On June 25, 2025, ECOS and allies released a media release regarding the Airport South Industrial Project, an expansion of the City of Sacramento in North Natomas with harmful impacts. You can read the media release below.

Environmental Council of Sacramento and Allies Ask City Planning Commission to Deny Mega Warehouse Project on Farmland Next to Residential Community, School and Wildlife Preserve

June 25, 2025

Sacramento, California – The City Planning Commission will hear public comment on the proposed Airport South Industrial Project, an expansion of the City of Sacramento in North Natomas with harmful impacts. The hearing is at 5:30 pm, June 26 at New City Hall, 915 I Street. In addition to environmental organization comments, neighbors will speak to the negative impact on residents, home values and school children. The proposed 474-acre project, requested by private landowners, is to develop 6 million square feet of megawarehouse space on farmland next to wildlife preserves managed by the Natomas Basin Conservancy, and next to the Westlake Community, including the Paso Verde School.

The Project site is currently zoned and used for agriculture only. The City and County General Plans do not allow warehouse or industrial uses on the proposed Project site. Its ongoing status as agricultural land is critical to maintain continued effectiveness of the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan (“NBHCP”), an enforceable legal agreement between City, Sutter County, and Federal and State wildlife agencies which has guided urban development in the Natomas Basin for over 25 years.

Noted Teri Burns, retired as Trustee for the Natomas Schools after 30 years, “Paso Verde School was designed to be adjacent to open space, based on the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan. None of our other elementary schools are located next to industrial property. They are schools located in neighborhoods where people are better able to monitor who is coming and going around the school. This is a safety issue for our youngest students.” ECOS is also concerned about the impact of toxic air contaminants on the students from nearby diesel truck operations.

“Our effort to save Natomas farmland and protect the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan (NBHCP) is important for the community and the economy,” noted Heather Fargo, President of ECOS and former Mayor and Councilmember of the City of Sacramento. “It is important for local food supply, the local wildlife species, and maintaining open space and quality of life.” Fargo was Mayor when the 2003 NBHCP was adopted.

In the NBHCP the City agreed to limit its urban development in the Basin to a designated 8050-acre Permit Area. Most of the proposed Project site is outside of the City Permit Area, in violation of the NBHCP.

“This project and other proposals in North Natomas would gut the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan,” said Sean Wirth, Conservation Chair for the Sierra Club Mother Lode Chapter. “Our region is woefully behind other metro areas in California in permanently conserving habitat, farmland and other open space. This approval is not in the public interest and will have permanent deleterious impacts.”

Jim Pachl, Legal Committee Chair for Sierra Club, pointed to the detention basins as a serious hazard of the project. “This project also contains 96 acres of detention basin 4,850 feet south of an airport runway which will be a waterfowl attractant that poses a serious hazard to air travel, and is inconsistent with FAA safety guidance.”

ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL OF SACRAMENTO (“ECOS”) is a nonprofit organization that gives Sacramento environmental leaders a place to come together to create an action-oriented coalition for the region. ECOS is a hybrid organization that has both 19 community-based organizations and approximately 200 individual members. Among the organizational members are Sierra Club Sacramento Group, Sacramento Audubon, Friends of Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Sacramento Valley Chapter of California Native Plant Society, Save the American River Association, Save Our Sandhill Cranes, Friends of Swainson’s Hawk, and Sacramento Area Creeks Council. These organizations, some of which are also parties to this petition, work to protect natural habitat and at-risk species. ECOS members, as well as its organizational members, reside in areas that would be adversely affected by the Project for wildlife observation, recreation, and aesthetic enjoyment if it is approved.

SIERRA CLUB is a national non-profit organization with approximately 832,739 members. The Sierra Club is dedicated to exploring, enjoying, and protecting the wild places of the earth; to practicing and promoting the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; to educating and encouraging humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to using all lawful means to carry out these objectives.

FRIENDS OF SWAINSON’S HAWK (“FOSH”) is a grassroots unincorporated association that has taken on the challenge of protecting Swainson’s Hawk habitat.

For more information about this issue, please refer to:

Click here to view the media release in PDF.

