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Loomis planning commission approves 20‑lot 'Reserve' subdivision with setback and fence variances
Summary
The Planning Commission approved The Reserve, a 20‑lot subdivision at Rockland and Barton Roads, granting variances to average front setbacks and fence‑height rules to preserve oak clusters and site topography; commissioners also required changes to sidewalk/frontage conditions and clarified CC&R maintenance for a shared pond.
The Town of Loomis Planning Commission on Tuesday voted to approve a tentative map and related design review for The Reserve, a 20‑lot subdivision on a 26‑acre parcel at Rockland and Barton Roads, and granted two variances the developer said were needed to protect oak clusters and the site’s natural topography.
Planning staff presented the project and its environmental review, recommending approval. “The recommendation before you tonight is to adopt Planning Commission Resolution 20 five‑eight to approve the reserve subdivision, the fence and front setback variances, design review, and determine the project is consistent with the previously certified general plan EIR,” Christie, the planning staff presenter, told commissioners.
The project would create 20 single‑family lots ranging from about 40,000 square feet to 136,612 square feet (average roughly 54,628 sq ft). Utilities would connect to existing PG&E and PCWA infrastructure and SP MUD sewer; the proposal includes frontage improvements on Rockland and Barton Roads, an on‑site drainage system directing stormwater to a southwest pond, and a 50‑foot wetland setback where structures are prohibited.
Christie said the site inventory identified roughly 496 trees (492 oak species) and that the applicant proposed removing 103 healthy protected trees; the staff report allows removal with mitigation options. The staff packet notes a tree‑mitigation estimate of about $27,000 to satisfy mitigation requirements.
The developer’s representative told commissioners the variances were intended to preserve tree clusters and avoid mass grading: “We really appreciated the good cooperation we had with staff,” the applicant said during the presentation, adding the plan uses selective grading and staggered setbacks to retain topography and important trees.
Commission discussion focused on the fence and setback variances and on frontage pedestrian improvements. Commissioners asked for caution on fence variances so they are not used broadly; staff and the applicant replied the request is limited to open fences measured from base grade to accommodate sloping lots, not to allow solid walls higher than code. The commission also debated whether a decomposed‑granite (DG) trail or a hard surface sidewalk should be required on Barton Road frontage, and whether interior sidewalks were necessary on the private Reserve Court cul‑de‑sac.
After public comment from nearby homeowners and a representative of the Loomis Union School District who supported the project, the commission moved to approve staff’s recommendation with directed modifications to conditions of approval: revise references to CC&Rs (Condition 12) and clarify final‑map submittal timing (Condition 57); eliminate the interior Reserve Court sidewalk requirement and require a hard‑surface pedestrian/bikeway set back from Barton Road instead of decomposed granite (modifications to Conditions 24 and 39). The motion passed unanimously by roll call.
The approval directs staff to finalize the written conditions to reflect the commission’s direction before the final map is accepted; staff also confirmed the project must secure required state and federal permits (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Regional Water Quality Control Board) prior to ground disturbance.
