing Element (updated in 2013). The Housing Element evaluates the city’s housing conditions and needs and provides an inventory of vacant residential land necessary to meet that need. The element establishes strategic goals, policies, and programs to guide City investments and land use decisions to address future growth and existing need. To address issues raised in the housing inventory analysis and provide guidelines for future housing development, the Housing Element outlines six themes, including:
- Sustainability, balanced communities, and complete neighborhoods; - Production of new housing;
- Extremely low income and special needs housing;
- Rehabilitation;
- Accessible housing and neighborhoods; and
- Modest Income Homeownership.
The Housing Element includes policies and implementation programs for each of the goals. These include incentives for infill development; sustained commitment to policies that protect very low income and special needs persons and families; targets for rehabilitation funding; promotion of universal design for the aging and people with disabilities; and promotion of alternative housing types and homeownership assistance. Through the combination of programs presented in this Housing Element, the City anticipates production of over 12,500 new and substantially rehabilitated units, including over 1,800 lower income units. • Mobility Element. This element emphasizes the importance of developing a first class, efficient, multi-modal transportation network that minimizes impacts to the environment and neighborhoods. The element contains policies to create a well-connected transportation network, support bicycling for both short- and long-distance trips, improve transit, conserve energy resources, and reduce GHG emissions and air pollution while continuing to accommodate auto mobility.
• Utilities Element. This element addresses the importance and the provision of adequate infrastructure and services in supporting the needs of residents and businesses and ensuring a high quality of life. Emphasis is placed on improving infrastructure in the downtown, in other urban centers and corridors, and around transit stations to support infill and intensified development consistent with priorities for “smart growth.” • Education, Recreation, and Culture Element. This element addresses the importance of providing quality education, cultural services, and recreation and parks in making Sacramento a great place to live and do business.
• Public Health and Safety Element. This element concentrates on the health and safety of Sacramento’s residents, labor force, and visitors and recognizes the importance of public health and safety in achieving the vision of Sacramento as the most livable city in the nation.
• Environmental Resources Element. This element focuses on the value and importance of environmental resources and the City’s commitment to the protection of its water, biological species and habitat, urban forest, agricultural land, mineral resources, air, and scenic amenities.
• Environmental Constraints Element. This element recognizes the importance of protection of life and property from the risks of natural and man-made hazards.
The 2035 General Plan also includes policy direction for the 10 community plan areas, including Arden Arcade, Central City, East Sacramento, Fruitridge Broadway, Land Park, North Natomas, North Sacramento, Pocket, South Area, and South Natomas. The policy direction in this part of the General Plan supplements the citywide goals and policies contained in above elements. The General Plan also defines five unincorporated Special Study Areas (Arden Arcade, East Area, Fruitridge Florin, Natomas Joint Vision Area, and Town of Freeport) that necessitate coordination between the City and County.
General Plan Land Use Designations
State planning law requires general plans to establish “standards of population density and building intensity” as well as allowed uses for the various land use designations in the plan (Government Code Section 65302[a]). The Sacramento General Plan includes land use designations for areas within the 2035 General Plan Policy Area, including the City Limits and unincorporated portions of the 2035 General Plan Policy Area. Table 2-2 summarizes the distribution of land use designations for the 65,117 acres within City Limits (as of 2015), also shown in Figure 2-5.
Neighborhoods
The Neighborhood land use designation includes four residential categories: Rural, Suburban, Traditional, and Urban. Only about 232 acres (less than 1 percent) of designated land are Rural Residential. The other Neighborhood designations (i.e., Suburban Neighborhood Low/Medium/High, Traditional Neighborhood Low/Medium/High, and Urban Neighborhood Low/Medium/High) account for 33,079 acres, or 52 percent of total designated land in the City Limits.
Del Paso Blvd
Raley Blvd
Land ParkDr
Grand Ave
Northborough Dr
J St
Sheldon Rd
N 16Th St
K St
Northgate Blvd
39Th St
43Rd Ave
N St
Sutterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush Ri ver Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
Natomas Cen tra l D r
Riverside Blvd
Bruceville Rd Elder Creek Rd Franklin Blvd
Club Center Dr
Aub urn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Windbridge Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
2 4Th St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Ha ve nside Dr
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd
X St
American River Dr
Mckinley Blvd
Elvas Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power Inn Rd
Norwood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Cente r Pkwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook D r
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65Th St
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
Gr een haven Dr
Florin Rd
H St
Hovn anian Dr
Truxel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El Camino Ave
College Town Dr
Brookfield Dr
Regency ParkCir
Engle Rd
13Th St
G loria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Ha rv ard St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St
Tower Brg
Westlake Pk wy
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission Av e
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5Th St
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azev ed o Dr
Alta Arden Ex py
S Watt Ave
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
Exposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
Elk Grove Florin Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N 12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natomas Blv d
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blv d
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr 14Th St
Florin Perkins Rd
American River
E CommerceWay Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Ard en Garden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
Lone Tree Rd
Power Line Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
Figure 2-5
General Plan Land Use Designations
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General Plan
Neighborhood
Residential
Suburban Low Density
Suburban Medium Density
Suburban High Density
Traditional Neighborhood Low Density
Traditional Medium Density
Traditional Neighborhood High Density
Neighborhood Low Density
Neighborhood Medium Density
Centers
Suburban
Traditional
Regional Commercial
Urban Low
Urban High
Central Business District
Corridor
Suburban
Urban Low
Urban High
Districts
Employment Center Low Rise
Employment Center Mid Rise
Industrial
Public/Quasi-Public
Open Space
Parks and Recreation
Planned Development
Sacramento County General Plan (2030)
Low Density Residential
Medium Density Residential
High Density Residential
Commercial/Offices
Transit-Oriented Development
Intensive Industrial
Cemetery, Public/Quasi-Public
Natural Preserve
Agricultural-Residential
Agricultural-Urban Reserve
Recreation
Light Rail
Station
Blue Line
Blue/Gold Line
Gold Line
Green Line
Proposed Green
Line Extension
Sacramento City Limit
Policy Area
Sphere of Influence
Water
Source: City of Sacramento, 2018; Dyett & Bhatia, 2019.
Table 2-2: General Plan Land Use Designations within 2035 General Plan Policy Area Land Use Designation Acres1 Percent Vacant Acres2 Percent Vacant3 Neighborhoods 33,709 52% 2,766 8%
Rural Residential 232 <1% 23 10%
Suburban Neighborhood Low 17,962 28% 623 3%
Suburban Neighborhood Medium 2,461 4% 644 26%
Suburban Neighborhood High 2,104 3% 289 14%
Traditional Neighborhood Low 8,419 13% 433 5%
Traditional Neighborhood Medium 1,974 3% 601 30%
Traditional Neighborhood High 347 1% 108 31%
Urban Neighborhood Low 148 <1% 27 18%
Urban Neighborhood Medium 62 <1% 18 29%
Centers 4,869 9% 813 17%
Suburban Center 1,008 2% 212 21%
Traditional Center 327 1% 74 23%
Regional Commercial 626 1% 258 41%
Urban Center Low 1,334 2% 123 9%
Urban Center High 992 2% 124 13%
Central Business District 582 1% 22 4%
Corridors 3,112 4% 208 7%
Suburban Corridor 1,462 2% 148 10%
Urban Corridor Low 1,421 2% 54 4%
Urban Corridor High 229 0% 6 3%
Districts 23,429 37% 3,943 17%
Employment Center Low Rise 4,915 8% 1,161 24%
Employment Center Mid Rise 1,924 3% 538 28%
Industrial 2,365 4% 253 11%
Open Space 434 1% 27 6%
Parks and Recreation 8,110 12% 1,049 13%
Planned Development 980 2% 768 78%
Public/Quasi-Public 4,701 7% 147 3%
Total Designated Land4 65,1195 100% 7,730 12%
Notes:
1. Acreages are as of June 2019.
2. Vacant designated Open Space, Parks and Recreation, Planned Development, and Public/Quasi-Public may have land constraints, and should not be considered vacant for land planning purposes.
3. Percent vacant denotes percentage of vacant land within each land use designation.
4. Numbers may not add to total due to independent rounding.
5. Total differs from total acreage in City Limits because designations do not include rights-of-way.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
• Rural Residential. The Rural Residential land use designation provides buffers to serve as a physical transition between suburban neighborhoods and the city’s outer edges that abut open space. Only about 232 acres (less than 1 percent) of designated land are Rural Residential.
• Suburban Neighborhood. The Suburban Neighborhood designation applies to predominantly single-family residential uses in neighborhoods with limited commercial uses and street connectivity. The Suburban Neighborhood designation accounts for 22,527 acres, which makes up over two thirds (67 percent) of all Neighborhood designations.
Allowed densities in the Suburban Neighborhood designation range from 3 to 8 dwelling units per acre (Suburban Neighborhood Low Density), 7 to 17 dwelling units per acre (Suburban Neighborhood Medium Density), and 15 to 30 dwelling units per acre (Suburban Neighborhood High Density). The largest areas of Suburban Low-designated land occur in the southern part of the 2035 General Plan Policy Area and north of Garden Highway. Suburban Neighborhood Medium Density and Suburban High Density uses are most commonly located in the northern, northeastern, and southern parts of the city, away from Downtown.
• Traditional Neighborhood. The Traditional Neighborhood land use designation applies to predominantly single-family neighborhoods with highly interconnected street networks.
Neighborhood services, including transit, parks, and schools are typically within a short walking distance of local residents. Traditional Neighborhood makes up 10,740 acres (32 percent of the Neighborhood-designated land). Allowed densities range from 3 to 8 dwelling units per acre (Traditional Neighborhood Low Density), 8 to 36 dwelling units per acre (Traditional Neighborhood Medium Density), and 18 to 36 dwelling units per acre (Traditional Neighborhood High Density). A ring of Traditional Neighborhood Medium Density borders Downtown and the Midtown area to east, followed by an expanse of Traditional Neighborhood Low Density in to the south and southeast. Traditional Neighborhood High Density is clustered closer to Downtown. • Urban Neighborhood. The Urban Neighborhood land use designation applies to highly active areas where people, live, work, and recreate at all times of the day. Urban Neighborhood accounts for 24 acres (1 percent of Neighborhood designations) and is found in the Southern Pacific/Richards and Akali Flat neighborhoods at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers, the Point West neighborhood north of CalExpo and the State fairgrounds; in a pocket north of Broadway and east of Stockton Boulevard; and between Franklin and Florin Road and the Blue Line. Its allowed densities are 12 to 36 dwelling units per acre (Urban Neighborhood Low Density), 33 to 110 dwelling units per acre (Urban Neighborhood Medium Density), and 61 to 250 dwelling units per acre (Urban Neighborhood High Density).
Centers
Sacramento’s activity centers are uniquely identifiable and defined by their common functional role, mix of uses, density/intensity, physical form and character, and/or environmental setting as places for commerce, employment, entertainment, culture, and living. Center designations (i.e., Suburban Center, Traditional Center, Regional Commercial, Urban Center Low, Urban Center High, and Central Business District) account for 4,869 acres, or 9 percent of designated land in the City Limits.
• Suburban Center. The Suburban Center land use designation applies to automobileoriented suburban centers with large surface parking lots. Allowed uses include retail, office, and residential uses. The maximum floor area ratio (FAR) allowed in this district is
2. Areas with Suburban Center land uses are located outside of Downtown Sacramento, near Suburban Neighborhood land uses.
• Traditional Center. The Traditional Center land use designation encompasses land uses that provide essential services within walking distance to residents in traditional neighborhoods. Residential, commercial, and a mix of uses are allowed. Residential, retail, service, and office uses are allowed in areas with this designation. Traditional Center land uses are located near Traditional Neighborhoods near Downtown Sacramento. The maximum allowed FAR is 2.
• Regional Commercial Center. The Regional Commercial Center land use is located along major corridors and freeway interchanges throughout the city. This designation allows for major retail stores, home improvement stores, offices, restaurants, services, and multifamily residential. The maximum allowed FAR is 2. • Urban Center. There are two Urban Center land use designations: Urban Center High and Urban Center Low. Urban Centers contain employment-intensive uses, high-density housing, and retail uses. Urban Center High allows for a FAR range of 0.5 to 8, while Urban Center Low allows an FAR range of 3 to 15. Sacramento has numerous automobileoriented suburban centers that represent a significant Urban Center Low and Urban Center High land use designations account for 1,334 and 992 acres, respectively. Together, they make up 48 percent of Center designations.
• Central Business District. The Central Business District designation applies to Downtown Sacramento. It includes a mix of office, retail, service uses, and multi-family residential. An FAR of up to 15 is allowed.
Corridors
The 2035 General Plan includes policies that support transformation of auto-oriented commercial corridors to mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented, and transit friendly environments. Corridor designations (i.e., Suburban Corridor, Urban Corridor Low Density, Urban Corridor High Density) account for 3,112 acres, or four percent of designated land in City limits.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
• Suburban Corridor. The Suburban Corridor designation refers to auto-oriented, moderate-density residential, retail, and office corridors that support surrounding suburban neighborhoods. Suburban Corridor designations are located along Northgate Boulevard; Del Paso Road; Folsom Boulevard; Stockton Boulevard (south of Broadway); Freeport Road; Franklin Road; and near Truxel Road and I-80. The maximum allowed FAR is 2.
• Urban Corridor. Urban Corridors have multistory structures and access to transit. There are two Urban Corridor land use designations: Urban Corridor High and Urban Corridor Low. Urban Corridor Low Density is located along the Gold line (south of its bisection with I-50); along Stockton Ave, north of its bisection with Broadway; along 19th, 20th, and I streets Downtown, and 29th Street in Midtown; and along Freeport Boulevard between Sutterville Road and 35th Avenue. A FAR range of 0.3 to 3 is allowed in Urban Corridor Low areas and 0.3 to 6 in Urban Corridor High areas.
Districts
District designations (i.e., Employment Center Low Rise, Employment Center Mid Rise, Industrial, Planned Development, Public/Quasi-Public, Parks and Recreation, and Open Space) account for 23,429 acres, or 37 percent of designated land in City limits. • Employment Center. Employment Center designations support businesses and provide employment. They primarily found to the east and west of Raley Boulevard; the surrounding vicinity of North Market and Market Boulevard; and east and west of 16th Street, near the American River. The Employment Center Low Rise designation allows for a maximum density of 1 FAR and the Employment Center Mid Rise designation allows for a maximum density of 2 FAR.
• Industrial. Industrial-designated areas allow for the built forms typically associated with manufacturing, warehousing, and other industrial activities. Industrial designations make up 2,365 acres, or 4 percent of designated land in City limits, and are mostly found east of Power Inn Road. The maximum FAR of industrial-designated land is 1. • Public/Quasi-Public. Public/Quasi-Public designations account for 4,701 acres, or 7 percent of designated land. This designation provides for public and quasi-public uses, including government buildings, schools and colleges, hospitals, cemeteries, airports, transportation facilities, and utility facilities. This designation can be found south of 35th Avenue between 14th Street and the Blue line; south of Exposition Boulevard; east of Elvas Avenue on the western side of the American River; along 65th Street between Fruitridge Boulevard and the Gold Line; and south of Downtown.
• Open Space. The Open Space designation includes areas that are intended to have limited or no development. Open space uses are located along the American River and at the northern and southern extents of the Planning Area.
• Parks and Recreation. Parks and Recreation includes public parks and recreational facilities, including passive parks that incorporate open space. Together, the Parks and Recreation and Open Space designations account for 8,554 acres or 14 percent of designated land in City limits. Major examples can be found to the north (Hansen Park
Ranch); between I-80 and Capital City Freeway; along the American River, Steelhead Creek, and Arcade Creek; at the northwest corner of Freeport Boulevard and Sutterville Road; northeast of the Florin Road and 14th Street intersection; and south of Cosumnes River Boulevard.
• Special Study Area. Special Study Areas are districts outside of city limits. Policies in the General Plan ensure that these areas are planned through a process that addresses regional, local, and site-specific issues. The Special Study Areas are the Arden Arcade Study Area, East Study Area, Fruitridge Florin Study Area, Natomas Joint Vision Study Area, and the Town of Freeport Study Area.
• Planned Development. The Planned Development designation is applied to four areas with projects that, as of 2014, were in the development review process. The projects included McKinley Village, Panhandle, Camino Norte, and Natomas Crossing. Planned Development covers about 980 acres, or 2 percent of the Planning Area.
Opportunity Areas
The 2035 General Plan defines 79 opportunity areas—subareas of the Community Plan areas—that have been identified for potential future infill, reuse, or redevelopment. The General Plan does not present or identify finer-grained opportunity sites (such as at a parcel level) within the Opportunity Areas. Each opportunity area falls within one of the five following types:
• Neighborhoods. Areas of the city that are primarily residential and contain a diversity of housing types, but which may include other complementary community supportive uses such as schools, parks, community centers, and local-serving commercial centers. • Centers. Places of focused mixed-use activity around which the city’s neighborhoods revolve. They are areas where the synergy created by an aggregation of uses transforms an area into a recognizable destination that consists of a combination of employment, services, retail and/or entertainment, and mid- to high-density housing. • Transit Centers. Areas similar to centers with a focus on transit. They may include any combination of employment, services, retail and/or entertainment, and mid- to highdensity housing centered on a transit station. • Corridors. Dynamic boulevards and arterial streets that provide connections between centers, districts, and neighborhoods and include mixed-use development and residential uses in a walkable, transit-friendly setting.
• New Growth Areas. Identified greenfield areas adjacent to the city where new growth is dependent upon the availability of adequate water supplies, market forces, infrastructure financing and capacity, and timing.
Figure 2-6 shows the identified opportunity areas.
Pocket
South Area
Fruitridge/Broadway
Land
Park
East
Sacramento
Central
City
South
Natomas
Arden Arcade
North
Sacramento
North
Natomas
Del Paso Blvd
Raley Blvd
Land ParkDr
Grand Ave
Nor ht borou g h D r
J St
Sheldon Rd
N 16Th St
K St
Northgate Blvd
39Th St
43Rd Ave
N St
Sutterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush Ri ver Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
Natomas Cen tra l Dr
Riverside Blvd
Bruceville Rd Elder Creek Rd Franklin Blvd
Club Center Dr
Auburn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Win dbridge Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
24 Th St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Ha venside Dr
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd
X St
American River Dr
Mckinley Blvd
Elvas Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power Inn Rd
Norwood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Cente r Pkwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook D r
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65Th St
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
Gr een haven Dr
Florin Rd
H St
Hovnanian Dr
Truxel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El Camino Ave
CollegeTown Dr
Brookfield Dr
Regency ParkCir
Engle Rd
13Th St
Gloria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Ha rv ard St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St
Tower Brg
Westlake P kwy
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission A v e
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5Th St
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azeved o Dr
Alta Arden Expy
SWatt Ave
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
Exposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
Elk Grove Florin Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N 12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natomas Blv d
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blvd
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr 14Th St
Florin Perkins Rd
American River
E Comme rceWay Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Arden Garden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
Lone Tree Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
Power Line Rd
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
General Plan 2035
Centers
Corridors
Neighborhoods
New Growth Areas
Transit Center
Light Rail
Station
Blue Line
Blue/Gold Line
Gold Line
Green Line
Green Line (Proposed)
Community Plan Area
Sacramento City Limit
Policy Area
Sphere of Influence
Water
Figure 2-6
2035 General Plan Opportunity
Areas
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Community Plan Areas
The City of Sacramento 2035 General Plan defines 10 Community Plan areas that correspond to Community Plans contained in Part 3 of the General Plan. The Community Plans supplement citywide General Plan policy based on conditions or issues unique to each Community Plan area.
Development within the Community Plan areas is governed by the 2035 Sacramento General Plan, and in instances where land is outside of City limits, by the 2030 Sacramento County General Plan.
Figure 2-7 shows the community plan boundaries as of June 2019.
Special Study Areas
Beyond the boundaries of the 2035 General Plan Policy Area, the 2035 General Plan defined five Special Study Areas that are adjacent to existing City limits and are of interest to the City of Sacramento. Planning for these unincorporated areas necessitates coordination between the City and the County. In some cases, parts or all of these areas may eventually be annexed by the City; in other cases, the areas have historic or legal reasons for Special Study Area designation, but may never be annexed. The Special Study Areas include Arden Arcade Study Area, East Study Area, Fruitridge/Florin Study Area, Natomas Joint Vision Study Area, and Town of Freeport Study Area.
Figure 2-8 shows the Special Study Areas as of February 2019.
Specific Plans
The City of Sacramento has undertaken many recent specific plans. These areas are shown in Figure 2-9 and described in more detail below.
West Broadway Specific Plan (2019, in progress)
The West Broadway Specific Plan will leverage the changes coming from The Mill and the Broadway corridor to create a vision for the development and redevelopment of the area. The specific plan is intended to stitch together seemingly disparate land uses and disconnected circulation patterns and remove barriers to increasing the supply of housing south of Broadway.
The plan will include land use regulations and policies designed to streamline the housing development process and support new development in the plan area. It will also consider a new vision for Miller Park and the Sacramento Marina.
The 279-acre project area is generally bound by the Sacramento River on the west, Broadway on the north; Muir Way and 5th Street on the east; and 4th Avenue on the south. This area includes the Northwest Land Park PUD area, an infill project known as The Mill at Broadway; Alder Grove and Marina Vista Public Housing communities; William Land Woods Affordable Housing Community; Leataata Floyd Elementary School; Health Professionals High School; approximately 32 acres of existing industrial land uses; Miller Regional Park and the Sacramento Marina. The planning process for the specific plan commenced in Spring 2018 and is expected to conclude in the Spring of 2020.
