FOLSOM, Calif. — Angelo Tsakopoulous, a Sacramento-based real estate developer and California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis’ father, will help present Tuesday his company’s 8,000-housing-unit development project to El Dorado and Folsom governments.
The community is planned to be roughly 2,800 acres and would offer approximately 8,000 housing units.
Late December 2023, AKT Investments in partnership with UC Davis Health first submitted to El Dorado County and Folsom its idea for “Community for Health and Independence,” a 2,800-acre, all-ages community with amenities in Sacramento and El Dorado counties, which would prioritize service to elderly adults and people with disabilities, ABC10 previously reported.
Bill Romanelli, a spokesman for the project, said proponents hoped the submission in December would begin a multi-year process of studies, public hearings and community workshops to see the project to fruition.
Romanelli said Tuesday’s presentations will be primarily made by UC Davis Health, but Tsakopoulos and AKT Investment planning consultants will attend and comment, too.
What do project discussions look like four months in?
The current proposal only incorporates Sacramento and El Dorado counties and does not fall within Folsom city limits, Folsom’s Vice Mayor Sarah Aquino said in December.
Christine Brainerd, a Folsom city spokeswoman, said a portion of the project west of the El Dorado County line and south of White Rock Road is located adjacent to Folsom, and it includes a proposed 1,416 acres and 4,511 housing units.
In their 62-page plan, AKT Investments and UC Davis Health proposed the west plan area in Sacramento County could be annexed by Folsom and receive land use designations determined by the city. The east plan area is in El Dorado County.
“The city of Folsom has received a conceptual annexation and development proposal from AKT and UC Davis for their ‘Community for Healthy Living and Independence’ project,” Brainerd told ABC10 in December.
She said all annexation requests for Folsom would be processed by the Sacramento County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), and any process LAFCO administers would involve Folsom, Sacramento County, UC Davis Health and AKT Investments.
Romanelli said in December any annexation requests would come later in the process, and while a formal application has not been submitted to Sacramento County, the project is on their radar.
City staff reviewed the proposal and presented their analysis and findings to Folsom City Council for discussion and further direction, which is what will be discussed at a council meeting Tuesday, according to the city agenda.
“Staff recommends that the city council consider the preliminary project review request from AKT and UC Davis for their ‘Community for Health and Independence’ conceptual annexation proposal and provide initial feedback,” city documents say. “This workshop provides an opportunity for early vetting of a potential future project currently located outside (the) city of Folsom boundaries and sphere of influence.”
An application was submitted to El Dorado County in December, according to Carla Hass, a county spokeswoman.
“There are many, many steps before this comes to the board of supervisors for approval, and it could take years for that process to mature and come before the board for a vote,” Hass said.
Hass said the county requires projects like this to go through a general plan amendment initiation hearing and voluntary conceptual review process.
“Part of the reason we do this is to be transparent and inform the public that the information has been submitted and to provide early public knowledge and opportunity for public involvement in the general plan,” she said.
What would the proposed community offer?
If successful, the project would offer multi-generational housing to residents and families of all ages and income levels, according to a joint news release from UC Davis Health and AKT Investments.
The community, designed for mobility and independent living, will feature technology-enabled homes for seniors and people with disabilities, the release said.
Steve Telliano is a spokesman for UC Davis Health, which will help with planning to make sure those living in the community with health conditions can be appropriately monitored.
"There's a lot of technology out there today, things that will help monitor vital signs and help tell people if they are well or if they need to come in for a check up,” Telliano said.
The proposal breaks up the community into what they call first, second and third places:
- First places consist of homes: single-family homes, assisted living, apartments, etc.
- Second places refer to places of work, shops and other businesses.
- Third places target recreation, education and social interaction. They are schools, commercial plazas and other community gathering areas.
A 200-acre teaching, research and health complex is planned as a centerpiece for the community, according to the news release.
According to the California State Plan on Aging, the number of older adults in the state grew from 2.5 million to 7.8 million between 1970 and 2016. By 2030, when baby boomers have reached age 60, there will be an estimated 10.9 million older Californians, the plan says.
“We know the key to healthy aging for people starts in their homes,” said UC Davis Health CEO David Lubarsky in a statement. “We believe a reimagined community that leverages technology for human-made spaces where people live, recreate and work will promote better management of chronic disease and increase independence for valuable members of this population.”
In 2021, the UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research prepared a report on planning healthy aging communities. The population of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities is aging, and when taken into context with a California housing shortage, the report said there is a compelling need for inclusive communities designed to support health.
"Census data shows that we can expect more and more older adults living in our area, so we're looking at new ways that we can provide health care services to those people,” Telliano said.
Applicants hope the community will also feature trails, parks and schools.
"The vision here is a community for health and independence, and it came about from identifying a need expressed by seniors across the country to want to age in place and live in their homes as they get older,” Romanelli said.
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