Planning Commission backs Bickford Ranch amendments shifting fire‑station responsibility to county, increasing affordable‑housing in‑lieu fees

The Planning Commission voted to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve a package of amendments to the Bickford Ranch Specific Plan development agreement that would shift responsibility for financing and constructing a planned fire station from the developer to Placer County and revise affordable‑housing fee provisions.

Senior planner David Oroz told the commission the fourth amendment would: (1) align Bickford Ranch with the countywide Fire Facility Fee Program, (2) shift construction responsibility for the fire station to the county while the developer pays the county fire facility fee plus $1,000 per residential unit, and (3) revise affordable‑housing in‑lieu fees for phases 2 and 3 so the fee equals the Placer County affordable housing fee in effect at building permit issuance (the staff report cited approximately $2.69 per square foot as…