Environmental group sues Placer County to block major 8,000-home development off Highway 65

An environmental group is suing Placer County over a recently approved housing development near Highway 65, arguing that the project would destroy thousands of acres of seasonal wetlands crucial to wildlife, undermining California’s climate goals.

The Placer County Board of Supervisors approved the nearly 14 square mile development bordered by the cities of Lincoln, Rocklin and Roseville in December. The Sunset Area could ultimately be home to a new Sacramento State satellite campus, more than 19,000 new residents off Highway 65, and thousands of more cars on city and county roads.

The Center for Biological Diversity, an Arizona based nonprofit, alleged in its Thursday lawsuit that the county failed to disclose, adequately analyze and mitigate issues related to water and utility supplies, wildfire risks, traffic impacts and biological resources before approving the project.

“It’s not that we’re advocating for no new development anywhere, but it needs to be done in a way that’s more mindful of the environmental constraints and values at risk,” Middlemiss said. “Putting car-dependent sprawl development away from public transit, massive greenhouse gas emissions — that just isn’t the way forward.”

Placer County spokesman Scott Sandow said in an emailed statement the county plans to “strongly defend against any lawsuits filed over the Board’s action to approve the project.”

“Staff expended substantial time and resources ensuring that the project was in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and other applicable laws,” Sandow said. “(We) believe there is compelling evidence in support of the County’s approval.”

The lawsuit, filed in Placer Superior Court, argues the county also failed to follow its own general plan regarding the protection of wetland habitats, sufficient affordable housing and the use of land near landfills. As part of planned development in the area, hundreds of homes will be built within a mile of an active county landfill.

In addition, the Sunset Area project would destroy more than 5,000 acres of rare vernal pool habitat that is “critical to the survival of many species” and serve as a home for special-status plant and wildlife such as vernal pool fairy shrimp, western spadefoot toad and dwarf downingia, according to the lawsuit.

In a 2005 federal recovery plan for vernal pool ecosystems in California, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommended that 85 percent of the region’s vernal pool habitat be protected. The county’s environmental impact report for the project stated there would be a ”substantial loss of habitat for these highly vulnerable species” — 60 percent would be paved over or developed.

Traffic and operations related to new homes, cars and businesses in the area after full build-out would generate nearly 378,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases annually, according to the county’s environmental impact report — equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions about 80,200 cars driven for one year, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

“This project simply does not do enough to offset the incredible damage it’s doing to the environment,” said Ross Middlemiss, an attorney with the environmental nonprofit.

The county, which was both the applicant and approver of the project, touted the development as a necessary “rebranding” for the area, which is largely used for agricultural or industrial purposes.

“Previously, as we looked at the purpose of that land, the thought was it’s fairly remote,” county spokesman Chris Gray-Garcia previously told The Sacramento Bee. “But times have changed. There’s just more potential there than was thought in the past.”

The cornerstone of the project, a possible Sacramento State satellite campus, would be a catalyst for more than 55,700 jobs and more than 8,000 new homes, according to county officials.

But the project had received criticism from residents and some surrounding cities. Many argued that concerns regarding worsening traffic and odor issues related to existing Western Regional Sanitary Landfill were not fully addressed before the county approved the project.

The Center for Biological Diversity is looking to reverse the county’s approval of the project and have county officials “start at the beginning” and redesign the development land use plan.

Middlemiss said it is too early to say when the case will come before a judge but that the two parties could begin arguing within the year.