New neighborhood planned includes future school site, fire station, parks and open space
After a lengthy public hearing Tuesday night, the Folsom City Council approved one of the largest residential development proposals currently planned in the city’s growth area south of Highway 50, clearing the way for construction of the Toll Brothers at Alder Creek community, a 1,424-home master-planned neighborhood that will ultimately include a future elementary school, fire station, parks, trails and hundreds of acres of preserved open space.
The project encompasses approximately 464 acres located south of Alder Creek Parkway, north of Mangini Parkway and on both sides of Oak Avenue Parkway in the western portion of the Folsom Plan Area. Council members approved a Small-Lot Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map, Planned Development Permit, Inclusionary Housing Plan and Minor Administrative Modification needed for development of the property.
According to the city staff report, the project will create 1,424 residential lots organized into 18 villages featuring a mix of housing products and densities consistent with the Folsom Plan Area Specific Plan. In total, 1,497 lots will be created when park, open space, school, fire station, landscaping and other non-residential parcels are included.
The approval represents a major milestone in the continued buildout of the Folsom Plan Area, a long-planned community south of Highway 50 that has been gradually developing over the past decade. City planners determined the proposal is consistent with both the city’s General Plan and the Folsom Plan Area Specific Plan, which established land use designations and development standards for the area.
Beyond housing, the project includes several significant public amenities. Plans reserve 10 acres for a future neighborhood park, 10 acres for a future elementary school site and 2.1 acres for a future fire station. The elementary school site is planned for eventual transfer to the Folsom Cordova Unified School District and has been identified by the district as the future Granite Springs Elementary School. The project also includes multiple mini parks, a private recreation facility, landscaped corridors and extensive open space areas designed to serve future residents.
The site is currently undeveloped and consists primarily of rolling grasslands and oak woodland habitat. Historically, portions of the property were used for cattle grazing, farming and mining activities. The surrounding area remains largely undeveloped but is planned for future residential, commercial, recreational and open space uses as envisioned in the Specific Plan.
A substantial portion of the city’s review focused on infrastructure necessary to support the future community. Staff noted that the project includes a comprehensive backbone infrastructure phasing plan identifying roadway, utility and public improvement projects needed throughout both the Southwest and Central districts of the Folsom Plan Area. City staff worked with the applicant and property owners over many months to establish conditions governing the timing and construction of roads, utility systems and other public facilities necessary to support future development.
Several major roadway improvements are incorporated into the project, including segments of Alder Creek Parkway, Haven Parkway and future connections to Oak Avenue Parkway and Prairie City Road. The development will be built in multiple phases over time, with final subdivision maps filed as various portions of the community move forward.
Traffic circulation and transportation planning were among the key issues reviewed by staff. According to the report, the Environmental Impact Report prepared for the Folsom Plan Area identified 55 traffic-related mitigation measures associated with development of the area. Conditions of approval require the project to comply with all applicable mitigation measures, including those related to roadway improvements and transportation infrastructure.
The development also incorporates an extensive network of sidewalks, trails and bicycle facilities intended to connect neighborhoods with schools, parks and surrounding open space areas. Residential streets throughout the project will include pedestrian facilities, while collector roadways will feature dedicated bicycle infrastructure. Class I bicycle paths and trail connections are planned throughout adjacent open space areas, providing connections to the broader trail network envisioned throughout the Folsom Plan Area.
During its review of the project, the Planning Commission requested that the City Council consider requiring Class IV protected bike lanes along Oak Avenue Parkway to encourage bicycle travel between future residential neighborhoods, parks and schools. A Class IV facility physically separates bicyclists from vehicle traffic. While the applicant has not committed to installing the facilities, city staff included advisory conditions that would allow the protected bike lanes to be incorporated into future roadway designs if pursued by the developer.
Open space preservation was another major component of the project review. Folsom’s voter-approved Measure W requires that at least 30 percent of the Folsom Plan Area remain preserved as permanent open space. According to the staff report, adjustments to land use boundaries associated with the Alder Creek project will actually result in a net increase of approximately 5.9 acres of open space. Staff concluded the project remains fully compliant with Measure W requirements and continues to support the long-term preservation goals established for the area.
The project also generated extensive analysis related to oak woodland preservation. The Folsom Plan Area Specific Plan includes policies requiring preservation of approximately 396.52 acres of oak woodland habitat. City staff requested additional analysis from the applicant to determine how the development would affect those preservation goals.
According to the report, approximately 425.52 acres of oak woodland would remain after completion of the Toll Brothers project, exceeding the minimum preservation threshold established by the Specific Plan. However, staff also noted that the project highlights an important issue for future development proposals. After the Alder Creek project is completed, only about 29 additional acres of oak woodland could be removed by future developments before the city reaches the minimum preservation requirement. As a result, future projects may need to reduce impacts, redesign portions of proposed developments or pursue amendments to the Specific Plan and additional environmental review.
Affordable housing requirements were also addressed as part of the approval. Under city regulations, residential projects of 10 units or more must satisfy inclusionary housing requirements. The developer elected to satisfy that requirement through payment of affordable housing in-lieu fees rather than constructing affordable units within the development itself. Staff determined the proposal complies with the city’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance.
Environmental review became another focal point during consideration of the project. City staff determined the development qualifies for an exemption from additional environmental review because it is consistent with the previously certified Environmental Impact Report prepared for the Folsom Plan Area Specific Plan. The city reviewed objections submitted by attorneys representing Laborers International Union of North America Local 185, who argued that new information regarding biological resources and environmental mitigation warranted preparation of a supplemental Environmental Impact Report.
The project applicant responded through legal counsel and environmental consultants, arguing that no new circumstances or information existed that would require additional review. Staff ultimately agreed with that assessment, concluding that the project remains consistent with the previously approved Specific Plan and associated environmental analysis and that no supplemental environmental review was required.
Near the conclusion of Tuesday night’s hearing, Council Member Barbara Leary proposed an amendment that would have delayed action on the project. The motion did not receive a second from another council member and therefore failed to move forward. Council subsequently approved the project on a 4-1 vote, with Council Member Leary casting the lone dissenting vote.
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