El Dorado County approves Creekside Village housing development in El Dorado Hills
EL DORADO HILLS — The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors has approved a proposal to move forward with a large-scale residential development in El Dorado Hills, clearing the way for construction of a new master-planned community on land previously designated for business park and industrial uses.
Supervisors voted Jan. 27 to approve the Creekside Village Project, a 200-acre housing development proposed by Sacramento-based Winn Communities. The project will include 763 single-family homes along with parks, trails and open space, replacing development options that previously allowed for large-scale warehouse or industrial facilities.
The approved plan includes 613 active-adult homes restricted to residents age 55 and older, along with 150 non-age-restricted single-family homes. The site is located immediately south of the El Dorado Hills Business Park, north of the Heritage residential communities, east of the Blackstone community, and directly south of John Adams Academy, a K-12 charter school.
The property has been planned for development since the 1980s and lies within the El Dorado Hills Community Region. It was de-annexed from the Business Park in 2018 and remained zoned for “Research and Development” uses, allowing for potential business, industrial or warehouse facilities. Under that zoning, a previous proposal known as Project Frontier would have developed approximately 4.7 million square feet of warehouse and distribution space on the site, a plan that generated widespread community opposition before being withdrawn in 2023.
In contrast, the Creekside Village proposal drew broad support during a lengthy public hearing attended by dozens of residents, business leaders and community stakeholders, with additional written comments submitted in advance of the vote. Support was expressed by residents from nearby Blackstone and Heritage neighborhoods, as well as organizations including the El Dorado Hills Chamber of Commerce, the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce, El Dorado Hills Town Center, the El Dorado Hills Area Planning Advisory Committee, and the Latrobe School District.
“The support from so many community members and organizations was very powerful and instrumental in securing project approval. We’re grateful to everyone who took time to be a part of the process,” said George Carpenter, vice president of Winn Communities.
County approval required a General Plan amendment, a rezone of the property, and certification of an environmental impact report. Supervisors determined the project was consistent with long-term planning goals and could proceed subject to adopted conditions.
Project materials indicate that the inclusion of a large number of active-adult homes played a significant role in addressing concerns related to traffic, school enrollment and land-use compatibility. According to analysis provided to the county, the age-restricted component is expected to reduce traffic by approximately 60 percent compared with an earlier version of the project that would have consisted entirely of non-age-restricted homes.
Officials with the Latrobe School District indicated the district could accommodate the number of students generated by the project. With 150 market-rate homes, the development is expected to generate approximately 50 new students within the district.
“Blackstone residents overwhelmingly supported the Creekside Village project, which removes the potential for another large warehouse project across the street from our community,” said Chuck King, president of the Blackstone Homeowners Association. “The Winn Communities team invested a significant amount of time and effort to understand our concerns and perspectives, and to develop a project that we can all be proud of. We’re very excited to see the new community move forward.”
Traffic studies reviewed by the county concluded the project would generate significantly less traffic than what could have occurred under the site’s previous zoning and what is allowed under the El Dorado County General Plan. As part of the approval, the project will contribute more than $13 million toward road improvements in the surrounding area, including along Latrobe Road, a primary east-west corridor in El Dorado Hills.
Water service for the development will be provided by the El Dorado Irrigation District, which confirmed it has sufficient water capacity to serve Creekside Village even under drought conditions, based on its current supply studies and projections.
Plans for the site also include multiple public parks, trail connections and open space areas designed to link with existing trail systems in neighboring communities. According to project documents, homes will be integrated with adjacent neighborhoods through pedestrian and trail connections rather than isolated from them.
Winn Communities reintroduced the Creekside Village proposal in 2023 following extensive community outreach. Company representatives reported holding approximately 30 meetings with residents, school officials, planning groups, business park representatives, tribal government representatives and other stakeholders as part of the revised planning process.
The development history dates back several years. Winn Communities initially proposed Creekside Village in 2020, following the site’s de-annexation from the El Dorado Hills Business Park. After Dermody Properties later proposed the Project Frontier warehouse development, Winn sold the property and stepped aside while that application proceeded independently. When the warehouse proposal was withdrawn amid opposition, community leaders approached Winn about reviving the residential concept, leading to the revised application ultimately approved by the county.
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