Auburn 2045 update: draft plan and programmatic EIR expected in coming months amid neighborhood concerns about Blocker Drive
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Summary
Consultants presented the Auburn 2045 general plan update and schedule for a programmatic draft EIR; residents urged residential designations, protections for Spanish Ravine and oak trees and asked for clear language on industrial definitions. A community open house is set for Dec. 3; a draft plan and DEIR are expected in ~3–4 months.
City consultants and staff gave a progress update on the Auburn 2045 general plan on Nov. 18, outlining a citywide policy document with a 20-year horizon and a programmatic environmental impact report (EIR). The consultant said the draft plan and draft EIR are expected in roughly three to four months, initiating a 45-day statutory review period for the DEIR.
Barry Miller, consulting project manager for the general plan, reviewed engagement to date (600 survey responses, multiple workshops and a citizens’ focus group), the new elements proposed (including arts and culture and community services/facilities), and the plan’s programmatic EIR approach. Miller said the EIR will evaluate citywide impacts at a program level; future individual projects will still require project-level environmental review.
Community speakers focused heavily on a 14-acre Blocker Drive parcel proposed in some alternatives for industrial use. Residents including Jackie House and others urged retaining residential and resource-conservation designations, citing proximity to neighborhoods, a perennial stream (Spanish Ravine), wildlife habitat, and stands of protected oaks. Comments raised noise, truck traffic, light, glare and emergency-access concerns and requested that commissioners and staff visit the site before decisions are finalized.
Miller said the planning process includes updated land-use maps, a proposed change to the city’s sphere of influence (to allow the city to weigh in on nearby county land use) and that a community open house is scheduled for Dec. 3 (Placer High School, 6–8 p.m.) with interactive stations and a presentation.
On timing, Miller told the commission that the draft plan and DEIR are expected in about three to four months; the DEIR will have a 45-day comment period, and staff will prepare responses and a final EIR and return to the commission for public hearings in spring. Miller emphasized the EIR is programmatic and will not substitute for detailed site-level studies required by future projects.
Next steps: residents can submit comments through the Auburn2045 website and by email (generalplan@auburn.ca.gov); the Dec. 3 open house will present draft policy material; the DEIR and draft plan release will trigger formal review and comment opportunities.