Pocket
South Area
Fruitridge/Broadway
Land Park
East
Sacramento
Central City
South
Natomas
Arden Arcade
North
Sacramento
North
Natomas
Del Paso Blvd
Raley Blvd
Land ParkDr
Grand Ave
Nor ht borough D r
J St
Sheldon Rd
N 16Th St
K St
Northgate Blvd
39Th St
43Rd Ave
N St
Sutterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush Ri ver Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
Natomas Cen tra l Dr
Riverside Blvd
Bruceville Rd Elder Creek Rd Franklin Blvd
Club Center Dr
Auburn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Win dbridge Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
24Th St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Ha ve n side Dr
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd
X St
American River Dr
Mckinley Blvd
Elvas Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power Inn Rd
Norwood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Cente r Pkwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook D r
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65Th St
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
Gr een haven Dr
Florin Rd
H St
Hovnanian Dr
Truxel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El Camino Ave
CollegeTown Dr
Brookfield Dr
Regency ParkCir
Engle Rd
13Th St
Gloria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Ha rv ard St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St
Tower Brg
Westlake P kwy
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission A v e
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5Th St
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azeved o Dr
Alta Arden Expy
SWatt Ave
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
Exposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
Elk Grove Florin Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N 12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natomas Blv d
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blvd
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr 14Th St
Florin Perkins Rd
American River
E Comme rceWay Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Arden Garden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
Lone Tree Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
Power Line Rd
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
Community Plan Area
Arden Arcade
Central City
East Sacramento
Fruitridge/Broadway
Land Park
North Natomas
North Sacramento
Pocket
South Area
South Natomas
Light Rail
Station
Blue Line
Blue/Gold Line
Gold Line
Green Line
Proposed Green Line Extension
Sacramento City Limit
Policy Area
Sphere of Influence
Water
Figure 2-7
Community Plan Areas
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Natomas
Joint Vision
East
Natomas
Joint Vision
Town of
Freeport
Fruitridge
Florin
Arden Arcade Del Paso Blvd Raley Blvd
Land Park Dr
Grand Ave
Northborough D r
J St
Sheldon Rd
N 16Th St
K St
Northgate B vl d
39Th St
43Rd Ave
N St
Su tterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush R iver Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
N atomas Centr a l Dr
Riverside Blvd
Brucevil el Rd
Elder Creek Rd Franklin Blvd
Club Center Dr
Auburn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Windbridge Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
2 4Th St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Ha venside D r
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd X St
American River Dr
Mckinley Blvd
Elvas Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power In n Rd
Norwood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Center P kwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook D r
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65Th St
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
Gr een haven Dr
Florin Rd
H St
Hovnanian Dr
Truxel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El Camino Ave
C ollegeTown D r
Brookfield Dr
Regency Park Cir
Engle Rd
13Th StGloria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Ha r v ard St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St Tower Brg
Westla k e P kwy
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission Av e
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5Th St
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azev ed o Dr
Alta Arden Expy
S WattAve
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
E xposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
Elk Grove Florin Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N 12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natoma s B vl d
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blvd
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr 14Th St
Florin Perkins Rd
American River
E CommerceWay Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Arden Garden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
Power Line Rd
Lone Tree Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
W Elverta Rd
Special Study Areas
Arden Arcade
East
Fruitridge Florin
Natomas Joint Vision
Town of Freeport
Light Rail
Station
Blue Line
Blue/Gold Line
Gold Line
Green Line
Proposed Green Line Extension
Sacramento City Limit
Policy Area
Sphere of Influence
County Boundary
Water
Figure 2-8
Special Study Areas
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Sacramento
Docks
Sacramento
Center for
Innovation
River
District
Railyards
Central
City
Swanston
Station
West
Broadway
Ha r v a rd St
Del Paso Blvd
Raley Blvd
Land ParkDr
Grand Ave
Nor ht borough D r
J St
Sheldon Rd
N 16Th St
K St
Northgate Blvd
39Th St
43Rd Ave
N St
Sutterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush Ri ver Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
Natomas Cen tra l Dr
Riverside Blvd
Bruceville Rd Elder Creek Rd Franklin Blvd
Club Center Dr
Auburn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Win dbridge Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
2 4Th St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Ha ve n side Dr
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd
X St
American River Dr
Mckinley Blvd
Elvas Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power Inn Rd
Norwood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Cente r Pkwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook D r
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65Th St
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
Gr een haven Dr
Florin Rd
H St
Hovnanian Dr
Truxel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El Camino Ave
CollegeTown Dr
Brookfield Dr
Regency ParkCir
Engle Rd
13Th St
Gloria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St
Tower Brg
Westlake P kwy
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission A v e
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5Th St
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azeved o Dr
Alta Arden Expy
SWatt Ave
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
Exposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
Elk Grove Florin Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N 12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natomas Blv d
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blvd
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr 14Th St
Florin Perkins Rd
American River
E Comme rceWay Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Arden Garden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
Lone Tree Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
Power Line Rd
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
Specific Plan Areas
Central City
Railyards
River District
Sacramento Center for Innovation
Sacramento Docks
Swanston Station
West Broadway
Light Rail
Station
Blue Line
Blue/Gold Line
Gold Line
Green Line
Proposed Green Line Extension
Sacramento City Limit
Policy Area
Sphere of Influence
Water
Figure 2-9
Specific Plan Areas
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Central City Specific Plan (2018)
In 2015, the Downtown Housing Initiative was launched to bring 10,000 new housing units in the next 10 years to the Central City. The Central City Specific Plan (formerly referred to as the “Downtown Specific Plan”) extends the initiative and looks at growth opportunities for the next 20 years and beyond. Through plan development, the City highlighted and evaluated opportunity sites ready for development. Goals of the plan include making 10,000 places to live available in the next 10 years; developing a varied housing stock; incentivizing Transit-Oriented Development, including along the streetcar corridor; removing barriers to housing development by streamlining development and environmental review processes; and maintaining the quality of life/furthering neighborhood livability by including supporting amenities. The Central City Specific Plan was adopted on April 19, 2018.
Sacramento Center for Innovation Specific Plan (2013)
The Sacramento Center for Innovation (SCI) Specific Plan covers the area bounded by California State University, Sacramento on the north; Union Pacific Railroad on the west; and Power Inn Road on the east. Formerly known as the Innovation/Technology Village, the SCI area is located to the south of Sacramento State and to the west of the Granite Regional Park development area.
Currently, the area south of the existing Regional Transit light rail tracks (the Ramona Avenue area) is primarily heavy commercial, light industrial and industrial uses. The 2030 General Plan identified the area as an Opportunity Area, changed the land use designation from Industrial to Employment Center, and recommended further land use refinement.
Guiding principles for the specific plan include establishing a shovel-ready area; transforming an under-utilized industrial area; streamlining review and providing incentives; promoting quality design; retaining and attracting new businesses and workers; building on partnerships; and creating a center for the exchange of knowledge. The specific plan consists of three subareas, the boundaries of which are based upon the timeframe for anticipated development. Overall, the SCI Specific Plan envisions integrated development from the Sacramento State campus to Granite Regional Park.
The land use plan will allow for a range of uses including light industrial, office, manufacturing, flex space, research and development, and retail.
River District Specific Plan (2011)
The River District Specific Plan establishes planning and design standards for the redevelopment of approximately 773 acres of land located at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers, north of the downtown core of the City of Sacramento. The area is generally defined on the north by the American River, on the west by the Sacramento River, on the south by the recently adopted Sacramento Railyards Specific Plan area and on the east by parcels contiguous to North 16th Street. The land is mostly developed and is divided into approximately 400 separate parcels held by over 200 property owners. The River District has long been characterized by a mix of lowintensity warehousing, distribution, light industrial, and general commercial uses, but there are several important factors that are expected to drive a different type of development in the area over the coming years. These factors include future light rail transit, recently approved development projects, the anticipated development of the Sacramento Railyards, and recent land use trends.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
The River District envisioned in the plan is a vibrant, mixed-use community connected to the surrounding neighborhoods by a network of local streets, light rail transit, and bicycle and pedestrian pathways. It will be bordered by a ribbon of parks at the rivers’ edge and will have a wide range of employment, entertainment and housing options for families and individuals. It will be home to existing light industrial uses and new development transitioning to a mix of residential and retail/commercial infill.
Sacramento Railyards Specific Plan (2016)
The Railyards is a collaborative planning effort between the City of Sacramento and Inland American Sacramento Holdings to expand the role of the Central City as Sacramento’s regional destination for employment, commerce, sports and entertainment, education, culture, and tourism.
Encompassing approximately 244 acres northwest of Downtown Sacramento, the Sacramento Railyards Specific Plan (SRSP) proposes infill redevelopment of the former railyard as an extension of the Central Business District, creating a transit-oriented mixed-use district. The 2016 SRSP supersedes a version completed in 2007 with slightly different planning area boundaries.
The SRSP is comprised of five land use concept districts: The Depot District, connecting the new Sacramento Intermodal Transportation Facility (SITF) and accompanying transit-supportive uses to Downtown; the Central Shops District, with a mixture of retail, entertainment, and restaurants centered around the historic Central shops buildings; the West End, linking the Railyards to the Sacramento River through pedestrian-oriented streetscapes and mixed-use activities generating regional attraction; the East End, a new residential mixed use neighborhood emphasizing open space with a linear urban park and open-air sports stadium; and the Riverfront District, where the project connects to the waterfront, with restaurants, a hotel, housing, and parks and open space.
Seven zoning districts within the Specific Plan Area reflect the concepts for the distinct land use districts, including High-Rise Residential, Limited Commercial, General Commercial, Central Business District, Hospital, Transportation Corridor, and Heavy Industrial Zones. Policies concerning topics such as community character, multi-modal circulation, utilities and community services, historic resources, and hazardous substances guide development, call for development of a high-density urban residential neighborhood with a range of building types, sizes, and heights, and encourage a pedestrian environment, provision of open space, energy efficient design, and a neighborhood character that embraces historic elements.
Swanston Station Transit Village Specific Plan (2007)
The Swanston Station Transit Village Specific Plan is a long-range urban design and implementation plan that guides public and private improvements in the Swanston Station area over the next 20 years. The project area is bounded by El Camino Avenue on the north, Arden Way on the south and the Capital City Freeway (Business 80) on the east. Beaumont and Erickson Streets define the western edge of the project area. The Swanston Village Station Transit Plan utilizes land use plans, traffic/infrastructure studies, environmental analysis, urban design plans, and financing/implementation strategies to implement transit-oriented development around the Swanston Light Rail station in the City’s North Sacramento Community Plan Area. Additionally, the Swanston Station Transit Village Plan provides land use, parking/circulation, open space and infrastructure goals, policies, and objectives, and implementation measures which will guide land use and development decisions around the station.
CITY OF SACRAMENTO REDEVELOPMENT PLANS
Completed Redevelopment Plans
The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) is a joint powers authority of the City of Sacramento and Sacramento County that oversees a variety of civic and community improvements projects, neighborhood revitalization, housing developments and business assistance activities. SHRA has the power to administer funds from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. This program was designed by the federal government to assist in the redevelopment of residential and commercial uses in urban areas. The purpose of redevelopment areas was to identify areas where SHRA should invest public moneys to help improve quality of life.
On February 1, 2012, Assembly Bill 1x26 dissolved all redevelopment agencies in the State of California but were permitted to wind down activities of former redevelopment agencies. SHRA provided project delivery services for some of the redevelopment plan areas, now completed. Prior to dissolution of redevelopment agencies, SHRA adopted redevelopment plans for the following areas:
• 65th Street
• Alkali Flat
• Army Depot
• Auburn Boulevard
• Del Paso Heights
• Downtown Merged
• Florin Road
• Franklin Boulevard
• Mather Redevelopment Area
• McClellan-Watt Avenue Redevelopment Area
• North Sacramento
• Oak Park
• Railyards
• River District
• Stockton Boulevard
Twin Rivers Choice Neighborhoods Redevelopment Project (2015, in progress) The Twin Rivers housing development is located in the City of Sacramento but is owned by the Housing Authority of the County (HACOS). It consists of 218 public housing units and has existed as an isolated and disconnected community, cut off from the surrounding area by railroad tracks, levees, and rivers, with limited connections via rail, road, or other means of transit to other parts of
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
the community. Constructed primarily between 1942 and 1946, many of the systems and infrastructure at Twin Rivers have reached the end of their useful lives.
In 2015, HACOS and the City of Sacramento as co-grantee were awarded a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant for the Twin Rivers Transit Oriented Development and Light Rail Station Project. This grant supports the implementation of a new housing program and master plan for Twin Rivers which includes one-for-one replacement of all 218 Twin Rivers public housing units within a newly constructed, mixed-income community.
When complete, the project will include approximately 487 mixed income rental housing units with supporting amenities, a new public park, and a new light rail station. The actions necessary to implement the project include establishing ongoing resident services, relocation of existing residents, demolition of all existing buildings and existing infrastructure, construction of new infrastructure, construction of a multi-use community park, and construction of new rental housing units with all related amenities. The proposed housing units will offer a diverse range of housing types with replacement housing units for public housing residents being indistinguishable from and intermixed with affordable and market rate units.
CITY OF SACRAMENTO ZONING CODE
The City of Sacramento Zoning Code, Title 17 of the City’s Municipal Code, is one of the primary means of implementing the General Plan. The Zoning Code applies to land within the Sacramento City Limits. Tables 2-3 summarizes existing zoning by base zoning district in the City of Sacramento. Figure 2-10 shows existing zoning within the city.
Base Zones
Residential Zones
The Zoning Code includes 16 residential zones. Residentially-zoned land (RE, R-1/0.5, RE-1/1, RE1/2, R-1A, R-1B, R-2, R-2A, R-2B, R-3, R-3A, R-4, R-4A, R-5, RO, and RMX) accounts for 32,255 acres, or 61 percent of land in the City Limits. R-1 is the most common base zone in the city with 22,580 acres. This represents 70 percent of residentially zoned land and 43 percent of all zoned land.
Single-family zoning is found throughout the city. Multi-family zoning is found in the North Natomas neighborhood along Del Paso Road and Natomas Boulevard and along Commerce Way; Downtown; along the Rio Lindo, Del Paso, and Auburn Boulevards; and in some parts of the Pocket, South Natomas, and Laguna neighborhoods.
Commercial/office zones (C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, OB, EC, and HC) account for 6,258 acres, or 12 percent of zoned land. General Commercial (C-2) accounts for 2,920 acres and 47 percent of all commercial/office zones. These commercial and office zones are found along Del Paso Boulevard between CA-160 and Dwight D Eisenhower Highway; along Folsom between 46th Street and in an easterly direction along the Gold line tracks; on Stockton Boulevard between Broadway and Elder Creek Road; on Florin Road, east and west of the Blue line; and in parts of the North Natomas neighborhood. Industrial zones (M-1, M-1S, M-2, M-2S, MIP, MRD) account for 6,099 acres, or 12 percent of zoned land. Heavy industrial lands (M-2 and M-2S) make up 42 percent (3,019 acres) of industrial zones.
Del Paso Blvd
Raley Blvd
Land ParkDr
Grand Ave
Northborough Dr
J St
Sheldon Rd
N 16Th St
K St
Northgate Blvd
39Th St
43Rd Ave
N St
Sutterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush Ri ver Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
Natomas Cen tra l D r
Riverside Blvd
Bruceville Rd Elder Creek Rd Franklin Blvd
Club Center Dr
Aub urn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Windbridge Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
2 4Th St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Ha ve nside Dr
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd
X St
American River Dr
Mckinley Blvd
Elvas Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power Inn Rd
Norwood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Cente r Pkwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook D r
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65Th St
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
Gr een haven Dr
Florin Rd
H St
Hovn anian Dr
Truxel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El Camino Ave
College Town Dr
Brookfield Dr
Regency ParkCir
Engle Rd
13Th St
G loria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Ha rv ard St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St
Tower Brg
Westlake Pk wy
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission Av e
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5Th St
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azev ed o Dr
Alta Arden Ex py
S Watt Ave
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
Exposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
Elk Grove Florin Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N 12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natomas Blv d
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blv d
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr 14Th St
Florin Perkins Rd
American River
E CommerceWay Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Ard en Garden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
Lone Tree Rd
Power Line Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
Figure 2-10
Zoning Districts
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Zoning
Residential Zones
Rural Estates
Standard Single Family
Single Family Alternative
Single or Two Family
Two-Family
Multi-Family (up to 17 units/acre)
Multi-Family (21)
Multi-Family (29)
Multi-Family (36)
Multi-Family (58)
Multi-Family (110)
Multi-Family (174)
Residential-Office
Residential Mixed Use
Commercial and Office Zones
Limited Commercial
General Commercial
Central Business District
Heavy Commercial
Employment Center
Highway Commercial
Office Building
Shopping Center
Industrial and Manufacturing Zones
Industrial
Heavy Industrial
Manufacturing - Industrial Park
Manufacturing, R & D
Other Zones
Agricultural
Agriculture-Open Space
Flood
American River Parkway
Hospital
Sports Complex
Transportation Corridor
Light Rail
Station
Blue Line
Blue/Gold Line
Gold Line
Green Line
Proposed Green
Line Extension
Sacramento City Limit
Policy Area
Sphere of Influence
Water
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TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Table 2-3: Base Zoning, City of Sacramento
Zone Purpose/Description Acres Percent Vacant
Acres
Percent
Vacant2
Residential
Rural Estates
(RE)
Accommodate very low
density residential uses.
5 <1% 1 22%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/0.5)
One unit per minimum 0.5
acres.
1 <1% 0 0%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/1)
One unit per minimum 1
acre.
112 <1% 12 10%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/2)
One unit per minimum 2
acres.
11 <1% 0 2%
Single-Unit
Dwelling (R-1)
Accommodate low-density
residential uses composed of
single-unit detached
residences and duplex
dwellings on corner lot.
22,580 43% 1,058 5%
Single Family
Alternative (R1A)
Permit single-unit or duplex
dwellings, whether attached
or detached, at a higher
density than the R-1 zone.
4,626 9% 1,315 28%
Single Family or
Two Family (R1B)
Permit single-unit and duplex
dwellings on lots generally
located in the central city
and in North Natomas.
186 <1% 1 1%
Two Family (R2)Provide a low density buffer
between the R-1 zone and
more intense land uses.
194 <1% 5 2%
Multi-Family (R2A)Permit garden apartments
and cluster housing.
707 1% 104 15%
Multifamily (R2B)Accommodate broader
density flexibility as a
transition from the gardenapartment setting to a more
traditional apartment setting.
1,056 2% 175 17%
Multifamily (R-3) Accommodate traditional
types of apartments.
1,341 3% 192 14%
Multifamily (R3A)Accommodate higher density
development in the central
city, along major commercial
corridors, and in areas near
major institutions and public
transit facilities.
381 1% 14 4%
Multifamily (R-4) 283 1% 64 23%
Multifamily (R4A)
10 <1% 9 89%
Table 2-3: Base Zoning, City of Sacramento
Zone Purpose/Description Acres Percent Vacant
Acres
Percent
Vacant2
Residential
Rural Estates
(RE)
Accommodate very low
density residential uses.
5 <1% 1 22%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/0.5)
One unit per minimum 0.5
acres.
1 <1% 0 0%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/1)
One unit per minimum 1
acre.
112 <1% 12 10%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/2)
One unit per minimum 2
acres.
11 <1% 0 2%
Multifamily (R-5) Permit dwellings, institutions,
and limited commercial
goods and services serving
the surrounding
neighborhood.
154 <1% 6 4%
Residential
Mixed Use
(RMX)
Allow a mix of residential
and commercial uses as a
matter of right, and to
preserve the residential
character of neighborhoods
while encouraging the
development of
neighborhood-oriented
ground-floor retail and
service uses.
547 1% 141 9%
ResidentialOffice (RO)Provide a medium-density
multiple-family zone,
generally located inside the
central city and in certain
adjacent areas.
62 <1% 5 10%
Commercial
Limited
Commercial (C1)
Provide for certain offices,
retail stores, and commercial
service establishments that
are compatible with
residential developments.
225 <1% 49 22%
General
Commercial (C2)
Provide for the sale of goods;
the performance of services,
including repair facilities;
office uses; dwellings; small
wholesale stores or
distributors; and limited
processing and packaging.
2,920 6% 355 12%
Central Business
District-Special
Planning District
(C-3)
Provide for the most intense
residential, retail,
commercial, and office
developments in the city.
302 1% 16 5%
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Table 2-3: Base Zoning, City of Sacramento
Zone Purpose/Description Acres Percent Vacant
Acres
Percent
Vacant2
Residential
Rural Estates
(RE)
Accommodate very low
density residential uses.
5 <1% 1 22%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/0.5)
One unit per minimum 0.5
acres.
1 <1% 0 0%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/1)
One unit per minimum 1
acre.
112 <1% 12 10%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/2)
One unit per minimum 2
acres.
11 <1% 0 2%
Heavy
Commercial (C4)
Provide for warehousing,
distribution activities, and
commercial uses that have
minimal undesirable impact
upon nearby residential
areas.
268 1% 28 11%
Employment
Center (EC)
Provide a flexible zone for
employment-generating uses
in a pedestrian-friendly
setting with ample open
space.
760 1% 392 52%
Highway
Commercial
(HC)
Provide for establishments
offering accommodations or
services to motorists, and
for certain other specialized
non-merchandising activities.
78 <1% 43 55%
Office Building
(OB)
Provide for a low-rise mixeduse employment zone that is intended to permit business,
office, institutional, or
professional buildings; the
sale of goods and services;
and lodging and dwellings.
948 2% 140 15%
Shopping Center
(SC)
Provide a wide range of
goods and services to the
community.
757 1% 263 35%
Industrial
Light Industrial
(M-1)
Permit manufacture or
treatment of goods.
1,526 3% 480 31%
Light Industrial
(M-1S)
1,729 3% 513 30%
Heavy Industrial
(M-2)
763 1% 145 19%
Heavy Industrial
(M-2S)
1,817 3% 176 10%
Table 2-3: Base Zoning, City of Sacramento
Zone Purpose/Description Acres Percent Vacant
Acres
Percent
Vacant2
Residential
Rural Estates
(RE)
Accommodate very low
density residential uses.
5 <1% 1 22%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/0.5)
One unit per minimum 0.5
acres.
1 <1% 0 0%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/1)
One unit per minimum 1
acre.
112 <1% 12 10%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/2)
One unit per minimum 2
acres.
11 <1% 0 2%
ManufacturingIndustrial Park
(MIP)
Achieve a nuisance-free
environment for light
manufacturing, warehousing,
and distribution in an
industrial park setting.
58 <1% 0 0%
Manufacturing,
Research, and
Development
(MRD)
Accommodate innovative
technology businesses and
related support services,
while allowing flexibility for
transitional uses in areas
where existing uses may be
incompatible with planned
development.
152 <1% 45 30%
Manufacturing,
Research, and
Development
(MRD-20)
54 <1% 52 97%
Agriculture and Open Space
Agriculture (A) Restrict the use of land
primarily to agriculture and
farming.
2,095 4% 253 12%
AgricultureOpen Space (AOS)Ensure the long-term
preservation of agricultural
and open space land.
2,189 4% 623 28%
Flood (F) Conditionally permit
specified uses along the
Sacramento and American
Rivers, tributaries, and other
flood-prone areas.
1,063 2% 31 3%
American River
Parkway (ARP-F)
Prevent the loss of life and
property by prohibiting
improvements or structures
in a designated floodway; to
protect the natural features
of the American River
floodplain; to prevent
erosion and siltation; and to
preserve open space.
