Sacramento County approves West Jackson Highway master plan, certifies EIR and overrides airport noise limit

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on June 11 voted unanimously to certify the final environmental impact report and approve the West Jackson Highway master plan, a comprehensive entitlement package for roughly 5,913 acres in the Vineyard and Cordova communities east of Jackson Highway.

County staff described the master plan as a long-running effort to transition former mining lands into a developed community with housing, jobs, open space and infrastructure. "The plan area ... encompasses approximately 5,913 acres," Associate Planner Emma Carrico said in her presentation. At full buildout, the land-use plan would allow 16,484 residential dwelling units, about 11,500,000 square feet of commercial and employment uses, 2,000,000 square feet of industrial space and roughly 2,100 acres of parks and open space.

The project package approved by the board included certification of the final environmental impact report (FEIR), adoption of the associated findings of fact and a statement of overriding considerations, adoption of a mitigation monitoring and reporting program, amendments to the general plan and to the Cordova and Vineyard community plans, a zoning code amendment to adopt the West Jackson Highway master plan, an ordinance rezoning applicant-controlled properties to zones compatible with the master plan, adoption of a public facilities financing plan and urban services plan, approval of two affordable housing strategies, adoption of a Zone 40 water supply master plan amendment and approval of two water supply assessments for the plan area.

Staff and applicants emphasized…