Upper Westside Specific Plan

​​Frequently Asked Questions

The Upper Westside Specific Plan project is a private, developer-sponsored project to create a specific plan that will allow the development and urbanization of land in the unincorporated area of Natomas.

For urbanization to proceed, the applicant will need to secure approval of the project from the Board of Supervisors. The approval will involve actions such as adoption of the specific plan, general plan amendments to move the Urban Services Boundary (USB) and Urban Policy Area (UPA), and amendment of the Land Use Diagram, as well as any other necessary entitlements identified during the master-planning process. 

For more details on the project, including the applicant’s proposed land use plan, visit the County’s project webpage.

The applicant is Robert Thomas, a representative for the property ownership group known as Upper Westside, LLC. For more information from the applicant, you may contact Nick by email at NAvdis@thomaslaw.com​ or by phone at 916-287-9292. 

The Sacramento County Office of Planning and Environmental Review is leading the County’s review of this developer-sponsored project as outlined in the County’s adopted Master Plan Procedures and Preparation Guide. 

The County’s review will ensure that the project complies with adopted General Plan policies related to new growth areas (Policies LU-119, LU-120, LU-127), in addition to numerous other policies related to agriculture, safety, water supply, airport compatibility, open space, and biological resources. 

The County will also manage the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to analyze the impacts of the project in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act.

The project is only in the preliminary stages of the master-planning process and has not yet been approved. When the Board of Supervisors formally initiated the project on February 26, 2019, this was only the beginning of a multiyear process to examine the feasibility of the project. 

The master-planning process will include public outreach meetings and preparation of technical studies, a specific plan, and an EIR. Only after all of the required documents are completed, will the project be ready to move through the public hearing process to be considered for approval or denial by the Natomas Community Planning Advisory Council (CPAC), the Planning Commission, and, ultimately, the Board of Supervisors.

Early input from the community is valuable. You can provide feedback at a public outreach meeting by speaking with County staff or filling out a comment card. You can also provide feedback directly to the County by contacting Todd Taylor, Associate Planner by email at TaylorTo@saccounty.net or by phone at (916) 874-3125.

Input will be provided to the applicant for their use as the project is refined and potentially revised. The County will use input for analysis of the environmental impacts of the project and in analysis of community compatibility. 

Please note that the General Plan’s policies related to new growth areas include requirements that must be met, including connectivity, housing variety, minimum density, pedestrian- and transit-oriented design, and mixed-uses. As a result, it may not be feasible for the applicant to use all of the input received in their final project.

The project is only in the preliminary stages of the master-planning process. Additional project details have not been provided by the applicant to the County. Currently, the County is awaiting the submission of technical studies and a draft specific plan. 

Once preliminary technical studies are submitted to the County, and any project revisions have been made by the applicant, the County will request that the Board of Supervisors initiate the environmental review phase of the project. The County will then issue a Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report. At this point in time more information will be available for the public. 

During the environmental review phase, more detailed technical studies and analysis will be prepared. All of these details will be available for public review when the Draft EIR is published. 

The master-planning process requires the project to be taken to public hearings at the Natomas CPAC, Planning Commission, and Board of Supervisors. Members of the public will have an opportunity to voice their support for, or opposition to, the project at these hearings.

Project updates, announcements, meeting and public hearing notices will be sent by email/text message and announced on the project webpage. Therefore, the best way to say informed is to sign-up to receive the County’s Upper Westside email/text updates. You may also contact Todd Taylor, Associate Planner, by email at TaylorTo@saccounty.net​ or by phone at (916) 874-3125. 
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