2,142 4% 226 11%
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Table 2-3: Base Zoning, City of Sacramento
Zone Purpose/Description Acres Percent Vacant
Acres
Percent
Vacant2
Residential
Rural Estates
(RE)
Accommodate very low
density residential uses.
5 <1% 1 22%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/0.5)
One unit per minimum 0.5
acres.
1 <1% 0 0%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/1)
One unit per minimum 1
acre.
112 <1% 12 10%
Rural Estates
(RE-1/2)
One unit per minimum 2
acres.
11 <1% 0 2%
Hospital (H) Provide primarily for
medical-type uses, such as
hospitals and convalescent
homes, and for group care
facilities.
160 <1% 16 10%
Sports Complex
(SPX)
Ensure proper development
and land use improvements
to achieve a sports complex.
184 <1% 0 0%
Transportation
Corridor (TC)
Regulate land uses near
public agency transportation
corridors.
125 <1% 8 6%
Total Zoned
Land1
52,568 100% 6,958 13%
Notes:
1. Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.
2. Percent vacant refers to percent of land in each zone that is vacant.
Source: City of Sacramento, 2018. Dyett & Bhatia, 2019.
These industrial zones are located primarily in the area bounded by Power Inn Road to the west, Folsom Boulevard to the north, and South Watt Avenue to the east; along Raley Boulevard in the northern part of the 2035 General Plan Policy Area; in the Cannon Industrial Park to the west of Capital City Freeway; and at the Norwood/I-80 intersection. Other zones (A, A-OS, F, ARP-F, H, SPX, and TC) account for 7,958 acres, or 15 percent of zoned lands. A and A-OS zones are found along the American River.
Overlay Zones
Overlay zones support the standards of the base zoning districts and address specific geographic, environmental, economic, or social conditions in specific areas. The overlay zones contained in the Zoning Ordinance are described in Table 2-4 and shown in Figure 2-11.
Del Paso Blvd
Raley Blvd
Land ParkDr
Grand Ave
Northborough Dr
J St
Sheldon Rd
N 16Th St
K St
Northgate Blvd
39Th St
43Rd Ave
N St
Sutterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush Ri ver Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
Natomas Cen tra l D r
Riverside Blvd
Bruceville Rd Elder Creek Rd Franklin Blvd
Club Center Dr
Aub urn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Windbridge Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
2 4Th St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Ha ve nside Dr
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd
X St
American River Dr
Mckinley Blvd
Elvas Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power Inn Rd
Norwood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Cente r Pkwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook D r
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65Th St
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
Gr een haven Dr
Florin Rd
H St
Hovn anian Dr
Truxel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El Camino Ave
College Town Dr
Brookfield Dr
Regency ParkCir
Engle Rd
13Th St
G loria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Ha rv ard St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St
Tower Brg
Westlake Pk wy
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission Av e
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5Th St
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azev ed o Dr
Alta Arden Ex py
S Watt Ave
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
Exposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
Elk Grove Florin Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N 12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natomas Blv d
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blv d
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr 14Th St
Florin Perkins Rd
American River
E CommerceWay Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Ard en Garden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
Lone Tree Rd
Power Line Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
Figure 2-11
Overlay Zoning
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Overlay Zoning
Executive Airport-Approach Zone 1
Executive Airport-Approach Zone 2
Executive Airport-Approach Zone 3
Executive Airport-Approach Zone 3-Planned Unit Development Executive Airport-Approach Zone 4
Labor Intensive
Labor Intensive-Parkway Corridor
Labor Intensive-Planned Unit Development
Labor Intensive-Special Planning District
Parkway Corridor
Parkway Corridor-Planned Unit Development
Parkway Corridor-Special Planning District
Planned Unit Development
Planned Unit Development-Special Planning District
Special Planning District
Solid Waste Restricted
Solid Waste Restricted-Planned Unit Development
Transit
Transit-Executive Airport-Approach Zone 4
Transit-Special Planning District
Light Rail
Station
Blue Line
Blue/Gold Line
Gold Line
Green Line
Proposed Green
Line Extension
Sacramento City Limit
Policy Area
Sphere of Influence
Water
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TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Table 2-4: Overlay Zoning
Overlay Zone Category Purpose/Description Acres
Ascot Avenue AOL Subject to requirements of underlying zone. 28 Executive AirportApproach Zone 1 EA-1
Protect the health, safety, and general welfare of
people in the vicinity of the Sacramento Executive
Airport and to improve air navigation safety.
149
Executive AirportApproach Zone 2 EA-2 285
Executive AirportApproach Zone 3 EA-3 163
Executive AirportApproach Zone 4 EA-4 2,629
Interstate 5
Corridor I-5 Subject to requirements of underlying zone. - Labor Intensive LI Subject to requirements of underlying zone. - Midtown
Commercial MC Subject to requirements of underlying zone. - Neighborhood
Corridor NC Subject to requirements of underlying zone. - Parkway Corridor PC Reduce impacts incompatible with the maintenance of the American River as a natural resource. 1,176
Solid Waste
Restricted SWR Address the heavy concentration of solid waste facilities in certain areas of the city. 1,014 Transit TO
Allows a mix of moderate- to high-density residential
and nonresidential uses by right, within walking
distance of an existing or proposed light rail transit
station, to promote transit ridership.
168
Urban
Neighborhood UN Subject to requirements of underlying zone. - Planned Unit
Development PUD Provide for greater flexibility in integrated development design. 10,837 Special Planning Districts1 SPD
Establish procedures to regulate properties under
multiple ownership in need of general physical and
economic improvement, or have special
environmental features that standard regulations
cannot adequately address.
4,483
Overlay Zones Total2
22,874
Notes:
1. See Table 2-5 for specific Special Planning Districts.
2. Numbers may not add to total because there are areas that have multiple, overlapping overlay zones.
Source: City of Sacramento Assessor’s Data, 2018. Dyett & Bhatia, 2019.
Of the 52,658 zoned acres of land in the city limits, 6,958 acres are vacant, approximately 13 percent.
There are 3,102 vacant acres within residentially zoned land (10 percent). The Single-Family Alternative (R-1A) zone is 28 percent vacant and has the most vacant acres (1,315) of all the
residential zones. There are 1,296 vacant acres within commercial/office zones (21 percent). The Employment Center (EC) zone is 55 percent vacant, but Employment Centers have the most vacant acres (392) of all the commercial/office zones. There are 1,411 vacant acres within industrial zones (23 percent). The Light Industrial (M-2) zone has the most acres of vacant land (513), but the Manufacturing, Research, and Development (MRD-20) zone has the highest percentage of vacant land (97 percent). There are 1,157 acres of vacant land in other zones (15 percent of other zones).
Special Planning District Overlays
Special Planning Districts (SPDs) are areas that have been determined to be in need of general physical and economic improvement or have special environmental features that land use, zoning and other regulations cannot adequately address. Property with an SPD overlay are subject to the requirements set forth in the SPD Ordinance adopted specifically for the area and the SPD section of the Zoning Ordinance. Table 2-5 shows the acreage of each SPD, and a description of each SPD is provided below.
Table 2-5: Special Planning Districts
Overlay Zone Acres
Alhambra Corridor 236
Army Depot 492
Aspen-New Brighton 224
Broadway/Stockton 278
Central City (including R Street Corridor) 1865
Del Paso Nuevo 114
Del Paso/Arden Way 109
Entertainment and Sports Center 10
McClellan Heights/Parker Homes 313
Northgate Boulevard 83
River District 573
Sacramento Railyards 187
SPD Total 4,423
Note:
Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.
Sources: City of Sacramento Assessor’s Data, 2018; Dyett & Bhatia, 2019.
Alhambra Corridor
The Alhambra Corridor SPD generally consists of properties located between 29th and 34th streets from the Southern Pacific railroad mainline levee to the W/X Freeway. This SPD includes a number of different neighborhoods and includes regulations to assist in the preservation of the neighborhood scale and character, along with providing additional housing opportunities in the area.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Army Depot
The Army Depot SPD generally consists of properties bordered by the Southern Pacific Railway to the west, Fruitridge Road to the north, Elder Creek Road to the south, and Florin Perkins Road to the east. This SPD guides the establishment of land uses during the development of the Sacramento Army Depot reuse plan.
Aspen-New Brighton
The Aspen 1-New Brighton SPD is located at the southwest corner of Jackson Highway and South Watt Avenue in the City of Sacramento, with a small portion within unincorporated Sacramento County. The SPD aims to integrate a mix of land uses that are compatible, accessible, economically efficient, and organized around major thematic elements to create a definitive ‘sense of place’.
Broadway/Stockton
The Broadway-Stockton SPD includes properties located along the east and west sides of Broadway, from Highway 99 on the west to Martin Luther King Boulevard on the east; along the north and south sides of Broadway, from Martin Luther King Boulevard on the west to Stockton Boulevard on the east; and along the east and west sides of Stockton Boulevard, between 2nd Avenue on the north and 65th Street on the south. Regulations are designed to improve the image and competitiveness of this commercial corridor by drawing upon the area’s existing assets, including historic buildings, landmarks, multi-cultural commerce, medical facilities, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Central City and R Street Corridor
The Central City SPD is generally bounded by the American River on the north, Broadway on the south, the Sacramento River on the west, and Business 80 on the east, and excludes the area within the Entertainment and Sports Center Special Planning District. The Central City SPD includes the “R Street Corridor”, the 54 blocks bounded by Q Street on the north, S Street on the south, 2nd Street on the west, and 29th Street on the east. The Central City SPD establishes regulations governing development within area and aims to maintain and improve the character, quality, and vitality of neighborhoods; create cohesive mixed-use neighborhoods that contain a variety of housing types; provide an opportunity for a balanced mix of uses in neighborhoods adjacent to transit facilities and transportation corridors; and facilitate infill redevelopment.
Del Paso Nuevo
The Del Paso Nuevo SPD consists of approximately 154 acres, bounded by Norwood Avenue, South Avenue, Altos Avenue, and Arcade Creek. This SPD is intended to create homeownership opportunities within this Del Paso Heights neighborhood.
Del Paso/Arden Way
When established in 1994, the Del Paso Boulevard SPD area consisted of C-2 zoned properties located along Del Paso Boulevard, between approximately Globe Avenue and El Camino Avenue.
In 1997, the SPD boundary was expanded and M-1 zoning standards were adopted. In 2010, the SPD boundary was expanded to include the portion of Arden Way between Del Paso Boulevard and Beaumont Street and the SPD was renamed the Del Paso Boulevard/Arden Way Special Planning District (“Del Paso Boulevard/Arden Way SPD”).The Del Paso Boulevard/Arden Way SPD consists of a number of different neighborhoods that include residential uses, light industrial uses, and commercial uses. The SPD zoning regulations are intended to assist in the preservation of the economic climate in these neighborhoods through the retention of existing businesses while accommodating new development.
Entertainment and Sports Center
The ESC SPD is within the Central City, and generally bounded by 3rd Street to the west, J Street to the north, 7th Street to the east, and L Street to the south. The SPD provides specific development procedures in recognition of the unique position of the surrounding property to the city’s Entertainment and Sports Center.
McClellan Heights/Parker Homes
This SPD is generally located in the area of North Sacramento bounded by North Avenue and the I-80 freeway on the south, Raley Boulevard on the west, Bell Avenue on the north, and Winters Street on the east. The McClellan Heights and Parker Homes SPD is intended to establish development standards to implement the goals and policies of the McClellan Heights and Parker Homes land use and infrastructure plan.
Northgate Boulevard
The Northgate Boulevard SPD includes the area of South Natomas located on the east side and portions of the west side of Northgate Boulevard south of Patio Avenue and north of Garden Highway. The designation of the Northgate special planning district (SPD) recognizes the area as one requiring unique guidance to revitalize commercial areas and protect viable residential sites located to the east, with the intent to retain and encourage commercial and neighborhood office uses that serve the surrounding area and through traffic, thus maintaining the district’s importance to the community.
River District
The River District SPD includes approximately 748 acres of land within the River District Specific Plan area and is generally bounded by the Sacramento River on the west, the American River on the north, the Sacramento Railyards on the south, and 18th Street on the east establishes procedures to implement the policies and development standards of the River District Specific Plan. The River District Specific Plan designates the land uses within the boundaries of the River District Specific Plan area
Sacramento Railyards
The Railyards SPD includes 244 acres of land within the Railyards Specific Plan area and is generally bounded by the Sacramento River to the west, North B Street to the north, the Alkali Flat
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
neighborhood to the east, and the existing downtown area to the south. establishes procedures to implement the policies, development standards, and design guidelines of the Railyards Specific Plan, which governs reuse of the Railyards site as a transit-oriented mixed-use district.
STRATEGIC NEIGHBORHOOD ACTION PLANS
A Strategic Neighborhood Action Plan (SNAP) is an action-oriented document for helping residents and property owners improve their neighborhoods. When funding is available, the Sacramento Planning Department creates SNAPs for neighborhoods experiencing infrastructure deficiencies or other problems, as reported by neighborhood residents and property owners.
A SNAP provides a list of steps for neighborhood participants to follow in order to achieve their desired outcomes. It identifies a neighborhood vision, neighborhood issues, and goals and action strategies for neighborhood enhancement. Implementation of the SNAP is the joint responsibility of neighborhood residents and owners, City staff, and in some cases, other relevant local agencies or non-governmental organizations. Currently (2019), there are five SNAPs that have been adopted, described below and shown in Figure 2-12.
Ben Ali SNAP (2009)
The Ben Ali SNAP study area is generally bounded by Auburn Boulevard to the west, the intersection of Roseville Road and Connie Drive to the north, Capital City Freeway (Business 80) to the east, and Silica Avenue to the south. The study area encompasses approximately 244 acres and includes a population of approximately 1,400. The SNAP provides ten priority neighborhood goals based on voting results from residents in the SNAP community workshops:
• Construct curb, gutter, and sidewalks;
• Provide park, open space, community garden, and community gathering space; • Evaluate infill projects to ensure they fit with the character of the neighborhood; • Eliminate speeding problems;
• Improve pedestrian access through the Marconi Avenue/I-80 overpass; • Alleviate local flooding;
• Provide better access to the Marconi Light Rail Station; • “Green” neighborhoods with more trees and preservation of existing trees; • Encourage a grocery store/market to locate in the neighborhood; and • Improve water quality and water pressure from Sacramento Suburban Water District.
Alkali
Flat
Mansion
Flat
Gardenland
/ Northgate
Ben Ali
Hagginwood
Tahoe
Park
Del Paso Blvd
Raley Blvd
Land ParkDr
Grand Ave
Nor ht borough D r
J St
Sheldon Rd
N 16Th St
K St
Northgate Blvd
39Th St
43Rd Ave
N St
Sutterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush Ri ver Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
Natomas Cen tra l Dr
Riverside Blvd
Bruceville Rd Elder Creek Rd Franklin Blvd
Club Center Dr
Auburn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Win dbridge Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
2 4Th St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Ha ve n side Dr
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd
X St
American River Dr
Mckinley Blvd
Elvas Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power Inn Rd
Norwood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Cente r Pkwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook D r
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65Th St
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
Gr een haven Dr
Florin Rd
H St
Hovnanian Dr
Truxel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El Camino Ave
CollegeTown Dr
Brookfield Dr
Regency ParkCir
Engle Rd
13Th St
Gloria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Ha rv ard St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St
Tower Brg
Westlake P kwy
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission A v e
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5Th St
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azeved o Dr
Alta Arden Expy
SWatt Ave
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
Exposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
Elk Grove Florin Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N 12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natomas Blv d
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blvd
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr 14Th St
Florin Perkins Rd
American River
E Comme rceWay Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Arden Garden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
Lone Tree Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
Power Line Rd
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
Strategic Neighborhood Action Plan Areas
Alkali Flat
Ben Ali
Gardenland / Northgate
Hagginwood
Mansion Flat
Tahoe Park
Light Rail
Station
Blue Line
Blue/Gold Line
Gold Line
Green Line
Proposed Green Line Extension
Sacramento City Limit
Policy Area
Sphere of Influence
Water
Figure 2-12
Stategic Neighborhood Action Plan Areas
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TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Hagginwood SNAP (2009)
The Hagginwood SNAP study area is generally bounded by Marysville Boulevard to the west, South Avenue to the north, Roseville Road and Auburn Boulevard to the east, and Land Avenue to the south. The study area encompasses approximately 537 acres and includes a population of approximately 4,400. The SNAP provides 21 priority neighborhood goals based on voting results from residents in the SNAP community workshops:
• Provide additional street lighting;
• Provide curb, gutter, and sidewalks;
• Provide a left-turn signal at Arcade and Marysville Boulevards; • Create a transit master plan for the Marconi Light Rail Station; • Encourage infill development that fits with the character of the neighborhood; • Provide parks;
• Provide access from the Marconi Light Rail Station to the freeway overpass; • Beautify and clean Arcade and Hagginwood Creeks;
• Reduce the number of lanes on Del Paso Boulevard between Marysville Boulevard and Arcade Boulevard/Marconi Avenue;
• Alleviate heavy traffic on Arcade Boulevard between Marysville and Del Paso Boulevards; • Restore original single-family residence zoning to areas where “special permits” have been granted for multi-family units;
• Provide trails in Hagginwood Park;
• Mackey Park: Address vagrancy, maintain cleanliness and wild, natural character; • Explore completing a Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan for South Hagginwood; • Provide shade trees at the southwest corner of Marysville and Arcade Boulevards; • Delineate parking at Mackey Park;
• Improve water pressure;
• Ensure high well water quality;
• Alleviate local flooding;
• Encourage more retail to locate near the neighborhood; and • Improve communication between developers, the City, and residents regarding proposed development projects.
Alkali Flat/Mansion Flats SNAP (2005)
The boundaries of the Alkali Flat/Mansion Flats SNAP are 13th Street to the east, G Street to the south, 7th Street to the west, and the Union Pacific Rail Lines to the north. The SNAP was originally intended to be focused solely on Alkali Flat, the action steps were expanded to include the Mansion
Flats neighborhood due to the extensive number of similar issues that both of these neighborhoods share. To obtain community input for the Alkali Flat/Mansion Flats area, the visioning process used a comprehensive phone and door to door survey along with two community meetings and a series of four focus group meetings. The surveys and meetings indicated that following four areas were of most concern:
• Safety in the neighborhood;
• Safe and attractive parks and recreation facilities to meet the needs of the residents; • Economic and community development to increase retail and employment opportunities in the area; and
• Parking and transportation improvements to control traffic and manage parking issues.
Gardenland-Northgate SNAP (2003)
Adopted by City Council August 23, 2003, the boundaries of the Gardenland-Northgate SNAP are generally the Ueda Parkway to the east, the American River Parkway to the south, the Niños Parkway to the west, and the developed housing area and Interstate 80 to the north. The SNAP incorporates work developed through a variety of community visioning efforts and identifies the following community priorities:
• Improve the appearance, safety, and range of commercial services along Northgate, including:
- Provide landscaped medians;
- Create focused commercial areas;
- Improve safety in front of Smythe School;
- Improve landscaping and lighting;
- Promote housing in Northgate Boulevard; and
- Expand architectural review.
• Promote maintenance of existing housing and develop new infill housing that is compatible with the character and needs of the Gardenland-Northgate residents, including:
- Encourage greater participation in existing maintenance programs; - Develop infill incentives;
- Conduct surveys to gain greater understanding of neighborhood preferences for new housing; and
- Promote clean-ups and reduce illegal dumping in the neighborhood. • Promote additional safe and attractive parks and recreation facilities to meet the needs of the residents.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
The SNAP provides a series of goals and action steps that will allow the neighborhood to address these issues and allow it to achieve its desired outcomes.
Tahoe Park SNAP (2000)
The Tahoe Park SNAP, which encompasses Tahoe Park and Colonial Heights, is bounded by Stockton Boulevard to the west, 21st Avenue to the south, and 65th Street to the east. The northern boundary follows Broadway, Fairgrounds Drive, 2nd Avenue, 58th Street, and T Street. The SNAP identifies the following community priorities:
• Police bike patrols on Broadway and Stockton Boulevard. • Better code enforcement and follow-through.
• Jogging/walking path within a park.
• Sidewalks too narrow and adjacent to streets (Broadway, 14th Avenue). Need wider landscaped strips, street trees, utility undergrounding for pedestrian-friendly streets. • Improve run-down businesses on Stockton Boulevard.
• Neighborhood traffic plan.
• Lighting, landscaping and sidewalk improvements on Stockton Boulevard. • Renovate existing commercial and retail.
• 65th Street gateway revitalization
• Community center needed.
• Tree maintenance
• Improve commercial image of community.
• Need off-leash dog park and dog run.
• Put the skills of the neighborhood to work: Tahoe/Colonial has strong neighborhood associations and caring interested people with many skills.
OTHER MASTER AND AREA PLANS
Sacramento Municipal Utility District Headquarters Master Plan (2018) The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has prepared the Headquarters Campus Master Plan as a 20-year development plan for its headquarters campus. Objectives of the plan are to increase public safety, improve employee and neighborhood connectivity with the SMUD campus and increase operating efficiency through sustainable design. The plan area includes SMUD-owned property bounded by 59th Street to the west, Folsom Blvd. to the north, 65th Street to the east and S Street to the south.
Sacramento State Master Plan (2015)
The California State University, Sacramento 2015 Master Plan is intended to support and advance the university’s educational mission by providing a guide to the development of the physical campus and its facilities over a 20-year timeframe. The Master Plan describes in detail the vision and goals for campus development to accommodate an enrollment cap of 25,000 full-timeequivalent students.
The 2015 Master Plan addresses the natural and built environments by identifying the requirements for maintaining and enhancing the physical aspects of the campus to meet the needs for growth and change in a rapidly evolving higher education environment. The Master Plan anticipates these changes by focusing on the facilities needed by the academic program; by campus life programs including housing, recreation, athletics and facilities maintenance; and by the requirements of campus infrastructure including roadways, parking and utilities.
The Master Plan offers guidance for future development that are intended to maintain and enrich the campus as an attractive, accessible, safe and functional environment for learning, living, recreation and culture to serve Sacramento State students, faculty, staff and visitors as well as the surrounding region and its communities. The Master Plan report incorporates Landscape Guidelines, Sustainability Guidelines, Design Guidelines and Phasing/Implementation Guidelines to guide the execution of the Master Plan recommendations.
Seven planning principles to serve as the primary criteria for the 2015 Master Plan:
• Create and redevelop a total environment that fosters and emphasizes academic excellence. • Provide a vibrant and satisfying “Live-Work-Teach-Learn-Play” campus environment that serves the people who study and work here.
• Elevate Sacramento State’s presence in the global higher education arena. • Maximize intra-campus connectivity.
