Folsom, CA
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City of Folsom’s 2035 General Plan and Folsom Plan Area Specific Plan Amendments
Project Overview
In response to State housing requirements, the City of Folsom began a two-part effort to increase housing capacity for multi-family and affordable development in certain areas. In total, the Project proposes to create capacity for up to 6,046 additional residential units in the following targeted areas of the City: East Bidwell Street corridor, the transit priority areas around the Glenn and Iron Point light rail stations, and the Folsom Plan Area, particularly the Folsom Town Center, south of Highway 50. By increasing capacity in targeted areas, the City will be able to maintain an adequate supply of land for multi-family housing without having to rezone land in established residential neighborhoods, which could be required under the State’s housing element requirements.
Part 1: Targeted Multi-Family and Mixed-Use Housing Study (Completed Summer 2022)
For Part 1 of this effort, the city hired Opticos Design, Inc. to prepare a targeted multi-family and mixed-use housing study. The study evaluated attractive design, density, development standards, and market feasibility for multi-family and residential mixed-use development in three targeted areas. On July 26, 2022, staff presented the final study with specific recommendations regarding changes to density, design, and development standards in these targeted areas to the City Council. The Council provided input and was generally supportive of staff’s recommendations. To learn more about the targeted multi-family and mixed-use housing study view the project materials under the Resources tab below.
The results of the study and direction provided by City Council are being used to guide the increased housing capacity project’s proposed amendments to the General Plan, Folsom Plan Area Specific Plan (FPASP), and Zoning Code (Part 2 described below).
Part 2: City of Folsom’s 2035 General Plan and Folsom Plan Area Specific Plan Amendments (Draft Documents Now Available)
The City is now in the process of completing Part 2 of the effort to increase opportunities for higher density housing in the targeted areas.
On August 27, 2024, the City Council approved amendments to the 2035 General Plan and the Folsom Plan Area Specific Plan to increase the minimum density and maximum floor area ratio (FAR) standards for the targeted areas and directed city staff to prepare Objective Design and Development Standards (ODDS) (for the targeted areas) and zoning code amendments necessary to implement the Project.
NEW INFORMATION: The city is currently undertaking the final phase of Part 2 and is developing draft ODDS for mixed-use and multi-family residential development for the target areas.
New state housing laws streamline approval of multifamily housing development projects to help ease California’s housing crisis. By creating objective design standards, the City of Folsom will meet state mandates for streamlined review, while also ensuring mixed-use and mulit-family projects in the target areas fit in with the overall character of the city.
For residents, property owners, and developers, these ODDS will provide clear expectations of the types of design, articulation, and massing to be expected in the target areas. The ODDS will build off of existing guidelines and community input and will also provide clear language and graphic illustrations for developments to follow.
The draft ODDS are scheduled to be published in November 2024 and information about how to provide feedback will be provided with the published document.