Sacramento Railyards Plan Wins Approval, But Not Without School Concerns

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Sacramento Planning Commission unanimously approved the massive Sacramento railyards plan Monday night, but not without raising some new concerns.

Commissioners dissected the long-anticipated plan, praising but also probing into concerns over concert noise, and parking lots.

The Sacramento Unified School District's Chief Operating Officer testified that the district will need a new school site for hundreds of new children expected to move in.

"So 420 elementary, 140 middle and 140 high school at the low level," Sacramento Unified School District COO Kathy Allen said. "And there's not enough facilities around downtown for them right now? I will not have capacity by the time that first student arrives."

The massive railyards footprint will include between 6,000 and 10,000 new housing units, a Kaiser Medical Center, a new county courthouse, and a 25,000 seat soccer stadium, in anticipation of Major League Soccer naming Sacramento an expansion city.

"The soccer stadium's a major catalyst, to start development in the railyards, sooner rather than later," Planning Commissioner Alan LoFaso said.

Developers also mentioned for the first time, activating the area underneath Intestate 5 by Jiboom Street--with sports courts, or a skate park.

"We were thinking about uses which can make best use of the fact it's a very shady location, but also uses in a noisy location as well," AECOM's James Haigstreeter said.

The giant historic footprint has had $370 million public dollars in infrastructure built into the land over the past two decades.

Now the planning commission's final approval recommends construction of entertainment venues, buildings, and homes.