Planning Department
Sphere of Influence Amendment and Master Planning
The City is in the process of planning for the future development and growth of the City towards the south and southeast areas. Long-term planning efforts include planning for the appropriate growth areas, agricultural preservation, and open space preservation. This multi-year process includes a number of significant milestones. Currently, this process involves including the study area within the City's Sphere of Influence (SOI).
Follow the links below to learn about the project and the process.
- What is a Sphere of Influence Amendment?
- Why is a Sphere of Influence Amendment Necessary?
- The Sphere of Influence Amendment Area
- The Sphere of Influence Amendment Application
- Status of the Application
- 2009 "Listening Sessions"
- Memorandum of Understanding with Sacramento County
- Frequently Asked Questions (updated October 19, 2009)
- History of the Sphere of Influence Amendment and Master Planning
- Document Archive
On August 18, 2010, the City submitted an updated SOI Amendment application to LAFCo that incorporates the revised SOI boundary as approved by the City Council on April 14, 2010. The application may be viewed by clicking the following: SOI Application. |
On April 14, 2010, the City Council approved to revise the City's proposed Sphere of Influence area by eliminating the FEMA 100-year floodplain area that is identified on the east side of State Route 99 (approximately 2,480 acres) - see map below. The City will amend the SOI application to reflect the removal of the floodplain area (east of State Route 99) upon consultation with LAFCo. The City and County will continue to finalize the draft MOU and make the necessary revisions to contemplate the removal of the floodplain area.
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| City Staff Contact | LAFCo Staff Contact | |
 Taro EchiburuSpecial Projects Manager 8401 Laguna Palms Way Elk Grove, CA 95758 916-478-3619 |
Peter Brundage Executive Officer 1112 I Street, Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95814 916-874-6458 |
What is a Sphere of Influence Amendment? |
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In 1972, LAFCos were given the power to determine the “Sphere of Influence” for all local government agencies. A “Sphere of Influence” is defined as a planning boundary outside of an agency’s legal boundary (such as the city limit line) that designates the agency’s probable future boundary and service area. Thus, the establishment of the Sphere of Influence boundary is necessary to determine which governmental agencies can provide services in the most efficient way to the people and property in any given area, and to promote orderly land use and service planning. It is important to note that the establishment of a Sphere of Influence does not change the agency’s existing legal boundaries or annex lands into the agency, which is a separate process requiring the approval of an annexation.
State law requires LAFCos to consider the following factors in determining a Sphere of Influence boundary:
- The present and planned land uses in the area, including agricultural and open-space lands.
- The present and probable need for public facilities and services in the area.
- The present capacity of public facilities and adequacy of public services that the agency provides or is authorized to provide.
- The existence of any social or economic communities of interest in the area if the commission determines that they are relevant to the agency.
Why is a Sphere of Influence Amendment necessary? |
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A SOI Amendment is necessary for the City of Elk Grove to:
- Ensure proper planning for the long-term needs of the City and its residents,
- Define an area for possible future growth,
- Protect agricultural lands and open space, and
- Required by LAFCo to define possible areas to be included within the City.
A SOI will simply define an area outside of the existing City that will be studied as part of the upcoming Master Planning process. The Elk Grove General Plan identifies two areas designated as Urban Study Areas that are envisioned as areas in which urbanization, to some extent, could occur (see map below). The General Plan does not identify a formal land plan for these areas but lays out policies to guide the study of future development in cooperation with the public and other agencies and parties. For more information, see History of the Sphere of Influence Amendment and Master Planning.
The Sphere of Influence Amendment Area |
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The map below illustrates the updated proposed SOI Amendment area as directed by the City Council on April 14, 2010.
| Proposed Sphere of Influence Amendment Area |
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| What is LAFCo and how are they involved? |
The Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) is the agency that has the approval authority over the City's Sphere of Influence amendment request. LAFCo is an independent agency, with jurisdiction over cities and special districts within the County, but remains separate from the County. LAFCo's sole purpose is to promote orderly growth, discourage urban sprawl, preserve open space and prime farmlands, and promote the efficient extension of government services. LAFCo accomplishes these goals by defining a city's SOI, approving or denying annexations, and approving or denying extensions of municipal infrastructure and services to other areas. The City must apply and gain approval from LAFCo in order to amend the City's SOI. More information on LAFCo is available on their website at www.saclafco.org. |
The Sphere of Influence Amendment Application |
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On May 21, 2008, the City of Elk Grove submitted an application to the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) requesting an amendment to the City's Sphere of Influence to include the areas immediately south and southeast of the City. However, the application was shortly placed on hold in order to allow the City and County to better align future planning activities. The City and County both agreed that feedback from additional community outreach in regards to the common interests would assist in forming a shared vision for the SOI and south County area (see 2009 "Listening Sessions" below). Thus, the shared vision would ultimately be formalized in a City-County agreement (see Memorandum of Understanding with Sacramento County below) that can later be included in the City's application to LAFCo. On July 22, 2009, the City Council directed staff to reactivate the SOI application with LAFCo in conjunction of establishing a Memorandum of Understanding with the County.
The application, in its entirety, is available for public review. In addition, the application has been forwarded to interested agencies and other community groups. A hard copy is available for review at the City's Planning Department public counter, located at 8401 Laguna Palms Way. It may also be downloaded from the link below.
LAFCo is reviewing the application and will work with the City to identify any missing pieces of information. In addition, LAFCo published a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from qualified firms to prepare the appropriate environmental document pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the SOI amendment request. LAFCo is the lead CEQA agency. Once the application is deemed complete by LAFCo staff, the request will be forwarded to the LAFCo Commissioners for review and consideration. To learn more about the LAFCo process, please visit www.saclafoc.org.
