Sacramento County delays Natomas housing project vote after opposition
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- Sacramento County postponed vote on 25,000-person Upper Westside project.
- Mayor Kevin McCarty cited unresolved infrastructure and environmental concerns.
- Residents plan rally amid fears of traffic, flood risk and lack of planning.
Just one day before the scheduled vote, Sacramento County officials have postponed a decision on a controversial proposal to build a 25,000-person community in Natomas.
The delay follows weeks of criticism about the proposed development and a letter in opposition sent by Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty on behalf of the City Council. A rally organized by residents against the project went on as planned near the residence of Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna Tuesday night.
“In recent days, the county has received a number of comments raising concerns about the project,” said county spokesperson Kim Nava in a written statement Tuesday afternoon. “It is important to take the necessary time to thoroughly review this input to ensure that, when the plan is finally presented for public discussion and board consideration, it aligns with the county’s vision for exemplary, well-planned development.”
The Upper Westside Development — which is estimated to include at least 9,000 new apartments, houses and 3 million square feet of commercial space in unincorporated parts of Natomas — has alarmed city leaders and residents, who point to a litany of infrastructure and environmental concerns.
“I hope the Board of Supervisors canceling their meeting and postponing the Upper Westside item is a sign they are taking the concerns of the city and neighbors seriously,” said Sacramento City Councilmember Karina Talamantes in a written statement shortly after news of the postponement.
On Tuesday, McCarty officially sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors citing the council’s opposition to the project due to “unmet or unresolved issues.” In an unprecedented move last week, the City Council overwhelmingly approved sending the letter.
Concerns raised by McCarty on Tuesday included the violation of a decades old habitat conservation plan, potential traffic impacts and an assumption that the city will provide water and public safety services. There’s also worry the current project’s proposal does not address sewer capacity, the effect on airport operations and no agreement to finance the new schools needed, McCarty added.
“Over the past six years the city has tried to work with the county on this project including numerous meetings and letters to address the city concerns,” McCarty wrote in the letter. “Unfortunately, those concerns remain unresolved.”
McCarty ended the letter by urging the county to delay its vote on Wednesday to provide time for the “two agencies to work collaboratively.”
Until Tuesday, the county had pushed back against many of the city’s claims and said the project was consistent with policies, environmentally responsible and essential for meeting housing demands.
The goal of the Upper Westside Project is to “support and build upon existing infrastructure investments” within Sacramento, according to the plan’s application presentation. Additionally, the project seeks to “create a future model” of community development in the city, including the construction of an urban town center and a westside canal.
Serna, who chairs the Board of Supervisors and tied to people working for the project, has declined to comment on the development. A spokesperson for his office said Serna was “regrettably” unavailable for an interview.
‘Poorly planned, unsafe and bad for Natomas’
On Tuesday night in Westlake Park, dozens of Sacramento County residents, most of whom had lived in Natomas for decades, rallied against the project. Among them was Kevin Knight, 58, who was born and raised in the area he said used to be primarily farmland. Talking about his father’s home from the 1970s in Natomas makes him nostalgic.
As he held onto a protest sign that said “Stop the Upper Westside Project,” Knight was adamant about how much chaos the housing project would bring. Now residing along the Garden Highway, he said the region already can’t handle traffic coming from the airport.
Brandon Castillo, who has lived in the Natomas area since 2001, assisted in organizing Tuesday night’s protest. He said residents were concerned about how traffic could degrade the levee and put Natomas at flood risk. Additionally, residents are worried about a change in the Sacramento River’s ecosystem and a possible threat to the area’s wildlife.
Castillo said he is worried about how the project would change the Garden Highway’s two-lane road, which is located along the levee of the Sacramento River. Because of the size of the lane, it’s easy for this road to get crowded, he said. If the project is approved, the project could have horrendous traffic consequences, he added.
“Our mailboxes, our garbage cans, our kids are on the Garden Highway,” said Castillo, who is also a public affairs consultant. “It’s really unsafe getting in and out at certain times, and this would triple the amount of traffic without any plans to address either widening Garden Highway or having alternative routes.”
Castillo said he and other residents are alarmed by “the speed” at which the plan has gone through the Board of Supervisors. Through the process, he said, residents don’t feel like their concerns have been taken into consideration.
“We don’t want to see this project rubber stamped. We’re concerned that’s going to happen,” Castillo said. “We want to see the county have a thoughtful deliberation and force the developers to come back with a better project.”
An application for the Upper Westside Specific Plan was submitted on Sept. 25, 2018, with a public release of the project’s draft six years later on Oct. 28, 2024, according to Sacramento County’s project summary webpage. A final environmental impact report was later released on June 11. A week and a half later, on June 23, the county’s planning commission approved the project 4-0, with one absence.
Laurie Ten Hope, 69, has spent 24 years in Natomas. She said the current plan has too many “unanswered questions” for residents who live in the area. When she heard that the county delayed the meeting, she said the move was “fabulous” but that the project still needed to be reviewed.
“I take the county on its word that it says they’ve received many comments from concerned citizens,” Ten Hope said. “Hopefully, they take more time to review the plan, and hopefully they’ll kill the project.”
Josh Harmatz, Natomas resident and co-organizer of the rally, said he was pleased county supervisors are taking more time to review the plan. However, Wednesday’s meeting cancellation does not entail the plan’s postponement.
“Ultimately, the only right decision is to deny this development project in its current form,” Harmatz said. “It’s poorly planned, unsafe and bad for Natomas and all of Sacramento.”
The Board of Supervisors was expected to review the project on Wednesday afternoon during a session scheduled for 2 p.m. Nava said on Tuesday the vote will be rescheduled for a future meeting, but did not specify the date.
This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 5:17 PM.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct a county planning commission vote.
