Infill Considerations

A bit of private outdoor space: It’s essential to living well, and the newly opened Salvator on Arden Way in North Sacramento, provides it.

In this 120-unit community by developer Community Housing Works and Mogavero Architects, the balconies are generous. They will serve as outdoor rooms – places to escape, to think, feel the breeze, and take in a bit of nature.

As Arden Way is on the list for an infrastructure upgrade that will tear up the street, we can hope and advocate for the City to put the driving lanes on a “road diet” so that walkers, cyclists and especially trees can have more of the real estate.

This will give the balconies at the Salvator an even better connection to passers-by, as well as shade from larger trees to filter dust and particulates.

Green Means Go: The infrastructure upgrades along Arden Way are part of the City’s Green Zones. In a Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) program called Green Means Go, Green Zones have been identified by each jurisdiction as suitable for infill development, near transit, and in need of infrastructure improvement to enable new development.

The capacity improvements will be made to water, storm, and waste lines to “activate” nearby parcels, meaning, make them ready for a developer to do their work.

Inadequate infrastructure has been identified by SACOG and 26 of the 28 jurisdictions in the region as a major block to the re-development of centers, corridors, and established communities, so needed to accommodate our growing population.

The map below shows Green Zones identified by the City of Sacramento. For more information, see https://www.sacog.org/greenmeansgo.

For more information on the Salvator, see the recent Sac Bee article https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article276871883.html.

Incentivizing Infill – Join us Nov. 29

Join ECOS for our monthly Land Use Committee meeting on November 29, 2021 at 6:00pm to answer the following questions: How should we create incentives to encourage infill development in Sacramento County? What is the potential for infill development here? What are barriers to overcome, and how can we support more infill development?

The Sacramento County has received a $360,000 Grant to develop incentives for infill development projects. We’ve been asked to provide ideas on how the County could incentivize infill.

We will discuss the prospects and advantages of sustainable infill development in the Sacramento area. Mogavero Architects will also participate in the discussion.

1) Todd Taylor, County Associate Planner, will present the tasks outlined in the Grant, and the work plan’s general timeline.

2) Sotiris Kolokotronis, founder of SKK Development, will provide the perspective of a leading developer of urban core projects.

Link to join meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/543524123 


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Broadway Bridge DEIR: ECOS Comments

On August 23, 2021, ECOS submitted a comment letter on the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Broadway Bridge in the City of Sacramento.

Below are our comments.

ECOS supports the concept of a bridge connecting Broadway in Sacramento to West Sacramento, near 15th Street. This should facilitate infill development near both sides of the Sacramento River and provide a connection between the two cities south of US 50. Development potential is especially promising on the West Sacramento side, since I-5 is not a barrier there. We encourage significant infill development, which would be facilitated by the removal of old facilities such as fuel storage tanks and the railroad tracks serving the Port of West Sacramento. Once a definitive alignment is selected and necessary property acquired, the bridge would serve as a vital link for transit, bicycles and auto traffic. As mixed-use development near the bridge increases (on both sides of the river), the number of pedestrians and bicyclists would also increase greatly.


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Council of Infill Builders’ David Mogavero’s Infill Presentation

On July 12, 2021, at a Special Environmental Council of Sacramento (ECOS) meeting (Joint Session: Land Use & Transportation, Air Quality and Climate Change Committees) architect David Mogavero spoke to ECOS.

How can we encourage infill development and discourage green-field development?

David Mogavero is a Board Member of the Council of Infill Builders, and a past president of ECOS.

David Mogavero addressed these questions:

  • How do we calculate infill capacity?
    • How many market-rate and affordable dwelling units will we need in our region?
    • How much infill housing development capacity do we have?
    • Would still we need more greenfield development?
    • What density criteria are used to determine needed infill development capacity?
  • What are potential problems with larger high-density infill developments?
    • Nearby residents often resist higher density, affordable housing near transit hubs.
  • Small, high-density infill development problems:
    • Do we need accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and multiplex housing?
    • How can we make small projects easier to finance and build?

Missed it?

Click here for David Mogavero’s slideshow.

More Info

Learn more about ECOS committees here: https://www.ecosacramento.net/about-us/committees.

To learn more about the Council of Infill Developers, visit their website at http://www.councilofinfillbuilders.org/.

Sacramento Climate Action Plan: draft ready for public review!

March 12, 2021

Sacramento County’s draft Communitywide Climate Action Plan (CAP), which addresses greenhouse gas reductions and climate change adaptation, is now available for public review.

An online workshop on the draft CAP will take place via Zoom at the Sacramento County Environmental Commission (SEC) meeting on Monday, March 15, at 6 p.m. The workshop will be an opportunity for the public and the SEC to provide feedback on the draft CAP.

Learn more


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