The Sierra Club, the Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) and Friends of the Swainson’s Hawk (FOSH), urge the County of Sacramento Planning Commission to reject the Upper Westside Specific Plan as unnecessary and contrary to the public interest. The Sacramento County Planning Commission will hear the project on Monday, June 23 at 5:30 pm.

The 2000-acre expansion of the urban uses onto farmland north of the City of Sacramento is requested by private landowners and not part of any adopted long-term County plan. The City of Sacramento opposes the project; however, the project relies on the City for water and sewer service. The existing land use supports the air quality plan, the transportation plan and other County General Plan smart growth policies.

“This specific plan is not about meeting housing needs,” said Heather Fargo, president of ECOS and former Mayor of Sacramento. “The County’s General Plan already includes enough land designated for housing units on sites that will not be fully built out until after the year 2100. SACOG, our regional planning agency, has found this project area is not needed to meet housing demand now or in 50 years. The hold-up on building affordable housing is not lack of land for that purpose. This proposal is just about developers making a profit.”

Click here to read the full media release.

Former Mayor Heather Fargo shares her concerns about the proposed Airport South Industrial Project, a landowner proposed project in the Natomas Basin. Join her in opposing the project and attend the June 26, 2025 meeting – 5:30 at 915 “I” St, in the Sacramento City Council Chambers at New City Hall. The City Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the City Council for their final decision on annexation of this land to the City.

On June 9, 2025, the Sierra Club, ECOS, and Friends of the Swainsons’ Hawk filed a lawsuit challenging the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) actions to approve the Airport South Industrial Project (ASIP).

We did not want to file this lawsuit before the project came before the City, but the law only provides for a 30 day window to challenge the LAFCo decision made on May 7, 2025. We would have preferred to have waited for the City Council vote, but this was not possible.

LAFCo erred in its decision to approve the landowners’ request to expand the City Sphere of Influence to enable 6 million sq. ft. of industrial use of existing farmland. They did so without due consideration of the City’s commitment to the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan (NBHCP).

Our three organizations strongly believe in the purpose of the NBHCP to balance development with habitat and farmland preservation. The NBHCP has worked well for 20 years, and we want the Natomas Basin Conservancy and the Natomas community to continue to thrive. Approval of the ASIP and other proposed developments threaten their future.

You may be wondering what we hope to accomplish with the lawsuit. We want local government to follow the rules and be fair to the public. Thirty years of agreements (USB, General Plan, NBHCP and more) are being set aside and, as some of you have personally experienced, the process has been stacked against the community and wildlife/habitat protections.

Finally, lawsuits are expensive and we need your help. Please donate to ECOS for our Natomas fund. None of us want to live with the traffic, air quality and other issues. Give generously.

Litigation Links:

A joint press release about the lawsuit from ECOS, Sierra Club and Friends of the Swainson’s Hawk is on ECOS’ can be read here.

A Business Journal article published on June 11, 2025 can be read here.

For Your Calendar

Please note the dates and, prior to the meetings, see the Natomas webpage for updates.

June 23 – 5:30 Sacramento County Supervisors Chambers at 700 H Street. Upper Westside will be heard at the County Planning Commission. The Commission will give a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. The Final Environmental Impact Report was released today. You can find it here. There is an executive summary.

June 26 – 5:30 Sacramento City Council Chambers at New City Hall 915 I St. Airport South Industrial Project is the only item on the agenda. The City Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the City Council for their final decision on annexation

August 12 – City Council meeting on the Airport South Industrial Project to approve or deny the annexation request and the warehouse project.

TBD – County Board of Supervisors meeting on Upper Westside to approve or deny the project.

Although a Notice of Preparation has been filed for GrandPark Southwest, no public meetings are scheduled

Actions

Sign the petitions – one concerns Upper Westside and is directed to the Board of Supervisors. The other concerns Airport South Industrial and is directed to LAFCo and the City Council. Sign the petitions here.

Let your elected representatives know how you feel by sending an email, making a call, or testifying at the hearings.

Donate to the ECOS Natomas fund.

Learn more on ECOS’s Natomas website.

Regards,

Heather Fargo

President of the ECOS Board of Directors, ECOS