The Potential of Placer Ranch

We've talked in the past about the economic potential of Placer Ranch and the benefits this project will bring to Placer County, but it has been difficult to assign quantities, numbers and dollar amounts to those benefits. We can make reasoned projections but chose to enlist experts to dig a little deeper to analyze the impacts of institutions of higher education on areas similar to Placer County.

Placer Ranch President Holly Tiche

We recently engaged the Sacramento Regional Research Institute (SRRI), a joint venture of Sacramento State and the Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization (SACTO), to conduct a study of the fiscal impacts of a California State University at Placer Ranch.

The results were astonishing, even to us: the campus at Placer Ranch has the potential to contribute $790 million annually to Placer County's economy, and provide 9,900 jobs. That spending will not all be on campus, and that's what is so exciting – the spillover effects are monumental. Students pump dollars into local businesses and the housing market and provide an expanded workforce. The University itself will spend money on salaries, public services, facilities and housing. And some of those University facilities, like a performing arts center and sports fields, will make it possible for those who don't attend the University to enjoy recreational and cultural opportunities unique to a university setting.   All of this will benefit our local economy, whether or not we individually use the University.

In addition, there will be many opportunities for links between local businesses and the University. We are planning millions of square feet of office and industrial space adjacent to the campus to allow for public-private partnerships, facilities for students and faculty to conduct research and for businesses to get more involved with the campus. And the links won't stop there – businesses in other areas of South Placer County will benefit from the ability to work with students and faculty, employ students and expand their contributions to our economy.

It's important to remember that these economic contributions will not materialize overnight – it will take years for Placer Ranch to reach the full potential of those figures. But positive economic impacts will begin when construction begins, when on-campus instruction begins and when students begin to stay closer to home instead of commuting to Sacramento.

Introducing G.C. Wallace of California

G.C. Wallace of California, Inc. is a civil engineering and land planning firm with years of experience engineering and planning communities of all kinds. That experience is guiding their work on Placer Ranch – the team is coordinating all of the planning and engineering services for Placer Ranch, including developing the land plan and publishing the Specific Plan, one of the project application documents that will be available for public review.

“The Specific Plan is important because it is the vehicle for the first stage of development,” said Andrea Mayer, Senior Vice President and Director of Planning for G.C. Wallace of California. “It is the vision for the long-term build out of the property.   The goal of our work is to coordinate all of the elements that go into the Specific Plan, not only to help the public understand the project application, but also to help facilitate approval and actually start construction.”

G.C. Wallace of California is also part of the community design team and is working on some of the civil engineering aspects of Placer Ranch, including technical studies.   They are working with Placer County, County consultants, and other project consultants including the architect, landscape architects, and campus designers to ensure each group has what it needs to keep progressing on schedule to bring the project to the public review stage.  

“We're involved in creating a community,” said Stephen Au Clair, Senior Vice President in charge of Civil Engineering.   “Our goal is to create a community that meets the needs of the people who will work and live there, while preserving the natural beauty of the area.   I've been involved in community development in the Sacramento region for 30 years and it's very satisfying to see what we plan on paper come to life.”

G.C. Wallace of California is part of G.C. Wallace Companies, Inc. The Sacramento office has worked on a variety of projects in the seven years since it opened, including The Broadstone Master Planned Community in Folsom and the Promonade Upscale Village Commercial Master Planned Development in North Natomas.   They focus on large, master planned communities and are currently working on five projects in the region.

“Most master planned communities, like Placer Ranch, are mixed use so they all have the balance of jobs, housing and shopping,” said Mayer.   “The university is the most exciting component of Placer Ranch because everything is being designed around the community vision of the university village, like a small university town.   It will really bring vitality to the project and create the ‘place to be' at Placer Ranch. We're excited to collaborate with a great team to make the vision of Placer Ranch a reality.”

Moving Forward, Looking Back

We've started another new year, and it looks to be a busy one. Placer County is continuing to achieve great things by staying on the cutting edge of quality planning. “Smart Growth” and “Blueprint” could just be buzzwords, but the philosophies of thoughtful, planned development are being put to work to bring jobs to the area, improve local transportation systems, offer different forms of housing and enhance the lives of those who work here or call Placer County home.

For some time now, the County and the Cities of Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln have understood that cutting edge planning and development are more achievable when the South Placer region works together as a team. By working together, they can address challenges and develop solutions that meet the needs of the region. And the entire region benefits because everyone participates and is involved in the ultimate outcome.

The timing for applying that philosophy of teamwork couldn't be better for Placer Ranch, as 2007 moves us closer to the public portion of the approval process. Since our project is located near each of the Cities and is part of the County's main economic development area, we're working closely with local governments and residents.

Placer Ranch President Holly Tiche

We believe Placer Ranch brings great opportunity to the region: the project meets the goals of the Sunset Industrial Area Plan as being a job center and expands on that by including different job-related uses, ranging from office to light industrial space. One of the major components of Placer Ranch is the California State University, Sacramento branch campus, which would bring another higher education option and the first public university to the County. And the combination of the University and job center offers exciting possibilities for research and development, attracting new companies to the area and expanding opportunities for students.

We believe Placer Ranch also offers possibilities to take transportation planning to the next level in the region. We're working with the premier transportation planners in the area, and are taking a serious look at how we can contribute to easing congestion. We expect that at least part of Placer Parkway will be routed through Placer Ranch and that should be a big improvement to alleviate traffic on Highway 65 and Interstate 80.

By combining resources and overall vision, Placer County and the Cities of Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln will be able to achieve short-term goals that support long-term visioning…and we're excited to be part of the process.