Elk Grove could potentially be spreading its city limits if the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission approves an expansion at a meeting on Wednesday.
LAFCO gave the green light for the proposal Wednesday. Elk Grove’s sphere of influence may grow by more than 1,100 acres near Highway 99 and Kammerer Road, which is close to the outlet mall that’s under construction.
“My vision for the city is having a sustainable and balanced community and at this time, within the current city limits, we don’t have enough land to allow us to achieve a desirable jobs-housing ratio,” said Elk Grove’s Vice-Mayor, Darren Suen.
Even though the planning could take several years, Suen mentioned the expansion could make room to build more homes, which would help accommodate the 46,000 new residents the city is expected to receive by the year 2040.
But not everyone wants to see that happen.
“There are more than 4,000 acres currently within the city of Elk Grove available for development,” said Robert Burness, Co-Chair of Habitat 2020.
“A lot of the land that’s within the city is either built out or zoned for different uses,” Suen explained.
Burness said he’s also concerned about the environmental impact.
“This is critical – foraging habitat for a number of listed species – and it is a target area for the implementation of the South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan," Burness said.