• Maximize connectivity with the surrounding community. • Showcase and maximize engagement with the American River. • Optimize physical assets through an integrated and comprehensive planning approach that responds to the academic strategic plan and campus life needs.
Sacramento City College Facilities Master Plan (2010, updated 2014) With the passing of $265-million local facilities bond Measure A in 2002, Sacramento City College, in coordination with the Los Rios Community College District, developed a Facilities Master Plan to lay out how major modernization projects would be sequenced, and how these projects would be funded through State and local bond funding programs. The 2010 Master Plan outlined modernization and new construction projects planned for the main campus as well as two centers in West Sacramento and Davis. It integrated both State and local bond funding to complete the planned projects and transportation, access, and parking improvements though the next decade.
Guiding principles of the plan included long range planning, facility functional planning, and
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
college environment planning and serve as a broad framework for project development and evaluation.
The 2014 Update outlined options, opportunities, and considerations for capital projects, capture projects funded with State and local (Measure A & M) bond funds and other campus generated funds (e.g. Foundation, College Store), and provided a scope and schedule of planned projects, taking into account new enrollment and budget realities.
Downtown Infrastructure Study (2011)
The Downtown Infrastructure Study was published in 2011 by the Economic Development Department The study was a preliminary engineering, planning-level effort that will aid the City and developers in attracting development funding assistance and provide potential developers with information to evaluate their probable infrastructure costs. The study identified potential opportunities to provide integrated infrastructure at the least cost, through phasing options or the application of sustainable design principals and value engineering design considerations.
McClellan Heights and Parker Homes Land Use and Infrastructure Plan (2007) The McClellan Heights and Parker Homes Land Use and Infrastructure Plan provides a vision for land use changes intended to facilitate and support the transition of the area into two strong, primarily residential neighborhoods that are served by retail and other amenities. The 306-acre plan area is in the northeastern part of the City of Sacramento, west of and adjacent to McClellan Park.
The plan includes recommendations for circulation and utility infrastructure improvements to address existing deficiencies and to support new uses that are part of the land use vision. The plan also outlines strategies to improve existing housing stock and to promote new housing at varying levels of affordability.
Northeast Line Light Rail Stations Plan (2007)
The Northeast Line Light Rail Stations Plan is a long-range, urban design/streetscape plan.
Infrastructure needs and economic analysis will guide improvements in a quarter-mile radius around the Globe, Arden/Del Paso, and Royal Oaks Light Rail Stations. The project area for the plan refers to the collective quarter-mile radii around these three stations. The scope of the project encompasses the creation of an overall vision for these three stations, an analysis of existing opportunities and challenges, land use and urban design recommendations, and development guidelines that will encourage transit-oriented development, increase pedestrian and bicycle movement in the area, and create vibrant urban villages. The plan seeks to accomplish this through the following primary goals:
• Support and build upon previous planning efforts to guide development and redevelopment within the area towards land uses that will support transit ridership, provide needed housing and employment opportunities, and support neighborhood retail uses;
• Identify the necessary infrastructure and public improvement needs, cost estimates, including streetscape costs, phasing and implementation programs to realize the community’s vision;
• Provide economic analysis of existing conditions and financially viable building prototypes, as well as pro-formas for transit-oriented development; • Improve the pedestrian, bicycle and automobile circulation and access of the Globe, Arden/Del Paso, and Royal Oaks Light Rail Stations.
• Provide an implementation strategy to modify any existing plan documents and guidelines necessary to implement the Plan; and
• Identify any additional studies and analyses needed to obtain California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) clearance for the plan.
Northeast Line Implementation Plan and Infrastructure Study (2011) In 2011, an Infrastructure Study for the 2007 Northeast Line Light Rail Stations Plan identified and prioritized key infrastructure investments to guide development in sites with the least infrastructure constraints, recommending likely phasing of improvements based on development potential. This study resulted in three tiers of development: Tier I, targeting catalyst sites immediately adjacent to the main roadway corridors of Del Paso Boulevard and Arden Way for near term development; Tier II, anticipating near term potential of development of the remainder of the Del Paso Boulevard Corridor Area to selected opportunity sites; and Tier III, considered full buildout of the Northeast Line Light Rail Stations Plan area. The subsequent Northeast Line Implementation Plan is a collection of actions promoting redevelopment and infill development of reemerging, underutilized areas along the light rail corridor near Downtown with a mix of housing, retail, office, and other civic and community uses.
Northgate Boulevard Streetscape Master Plan (2006)
The Northgate Boulevard Streetscape Master Plan was initiated in 2003 in response to community needs and desires in the Gardenland/Northgate Strategic Neighborhood Action Plan (SNAP). The project-specific area for the master plan is Northgate Boulevard from Rosin Court at the north end to Arden-Garden Connector at the south end. The objectives of the Streetscape Master Plan include improving pedestrian and bicycle safety, encouraging walking options, identifying land use changes that would encourage residential and commercial development, and enhancing the overall image of the area. Proposed improvements included providing a landscaped median, lighting, vertical curb, planter strips separating sidewalks from the street, enhanced crosswalks, benches, bus shelters, and street monuments. In addition, the master plan proposed land use changes to support the objectives through rezoning some of the existing general commercial and single-family residential zoned properties to residential mixed-use and updating the Northgate Special Planning District.
South 65th Street Area Plan (2004)
The South 65th Street Area Plan was adopted by the City Council in 2004. The plan area is located south of California State University, Sacramento, south of I-50, and east of 65th Street and consists of approximately 140 acres of land. The entire plan area is located within half a mile of light rail transit. Due to the area’s proximity to major circulation corridors and regional demand for alternative housing, the plan calls for the development of mixed-use retail and office, with residential uses serving as the dominant land use. The plan also allows for a variety of housing types
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
(single-family and townhomes), with student/faculty housing being encouraged due to the site’s proximity to CSU Sacramento. The increased residential development should provide an economic base to adequately support the neighborhood retail and commercial services. The Plan designates a small portion of the area for the development of parks and open space.
Commercial Corridor Revitalization Strategy (2003)
The Commercial Corridor Revitalization Strategy was adopted by the City Council in 2003 in an effort to promote the rehabilitation of commercial centers, economic growth, and a more walkable and self-sufficient neighborhood environment. The Commercial Corridor Revitalization policies center on the development of residential and commercial mixed use, the reuse of existing commercial centers, improvement of neighborhood character to promote corridor vitality, community reinvestment, and high-density residential development. The revitalization strategy is coordinated with the 2009 General Plan Land Use Policy 5.3.1, which requires that the City continue to “support development and operation of centers in traditional neighborhoods by providing flexibility in development standards, consistent with public health and safety, in response to constraints inherent in retrofitting older structures and in creating infill development in established neighborhoods.” The Commercial Corridor Revitalization Strategy includes zoning code amendments to encourage commercial reuse; design principles that provide guidelines for business owners and commercial developers; and a user’s guide that provides “how to” and process information for development within the City’s commercial corridors.
North Natomas Development Guidelines (2003)
The North Natomas Development Guidelines were adopted by the City Council in 1994 and amended in 2003. The guidelines provide standards for development in the North Natomas Community Plan Area, bounded by Elkhorn Boulevard on the north, I-80 on the south, the Natomas East Main Drainage Canal on the east, and the City Limits on the west. Implementation of the development guidelines are intended to promote transit-oriented mixed uses, bike and pedestrian trails, a town center hub, a 62-percent jobs to housing ratio, and preservation of the existing natural environment and air quality benefits of the region. 65th Street/University Transit Village Plan (2002)
The 65th Street/University Transit Village Plan, adopted by the City Council in 2002, establishes a neighborhood/university mixed-use district center around a light rail transit station. The project area consists of approximately 49 acres and is bounded by the Union Pacific Rail line and Folsom Boulevard on the north, the Union Pacific Line on the east, US Highway 50 and the light rail line on the south, and on the west by the Caltrans site and 61st Street. Commercial mixed use would be allowed within the Transit Village Plan areas zoned C-2, as established by the Transit Overlay areas.
The Transit Overlay areas allow the development of retail, residential and large-scale employment uses. The residential mixed-use land use designation is zoned RMX and would allow the development of residential and neighborhood-serving retail and office. Auto-oriented uses and storage warehouse uses are prohibited under the plan.
OTHER CITYWIDE PLANNING AND POLICY DOCUMENTS
Urban Forest Master Plan (2019, in progress)
The City of Sacramento has a long-standing reputation as the City of Trees. Emphasis on the importance of trees in Sacramento dates back to its founding in 1849. In August 2016, the City adopted comprehensive updates to the City Code to update and clarify its tree regulations. During the process of revising the City’s tree-related ordinances, additional policy issues were raised regarding the City’s urban forest and its future. Given a changing environment and new technological tools, the City is undertaking an update to its Urban Forest Master Plan, which was adopted in 1994, to preserve the health and stewardship of Sacramento’s urban forest. The City’s updated Urban Forest Master Plan will address the protection, maintenance, sustainability, and enhancement of Sacramento’s tree canopy.
Inclusive Economic and Community Development Strategy (2019, in progress) The City of Sacramento is currently conducting outreach and stakeholder meetings around developing a City-wide strategy for inclusive economic and community development. This strategy will build on the City’s 2018 Project Prosper, an initiative to spark a city-wide conversation on equitable and inclusive growth within neighborhoods and beyond.
Transit Oriented Development Ordinance (2018)
The Transit-Oriented Development Ordinance was unanimously approved by the City of Sacramento City Council on December 11, 2018 and went into effect January 10, 2019. The purpose of the ordinance is to incentivize transit supportive uses near light rail stations, and to preserve transit areas for appropriate development opportunities by providing building review incentives for multi-unit housing projects with 25 or more units; eliminating minimum off-street parking requirements within a quarter-mile of a light rail station; and reducing off-street vehicle parking requirements by 50 percent within a half-mile of a light rail station. The ordinance also prohibits auto-centric uses within a quarter-mile of an existing or proposed light rail station and requires a conditional use permit for auto-centric uses within a half-mile of an existing or proposed station.
Parks and Recreation Master Plan (2004, updated 2009)
The City of Sacramento Parks and Recreation Master Plan (PRMP) was adopted by the City Council in 2004 and updated in 2009. The PRMP is the guiding policy document for City park services and facility needs. The PRMP contains policies and procedures intended to improve recreational services, prioritize parks and recreation projects, and implement site specific parks master plans.
The plan also sets parkland dedication standards.
Economic Development Strategy (2007)
The Economic Development Strategy, adopted by the City Council in 2007, establishes citywide economic development priorities. This strategic framework analyzed existing economic policies in the context of other regional development plans; existing business and development communities; new business, development, and investment opportunities; community organizations, and other
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
City department policies. In addition, the framework identified key development opportunity areas and provides implementation plans to help the City achieve its development goals. The framework identifies the following 12 strategies for economic development:
• Increase activities to retain and expand the City’s existing businesses; • Strengthen the City’s efforts in business formation and small business development; • Conduct targeted business attraction and recruitment; • Support a pipeline of workforce development and education; • Strengthen residents’ assets and reduce wealth disparities; • Promote a high quality of life;
• Effectively plan for opportunity zones;
• Bring new investment and greater activity to commercial corridors and neighborhoods; • Make targeted investments in infrastructure;
• Focus on integration throughout City departments;
• Promote the City as the leader within the region, and collaborate with other organizations on the regional level; and
• Establish a distinct identity for Sacramento within and beyond the region.
Each strategy contains detailed implementation actions that provide a blueprint for the achievement of the associated strategy. The strategic framework stresses use of existing assets and resources where possible to establish a plan for the organization, marketing and restructuring of commercial corridors.
Central City Parking Master Plan (2006)
The Central City Parking Master Plan (CCPMP) is the result of a comprehensive on-street and offstreet parking study for the Downtown and Midtown areas. The specific objectives for the CCPMP as stated by the City Council were as follows:
• To ensure sufficient parking to achieve the City’s economic and in-fill development goals and boost Smart Growth principles;
• To ensure parking supply and rates that support transit, other alternative modes and air quality;
• To evaluate rate structures supportive of a comprehensive parking strategy; • To provide a two-year, five-year and long-term outlook of parking supply versus demand and identify opportunities for meeting that demand;
• To guide daily operations of the City’s on-street and off-street parking facilities; and • To incorporate community stakeholders’ concerns.
The CCPMP also provides parking strategies and recommendations for future parking policy in the Downtown and Midtown area.
City of Sacramento Pedestrian Master Plan (2006)
The Pedestrian Master Plan provides a comprehensive vision for improving pedestrian conditions.
It presents a set of goals and strategies to achieve this vision, and it includes a framework for creating an improved pedestrian environment. It also develops a methodology for prioritizing future pedestrian improvements. The Pedestrian Master Plan has two primary objectives: first, to institutionalize pedestrian considerations through the preparation of policy, standard, and procedural recommendations that allow the City to leverage the best pedestrian environments from new developments and incorporate pedestrian considerations into all transportation and land use projects; and second, to improve current pedestrian deficiencies through the preparation of a capital improvement process that enables the City to systematically retrofit currently deficient sidewalk and pedestrian crossing locations.
Infill Strategy (2002)
The City Council adopted an Infill Strategy in 2002 to promote and target infill development. Infill development is identified by the City as preferable to development on the urban fringe due to its capacity to reduce urban sprawl and encourage community reinvestment while providing a more efficient use of existing land resources. The major Infill Strategy goals are:
• Promote infill development, rehabilitation, and reuse that contribute positively to the surrounding area and assists in meeting neighborhood and other City goals; • Revise City plans and ordinances to support infill development goals; • Remove regulatory obstacles and create more flexible development standards for infill development potential;
• Provide improvements to infrastructure to allow for increase infill development potential; • Provide focused incentives and project assistance in infill development in target areas and sites. These target sites are those that provide the greatest infill opportunity in terms of number of vacant lots total potential for new infill development, or overall economic or environmental benefit; and
• Engage the community to ensure new infill development addresses neighborhood concerns and to gain greater acceptance and support for infill development.
Identified constraints to infill development include lot size, lot shape, or lot conditions. Often sites are too small, are irregularly shaped, have access problems, contain sensitive resources or hazardous materials that make infill more difficult. The City made a concerted effort to identify target areas to focus its development and provide financial incentives. Among other things, the Infill Strategy also called for the creation of new City positions that would implement policy.
Some of the priority areas targeted for infill include Airport/Meadowview, South Sacramento, East Broadway, North Sacramento, and South Natomas Community Plan Areas; the Central City; neighborhood commercial corridors; and transit station areas. Infill development areas would be
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
facilitated by the implementation of the Transit Area Overlay Zone and the Commercial Corridor Overlay Zone, which allow for mixed use development after the adoption of transit area land use plans and commercial land use plans, respectively. A Transit Overlay Zone was added to the City of Sacramento Zoning Ordinance and map in 2013.
Civic Standards (2001)
The City of Sacramento Civic Standards was adopted by City Council in August 2001. The Civic Standards provides a definition of the city’s and the region’s quality of life, and a means to implement and measure compliance with the regional smart growth policies. The standards aim to achieve four specific goals, including creation of regional growth and development patterns; coordination of land use, infrastructure, public services, and transportation; reinforcement the community identity and sense of place; and protection and enhancement of open space and recreational opportunities.
In order to achieve these goals, the City identified policies that would encourage the following development strategies: promotion of mixed uses and a variety of housing and job opportunities; promotion of infill development, transit oriented development, orderly growth, and regional financing, development, and open space preservation partnerships; maintenance of transitional areas between Sacramento and its neighbors, as well as between urban and agricultural uses within the City; and promotion of new development consistent with General Plan land uses. The goals and policies of the Civic Standards can be applied to both development and redevelopment projects.
Smart Growth Implementation Strategy (2001)
The City Council adopted the Smart Growth Implementation Strategy to address anticipated population growth within the Sacramento region. In order to accommodate its share of the anticipated one million new residents and 600,000 new employees expected to arrive in the Sacramento region over the next 25 years, the City Council adopted 15 Smart Growth Principles.
These principles focus on redevelopment of existing communities and the support of public transportation, while discouraging suburban sprawl and automotive use. The Smart Growth principles promote development of mixed-use and transit-oriented facilities that create more walkable communities and focus on the enhancement of existing city resources. A major part of the Smart Growth implementation strategy is infill development. The 15 Smart Growth Principles are:
• Mix land uses and support vibrant city centers;
• Take advantage of existing community assets emphasizing joint use facilities; • Create a range of housing opportunities and choice;
• Foster walkable, close-knit neighborhoods;
• Promote distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place including rehabilitation and use of historic buildings;
• Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas; • Concentrate new development and target infrastructure investments within the urban core of the region;
• Provide a variety of transportation choices;
• Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective; • Encourage citizen stakeholder participation in development decisions; • Promote resource conservation and energy efficiency;
• Create a Smart Growth Regional Vision and Plan;
• Support high-quality education and quality schools;
• Support land use, transportation management, infrastructure and environmental planning programs that reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality; and • Policies adopted by regional decision-making bodies should discourage urban sprawl, promote infill development and the concentration of development in the urban core of the region, and promote the equitable distribution of affordable housing and social services.
Can We Recreate Our Neighborhoods (1993)
The Can We Recreate Our Neighborhoods document, prepared by the City in 1993, provides an analysis of successful older neighborhoods in Sacramento and attempts to determine whether the traits of these communities could be replicated throughout other neighborhoods within the city.
Neighborhoods that were identified as successful include East Sacramento, Elmhurst, Woodlake, Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown, and Oak Park. The document evaluates each neighborhood for the quality of streets, homes, public use space, lots, and shops in order to determine whether existing policies, standards, and practices would conflict with them, thus preventing their duplication in other parts of the City. Of the 25 features analyzed in the study, only seven of the features could be recreated without conflict with existing policies, standards, and practices. Those seven features include a grid/modified grid design; interesting building design; interior living areas and large front windows; detached or offset garages; narrow driveways; usable front porches; and well-landscaped front yards with mature trees.
2.4 Plans and Programs of Other Jurisdictions
The City of Sacramento is bordered by the counties of Sacramento, Yolo, and Sutter, and the cities of Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, and West Sacramento. The State of California also has jurisdiction over land around the Capitol. Although land use decisions outside City Limits are beyond the direct control of the City of Sacramento, the City often coordinates with surrounding jurisdictions to help minimize potential conflicts among adjacent land uses.
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Capitol Area Plan (1997)
The Capitol Area is located in Downtown Sacramento and encompasses the area generally bordered by L Street to the north, R Street to the south, 17th Street to the east, and 5th Street to the west. An additional half-block area lies south of R Street between 11th and 12th Streets. In 2002, the boundaries were legislatively extended south to S Street, east at 17th Street, and to the railroad right-
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
of-way between 19th and 20th Streets. The State of California exercises planning jurisdiction in the Capitol Area.
The plan furthers the State’s strategy of consolidating offices spread out in the Sacramento region, many in leased buildings, into the Capitol Area, and calls for developing a 24-hour community composed of office, commercial, and residential uses. The plan has directed development of significant new office development, including the 1.7 million square feet East End Complex, which extended Capitol Avenue two blocks west—from 17th Street to 15th Street—opening up a new vista east of the Capitol Park to the State Capitol Building along Capitol Avenue, as well as buildings in other location. The plan also proposes construction of new State-owned office buildings north of L Street to support the Central Business District as well as within the Capitol Area. Development of offices, commercial, and residential projects on State-owned land are exempt from local ordinances. Private projects on non-State-owned land within the Capitol Area must be in accordance with City of Sacramento’s General Plan.
The plan also proposed the addition of over 1,000 new housing units in the Capitol Area, an effort that is managed by the Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA), a joint powers authority between the City and the State charged with housing development and operations in the Capitol Area. More than 800 housing units have been built.
COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
2030 Sacramento County General Plan (2011)
The Sacramento County 2030 General Plan guides growth and development within the unincorporated county from 2010 to 2030. Key strategies of plan include a focus on economic growth and environmental sustainability, addressing the issues and needs of existing communities, and establishing a new framework for accommodating the growth of new communities based on smart growth principles. The many individual elements of the general plan address the wide variety of issues and proactive actions to be taken by the County to enhance and preserve the quality of life for county residents, enhance the county’s economic strengths, and preserve the county’s agricultural heritage.
The 2030 County General Plan consists of the following 14 elements: agriculture, air quality, circulation, conservation, economic development, energy, hazardous materials, housing, human services, land use, noise, open space, public facilities, and safety. The plan also adopts the following policy plans into the General Plan: American River Parkway Plan, Bicycle Master Plan, Hazardous Waste Management Plan, Land Use and Resource Management Plan for the Primary Zone of the Delta, Pedestrian Master Plan, and Transit Oriented Development Guidelines.
Sacramento County Zoning
Sacramento’s Sphere of Influence contains 16,043 acres of zoned land. Areas outside the City limits that are not part of the Sphere of Influence include portions of the Arden Arcade and North Natomas Community Plan Areas, representing 5,482 acres of zoned land. There are also 321 acres of zoned lands that are part of the 2035 General Plan Policy Area but are not within City Limits.
As shown in Figure 2-13, most areas follow the general zoning pattern of the City of Sacramento, including a majority residential single family zoning designations and Limited Commercial zoning
in their respective categories. Compared to the City of Sacramento’s Zoning Ordinance, however, the Sphere of Influence has significantly more land zoned for Agricultural uses.
Sacramento International Airport Master Plan (2017) (Update in Progress) The Sacramento International Airport Master Plan covers the approximately 5,900-acre Sacramento International Airport site. The airport is located east of the Sacramento River about 10 miles northwest of Downtown Sacramento. The plan addresses all functions of the airport, including the airfield, terminal and passenger services, cargo, general aviation, airport support, access, and surrounding buffers.
The master plan studies historical and forecasted aviation demand focusing on airline passenger, air cargo, and aircraft operational activity to enable an analysis of future facilities that will be needed at the airport through 2035. According to the plan, the airport may need to extend a runway, expand Concourse B by six gates, redesign airport roadways, build a parking garage, and build new rental car facilities. The runway extension, long-term roadway redesign, and airport expansion are not needed within the planning horizon. Overall, the long-range development plan is modest as a result of lower than anticipated demand since the previous master plan was adopted. In September 2020, the County initiated an update to the Master Plan.
YOLO COUNTY
2030 Yolo County General Plan (2009)
The general objective of the Yolo County General Plan is to guide decision-making in the unincorporated areas in the county toward the most desirable future possible. Yolo County borders the Planning Area on the western side of the Sacramento River. The Planning Area abuts an unincorporated portion of Yolo County south of West Sacramento. According to the Yolo County General Plan, the highest and best use of land within Yolo County is one that combines minimum efficient urbanization with the preservation of productive farm resources and open space amenities.
