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New developer seeks changes to 260-home project in Citrus Heights

A map included in the Jan. 22, 2020, Citrus Heights Planning Commission agenda packet shows the location of a future 55-acre housing development in Citrus Heights.

Sentinel staff report–
The Citrus Heights Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday night to review changes proposed for a 260-home project underway at the former Sunrise Golf Course.

KB Homes, which purchased the 55-acre Mitchell Farms housing project from Watt Communities last year for $24.9 million, is seeking approval from the commission to make design changes to the homes. According to a city staff report, the goal is “to provide additional variety for the proposed homes as well as respond to changing market demands for homes.”

The proposal seeks to alter “the footprints, elevations, colors, materials and roof lines” on two types of homes, the report says. Changes do not include any aspects related to traffic flow, landscaping, open space, or lighting.

Over 100 pages of diagrams and visuals of the proposed home designs are included in the Planning Commission’s Jan. 22 agenda packet. (View online here)

Square footage of the homes appear to remain the same, with homes ranging in size from about 1,400-square-feet to 2,100-square-feet. The plans approved by the City Council 15 months ago show the 260 homes will be separated into three general communities, made up of 78 traditional single-family homes, 110 “Paseo” alley-loaded units, and 72 “Patio” units, which are groups of two to eight single-family units accessed from a central alley.

The changes include adding more options to the previously approved plans for the “Patio” and “Traditional” designs, including more color schemes and the addition of single-story options for the Patio homes. A total of 36 “visually distinct” design options are proposed, up from eight original options, the staff report says.

A single-story option has been proposed to be added to the mix for a “Patio” home design in the Mitchell Farms development. // Image source: Planning Commission Agenda Packet

KB Homes acquired the project from Watt Communities late last year. Grading and infrastructure is still being finished by Watt Communities, as required by a sale agreement specifying that KB Homes will receive “finished pads and all associated infrastructure” from the seller, according to the city’s staff report.

As previously reported, the Mitchell Farms development includes an approximately 25-acre swath down the middle that will remain undeveloped, due to a 100-year flood plain associated with Arcade Creek. Under an agreement with the Sunrise Recreation and Parks District, the undeveloped acreage is to become part of the parks district and maintained using funds from a property tax assessment fee paid annually by each homeowner in the development.

Citrus Heights, Mitchell Farms
A map from 2018 shows the layout of the Mitchell Farms housing project in Citrus Heights.

A map of the project shows homes will be accessible through two entrances on Arcadia Drive, with a roundabout, as well as an entrance on Fair Oaks Boulevard, just south of the Heather Downs apartment complex. A vehicle bridge that was initially proposed to connect the northern and southern housing villages was removed from the plans due to concerns about “cut-through” traffic and the developer discovering significantly more costs associated with building the bridge.

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed changes during its Jan. 22 meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at city hall. To see the full agenda packet, click here.

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