Building a Community

Sacramento is in urgent need of new housing – especially homes that working families can afford. The Upper Westside is a master-planned community, which offers a full range of single- and multi-family residential units to help meet the region’s long-term housing needs. 

More than two decades ago, the Upper Westside Plan Area was identified as a potential area for growth when the Natomas Joint Vision Overlay Area in the County’s General Plan.

This plan area consists of 2,066 acres. It includes 542 acres of an agricultural buffer intended to preserve small-scale farming. The remaining 1,524 acres includes 895 acres dedicated to residential housing; 136 acres for commercial uses; 291 acres of open spaces, parks and greenbelts; 124 acres for schools (K-14); and 78 acres of streets and sidewalks.

The Upper Westside project would be constructed in four phases over the course of approximately 20 years.

A New Vision for Sacramento’s Future

The Upper Westside is built upon a foundation that we need to create a thoughtfully designed plan for the region’s future.

It would be the only all-electric, carbon neutral master-planned community in Sacramento County. The plan includes a robust, integrated public transit plan, as well as walking and biking trails throughout the plan area.

The project embodies all of the smart growth principles adopted by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments to reduce traffic, air pollution, and urban sprawl by making this community more walkable, bike-friendly, and transit-accessible.

For these reasons, the Upper Westside project is consistent with the County’s Climate Action Plan.

Community Engagement

No development project in Sacramento County has conducted more outreach and opportunities for public engagement than the Upper Westside project.

In the spring 2019, the County mailed notices to more than 9,000 West Natomas residents and property owners — in a much larger area than what is required under state law — informing them about the Upper Westside webpage and inviting them to public meetings.

The County invited property owners via gov-delivery (email, SMS subscribers, and Nextdoor) to attend five (5) open houses.

  • North – Westlake, West Parke, Sundance Lake, Arena Centro, Westshore

  • East – River View, Witter Ranch, Riverdale North Village, Piazza Del Sol

  • South – Willowcreek, Swallows Nest, Gateway Oaks, Gateway Oaks Drive, Provence

  • West – Garden Highway, Azvedo Tract

More than 250 people attended these open houses.

  • June 11: Approximately 120 people attended

  • Aug. 28: Approximately 30 people attended

  • Sept. 24: Approximately 24 people attended

  • Oct. 9: Approximately 40 people attended

  • Nov 5: Approximately 40 people attended

Three digital tablets were available at welcome stations at these open houses so participants could easily sign-up for notifications about the Upper Westside project. Each meeting began with a presentation led by County staff, followed by an open house where County staff received feedback and answered questions. Comment cards were available at the welcome station for participants to anonymously write their questions or concerns.

The project’s applicant team also invited all property owners in the developed portion of the Plan Area to meetings on May 20 and June 5, 2019, as well as February 27, 2020, to keep these landowners updated on the process and discussions with County staff.

The County published a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Upper Westside project on August 30, 2024. Since then, the public has had multiple opportunities to submit written comments or provide oral testimony with the Natomas Community Planning Advisory Council (CPAC) and the Sacramento County Planning Commission.

In December 2024, the Natomas CPAC voted to recommend that the County Board of Supervisors approve the Upper Westside Specific Plan as presented. In June 2025, the County Planning Commission voted unanimously to move this plan forward by recommending its approval by the Board of Supervisors. 

Become a Supporter of the

Upper Westside

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