The 2030 Yolo County General Plan includes the following elements: Land Use and Community Character, Circulation, Public Facilities and Services, Agriculture and Economic Development, Conservation and Open Space, Health and Safety, and Housing.
Most unincorporated land within Yolo County to the south of West Sacramento is designated for agriculture use. This area has a mineral resource overlay (MRO) and a delta protection overlay (DPO). The agriculture land use designation allows for a full range of cultivated agriculture, including row crops, orchards, vineyards, dryland farming, livestock grazing, forest products, horticulture, floriculture, apiaries, confined animal facilities, and equestrian facilities. It also allows for agriculture industrial and commercial uses. The Yolo County General Plan directs urban development away from agricultural uses and into already urbanized areas. The MRO applies to State-designated mineral resource zones containing critical geological deposits needed for economic use and existing mining operations. The Yolo County General Plan prohibits new urban development in places with mineral resources. The DPO applies to the State-designated “primary zone” of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, as defined in the Delta Protection Act. Land uses consistent with the agricultural base land use designation and the Delta Protection Commission’s Del Paso Blvd
Raley Blvd
Land ParkDr
Grand Ave
Northborough Dr
J St
Sheldon Rd
N 16Th St
K St
Northgate Blvd
39Th St
43Rd Ave
N St
Sutterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush River Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
Natomas Centr al Dr
Riverside Blvd
Bruceville Rd
Elder Creek Rd Franklin Blvd
Club Center Dr
Aubu rn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Windbridg e Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
24Th St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Ha v enside D r
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd
X St
American River Dr
Mckin ley Blvd
Elva s Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power Inn Rd
Norwood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Cente r P kwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook D r
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65Th St
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
Gr ee nhaven Dr
Florin Rd
H St
Ho v n anian Dr
Truxel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El Camino Ave
C ol lege Town Dr
Brookfield Dr
Regency Park Cir
Engle Rd
13Th St
Gloria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Har v ard St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St Tower Brg
Westla k e P kw y
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission Av e
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5Th St
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azeved o Dr
Alta Arden Expy
S Watt Ave
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
E xposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
Elk Grove Florin Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natoma s Blvd
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blvd
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr 14Th St
Florin Perkins Rd
American River
E Commerce Way
Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Arden Garden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
Power Line Rd
Lone Tree Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
W Elverta Rd
Figure 2-13
County Zoning Districts
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County Zoning
Agricultural Holding Zone
Auto Commercial
Agricultural - 20 Acres
Agricultural - 40 Acres
Agricultural - 80 Acres
Agricultural - Residential - 1 Acre
Agricultural - Residential - 2 Acres
Agricultural - Residential - 5 Acres
Agricultural - Residential - 10 Acres
Business & Professional Office
Commercial Recreation
General Commercial
Interim-Agricultural Reserve
Light Commercial
Light Industrial
Heavy Industrial
Industrial Office Park
Recreation
Single Family Residential Zone
Single Family Residential & Duplex Zone
Multiple Family Residential Zone
Residential - 1 Acre
Residential
Multiple Family Residential
Estate Zone
Mobile Home Subdivision
Recreation Reserve
Shopping Center
Special Planning Area
Highway Travel Commercial
Urban Reserve
Not in Zoning Ordinance
Light Rail
Station
Blue Line
Blue/Gold Line
Gold Line
Green Line
Proposed Green
Line Extension
Sacramento City Limit
Policy Area
Sphere of Influence
County Boundary
Water
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Note: Numbers may not add to total due to rounding.
Sources: City of Sacramento, 2018; Dyett & Bhatia, 2019.
Table 2-6: Zoning Designations Outside City Limits
Area Acreage Percent Acreage
Arden Arcade Community Planning Area 5,471 100%
Residential 3,806 70%
Multifamily 986 18%
Residential 2,501 46%
Estate Zone 319 6%
Commercial/Office 994 18%
Auto Commercial 31 1%
limited commercial 426 8%
General Commercial 86 2%
Business and Professional Office 308 6%
Shopping Center 123 2%
Recreation 454 8%
Special Planning Area 245 4%
N Natomas Community Planning Area 2 100%
Agricultural Residential <1 <1%
Recreation Reserve 2 100%
Policy Area 321 100%
Agricultural 255 79%
Commercial 66 21%
General Commercial 18 6%
Highway Travel Commercial 48 15%
Sphere of Influence 16,043 100%
Agricultural 2,267 14%
Agricultural 2,164 13%
Interim Agricultural Reserve 103 1%
Residential 7,960 50%
Agricultural Residential 246 2%
Multifamily 663 4%
Residential 7,007 44%
Mobile Home 44 <1%
Office/Commercial 1,128 7%
General Commercial 179 1%
Auto Commercial 57 <1%
Limited Commercial 337 2%
Highway Travel Commercial 10 <1%
Commercial Recreation 6 <1%
Business and Professional Office 163 1%
shopping center 376 2%
Industrial 2,921 18%
Light industrial 1,654 10%
Heavy Industrial 516 3%
Industrial Office Park 751 5%
Recreation and Open Space 408 3%
Recreation 261 2%
Recreation reserve 144 1%
Urban reserve 3 <1%
Other 1,357 8%
Special Planning Area 1,106 7%
Not in Zoning Ordinance 251 2%
Total Zoned Land1 21,805
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Land Use and Resource Management Plan are allowed. As the base agricultural land use, the MRO, and the DPO limit urban development, unincorporated land in Yolo County to the west of the Planning Area is unlikely to change significantly in character throughout the planning horizon of the Yolo County General Plan.
CITY OF WEST SACRAMENTO
The City of West Sacramento is located to the immediate west of the Planning Area in Yolo County.
The Sacramento River forms the border between West Sacramento and the Planning Area. West Sacramento is connected to the Planning Area via I-80, SR-275, SR-50, and 1st Street. Due to the close proximity of West Sacramento to the Planning Area, ongoing planning projects in West Sacramento may have implications for the Planning Area. City of West Sacramento General Plan (2016)
The City of West Sacramento General Plan outlines a long-term vision for West Sacramento’s future development through 2035. The City of West Sacramento General Plan’s planning area corresponds with city limits, and is located across the Sacramento River from the South Natomas, Central City, Land Park, and Pocket Community Plan areas. The plan consists of 11 elements: Land Use; Urban Structure and Design; Housing; Economic Development; Mobility; Public Facilities and Services; Parks and Recreation; Natural and Cultural Resources; Safety; and Healthy Community.
The plan also includes a section describing administration and implementation measures. Major land use goals of the plan include:
• To provide for orderly, well-planned, and balanced growth consistent with the limits imposed by the City's infrastructure and the City's ability to assimilate new growth. • To develop local and statewide plans and strategies to grow efficiently, fund sustainable transportation improvements, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while meeting local housing needs.
• To promote the development of complete residential neighborhoods that include a range of residential densities and a variety of housing types, and address the housing needs of various age and socio-economic groups who reside in West Sacramento. • To promote the development of distinct, well-designed commercial centers that provide convenient neighborhood retail and services, maximize community commercial and regional shopping opportunities, and expand employment opportunities. • To promote the development of unique higher-density and intensity mixed-use districts and corridors that provide civic and cultural activities; include a range of residential, retail, and employment uses; and serve as both visitor destinations and places of commerce. • To encourage, facilitate, and provide support for the location of new light, heavy, and water-related industrial uses and retention of existing industry in appropriate locations. • To designate adequate land for development of public and quasi-public uses to support existing and new residential, commercial, and industrial land uses. • To protect open space for its recreational, agricultural, safety, and environmental values and provide adequate parks and open space areas throughout the city.
Liberty Specific Plan (2019, in progress)
The Liberty Specific Plan proposes a new development in Southport which would consist of up to 1,503 residential units, a 17-acre K-8 school, up to 10,000 square feet of retail commercial, plus parks, greenbelts, and trails. The proposed project requires approval of a general plan amendment, amendment of the Southport Framework Plan, rezone, conditional use permit, and a vesting master tentative map. This project is located in the Northwest Village of the Southport Framework Plan area and includes approximately 340 acres, and is bounded on the east by the Sacramento River levee system, on the south by Davis Road, on the west by the Clarksburg Branch Line Trail, and on the north by Linden Road. The specific plan area is located across the Sacramento River from the Land Park Community Plan Area. The project is currently undergoing staff review.
River Park Master Plan (2019, in progress)
In 2008, the City of West Sacramento approved the River Park General Plan Amendment and Rezoning Project. This previously approved project involved the creation of a residential village on 494 acres of land in the Southport area's Southeast Village, located across the Sacramento River from the Land Park and Pocket Community Plan areas. As of 2019, the City of West Sacramento is reviewing an application to revise the previously approved project. The application proposes residential development ranging from low to high densities, neighborhood commercial, an elementary school, open space, and parkland uses. The proposed project would build up to 2,732 new residential units.
West Sacramento Grand Gateway Master Plan (2013)
The West Sacramento Grand Gateway project area is located along West Capitol Avenue and Tower Bridge Gateway and consists of six parcels and public right-of-way totaling approximately 10 acres. These properties include 820-824 West Capitol Avenue, 811-815 West Capitol Avenue, 801 Riske Lane, and a portion of public right-of-way along West Capitol Avenue. The project area is located about 0.5 miles to the west of Downtown Sacramento. The project area was previously developed but is now vacant; the properties are located in an existing urbanized neighborhood served by urban services. The master plan aims to establish site development standards and design guidelines that will lead to attractive, compact mixed-use development laid out in a highly functional, pedestrian-oriented setting.
Community Investment Action Plan (2012)
The Community Investment Action Plan is a product of the collaborative effort of the City Council, the PRO-West Sac Team, the Community Investment Committee, and the City Manager to identify and evaluate new and existing tools and concepts needed to build a new program for strategic capital investment and economic development in West Sacramento. The Community Investment Action Plan outlines potential options for the City to continue pursuing its economic development goals after the closing of the Redevelopment Agency.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Bridge District Specific Plan (2009)
The Bridge District Specific Plan was prepared to develop a 188-acre area in West Sacramento as civic core of the community. The site is primarily bordered by the Sacramento River, SR-275, and SR-50. There is also an 13-acre site south of SR-50 and west of South River Road included in the planning area is located across the Sacramento River from the Central City Community Plan area.
Originally adopted as the Triangle Specific Plan in 1993, the 2009 Bridge District Specific Plan amends this plan to provide a land use framework intended to be market responsive in terms of the exact type and density of future development. The goals of the plan are to develop a place of civic significance for West Sacramento, attract business to West Sacramento, stimulate incremental development of underdeveloped property and accommodates operation of existing and interim uses, and expand and enhance the role of West Sacramento in the region. In total, the plan estimates a buildout of about 5,000 dwelling units and 7,000,000 commercial square feet. Several multi-family housing developments have recently been construction, are under construction, or are under City review.
Yarbrough Master Plan (2008)
The 710-acre Yarbrough Master Plan project site is located west of the Sacramento River and the City of Sacramento, east of the Deep Water Ship Channel (DWSC) and south of Bevan Road. The project area is located to the west of the Pocket Community Plan area. The project involves the creation of a residential village and would include an increase in the proportion of medium- and high-density residential uses at the site, in comparison to the existing Southport Framework Plan’s provisions, concentrating these uses toward the center of the site. The project will develop about 3,000 dwelling units, 150,000 of commercial space, and 18-hole golf course, and a 56-acre park and canal system.
Washington Specific Plan (1996)
The Washington Specific Plan covers a planning area of approximately 194 acres of land near the northeast corner of West Sacramento. The plan area is bounded by SR-275 on the south, the Sacramento River on the east, A Street on the north, and portions of Sixth and Eighth Streets on the west. The Planning Area is located across the Sacramento River from the Central City Community Plan area. The plan is intended to focus efforts by local residents, landowners, developers, and public officials to stimulate a transformation of the Washington area.
West Capitol Avenue Action Plan (1992)
In late 1991, the City of West Sacramento initiated a planning process to study the problems of West Capitol Avenue and to plan for its revitalization. A key goal of the plan is to enhance the economic and visual role of West Capitol Avenue as the principal commercial mixed-use corridor of the city and as a major gateway from the east and west. The plan outlines a program of streetscaping projects, transit improvements and extensions, and circulation improvements to help the City of West Sacramento achieve these goals.
CITY OF ELK GROVE
City of Elk Grove General Plan (2015)
The Sacramento 2035 General Plan Policy Area abuts the City of Elk Grove to the south for one mile but does not include any lands within the jurisdiction of the City of Elk Grove. The Elk Grove General Plan consists of 11 elements that describe City policies related to circulation, conservation and air quality, economic development, historic resources, housing, land use, noise, parks and open space, public facilities and finance, safety, and sustainability. Major goals of the plan include maintaining a high quality of life for all residents, maintaining a diversified economic base, protecting the natural environment, preserving and enhancing Elk Grove’s unique historic and natural features, and preserving the rural character of Elk Grove.
CITY OF RANCHO CORDOVA
City of Rancho Cordova General Plan (2006)
The City of Rancho Cordova is located to the east of Sacramento city limits but does not border the city. However, the Planning Area for Rancho Cordova General Plan includes an area in the City of Sacramento’s Sphere of Influence. Specifically, the area south of the American River, west of Mayhew Road, north of SR-16, and east of Watt Avenue is in the Planning Area and the City of Rancho Cordova General Plan planning area. Per the City of Rancho Cordova General Plan, it is the City’s intent to enter into agreements for cooperative land use and circulation planning for areas outside of the City of Rancho Cordova’s jurisdiction that have an impact on the city. The City of Rancho Cordova General Plan envisions Folsom Boulevard, which runs through this overlapping area, as an important spine containing high-density residential and office uses in close proximity to a light rail line. The City of Rancho Cordova General Plan does not specify a land use vision for the rest of the overlapping area.
The Plan consists of the following elements: Land Use, Urban Design, Economic Development, Housing, Circulation, Opens Space and Parks, Infrastructure Services and Finance, Natural Resources, Cultural and Historic Resources, Safety, Air Quality, and Noise (RCGP 2006).
MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL PLANS
Multi-jurisdictional plans include those that were developed in partnership between multiple municipalities or agencies. These include collaborative plans and studies completed by the City in cooperation with neighboring cities and/or counties
Natomas Vision Plan Area (2015)
The Natomas Vision Plan Area originated in the 1990s with an urban services boundary special study that ultimately resulted in a 2002 Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Sacramento and the County. The City and County collaborated on the development of an open space strategy, vision, and conservation strategy for the plan area, and in 2010, the County Board of Supervisors initiated proceedings to create designate it as a Special Planning Area. The vision also considers the adjacent Sacramento International Airport and Metro Airpark business park, portions of the Natomas Basin affected by flooding and levee projects, and special status habitats
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
and species. The Natomas Vision Plan Area borders the City of Sacramento’s North Natomas Community Plan Area and Sacramento City Limits to the north and the west.
The goal of the Natomas Joint Vision Plan is to create an economically-feasible mixed-use and mixed-density master planned community, located adjacent to existing and planned infrastructure, urban services, transportation corridors and major employment centers. The plan aims to achieve this vision through the smart and orderly development of distinct pedestrian-friendly and transitoriented neighborhoods that weave together a diverse fabric of residential areas, employment and shopping centers, schools, parks and recreation areas, and a vast system of trails and open space.
American River Parkway Plan (2008)
The American River Parkway Plan was adopted in 1985 and updated in 2008 by the County of Sacramento, the City of Sacramento, and the State of California. The American River Parkway consists of an approximately 29-mile open space greenbelt which extends from the Folsom Dam in the northeast to the American River’s confluence with the Sacramento River. The American River Parkway is a regional facility and crosses many jurisdictional boundaries including the cities of Sacramento, Folsom, and Rancho Cordova, the County of Sacramento, and the Folsom State Recreation Area. Area Plans for Discovery Park, Cal Expo, Paradise Beach, Campus Commons, SARA Park, Arden Bar, Goethe Park, Rosmoor Bar, San Juan and Sunrise Bluffs, Sacramento Bar, Sailor Bar, and Upper Sunrise also fall within the American River Parkway Plan area and thus require coordination. The American River Parkway Plan’s purpose is to preserve open space, protect environmental quality in an urban context, and provide recreational opportunities through the establishment of specific goals and policies. The plan provides a guide to land use decisions affecting the Parkway; specifically addressing its preservation, use, development, and administration. The five primary goals of the plan are:
• To provide, protect, and enhance for public use a continuous open space greenbelt along the American River extending from the Sacramento River to Folsom Dam; • To provide appropriate access and facilities so that present and future generations can enjoy the amenities and resources of the Parkway, which enhance the enjoyment of leisure activities;
• To preserve, protect, interpret, and improve the natural archaeological, historical, and recreational resources of the Parkway, including an adequate flow of high-quality water, anadromous and resident fishes, migratory and resident wildlife, and diverse natural vegetation;
• To mitigate adverse effects of activities and facilities adjacent to the Parkway; and • To provide public safety and protection within and adjacent to the Parkway.
The American River Parkway Plan provides more specific policies that serve as guidelines for the use, development and administration of the parkway. Those policies address the parkway concept, resources of the parkway, water flows, water quality, flood control, recreational use of the parkway, non-recreational use of the parkway, land use, public access, public safety, and area plan coordination.
Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan (2003)
The Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan (NBHCP), adopted in 2003 by non-profit public benefit corporation Natomas Basin Conservancy, a joint organization governed by members from the City of Sacramento and Sutter County, is a conservation plan intended in part to satisfy the requirements for the Endangered Species Act. The purpose of the NBHCP is to promote biological conservation in conjunction with economic and urban development within the Natomas area. The NBHCP applies to approximately 53,537 acres of the Natomas Basin, located in the northern portion of Sacramento County and the southern portion of Sutter County. The Basin contains incorporated and unincorporated areas within the jurisdictions of the City of Sacramento, Sacramento County and Sutter County. While the southern portion of the basin is urbanized, most of the basin was used for agriculture at the time the plan was drafted.
The NBHCP establishes a multi-species conservation program to mitigate the expected loss of habitat due to planned urban development. Within each jurisdiction, certain levels of planned urban development are covered by this NBHCP. These levels are referred to as “Authorized Development” and are identified for each jurisdiction. The City of Sacramento and Sutter County have coverage for Authorized Development and are signatory parties to the NBHCP. The Metro Air Park developers have a stand-alone Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for their Authorized Development located in unincorporated Sacramento County. Based on the approved HCPs, the total authorized development in the Natomas Basin is 17,500 acres.
Sacramento Riverfront Master Plan (2003)
The Sacramento Riverfront Master Plan is a partnership between the cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento to create a comprehensive for both sides of the Sacramento River. The Riverfront District envisioned in the plan includes portions of the Central City and Land Park Community Plan Areas adjacent to the river. The plan was developed to combine and update the Sacramento Riverfront Master Plan and the West Sacramento Riverfront Master Plan, which dated from 1994.
The plan, while not regulatory, is intended as a blueprint for possible future actions that may be considered discretely as opportunities and resources arise. The plan’s vision is to achieve a more sustainable form of urban life where people work and live in close proximity to reverse trends of suburbanization and resource waste and provide a richer social experience for those who love, work, and recreate within it by creating a high quality riverfront public space and surrounding it with vibrant urban neighborhoods. The guiding principles for the plan are creating riverfront neighborhoods and districts, establishing a web of connectivity, enhancing the green backbone of the community, and creating places for celebration.
The plan’s policies support people-oriented land uses, mixed-use development, integrated land uses, redevelopment of industrial zones, public improvements for private projects, residential development along the riverfront, and varied land use densities. The majority of the redevelopment effort is focused on the Richards Boulevard District, the Railyards Area, the Docks Area, Miller Park Redevelopment Area, Pioneer Bluff Redevelopment Zone, the Triangle Area, the Washington Area, and the Lighthouse Marina. Additional opportunity sites were identified at the Triangle Amphitheater Area, Stone Locke Bluff, and Jibboom Street Park. The Plan also contains a detailed timeline for plan implementation actions, and outlines a funding structure to help implement major public improvements.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
REGIONAL PLANS
Regional planning documents include those prepared by regional agencies such as the Regional Transit Authority and SACOG.
Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Community Strategy (2019) In 2008, California passed the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act, Senate Bill 375 (SB 375). This law requires metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to develop a Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) as part of their required regional transportation plans (RTPs) to identify policies and strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles to targets set by the California Air Resources Board.
SACOG is designated by the State and federal governments as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Sacramento region and is responsible for developing a RTP/SCS in coordination with Sacramento, Yolo, Yuba, Sutter, El Dorado and Placer counties and the 22 cities within those counties (excluding the Tahoe Basin). The current RTP/SCS for the Sacramento region is the 2020 Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy (MTP/SCS), updating the 2016 version to strategize transportation and land use through the 2040 planning horizon that support an economically prosperous region with access to jobs and economic opportunity, transportation options, and affordable housing that works for all residents. The MTP/SCS also seeks to improve air quality, preserve open space and natural resources, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, extending the Sacramento Region Blueprint, which implements smart growth principles, including housing choice, compact development, mixed-use development, natural resource conservation, use of existing assets, quality design and transportation choice.
The plan takes an integrated approach to growth and transportation investment to provide clean air, housing choice, transportation options, and access to opportunity. The MTP/SCS is built around four goals that guide policy priorities leading to these outcomes:
• Vibrant Places. Build communities where workers want to live, with a wide range of housing options, easier commute options, convenient facilities and services, and access to nature and other recreational destinations.
• Mobility Options. Integrate new technologies and mobility options such as bike and scooter share, ride-hailing, and on-demand microtransit into existing transportation systems to facilitate improved and equitable access.
• Modernized Transportation Infrastructure Funding. Explore new ways to finance transportation infrastructure such as facility-based tolling and mileage-based fees as a replacement to the fuel tax.
• Multimodal Transportation. Prioritize implementation and maintenance of existing transportation systems, while encouraging a multimodal system that is safe and efficient for all users by investing in infrastructure and programs facilitating bicycle and pedestrian users.
The MTP/SCS supports these goalsthrough specific policies and strategies that are largely informed by the Blueprint and SACOG’s Rural-Urban Connections Strategy and include strategies ensuring consistency with SB 375. These policies open a path for qualifying residential/mixed-use projects to use the CEQA streamlining benefits provided under SB 375.
