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Safeco adopts resolution to acquire East Lehi Road parcel; board continues two related hearings to April
Summary
The Sacramento Flood Control Agency adopted Resolution of Necessity No. 2025017 to acquire a portion of property on East Lehi Road for Natomas levee work and continued two adjacent condemnation hearings for 60 days to allow negotiations to proceed.
At its Feb. 20 meeting the Sacramento Flood Control Agency held public hearings on three related resolution-of-necessity items affecting properties on East Lehi Road in the Natomas Basin. The board adopted Resolution of Necessity No. 2025017 for Sacramento County APN 214-0010-011 and voted to continue two additional, related hearings for 60 days.
Matt DeGroot, real estate program manager for the Sacramento Flood Control Agency, told the board the property for item 11 is on East Lehi Road "on the land side of the Natomas East Main Drainage Canal, West Levee in the Natomas Basin area of Sacramento County." He said acquisition is required for the NEMDAC West Levee REACH g component of phase 4b of the Natomas project and described the planned improvements: widening the levee crest, flattening the landside slope, constructing a stability berm, adding an operations and maintenance road, and establishing a flood-control-works protection zone.
DeGroot summarized Safeco's outreach and offers to the owners. Safeco first notified owners in March 2022, provided an appraisal notice in July 2022 and an updated acquisition area notice in January 2023, and made a formal offer on June 2, 2023. On May 14, 2024, Safeco offered additional compensation in exchange for an irrevocable right of entry to permit construction while negotiations continued; DeGroot said the right-of-entry agreement allowed possession for construction but included a six-month window after which owners could initiate inverse-condemnation proceedings if no compensation agreement was reached and the board did not vote to pursue eminent-domain authority.
DeGroot told the board that owners for some parcels are internationally dispersed, which has complicated negotiations, and that while Safeco will continue negotiations, staff did not feel confident an agreement on compensation would be reached before the six-month deadline. The board then opened the public hearing, received no public comment, and voted. A motion to adopt the resolution for APN 214-0010-011 carried with an affirmative voice vote.
For items 12 and 13, involving APNs 226-0010-002 (5625 East Lehi Road) and 226-0010-003 (5311 East Lehi Road), the board moved to continue both matters to April. The board member proposing the continuance said the continuation would allow more time for negotiation; the motions to continue were seconded and carried by voice vote.
The board's actions distinguished between continuing negotiations and exercising eminent-domain authority: one resolution was adopted for immediate acquisition proceedings, while two related hearings were deferred to give staff and owners additional negotiation time. No members of the public spoke during the hearings, and Safeco staff indicated they will continue to negotiate compensation with property owners.
Votes at a glance: - Item 11 — Resolution of Necessity No. 2025017 (APN 214-0010-011) — Motion carried by voice vote (adopted). - Item 12 — Resolution of Necessity No. 2025018 (APN 226-0010-002, 5625 East Lehi Road) — Continued to April (motion carried by voice vote). - Item 13 — Resolution of Necessity No. 2025019 (APN 226-0010-003, 5311 East Lehi Road) — Continued to April (motion carried by voice vote).