Download the Application.
2009 "Listening Sessions" |
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In March 2009, the City Council directed staff to work collaboratively with the County of Sacramento to complete a community outreach effort to solicit public input regarding the common interest shared between the City and County on the conservation principles for the Cosumnes River corridor and lands south of Elk Grove in the context of the SOI. These “Listening Sessions” were held in April and May 2009. See below to read the comments received during each of the Listening Sessions.
On July 22, 2009, staff presented the results of the Listening Sessions to the City Council and received direction to proceed with the SOI application, to affirmatively address the major policy issues raised in the Listening Sessions, and to work with Sacramento County staff in the preparation of a Memorandum of Understanding to address the protection of the Cosumnes River corridor. A copy of the full staff report can be found by clicking here.
Memorandum of Understanding with Sacramento County |
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The City and the County of Sacramento have been working collaboratively to establish a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would incorporate the “joint vision” shared between the City and County regarding the future planning and preservation activities within the City's proposed Sphere of Influence area. As structured, the MOU functions as the legal tool for adopting the joint vision, whereas the principles and policies of the joint vision are provided as an attachment to the MOU. The joint vision is based upon the previous discussions between the City and County and the extensive public comment during the SOI process. The principles in the joint vision are intended to serve as a guide for the process and ensure that the common vision between the City and County is achieved. The draft MOU was previewed by the City Council on November 18, 2009 and by the Board of Supervisors on December 2, 2009. The staff reports prepared for the City Council and Board of Supervisors can be found by clicking on one of the following: City Council or Board of Supervisors.
The draft MOU and Joint Vision documents identified the following components below and was presented to the public through four public outreach meetings in March 2010 (see Memorandum of Understanding and Joint Vision Public Outreach Meetings below).
Memorandum of Understanding
- As part of future land planning, the City would establish land uses that are conceptually compatible with the principles in the Joint Vision, including variable density and transitional land uses and clustering along a portion of the SOI boundary (Figure 1);
- The City and County would identify areas of development that incorporate transitional land uses, clustering, variable density, and other land use planning tools to provide guidance in the formation of future land uses in the SOI area. This does not bind the City to a specific land plan;
- The County will refer all future land use applications in the SOI area to the City for review and comment and will agree to implement any City pre-zoning standards that may be adopted in the future; and
- The City and County will cooperatively approach the various issues addressed in the Joint Vision and, as such, the City and County agree to support any action by LAFCo to condition the approval of the SOI amendment on the adoption of the MOU.
Joint Vision
- The City and County will engage in a cooperative land use planning process that involves land owners, residents in and around the Cosumnes River Basin, and other stakeholders;
- In the area west of State Route 99, the proposed SOI boundary represents a joint City/County urban limit line beyond which no urban development will occur;
- Urbanized land uses will only occur within the Urbanization Area, defined as north of Eschinger Road and between Grant Line Road and the 100-year floodplain;
- Farmland and open space within the floodplain will be permanently protected through buffers and conservation easements;
- An “Area of Transitional Land Uses” (Figure 1) is established, which would create a viable interface between urban and rural land uses by using transitional density, density clustering, and open space easement dedications. The options are not mutually exclusive;
- Land use changes within the “Area of Transitional Land Uses” by either the City or County may be approved with the written concurrence from the other;
- Neither jurisdiction will pursue urban land uses outside of the Urbanization Area without agreement from the other;
- Preservation of open space and habitat lands will be consistent with the South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan (SSHCP). Urban development within the area may not begin until the SSHCP has been adopted and includes provisions for addressing urban growth within the area;
- Passive recreation opportunities (e.g., trails, nature study areas, use of non-motor watercraft) would be provided, but selected sites will be an acceptable distance from sensitive habitat areas;
- The County seeks to create a regional trail system, and as such, the City and County agree to coordinate public access within the area;
- In protecting farmland, the following actions will be used:
- Transitional densities that provide for compatible densities and intensities of land uses proximate to agricultural activities as described above;
- Recordation of a statement identifying the proximity of agricultural operations and the County's right-to-farm policy on property deeds;
- Mitigation for the loss of farmland within the Urbanization Area by permanent preservation (e.g., conservation easements) of existing farmland outside the Urbanization Area required for all development projects; and
- Transitional densities that provide for compatible densities and intensities of land uses proximate to agricultural activities as described above;
- Prohibiting development within the 100-year floodplain and requiring land within the 100-year floodplain to be placed within a floodplain conservation easement in perpetuity as a condition of project approval. Alteration of the floodplain to facilitate urban development will be prohibited.
Figure 1
The City and County jointly held four public outreach meetings in March to allow property owners, stakeholders, interest groups, and the general public to review and provide comments regarding the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and associated "Joint Vision" that will serve as a guide for future planning and preservation activities within the City's proposed Sphere of Influence (SOI) area. The draft MOU and Joint Vision documents are available by clicking below. Click here for The meeting minutes and any items submitted during a particular meeting are available below. In addition, letters received in regards to the MOU are also provided below. A quarterly update regarding the SOI will be presented to the City Council on April 14, 2010. A copy of the staff report may be viewed by clicking here. The update will include comments received during the public outreach meetings.
Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) dated May 22, 2009 (letter referenced by ECOS during workshops) Sacramento County Farm Bureau dated December 2, 2009 The Nature Conservancy dated January 28, 2010 Wilton Action Group dated March 2, 2010 Nature Conservancy dated March 15, 2010 Marc Leonard dated March 23, 2010 Petition by Town of Franklin Residence dated March 30, 2010 |
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Last updated: 1/30/12 11:00 AM