Sacramento International Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (2013) The SACOG Board of Directors serves as the Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) for Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. California’s State Aeronautics Act (Public Utilities Code, Chapter 4, Article 3.5), identifies the role and responsibilities of the ALUCs in land use planning. The Act’s ALUC requirements are intended to ensure that proposed land uses near public-use airports are compatible with airport uses in terms of safety, noise and air space. One of the ALUC’s primary functions is to develop and adopt airport land use compatibility plans (ALUCPs) that identify zones for safety, noise contours, and height restrictions, along with associated compatible land uses, for each public-use airport. Each local agency with jurisdiction over land uses within an ALUC’s planning area is required to ensure that its general plan is consistent with the relevant ALUCP. The Sacramento International Airport ALUCP includes the policies by which the ALUC operates and conducts compatibility reviews of proposed land use and airport development actions and specifies the compatibility criteria and other policies applicable specifically to Sacramento International Airport.
Rural-Urban Connections Strategy (2008)
In 2008, SACOG launched the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy (RUCS) to help implement the Sacramento Regional Blueprint. RUCS uses methods to ensure the economic vitality of rural areas of the region, including sustainable transportation and land use, agriculture, natural resources and other uses for the rural landscape. SACOG staff began RUCS by developing detailed, parcel-specific data on the cropping patterns on the farms in the region, as well as planning and economic analytical tools to help understand the economics of farming and how infrastructure, land use and market factors affect the ability of farmers to profitably get their goods to market. SACOG has focused both on the substantial part of the region’s farm economy that produces food for the nation and world, as well as increasing the share of the region’s collective consumption that is grown within the region. The RUCS is focused on these five topic areas:
• Land Use and Conservation. Policies and Plans that Shape Rural Areas • The Infrastructure of Agriculture. Challenges to the Production Process • Economic Opportunities. New Ways to Grow Revenue
• Forest Management. Building Up Economic and Environmental Value • Regulations. Navigating Federal and State Environmental Guidelines Sacramento Region Blueprint (2004)
The Sacramento Region Blueprint is a smart growth vision for the region adopted by the SACOG Board of Directors in 2004. The Blueprint is intended to integrate land use and transportation planning to curb sprawl and cut down on vehicle emissions and congestion to improve quality of life for residents of the region. To do this, the Blueprint follows smart growth principles that encourage a
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
variety of housing options closer to employment, shopping, and entertainment hubs, giving people options to walk, bike, or take public transportation.
Transit for Livable Communities (2003)
The Transit for Livable Communities report was drafted by the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) in 2002 and provides land use and policy guidance for existing and future light rail transit.
The report was approved by the City of Sacramento and Sacramento County in 2003. The report identified 21 RT light rail stations in the Folsom, Northeast, and South Sacramento Corridors that were to be developed or revitalized. The project objectives were to devise land use recommendations for the 21 stations; to capitalize on the hundreds of millions invested in the existing and future light rail system; to develop informed and enthusiastic public support for Transit Oriented Development (TOD); and to identify ways to facilitate TOD construction around light rail stations. Principles included in the Blueprint include transportation choice, compact development, mixed-use development, housing choice and diversity, use of existing assets, natural resource conservation, and quality design.
2.5 Existing Land Use
EXISTING LAND USE
Figure 2-14 shows existing land use in the Planning Area as of February 2019. Information on existing land uses was derived from the Sacramento County Assessor, the City of Sacramento’s GIS database and data, and aerial imagery of the Planning Area.
Land Use Pattern and Distribution
The existing land use pattern is dominated by single-family residential uses, which are found throughout the Planning Area, with other uses clustered around activity centers or corridors. After residential uses, other dominant uses include vacant land, open space/recreational uses, and industrial uses. Existing land uses and their locations throughout the Planning Area are described in more detail in the following pages.
Residential
Residential uses are the most common land use type in the City of Sacramento, totaling approximately 23,300 acres and including single-family, multi-family, and mobile home uses. As shown in Figure 2- 16, residential uses as a whole account for 45 percent of the land within City Limits, 49 percent of the unincorporated SOI, and 44 percent of the 2035 General Plan Policy Area. Single-family residential is the predominant residential use, making up 84 percent of the residential land in the City Limits and 2035 General Plan Policy Area, and 83 percent of the unincorporated SOI.
Del Paso Blvd
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Exisiting Land Use
Agricultural
Single Family
Multi-family
Mobile Home
Hospitality
Retail/Commercial
Office
Mixed Use
Light Industrial
Industrial
Public
School
Institutional
Open Space/Recreational
Parking
Miscellaneous
Utilities/Infrastructure
Vacant
Light Rail
Station
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Blue/Gold Line
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Green Line
Proposed Green Line Extension
Sacramento City Limit
Community Plan Area Boundary
Policy Area
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Water
Figure 2-14
Existing Land Use
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TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Table 2-7: Existing Land Use
City of Sacramento Sphere of Influence Policy Area
Land Use Acres Percent of
City
Acres Percent of
SOI
Acres Percent of
2035
General Plan
Policy Area
Residential 23,278 45% 6,058 49% 23,288 44%
Single-Family Residential 19,562 38% 5,063 41% 19,572 37% Multi-Family Residential 3,356 6% 712 6% 3,356 6%
Mobile Home Park 360 1% 283 2% 360 1%
Vacant 6,998 14% 1,752 14% 7,732 15%
Open Space/Recreational 5,806 11% 771 6% 5,817 11%
Industrial 4,800 9% 1,841 15% 5,405 10%
General Industrial 3,731 7% 1,513 12% 4,286 8%
Light Industrial 1,069 2% 328 3% 1,119 2%
Public/Institutional 4,380 8% 549 4% 4,385 8%
Public 1,335 3% 38 <1% 1,335 3%
School 1,841 4% 271 2% 1,841 3%
Institutional 1,203 2% 240 2% 1,208 2%
Commercial, Office, and
Mixed Use
4,048 8% 880 7% 4,186 8%
Retail/Commercial 1,897 4% 587 5% 1,925 4%
Office 1,772 3% 275 2% 1,878 4%
Mixed Use 242 <1% 10 <1% 242 <1%
Hospitality 137 <1% 8 <1% 140 <1%
Other 2,932 5% 485 4% 2,436 5%
Utilities/Infrastructure 1,171 2% 296 2% 1,179 2%
Agricultural 1,246 2% 164 1% 743 1%
Miscellaneous 329 1% 24 <1% 329 1%
Parking3 186 <1% - 0% 186 <1%
Total 52,209 100% 11,761 100% 53,248 100%
Notes:
1. Numbers may not sum due to rounding or incomplete data.
2. Total differs from total acreage in City Limits because uses do not include rights-of-way.
3. Only parcels dedicated to parking and not associated with other land uses have been included in the total.
Source: Sacramento County, 2019; City of Sacramento, 2019; Dyett & Bhatia, 2019.
Figure 2-15: Distribution of Existing Land Uses
Source: Sacramento County, 2019; City of Sacramento, 2019; Dyett & Bhatia, 2019 Single-family residential uses are spread throughout the Planning Area. Comparatively, multifamily residential uses comprise 14 percent of the residential land in the City Limits and 2035 General Plan Policy Area, and 12 percent of the SOI. Multi-family residential can also be found throughout the Planning Area, with a tendency to cluster in areas around non-residential uses, such as Downtown Sacramento, Old North Sacramento, North Oak Park southeast of Downtown Sacramento, and Arden Arcade, or along commercial corridors such as Stockton Boulevard and Franklin Boulevard. In the eastern portion of the Planning Area, some multi-family residential uses are clustered along the Gold Line of the light rail. Mobile home uses represent just 2 percent of the residential uses in the City and 2035 General Plan Policy Area and 5 percent of the unincorporated SOI. Mobile home parks are located farther from the city center, with larger parks located north of Interstate 80 (I-80), south of Fruitridge Road, and east of Power Inn Road. A number of mobile home parks are located along the Blue and Gold light rail lines.
Figure 2-16: Distribution of Existing Residential Uses
Source: Sacramento County, 2019; City of Sacramento, 2019; Dyett & Bhatia, 2019
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Vacant
Vacant land is the second most prevalent land use in the Planning Area. It covers approximately 7,000 acres or 14 percent of land in the City Limits, 1,800 acres or 14 percent of land in the unincorporated SOI, and 7,700 acres or 15 percent of land in the 2035 General Plan Policy Area.
Numerous large tracts of vacant land exist near the periphery of the Planning Area, notably along and north of I-80, in the industrial park in Fruitridge/Broadway, and along Cosumnes River Boulevard. Smaller vacant parcels are scattered throughout the Planning Area, with some larger concentrations in the SOI and North Sacramento. See Table 2-7 for vacant land by General Plan designation.
Open Space and Recreation
Open space and recreational uses include public parks, paths and trails, sports facilities, and drainage and flood control areas. These account for approximately 5,800 acres or 11 percent of the land in the City Limits and 2035 General Plan Policy Area, and 800 acres or 6 percent of land in the unincorporated SOI. Most of the open space and recreational land is located in large recreational open spaces along the American River, regional parks in North Natomas and North Sacramento, and several golf courses, with smaller parks and greenways scattered throughout the Planning Area.
Industrial
Industrial uses cover approximately 4,800 acres or 9 percent of the City of Sacramento, and make up 15 percent of land in the unincorporated SOI and 10 percent of land in the 2035 General Plan Policy Area. Industrial uses include heavy and light industrial, airport, building materials, warehouse, and vehicle-oriented uses. Industrial uses are located in clusters throughout the Planning Area, often near transportation infrastructure such as the freeways and rail lines, the largest of which is the industrial park along the rail line in Fruitridge/Broadway. Other large office parks are located north of Downtown Sacramento along the American River, along I-80 in North Natomas and North Sacramento, and near both Sacramento McClellan Airport and Sacramento Executive Airport.
Public/Institutional
Public uses cover approximately 4,400 acres or 8 percent of land in the City Limits and 2035 General Plan Policy Area, and only 500 acres or 4 percent of the unincorporated SOI. These include State and local governmental uses in and around Downtown Sacramento as well as schools and educational facilities and other public and community facilities. These uses are distributed throughout the Planning Area and include uses such as the California State University campus and Cal Expo in East Sacramento, Cosumnes River College and Kaiser Permanente in South Area, and the Sacramento Food Bank in North Sacramento.
Commercial, Office, and Mixed Use
Commercial, office, and mixed uses cover approximately 4,000 acres or 8 percent of land within the City Limits, 900 acres or 7 percent of the SOI, and 4,200 acres or 8 percent of the 2035 General Plan Policy Area. Retail/commercial uses make up the largest share of this category, with approximately
1,900 acres or 4 percent of the land within City Limits and the 2035 General Plan Policy Area, and 600 acres or 5 percent of the SOI. Office uses cover about 1,800 acres or 3 percent of the city, 300 acres or 2 percent of the SOI, and 1,900 or 4 percent of the 2035 General Plan Policy Area.
Commercial and office uses tend to be located together along corridors such as the streets of Downtown Sacramento, Stockton Boulevard, Franklin Boulevard, El Paso Boulevard, Florin Road, and Freeport Boulevard. Office uses are also clustered in office parks, including those north of the American River. Commercial-dominated clusters can be found northeast of Cal Expo, along I-80 in North Natomas, and along Stockton Boulevard in the SOI. Mixed use clusters generally occur on smaller parcels as mixes of office and commercial. Hospitality uses include hotels, motels, and bed and breakfasts and are scattered throughout the Planning Area, with the largest concentration in the Downtown area.
Figure 2-17: Distribution of Commercial, Office, and Mixed Uses in the Planning Area
Source: Sacramento County, 2019; City of Sacramento, 2019; Dyett & Bhatia, 2019 Other
Other uses include utilities, agriculture, miscellaneous, and parking. These uses cover approximately 2,900 acres or 5 percent of land in the city, 500 acres or 4 percent of land in the SOI, and 2,40 acres or 5 percent of land in the 2035 General Plan Policy Area. Utility and infrastructure uses include utility, power, and sewer facilities and lines, as well as rail right of ways. Agricultural uses are limited to community gardens and two parcels in North Natomas. Parking uses include those parcels dedicated to parking not in association with other land uses and make up less than one percent of total land in the city. These are located mainly in the Downtown area and near some light rail stops. Miscellaneous is a general category that captures parcels that are too small or irregularly shaped for development, or which have no other information associated with them to allow for categorization.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
CURRENT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Natomas Joint Vision
In 2002, the City Council and the County of Sacramento Board of Supervisors each approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining a joint vision for land use and revenue sharing principles for the unincorporated Natomas Basin area and recognized the City, rather than the County, is the appropriate agent for planning new growth in Natomas and can better provide a full range of municipal services. The County would retain its interest in the planning and development of Sacramento International Airport and Metro AirPark. The MOU recognized the County as the agent of preservation of permanent open space, habitat, and farmland/ranchland. The MOU set principles for implementation, including proactively guiding future urban growth through efficient land use and preservation of permanent open space/farmland; improving future air quality by reducing automobile traffic and accommodating future growth according to Smart Growth principles; providing a framework for revenue sharing between City and County to prevent tax revenue competition and promote balanced regional planning; and protecting future airport operations. The County’s 2011 General Plan update included an overlay of the Natomas Joint Vision Area . The County is currently processing two separate applications initiated by landowners that propose development in the Natomas Joint Vision Area. The County of Sacramento Board of Supervisors have approved allowing both development proposals known as the Grandpark project and the Upper Westside project to proceed separately with the initiation of a General Plan Amendment, Zoning, Specific Plan, Development Agreements, preparation of Environmental Impact Reports and reimbursement funding agreements. The proposed projects consist of approximately 7,783-acres, with plans for 32,871 residential units, and commercial uses.
Delta Shores
Located at the southern edge of the City, the Delta Shores development is an 800-acre master plan that will provide for 5,200 residents, as well as feature 1.3 million square feet of planned retail and 250,000 square feet of hotel and commercial uses. A large interchange improvement project extending Cosumnes River Boulevard was also completed in 2016 to expand and improve access to the site, capitalizing on freeway visibility along the adjacent Interstate 5 (I-5).
Railyards
In 2013, relocation of 2.3 miles of heavy rail opened up the Railyards site for development in support of a multi-modal transportation facility. In the same year, access improvements from the Railyards to Richards Boulevard and the I-5 interchange were completed as early phase redevelopment efforts. These projects are part of the implementation of the Sacramento Railyards Specific Plan, which will expand Downtown Sacramento and include residential, business, transportation, and commercial uses in a transit-oriented mixed-use district.
North Natomas Infill Redevelopment Planned Unit Development (Arco Arena) The site of the former sports and entertainment arena in North Natomas is currently under review as a 183-acre redevelopment project. The North Natomas Infill Redevelopment Planned Unit Development is conceptualized as an urban mixed-use, transit-supportive center intended to
maximize flexible, mixed-use development, integrating commercial, employment, residential, and other use opportunities and services. The PUD will connect employers, residents, and community members to Downtown Sacramento via transportation corridors along the Interstate 5 and Interstate 80 in addition to promoting higher density, transit-oriented environments to live, work, and play in.
2.6 Findings
NEED TO SIMPLIFY GENERAL PLAN LAND USE
CONTROL/REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
The City’s current 2035 General Plan’s “land use and urban form” classification system reflects designations by place types, such as Traditional Neighborhood or Urban Neighborhood or Urban Center, rather than traditional land uses. Furthermore, individual designations areas apply across large areas—such as entire neighborhoods—and encompass a variety of land uses. For example, the Suburban Medium Density designation permits single-family and multifamily housing, as well as limited neighborhood-serving commercial uses. These are further stratified as low, medium, high, reflecting a variety of densities and intensities. For each designation, residential density and floor area ratios (FARs) are specified. Urban form guidelines and requirements are also outlined.
The overall result is a complex set of controls with individual designations applying across a wide variety of sites and range of opportunities, and sometimes different existing uses as well. Given the need to regulate land uses at the parcel level, the City’s Zoning Ordinance follows a more traditional land-use based classification system. While the classification system does a good job of portraying the intended character of neighborhoods and districts, there are several issues and complexities that result from this classification serving as a regulatory instrument, from potentially unintended land use outcomes to lack of land use clarity for implementation at a site level (e.g., “employment” can correspond to whole host of land uses) and development intensities (FARs) that do not always correspond to densities (housing units per acre). There are also many more commercial (nonresidential and industrial) classifications in the General Plan than in the Zoning Ordinance.
Furthermore, recent State legislation that permits housing in locations and at densities at the more permissive levels in either a general plan or a zoning ordinance could also lead to implementation complexities.
Needed is a much more streamlined system that is simpler, with fewer classifications, that leads to greater predictability and certainty in outcomes, and that can serve as a useful tool to shape new development. Policies relating to individual site design and building placement may find a better home in the City’s design standards and guidelines, rather than the General Plan.
POLICIES IN THE GREATER PLANNING AREA
State law requires general plans to include all land within a city’s Sphere of Influence (SOI), as well as outside directly related to its planning. While the current general plan includes mapping that extends to the SOI, policies apply only to a “Policy Area” that is more restrictive and does not extend to the full sphere, let alone to sites outside the SOI. Thus, the City’s position relating to growth in these areas is not entirely clear – for example, should the City seek to limit lower density
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
development at the fringes in order to support compact, denser, and walkable and transit-oriented development patterns, so as to also support State air quality and greenhouse gas reductions targets? Should City services be extended to areas outside City boundaries to development that may not correspond with the City’s desired vision? The 2040 General Plan should present a cohesive vision for land not only within City limits, but also its entire Planning Area.
PLANS AND PROGRAMS OF OTHER AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS
As the State’s capital, Sacramento hosts a large number of State jobs, and is also home to institutions such as Sacramento State, plans of which have a direct impact on the city’s development patterns.
In particular, the State is an important player in the office market. Over the past two decades the State has had a clear vision of moving out of leased office space scattered across the metropolitan Sacramento region into State-owned office buildings in the Capitol Area, which is directly adjacent to Downtown. The State has built several million square feet of office space over the past decade in the Capitol Area, with repercussions on the local and sub-regional office market as space elsewhere is vacated. The State’s current Capitol Area Plan is more than 20 years old, and coordination between the General Plan and the State’s efforts will be helpful to gain insights into the State’s current thinking, as well as support the State’s investment in Sacramento’s core with complementary housing and service uses.
VACANT AND UNDERUTILIZED LAND
While initial analysis shows large amounts of “vacant” land within the city, the reality is much more nuanced, as significant portions of this land are constrained by environmental factors or not suitable for specific uses. In the next phases of the General Plan update process, a closer look at available land supply will be undertaken.
LAND USES SURROUNDING LIGHT RAIL STATIONS
There has been significant interest in the city in recent years in promoting transit-oriented development (TOD), linked to the regional light rail system. Most recently, the City Council passed a TOD Ordinance, removing or eliminating parking minimums, and restricting auto-oriented uses.
The General Plan can support City Council goals through more in-depth analysis of development opportunities in the station areas, and outline development densities and intensities that foster TOD, smart growth strategies, and infill development.
DEVELOPMENT IN EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS
There has been limited accessory dwelling unit (ADU) development in the city over the past several years, even given State and City policies and procedures that encourage these, with streamlined development approval processes. Thus, the overall market for second (or third) units on existing single-family lots in the city is uncertain. However, there is some interest in spurring greater development within existing neighborhoods, especially given the aging population and households with decreasing need for larger single-family homes, by permitting more units on existing lots or allowing additional units, while respecting the overall scale of existing development. Tools and strategies to enable this would need to be explored.
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3 Mobility
This Chapter addresses existing transportation systems within the Policy Area, including local and regional roadways, transit services, bicycle facilities, pedestrian facilities, airports, waterways, and railways.
3.1 Introduction
BACKGROUND
Mobility and accessibility in the city of Sacramento is provided by a variety of facilities serving a variety of travel modes carrying people and goods.
In the 1920 and 1930s, transportation planning within the city was largely focused on railroads.
Sacramento was served by four railroad companies1 as well as streetcar service, and the city was seen as favorable for rail travel and freight service due to its central location and proximity to the Sacramento River. With the popularity of cars, roadway travel became more common and the planning focus shifted to roadway construction and maintenance. By the 1950s, the city was facing congestion issues with two-thirds of the city’s roadways experiencing periods where demand exceeded capacity. Since then, several grade-separated freeways have been constructed in the City and continued to serve local and regional transportation needs; however, these large facilities often create local circulation challenge for auto and non-auto modes. Although substantial growth has occurred in outlying areas in recent years, Downtown Sacramento continues to serve as a major employment center within the region, which necessitates travel to/from the Downtown.
Congestion on freeways and major arterials in the City can cause drivers to divert onto neighborhood streets to avoid delays.
While vehicle congestion has had a prominent role in transportation planning in Sacramento, traffic safety has risen to be one of the more important issues for the City. Between 2009 and 2015, 151 people lost their lives on Sacramento’s streets and in 2017 and 2018, more people were killed in traffic crashes than by homicide. Through the 2018 Vision Zero Action Plan, the City is working to achieve the City’s goal of zero traffic fatalities by 2027.
With technological advances, many new mobility options have emerged in the past decade. A wide range of web- and cell phone application-based services such as ride-hailing, car share, and bike 1 Southern Pacific, Western Pacific., Sacramento Northern, and Central California Traction.
and e-scooter share operated by Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) have gained significant popularity in the City. On the horizon, autonomous vehicle technology is being tested for mass-market consumption. While providing enhanced mobility and convenience to users, these services also present challenges to the City such as licensing and regulation, increased vehicle travel, loss in parking revenue, and curb space management.
The transportation system in the city of Sacramento, along with the existing physical and operational conditions, is described below.
3.2 Roadways
INTRODUCTION
The City’s roadway network consists of a combination of Federal Interstate Highway System roads, one United States (U.S.) Route, California State Routes, and city roads and streets (arterial, collector, and local streets).
This roadway network is used extensively for personal vehicle travel. Table 3-1 documents the mode splits used by City residents to travel from home to work. As shown, approximately 85 percent of all city residents travel from home to work by automobile, of which 11 percent travel in a carpool of two or more persons. Public transit serves approximately four percent of residents commuting to work. Approximately three percent of residents walk to work, two percent bike to work, five percent work from home, and two percent use a different form of transportation than those specified above.
