Appeals Denied Against Orchard at Penryn Project

The Placer County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to deny two appeals filed against the Orchard at Penryn, a 150-unit multi-family residential project proposed for a 15-acre site west of Penryn Road just north of Interstate 80.

The Placer County Planning Commission approved the project on June 28, 2012. The Town of Loomis and an organization known as the Stop 150 Apartments Group filed separate appeals of that approval and the commission's certification of the project's final environmental impact report.

During Tuesday's meeting, board members noted the decision was a difficult one because many Penryn residents testified against the project during a public hearing that began during the board's Oct. 11 meeting and was completed at a meeting on Nov. 6. The board began its deliberations on Nov. 6, but decided to postpone final action after providing guidance to staff and the project applicant on potential design changes to the project.  A revised site plan was submitted by the project applicant and presented during Tuesday's meeting. 

The board majority noted Tuesday that the revised site and preliminary landscaping plans submitted by the applicant address some of the concerns raised by the board and project opponents. The new plans relocate some buildings and propose more trees and other landscaping near the borders of the 15-acre site for additional screening of the project from adjacent residences.

The board majority also noted that the project has been zoned for multi-family residential uses since 1981 and is consistent with the Horseshoe Bar/Penryn Community Plan.     

Board Chairwoman Jennifer Montgomery cast the dissenting vote, saying she could not support the project as proposed. She called for a new plan with from 120 to 130 multi-family residences, saying a lower-density project would better meet the needs of the developer and the community.