Table 3-1: Existing Journey to Work Mode Split
Mode Home-Work Mode Split
Drive Alone 73.7%
Carpool 11.1%
Public Transportation 3.7%
Bicycle 1.9%
Walk 2.8%
Work at Home 5.2%
Other 1.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates The Census Bureau data provides valuable insight into work commute trips, however these trips account for only a portion of the trips on the city’s roadways. The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) maintains a regional travel demand forecasting model, and in this role, periodically performs a household travel survey used to assist in the calibration of the model. The data from SACOG’s 2018 Regional Transportation Study shows the range of travel purposes for residents of the city of Sacramento:
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
• 37 percent for shopping, personal business, meals outside home • 18 percent for work
• 14 percent related to school
• 22 percent medical, civic, church, other
• 9 percent social/recreational
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Regional Roadway System
Two major interstate highways converge in Sacramento: Interstate 5 (I-5), a north-south highway running from Canada to Mexico, and Interstate 80 (I-80), an east-west highway running between San Francisco and the New York City metropolitan area. Two other major freeways, State Route 99 (SR 99), which runs north-south, and U.S. Highway 50 (US 50), which runs east-west, also converge within the city. The Capital City Freeway and State Route 160 (SR 160) round-out the city’s network of freeways. Within the region, I-5, I-80, and US 50 have been designated as National Alternative Fuel Corridors by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). As part of a national network, these freeway corridors facilitate alternative fuel vehicle travel by providing alternative fueling and charging infrastructure that are easy to access from the corridor.
This system of freeways handles the bulk of the long-distance trips that cross through the Sacramento region en-route to other destinations, but it also handles large volumes of commute trips between residential suburbs and the employment-rich Central Business District located in Downtown Sacramento. Detailed descriptions of each of these and other major regional facilities are provided below:
• Interstate 5 is a principal north/south freeway that extends the length of California into Oregon and Washington. Within the city, it travels along the eastern bank of the Sacramento River through Downtown, linking the primarily residential neighborhoods in Natomas and South Sacramento to the Central Business District. Interstate 5 also serves as the sole freeway in the region providing access to the Sacramento International Airport, and is a primary route used by long-distance truck traffic. Interstate 5 has six to eight travel lanes within the city.
• Interstate 80 is a principal east/west freeway that extends across the United States, connecting California to New Jersey. Within this region, I-80 connects the San Francisco Bay Area to Lake Tahoe and Reno, Nevada. Interstate 80 serves as a bypass of Downtown Sacramento, and travels through the northern portion of the City. This freeway is used as a major commute route for employees traveling into Sacramento from the northeastern suburbs, as well as from the west. It also serves as a major truck route between the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, the Tahoe Basin, and points east. Within the City, I-80
has six mainline travel lanes and one high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane in either direction.
• Business 80, also known as the Capital City Freeway or State Route 51 (SR 51), extends northeast from Downtown Sacramento, connecting to I-80 just east of Watt Avenue. In addition to serving as a link to the Central City, Business 80 provides access to major regional destinations including Cal Expo and Arden Fair Mall. Business 80 is a six-to-ten lane freeway within the city, and has one HOV lane in either direction between E Street and SR 99.
• US Highway 50 is a major east/west route that extends from I-80 near Downtown Sacramento to the Tahoe Basin and ultimately to Ocean City, Maryland. Within the City, US 50 functions as a freeway, with eight to ten travel lanes and there are plans to construct one HOV lane in either direction between I-5 and Howe Avenue in the near future. This freeway connects Downtown Sacramento to the eastern suburbs, including the cities of Rancho Cordova and Folsom.
• State Route 16 (SR 16), also known as Jackson Highway, is a designated State highway that links the city of Sacramento to eastern Sacramento County and Amador County. Apart from portions of the route co-designated with major freeways, SR 16 stretches approximately 1.5 miles within the city (from the US 50/Howe Avenue interchange to South Watt Avenue). In 2014, this segment of SR 16 was relinquished by Caltrans to the City of Sacramento.
• State Route 99 is a four-to-six lane freeway extending south from Business 80 to South Sacramento, Elk Grove, and through the Central Valley. This segment of SR 99 has one HOV lane in either direction on this major commute route between Downtown Sacramento and the southern suburbs. A portion of SR 99 is co-designated with US 50 and I-5 through Downtown Sacramento and Natomas. State Route 99 separates from I-5 near the northern city limit, stretching to the north as a four-lane freeway. • State Route 160 within the City limits remains under Caltrans control for a distance of just over two miles between Richards Boulevard and Business 80. This spur off of the regional freeway system extends across the American River, and is a key route for trips between the central city and the northeastern suburbs. All other portions of this route located within the city were relinquished by Caltrans to the City of Sacramento.
City Roadways
Figure 3-1 displays the functional classification and the number of travel lanes on roadways within the city as well as within the General Plan Policy Area. Functional classification describes the roadway purpose and use related to moving people and goods. The city’s roadways are divided into the following classifications:
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
• Major Arterial: A four to six-lane street that serves longer distance trips and serves as the primary route for moving traffic through the city connecting urban centers, residential neighborhoods, and commercial centers to one another, or to the regional transportation network. Movement of people and goods, also known as “mobility,” rather than access to adjacent land uses, is the primary function of an arterial street. These streets carry moderate-to-heavy vehicular movement, low-to-high pedestrian and bicycle movements, and moderate-to-high transit movement.
• Minor Arterial: A two-lane street that serves longer distance trips and provides access to the regional transportation system. These streets carry low-to moderate vehicular movement, low-to-high pedestrian and bicycle movements, and moderate-to-high transit movement. These roadways typically have high levels of access control. • Major Collector: A two-to four-lane street that primarily provides travel between arterial streets and collector or local streets and, secondarily, provides access to abutting properties.
These streets carry low to- moderate vehicular movement, low-to-heavy pedestrian movement, moderate-to-heavy bicycle movement, and low-to-moderate transit movement. These roadways have medians and moderate access control. • Minor Collector: A two-lane street that connects residential uses to the major street system. These roadways are undivided and have lower levels of access control to abutting properties than arterials or major collectors.
• Local: A two-lane street that provides direct access to abutting land uses. Local streets serve the interior of a neighborhood. These streets carry low vehicular movement, low-to-heavy pedestrian movement, and low-to- moderate bicycle movement. Typical local streets have right-of-way widths of 40 to 60 feet.
• Alley: A narrow, low volume lane, path, or passageway that typically provides shared use for pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles as a secondary access to abutting properties.
Del Paso Blvd
Ra el y B vl d
LandParkDr
Grand Ave
Norht boroughDr
J St
SheldonRd
N16ThSt
K St
NorthgateBlvd
39ThSt
43Rd Ave
N St
SuttervilleRd
Arden Way
StocktonBlvd
RushRiver Dr
CosumnesRiverBlvd
Q St
RichardsBlvd
MarconiAve
NatomasCentral Dr
RiversideBlvd
BrucevilleRd
Elder Creek Rd
Franklin Blvd
ClubCenterDr
AuburnBlvd
RioLindaBlvd
WindbridgeDr
Jackson Rd
ValleyHi Dr
24ThSt
El Camino Ave
59ThSt
HavensideDr
LaRivieraDr
FairOaksBlvd
XSt
AmericanRiver Dr
MckinleyBlvd
ElvasAve
21St St
Ful ot n Ave
PowerInnRd
No wr ood Ave
Eas et rn Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Center Pkwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook Dr
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
WattAve
65ThSt
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
GreenhavenDr
FlorinRd
HSt
HovnanianDr
TruxelRd
MarysvilleBlvd
MainAve
E ht an Way
WEl CaminoAve
CollegeTownDr
BrookfieldDr
RegencyParkCir
Engle Rd
13ThSt
GloriaDr
47Th Ave
SeamasAve
Cottage Way
Harva dr St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St Tower Brg
Westlake Pkwy
Capitol Mall
ArenaBlvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
MissionAve
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5ThSt 3Rd St
BridgecrossDr
65ThStreet Expy
SanJuanRd
AzevedoDr
AltaArdenExpy
SWattAve
Northrop Ave
HoweAve
Meadowview Rd
SilverEagleRd
ExpositionBlvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
E kl Grove F ol r ni Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N12ThSt
Gateway Park Blvd
Natomas Blvd
Bell Ave
CalvineRd
MackRd
46Th St
WElkhornBlvd
N Market Blvd
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr
14Th St
FlorinPerkinsRd
American River
ECommerceWay
FolsomBlvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
ArdenGarden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
Lone Tree Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
Power L ni e Rd
El CentroRd
Hedge Ave
GardenHwy
Heritage Park Ln
Ne w Market Dr
Duckhorn Dr
North Ave
South Ave
Arcade Blvd
Eleanor Ave
R oi L ni da B vl d
Bell St
51st St
14th Ave
Vallejo Way
2nd Ave
21st Ave
Lemon Hill Ave
Mart ni Lu ht er K ni g Jr. B vl d
John Still Dr
29th St
21st St
Ehrhardt Dr
Carlin Ave
Jacinto Ave
2 3
2 4
2 4
2 3
3 2
4 3
4 4
2 2
4 2
2 2
6 2
2 4
2 2
2 2
2 4
2 4
2 6
2 3
4 6
4 6
2 2
6 3
2 2
2 4
2 2
4 6
2 2
2 2
4 4
2 4
4 2
3 2
4 4
4 4
2 2
8 2
4 2
2 2
2 4 4
6 4
6 2
2 6
2 4
4 4
6 2
4 4
4 4
4 4
2 4
4 2
4 4
2 2
4 4
2 2
3 4
2 4
4 4
2 4
8 2
4 2
2 2
4 4
6 6
2 2
4 4
4 4
4 4
4 4
6 2
4 6
4 6
2 4
2 2
4 2
8 4
6 2
2 4
2 4
4 4
6 4
4 2
4 4
4 2
2 4
4 2
2 4
2 2
6 4
2 4
4 4
4 4
2 4
4 4
2 2
2 4
2 2
4 6
2 2
2 4
4 4
4 2
4 2
4 4
4 4
2 2
4 4
4 4
4 4
4 4
4 4
2 4
4 4 4
2 2
4 4
Number of Lanes
Freeway
Arterial
Major Collector
Minor Collector
Sacramento City Limit
Sphere of Influence
Policy Area
Water
Figure 3-1a
Roadway Classification
Source: City of Sacramento, 2020
N:\2018 Projects\3726_Sacramento_General_Plan_Update\Graphics\GIS\MXD\UpdatedVersion\04062020\F3-1a_RdwyClass_Lanes.mxd 0 ½ 1 2 Mile
x
See
Figure 3-1b
H St
Stockton Blvd
Land
Park Dr
J St
Franklin Blvd
N 16th
St
K St
N
orthgate Blvd
N St
Del Paso Blvd
Folsom Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Riverside
Blvd
X St
21st St
13th
St
I Street Brg
Freeport Blvd
Broadway
19th
St
16th
St
29th
St
12th
St
9th
St
10th
St
30th
St
15th
St
Alhambra
Blvd
24th
St
Tower Brg
Capitol Mall
W St
Television
Cir
C St
I St
P St
5th
St
3rd
St
Curtis Dr
Garden Hwy
N 12th St
4th
St
6th
St
7th
St
8th
St
O St
M St
2 3
2 2
2 3
2 2
4 4
2 2
3 2
3 2
4 2
3 2
2 2
4 2
2 2
4 3
2 2
4 2
2 2
2 3
3 3
4 3
3 3
3 2
3 3
4 3
2 4
2 2
2 2
4 2
3 3
4 2 2
2 3
4 2
4 4
Number of Lanes
Freeway
Arterial
Major Collector
Minor Collector
Sacramento City Limit
Sphere of Influence
Policy Area
Water
Figure 3-1b
Roadway Classification
Source: City of Sacramento, 2020
N:\2018 Projects\3726_Sacramento_General_Plan_Update\Graphics\GIS\MXD\UpdatedVersion\04062020\F3-1b_RdwyClass_Lanes.mxd x
0 0.1 0.2 0.4 Mile
The following major city roadways provide arterial connections to the regional freeway system:
• 47th Avenue
• 65th Street
• Arden Way
• Arena Boulevard
• Cosumnes River Boulevard
• Del Paso Road
• El Camino Avenue
• Elkhorn Boulevard
• Exposition Boulevard
• Florin Road
• Fulton Avenue
• Garden Highway
• I Street & J Street
• Mack Road
• Marconi Avenue
• MarysvillefBoulevard/Raley Boulevard
• Northgate Boulevard
• Norwood Avenue
• P Street & Q Street
• Pocket Road
• Power Inn Road/Howe Avenue
• Richards Boulevard
• Seamas Avenue/Fruitridge Road
• Stockton Boulevard
• Sutterville Road
• Truxel Road
• Watt Avenue
Appendix A lists all the roadways evaluated for this study, along with existing functional classification, geometric and traffic count data. Study roadways with segments that presently carry over 20,000 daily vehicle trips are listed below (roadways that are listed twice refer to different segments, which are detailed in Appendix A):
60,000 – 90,000 Daily Trips
• Power Inn Road
• Watt Avenue
40,000 - 60,000 Daily Trips
• Arden Way
• Cosumnes River Boulevard
• Del Paso Road
• Fair Oaks Boulevard
• Florin Road
• Howe Avenue
• Northgate Boulevard
• South Watt Avenue
• Truxel Road
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
20,000 - 40,000 Daily Trips
• 16th Street
• 47th Avenue
• 65th Street
• 65th Street Expressway
• Arden Garden Connector
• Arden Way
• Arena Boulevard
• Auburn Boulevard
• Broadway
• Bruceville Road
• Cosumnes River Boulevard
• Del Paso Road
• E Commerce Way
• El Camino Avenue
• El Camino Avenue
• Elder Creek Road
• Elkhorn Boulevard
• Exposition Boulevard
• Fair Oaks Boulevard
• Florin Perkins Road
• Florin Road
• Folsom Boulevard
• Franklin Boulevard
• Freeport Boulevard
• Fruitridge Road
• Garden Hwy
• Howe Avenue
• I Street
• J Street
• Mack Road
• Marconi Avenue
• Marysville Boulevard
• Meadowview Road
• Northgate Boulevard
• Norwood Avenue
• Pocket Road
• Power Inn
• Raley Boulevard
• Richards Boulevard
• Riverside Boulevard/43rd Avenue
• Stockton Boulevard
• Sutterville Road
• Truxel Road
• Valley Hi Drive
• W El Camino Avenue
With the exception of three segments (16th Street, J Street, I Street) in Downtown Sacramento and two segments along Richards Boulevard, all of the roadway segments currently carrying 20,000 or more vehicles per day are located outside of the Central City. Although the most densely developed parts of the city are within Downtown and Midtown, these areas have a gridded street system that disperses traffic and provides redundancy. Major arterial routes in other parts of the city typically
lack closely-spaced adjacent roadways, and function as primary commute corridors linking residential neighborhoods to commercial areas and the regional freeway system.
In 2019, the City adopted the City of Sacramento Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Master Plan, which identifies the City’s current and future ITS needs with a focus on effective investments in transportation to improve system performance, safety, and sustainability. The Plan provides a framework that assists with prioritizing mobility, incident response, efficient maintenance, and cost savings. Compared to capacity-expansion projects, ITS investments are low-cost and offer significant benefits to the transportation system and its users.
Roadway Capacity and Level of Service
Daily level of service (LOS) was calculated for each roadway segment in the regional roadway system to evaluate existing traffic conditions. Level of service is a qualitative measure of traffic operating conditions whereby a letter grade, from A (the best) to F (the worst), is used to describe the relationship between traffic demand on the roadway and the physical capacity of the roadway.
These grades represent the perspective of drivers and are an indication of the comfort and convenience associated with driving. Since this study relies on the daily LOS analysis, it is intended to gauge the need for potential roadway capacity expansion and does not provide an accurate assessment of peak period traffic operations when traffic volumes are at their highest and drivers tend to notice the effects of congestion. The LOS grades are generally defined in Table 3-2.
LOS was determined by comparing existing traffic volumes against daily LOS capacity thresholds, which take into account the functional classification and capacity of each roadway segment. Table 3-3 displays the thresholds used for the analysis. The vast majority of the traffic volumes were collected in April and May of 2019, and represent an average of the volume measured during two mid-week 24 hour time periods. This data was supplemented with recent traffic counts provided by the City of Sacramento at select locations. Please refer to Appendix X for traffic count data. The traffic count data should be considered an estimate of current volumes as it is based on a small sample of data and not a full year of continuous counts.
Figure 3-2 graphically displays the resulting roadway LOS analysis results. As shown, the vast majority of roadway segments operate at LOS D or better.
While the Mobility Element of the 2035 City of Sacramento General Plan identifies LOS D as the base level of service goal, LOS E and F operations are acceptable in portions of the city as identified in Policy M 1.2.2 pertaining to roadway level of service:
M 1.2.2Level of Service (LOS) Standard. The City shall implement a flexible context- sensitive Level of Service (LOS) standard, and will measure traffic operations against the vehicle LOS thresholds established in this policy. The City will measure Vehicle LOS based on the methodology contained in the latest version of the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) published by the Transportation Research Board. The City’s specific vehicle LOS thresholds have been defined based on community values with respect to modal priorities, land use context, economic development, and environmental resources and constraints.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Table 3-2: Level of Service Definitions, Transportation Research Board, 2016 Level of Service Description
A
LOS A describes primarily free-flow operation. Vehicles are completely unimpeded in their ability to maneuver within the traffic stream. Control delay at the boundary intersections is minimal.
B
LOS B describes reasonably unimpeded operation. The ability to maneuver within the traffic stream is only slightly restricted and control delay at the boundary intersections is not significant.
C
LOS C describes stable operation. The ability to maneuver and change lanes at midsegment locations may be more restricted than at LOS B. Longer queues at the boundary intersection may contribute to lower travel speeds.
D
LOS D indicates a less stable condition in which small increases in flow may cause substantial increases in delay and decreases in travel speed. This operation may be due to adverse signal progression, high volume, or inappropriate signal timing at the boundary intersections.
E
LOS E is characterized by unstable operation and significant delay. Such operations may be due to some combination of adverse progression, high volume, and inappropriate signal timing at the boundary intersections.
F
LOS F is characterized by flow at extremely low speed. Congestion is likely occurring at the boundary intersection, as indicated by high delay and extensive queuing.
Source: Transportation Research Board 2016, Highway Capacity Manual, Volume 3, pp. 18-6 – 18-7.
Del Paso Blvd
Ra el y B vl d
Land Park Dr
Grand Ave
Northborough Dr
J St
Sheldon Rd
N 16Th St
K St
Northgate Blvd
39Th St
43Rd Ave
N St
Sutterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush River Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
Natomas Cen tral Dr
Riverside Blvd
Bruceville Rd
Elder Creek Rd
Franklin Blvd
Club Center Dr
Auburn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Windbridge Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
24T h St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Havenside Dr
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd
XSt
American River Dr
Mckinley Blvd
Elvas Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power Inn Rd
No wr ood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Center Pkwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook Dr
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65ThSt
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
GreenhavenDr
Florin Rd
H St
Hovnanian Dr
Truxel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El CaminoAve
College Town Dr
Brookfield Dr
Regency Park Cir
Engle Rd
1 3Th St
Gloria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Harvard St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St
Tower Brg
Westlak e Pk wy
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission Ave
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5ThSt
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azevedo Dr
Alta Arden Expy
S WattAve
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
Exposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
E kl Grove F ol r ni Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N 12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natomas Blvd
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blvd
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr
14Th St
Florin Perkins Rd
American River
E Commerce Way
Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Arden Garden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
Lone Tree Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
Power L ni e Rd
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
Heritage Park Ln
New Market Dr
Duckhorn Dr
North Ave
South Ave
Arcade Blvd
Eleanor Ave
R oi L ni da B vl d
Bell St
51st St
14th Ave
Vallejo Way
2nd Ave
21st Ave
Lemon Hill Ave
Mart ni Luther K ni g Jr. B vl d
John Still Dr
29th St
21st St
Ehrhardt Dr
Carlin Ave
Jacinto Ave
6.8 4.5
27.7 26.8
10.1 12.5
33.8 27.2
16.4 20.8
1 6.2
7.2 6.4
57.4 14.5
22.9 41.4
9.3 36.3
8.2 44 .9
9.1 20.2
19.1 12.0
1 0.6
7.6 19.0
20.3 23.6
37.1 0.5
7.0 8.2
15.6 20.8
31.0 31.6
38.5 13.5
26.6 40 .5
7.2 10.4
13.3 5.2
28.8 26.4
15.9 21.0
38.4 6.7
1.3 2 3.9
10.6 15.0
13.0 10.7
6.5 18.2
14.4 11.8
44.4 23.3
25.9 10.2
13.8 26.8
26.2 24.1
25.7 29.9
10.6 17.3
28.3 20.4
36.5 32.7
30.4 38.6
3.3 11.6
19.5 25.8
20.1 4.5
5.9 2 0 . 9
19.9 14.3
4.9 19.0
23.9 53.3
5.6 41.2
24.7 31.4
8.9 2 2.3
54.5 17.6
24.7 6.5
16.6 15.1
14.8 38.1
62.5 54.4
8.0 17.4
23.8 21.7
37.9 28.9
23.5 12.8
20.6 20.7
13.8 25.3
51.7 15.1
16.1 22.9
16.7 9.0
13.9 21.2
5.1 5 8.1
29.8 84.4
14.1 13.1
26.5 7.2
42.4 9.4
9.9 43.1 16.2
30.7 24.2
32.9 16.2
5.1 18.7
22.0 26.3
7.1 4 .3
18.9 23.1
16.7 35.0
20.8 6.9
20.4 35.6
27.9 15.8
20.7 9.9
27.7 18.4
1 9.6 16.3
18.1 3.0
24.1 11.1
13 . 3
29.4 29.9
9.5 8.0
4.2 11.3
21.7 55.6
30.3 11.7
19.6 14.8
11.3 21.2
25.6 8.2
13.3 8.7
18.1 29.6
16.0 27.7
20.6 29.7
15.8 31.1
22.7 27.1
13.7 36.0
17.9 6.6
18.4 1.8
17.6 10.1
Level of Service
Traffic Volume x 1,000
A - D
E
F
Sacramento City Limit
Sphere of Influence
Policy Area
Water
Figure 3-2a
Roadway
Level of Service
Source: City of Sacramento, 2020; Fehr & Peers, 2020
N:\2018 Projects\3726_Sacramento_General_Plan_Update\Graphics\GIS\MXD\UpdatedVersion\04062020\F3-2a_RdwyLOS.mxd 0 ½ 1 2 Mile
xx.x
See
Figure 3-2b
H St
Stockton Blvd
Land
Park Dr
J St
Franklin Blvd
N 16th
St
K St
N
orthgate Blvd
N St
Del Paso Blvd
Folsom Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Riverside
Blvd
X St
21st St
13th
St
I Street Brg
Freeport Blvd
Broadway
19th
St
16th
St
29th
St
12th
St
9th
St
10th
St
30th
St
15th
St
Alhambra
Blvd
24th
St
L St
Tower Brg
Capitol Mall
W St
Television
Cir
C St
I St
P St
5th
St
3rd
St
Curtis Dr
Garden Hwy
N 12th St
4th
St
6th
St
7th
St
8th
St
O St
M St
10.3 9.7
6.8 7.8
4.8 3.0
9.4 16.2
9.5 10.1
12.5 13.9
0.5 7.8
15.8 26.5
8.1 14.5
10.2 11.8
9.3 10.6
18.4 12.0
12.5 15.6
22.3 7.4
15.6 14.8
13.3 5.2
26.4 6.7
10.6 13.0
10.7 23.3
13.8 11.1
5.3 19.5
7.2 8.0
22.4 15.8
5.1 24.2
20.4 Level of Service
Traffic Volume x 1,000
A - D
E
F
Sacramento City Limit
Sphere of Influence
Policy Area
Water
Source: City of Sacramento, 2020; Fehr & Peers, 2020
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Figure 3-2b
Roadway
Level of Service
Table 3-3: Level of Service Thresholds for City Roadway Segments Operational Class
Number
of
Lanes
ADT Level-of-Service Capacity Threshold
A B C D E
Arterial – Low Access
Control
2 9,000 10,500 12,000 13,500 15,000
4 18,000 21,000 24,000 27,000 30,000
6 27,000 31,500 36,000 40,500 45,000
Arterial – Moderate Access
Control
2 10,800 12,600 14,400 16,200 18,000
4 21,600 25,200 28,800 32,400 36,000
6 32,400 37,800 43,200 48,600 54,000
Arterial – High Access
Control
2 12,000 14,000 16,000 18,000 20,000
4 24,000 28,000 32,000 36,000 40,000
6 36,000 43,000 48,000 54,000 60,000
Collector Street – Minor 2 5,250 6,125 7,000 7,875 8,750 Collector Street – Major
2 8,400 9,800 11,200 12,600 14,000
4 16,800 19,600 22,400 25,200 28,000
Local Street 2 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000
Facility Type Stops/Mile Driveways Speed
Arterial – Low Access
Control 4+ Frequent 25-35 MPH
Arterial – Moderate Access
Control 2-4 Limited 35-45 MPH
Arterial – High Access
Control 1-2 None 45-55 MPH
Source: City of Sacramento 2014, 2035 General Plan Update Master Environmental Impact Report, p. 4.12-4.
As such, the City has established variable LOS thresholds appropriate for the unique characteristics of the City’s diverse neighborhoods and communities. The City will strive to operate the roadway network at LOS D or better for vehicles during typical weekday conditions, including AM and PM peak hour with the following exceptions described below and mapped on Figure M-1:
A. Core Area (Central City Community Plan Area) – LOS F allowed.
B. Priority investment Areas2 – LOS F allowed.
2 Priority Investment Areas were established in the 2030 General Plan is a two-tier priority investment system that the City uses to align programming guide criteria and CIP funding for new infrastructure projects.
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
C. LOS E Roadways – LOS E is allowed for the following roadways because expansion of the roadways would cause undesirable impacts or conflict with other community values. 65th Street: Elvas Avenue to 14th Avenue
• Arden Way: Royal Oaks Drive to I-80 Business
• Broadway: Stockton Boulevard to 65th Street
• College Town Drive: Hornet Drive to La Rivera Drive
• El Camino Avenue: I-80 Business to Howe Avenue
• Elder Creek Road: Stockton Boulevard to Florin Perkins Road • Elder Creek Road: South Watt Avenue to Hedge Avenue
• Fruitridge Road: Franklin Boulevard to SR 99
• Fruitridge Road: SR 99 to 44th Street
• Howe Avenue: El Camino Avenue to Auburn Boulevard
• Sutterville Road: Riverside Boulevard to Freeport Boulevard: LOS E is also allowed on all roadway segments and associated intersections located within ½ mile walking distance of light rail stations.
D. Other LOS F Roadways – LOS F is allowed for the following roadways because expansion of the roadways would cause undesirable impacts or conflict with other community values. • 47th Avenue: State Route 99 to Stockton Boulevard
• Arcade Boulevard: Marysville Boulevard to Roseville Road • Carlson Drive: Moddison Avenue to H Street
• El Camino Avenue: Grove Avenue to Del Paso Boulevard
• Elvas Avenue: J Street to Folsom Boulevard
• Elvas Avenue/56th Street: 52nd Street to H Street
• Florin Road: Havenside Drive to Interstate 5
• Florin Road: Freeport Boulevard to Franklin Boulevard • Florin Road: Interstate 5 to Freeport Boulevard
• Folsom Boulevard: 47th Street to 65th Street
• Folsom Boulevard: Howe Avenue to Jackson Highway
• Folsom Boulevard: US 50 to Howe Avenue
• Freeport Boulevard: Sutterville Road (North) to Sutterville Road (South)
• Freeport Boulevard: 21st Street to Sutterville Road (North) • Freeport Boulevard: Broadway to 21st Street
• Garden Highway: Truxel Road to Northgate Boulevard
• H Street: Alhambra Boulevard to 45th Street
• H Street: 45th Street to Carlson Drive
• Hornet Drive: US 50 Westbound On-ramp to Folsom Boulevard • Howe Avenue: US 50 to Fair Oaks Boulevard
• Howe Avenue: US 50 to 14th Avenue
• Raley Boulevard: Bell Avenue to Interstate 80
• South Watt Avenue: US 50 to Kiefer Boulevard
• West El Camino Avenue: Northgate Boulevard to Grove Avenue E. If maintaining the above LOS standards would, in the City’s judgment be infeasible and/or conflict with the achievement of other goals, LOS E or F conditions may be accepted provided that provisions are made to improve the overall system, promote non-vehicular transportation, and/or implement vehicle trip reduction measures as part of a development project or a city-initiated project. Additionally the City shall not expand the physical capacity of the planned roadway network to accommodate a project beyond that identified in Figure M4 and M4a (2035 General Plan Roadway Classification and Lanes).
Table 3-4 lists all locations currently operating at LOS E or F. Two of the roadway segments operating at LOS E fall within a ½ a mile walking distance of a light rail station, where according to Policy M 1.2.2 LOS E is allowed.
• Roseville Road (between Arcade Boulevard and Watt Avenue): the western portion of this segment is within a ½ walk of a light rail station (LOS E acceptable). • Cosumnes River Boulevard (between Franklin Boulevard and SR-99): the entire length of this segment is within ½ mile of a light rail station, and therefore LOS E is acceptable.
F. Several locations listed in Table 3-4 are located within the Core Area, Priority investment Areas, or along corridors with flexible LOS standards as defined in Policy M 1.2.2.
Locations operate at LOS E or F that are not acceptable are highlighted in bold in Table 3-
4.
Table 3-4: Roadway Segments Operating at LOS E or LOS F, City of Sacramento, 2019
Roadway Segment Lanes Daily Volume Existing LOS
I St 5th St to 12th St 3 22,315 F
12th Ave Martin Luther King Jr Blvd to SR99 2 19,016 F 16th St P St to W St 3 15,551 F
47th Ave SR-99 to Stockton Blvd 4 35,641 E
Alhambra Blvd Stockton Blvd to Broadway 2 13,762 E
Arcade Blvd Marysville Blvd to Roseville Rd 2 18,241 F
Arden Way Royal Oaks Dr to I-80 Business 4 36,503 F
Arden Way I-80 Business to Exposition Blvd 8 54,546 E
Broadway Stockton Blvd to 65th St 2 16,311 E
Carlson Dr Moddison Ave to H St 2 10,602 F
Cosumnes River
Blvd Franklin Blvd to Center Pkwy 2 22,868 F
Cosumnes River Blvd Center Pkwy to SR-99 6 54,422 E
El Camino Ave Del Paso Blvd to I-80 Business 4 32,946 E El Camino Ave I-80 Business to Howe Ave 4 38,432 F
Elkhorn Blvd SR-99 to E Commerce Way 2 20,794 F
Elvas Ave J ST to Folsom Blvd 3 18,988 F
Fair Oaks Blvd Watt Ave to Eastern Ave 4 42,434 F
Florin Rd Havenside Dr to I-5 4 38,574 E
Florin Rd Freeport Blvd to Franklin Blvd 4 36,030 F
Florin Rd SR-99 to 65th St 6 57,361 E
Folsom Blvd Howe Ave to Jackson Hwy 4 38,544 F
Garden Hwy I-5 to Truxel Rd 2 20,787 F
Garden Hwy Truxel Rd to Northgate Blvd 2 23,149 F
H St Alhambra Blvd to 45th St 2 13,876 E
H St 45th St to Carlson Dr 2 17,635 F
Howe Ave US-50 to Fair Oaks Blvd 4 55,633 F
Howe Ave El Camino Ave to Auburn Blvd 2 16,596 E
J St 3rd St to 7th St 3 22,413 F
J St 7th St to 10th St 3 15,710 F
J St 10th St to 16th St 3 18,070 F
J St/Fair Oaks Blvd H St to Howe Ave 4 41,226 F
La Rivera Dr Watt Ave to Folsom Blvd 2 18,052 F
Land Park Dr Broadway to Vallejo Way 2 13,011 E
Mack Rd Center Pkwy to Stockton Blvd 4 38,136 E
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
Roadway Segment Lanes Daily Volume Existing LOS
Power Inn Rd US 50 to 14th Ave 6 62,511 F
Power Inn Rd 14th Ave to Fruitridge Rd 4 37,908 F
Q St 3rd St to 10th St 3 15,630 F
Raley Blvd Ascot Ave to Bell Ave 2 20,156 F
Raley Blvd Bell Ave to I-80 4 33,804 E
Roseville Rd Arcade Blvd to Watt Ave 2 17,645 E
S Watt Ave Kiefer Blvd to Jackson Hwy 4 40,501 F
Truxel Rd Arena Blvd to I-80 8 58,072 E
W Elkhorn Blvd E Commerce Way to Natomas
Blvd 2 16,654 E
Watt Ave Fair Oaks Blvd to US-50 6 84,384 F
Note: Bold font denotes segments that are categorized as “unacceptable” under 2035 General Plan thresholds.
Source: Fehr & Peers, 2019.
A total of 31 roadway segments within unincorporated Sacramento County were evaluated to determine existing conditions just outside of the Policy Area boundary. Table 3-4 lists the locations of four roadway segments with existing unacceptable LOS according to the County’s existing standards.
Policy CI-9 contained in the Circulation Element of the Sacramento County General Plan (Sacramento County amend. 2017) sets forth definitions for what is considered an acceptable level of service. The following excerpt from the level of service policy is relevant to this study:
C1-9 Plan and design the roadway system in a manner that meets Level of Service (LOS) D on rural roadways and LOS E on urban roadways, unless it is infeasible to implement project alternatives or mitigation measure that would achieve LOS D on rural roadways or LOS E on urban roadways. The urban areas are those areas within the Urban Service Boundary as shown in the Land Use Element of the Sacramento County General Plan.
The areas outside the Urban Service Boundary are considered rural.
All roadway segments studied within Sacramento County are located within the Urban Service Boundary, and therefore LOS E is considered acceptable.
Table 3-5: Road Segments Exceeding Acceptable LOS Standards in Adjacent Jurisdictions, County of Sacramento, 2019
Roadway Segment Lanes Daily Volume Existing LOS
Fair Oaks Blvd Watt Ave to Eastern Ave 4 42,434 F
Watt Ave Fair Oaks Blvd to US-50 6 84,384 F
La Rivera Dr Watt Ave to Folsom Blvd 2 18,052 F
S Watt Ave Kiefer Blvd to Jackson Hwy 4 40,501 F
Source: Fehr & Peers, 2019.
Two roadway segments were evaluated in the city of Elk Grove including a portion of Franklin Boulevard and Bruceville Road immediately south of the City’s Policy Area boundary. These road segments operate within acceptable levels under existing conditions according to the City of Elk Grove’s existing standards.
Freeways
Freeway performance is largely evaluated based on traffic volume, travel speeds, and the stability or reliability of travel speeds. For the 2040 General Plan Update, recent analysis completed by SACOG and Caltrans was used to describe current and future traffic operations. A substantial amount of analysis has already been performed by these agencies to evaluate freeway performance and to determine the specific future freeway modifications that would be compatible with federal, state and regional plans to support planned regional population, employment, and student growth, which is inclusive of City of Sacramento growth under the 2040 General Plan Update. Relying on this analysis is essential since any modification of the freeway system to accommodate growth must be compatible with federal, state, and regional air pollutant and greenhouse gas reduction goals as well as fit within the financial resources of each region.
The Transportation Corridor Concept Report, Interstate 5 (Caltrans 2017), like all Caltrans transportation corridor or route concept reports, identifies long-range improvements for specific state highway corridors. These reports also establish the “concept” or desired LOS for specific corridor segments. The long-range improvements are identified to bring the existing facility up to the design concept expected to adequately serve 20-year traffic forecasts. In addition, the ultimate design concept for the facility is also identified for conditions beyond the immediate 20-year design period. Throughout the City of Sacramento, the concept service level on I-5 is LOS E with the exception of a short segment located within the city west of SR-99, which has a concept service level of LOS D/E. Caltrans typically established LOS E as the desired concept LOS in urban areas, but will establish LOS F thresholds when the improvements to accommodate LOS E are not feasible due to environmental, right-of-way, financial, and other constraints.
From the southern city limit to Pocket Road, the 20-year concept for I-5 is an eight-lane freeway with one HOV lane in each direction, and the ultimate facility incorporates Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) to the 20-year concept. In the event that ICM is not feasible, then two additional general purpose lanes may be added. From Pocket Road, through Downtown Sacramento, north to the I-5/SR 99 interchange, near-term improvements and ultimate facility
TECHNICAL BACKGROUND REPORT
concept include construction of HOV lanes in each direction, auxiliary land transition lanes, reconstruction of I-5/US 50 and I-5/Richards Blvd interchanges, Intelligent Transportation Services (ITS) elements (such as ramp meters), and ICM. From SR 99 to the Sacramento/Yolo County Line, the 20-year concept is a six-lane freeway with four general purpose lanes and one HOV lane in either direction. The ultimate facility concept includes ICM or adding two additional general-purpose lanes.
The Transportation Corridor Concept Report, Interstate 80 (Caltrans 2017) contains the 20-year improvement concept for I-80. Throughout the city of Sacramento, the concept service level is LOS E. The 20-year concept and the ultimate facility concept for the corridor is an eight-lane freeway with three general-purpose lanes and one HOV lane in each direction.
The Transportation Corridor Concept Report and Corridor System Management Plan, United States Highway 50 (Caltrans 2014) contains the 20-year improvement concept for US 50. Throughout the city of Sacramento, the concept service level is LOS E. Throughout the entire city, the 20-year concept and the ultimate facility concept is a ten-lane freeway with one HOV lane in each direction.
The State Route 99 Transportation Corridor Concept Report (Caltrans 2017) contains the 20-year improvement concept for SR 99. South of US 50, the concept service level is LOS F throughout the city of Sacramento. From Fruitridge Road and US 50, the 20-year concept and ultimate facility concept is a ten-lane facility with one HOV lane in each direction and one auxiliary or transition lane.
For the segment of SR 99 within the city located north of I-5, the concept service level is LOS F. The 20-year concept and ultimate facility concept for this segment is a four-lane freeway with two general purpose lanes in each direction.
The State Route 51 Corridor System Management Plan (Caltrans 2015) contains the 20-year improvement concept for the Capital City Freeway (SR 51). Throughout the city of Sacramento, the concept service level is LOS E. From the US 50/SR 99 junction to N Street, the 20-year concept is a ten-lane freeway with three general purpose lanes, one HOV lane, and one auxiliary lane in each direction. From H Street to the Arden Way/SR 160 interchange, the 20-year concept is an eight-lane freeway with three general purpose lanes and one auxiliary lane in each direction. From the Arden Way/SR 160 interchange to the I-80 junction, the 20-year concept is an eight-lane freeway with three general purpose lanes and one auxiliary lane in each direction. ITS will be incorporated in each segment of the corridor.
Truck Routes
The Federal and State highways within the city and General Plan Policy Area have been designated as truck routes by Caltrans. I-80, I-5, U.S. 50, SR 99, and Business 80 are included in the National Network for Service Transportation Assistance Act (STAA) of 1982.
State Route 160, most of which Caltrans relinquished to the City, is part of the California Legal Network. The California Legal Network limits some of the larger trucks allowed under the STAA network. Trucks are defined as heavy freight vehicles that meet the STAA definitions found in the California State Vehicle Code.
The percentage of truck traffic on freeways in the city is summarized in Table 3-6. As shown, I-5 through Downtown Sacramento has the highest truck percentage (8.1 percent), while Business 80 (Capital City Freeway) has the lowest percentage of trucks (3.4 percent).
Table 3-6: Truck Percentages on City Freeways, City of Sacramento, 2016 Interstate/Highway Vehicle AADT1 Truck AADT1 Percentage of Trucks I-5 south of Jct. I-80 157,600 12,733 8.1%
I-80 east of Jct. I-5 143,900 8,245 5.7%
U.S. 50 east of Jct. SR 99 225,500 8,366 3.7%
SR 99 south of Jct. U.S. 50 231,700 10,451 4.5%
Business 80 at Exposition Blvd 169,000 5,332 3.2%
Notes: 1. AADT = 2016 Annual Average daily traffic volumes.
Source: Annual Average Daily Truck Traffic on the California State Highway System, Caltrans, 2016 (pages 21, 94, 72, 116, 74)
In addition to Federal and State highways, multiple City streets were identified as STAA truck routes by the City Council. Those streets are shown on Figure 3-3. The designation of roadways as STAA routes promotes their use by larger trucks and connects key industrial facilities in the city to the State and Federal system. Designation as a truck route means that trucks are allowed to use those roadways for “through” trips. Unless explicitly prohibited by local ordinance, the California Vehicle Code allows trucks on all streets if they are along a reasonable route to the intended destination.
REGULATORY CONTEXT
Federal and State
There are thousands of Federal laws and regulations related to goods movement, homeland security, street maintenance, traffic safety, and transportation funding. The following legislation established the framework for transportation planning at the federal level: Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) approved in 2015.
The California Transportation Plan (CTP) 2040 (Caltrans 2016), developed by Caltrans, provides broad system concepts, strategies, and performance measures for the State facilities (all modes).
Caltrans’ Route Concept Reports identify long-range improvements for specific State highway corridors and establish the concept or desired LOS for specific segments. Long-range improvements are identified to improve the existing facility up to the design concept expected to adequately serve 20-year traffic forecasts. As previously discussed, nearly all freeway segments within the City have a concept LOS E or F, with the exception of I-5 west of the I-5/SR 99 interchange (LOS D/E).
Del Paso Blvd
Ra el y B vl d
Land Park Dr
Grand Ave
Northborough Dr
J St
Sheldon Rd
N 16Th St
K St
Northgate Blvd
39Th St
43Rd Ave
N St
Sutterville Rd
Arden Way
Stockton Blvd
Rush River Dr
Cosumnes River Blvd
Q St
Richards Blvd
Marconi Ave
Natomas Cen tral Dr
Riverside Blvd
Bruceville Rd
Elder Creek Rd
Franklin Blvd
Club Center Dr
Auburn Blvd
Rio Linda Blvd
Windbridge Dr
Jackson Rd
Valley Hi Dr
24T h St
El Camino Ave
59Th St
Havenside Dr
La Riviera Dr
Fair Oaks Blvd
XSt
American River Dr
Mckinley Blvd
Elvas Ave
21St St
Fulton Ave
Power Inn Rd
No wr ood Ave
Eastern Ave
Grove Ave
I Street Brg
Center Pkwy
Freeport Blvd
Danbrook Dr
Broadway
19Th St
45Th St
Watt Ave
65ThSt
16Th St
29Th St
12Th St
9Th St
10Th St
30Th St
15Th St
Alhambra Blvd
GreenhavenDr
Florin Rd
H St
Hovnanian Dr
Truxel Rd
Marysville Blvd
Main Ave
Ethan Way
W El CaminoAve
College Town Dr
Brookfield Dr
Regency Park Cir
Engle Rd
1 3Th St
Gloria Dr
47Th Ave
Seamas Ave
Cottage Way
Harvard St
Pocket Rd
Roseville Rd
Walnut Ave
E Stockton Blvd
L St
Tower Brg
Westlak e Pk wy
Capitol Mall
Arena Blvd
Edison Ave
Kiefer Blvd
Mission Ave
French Rd
W St
Television Cir
C St
I St
P St
5ThSt
3Rd St
Bridgecross Dr
65Th Street Expy
San Juan Rd
Azevedo Dr
Alta Arden Expy
S WattAve
Northrop Ave
Howe Ave
Meadowview Rd
Silver Eagle Rd
Exposition Blvd
Del Paso Rd
Curtis Dr
E kl Grove F ol r ni Rd
Elsie Ave
Fruitridge Rd
Munroe St
N Bend Dr
N 12Th St
Gateway Park Blvd
Natomas Blvd
Bell Ave
Calvine Rd
Mack Rd
46Th St
W Elkhorn Blvd
N Market Blvd
Elkhorn Blvd
Gerber Rd
S Land Park Dr
14Th St
Florin Perkins Rd
American River
E Commerce Way
Folsom Blvd
Big Horn Blvd
Levee Rd
Hurley Way
35Th Ave
Arden Garden
N Park Dr
E Levee Rd
Laguna Blvd
Lone Tree Rd
Metro Air Pkwy
Power L ni e Rd
El Centro Rd
Hedge Ave
Garden Hwy
Heritage Park Ln
New Market Dr
Duckhorn Dr
North Ave
South Ave
Arcade Blvd
Eleanor Ave
R oi L ni da B vl d
Bell St
51st St
14th Ave
Vallejo Way
2nd Ave
21st Ave
Lemon Hill Ave
Mart ni Luther K ni g Jr. B vl d
John Still Dr
29th St
21st St
Ehrhardt Dr
Carlin Ave
Jacinto Ave
City Truck Routes
Weight Restricted Route
STAA Truck Routes
Sacramento City Limit
Sphere of Influence
Policy Area
Water
Figure 3-3
Truck Routes
Source: City of Sacramento Public Works, 2020
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J St
3rd St
10th St
9th St
5th St
N St
L St
Q St
P St
7th St
8th St
K St
12th St
I St
H St
G St
F St
E St
13th St
15th St
16th St
Note: All truck routes are two-way except the following segments:
- 5th Street between Railyards Boulevard and Q Street: northbound only. - 7th Street between Railyards Boulevard and North B Street: northbound only. - Railyards Boulevard between 5th Street and 7th Street: eastbound only. -According to Resolution 83-010, streets and parts of streets as described in resolution that are established as one-way streets are identified as truck routes.