By Sara Beth Williams–
Two of five Citrus Heights City Council members want to discuss the possibility of annexing portions of unincorporated Sacramento County, while a third council member is requesting the examination of possibly annexing or reorganizing parts of the Sunrise Recreation and Park District.
According to an agenda packet released last week for an upcoming special city council strategic planning meeting to be held all day Wednesday, Mayor MariJane Lopez-Taff and councilmember Kelsey Nelson listed annexation of portions of unincorporated Sacramento County as part of their top three priorities to discuss during the planning meeting.
Lopez-Taff wants to revisit three specific locations near the city’s border for annexation, including the corner of Fair Oaks Boulevard and Madison Avenue, the Roseville Pointe residential area off Roseville Road, and the commercial center on Antelope Road, including Home Depot.
The topic of annexing five and a half acres at the corner of Madison Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard, in hopes of “squaring off” the city limits, was most recently discussed in August 2023. The City Council gave the green light to move forward with an annexation work plan presented and favored including the Finance Committee in any future property owner meetings.
Community Development Director Casey Kempenaar said at the time that the city plans to send out the letter to three property owners who own five parcels, then host an in-person meeting with the owners, and bring back feedback from the meeting to the council at a later date.
Related: City of Citrus Heights eyes potential annexation at key intersection – Citrus Heights Sentinel
Like Lopez-Taff, Nelson would like to revisit the discussion of the annexation of the commercial centers and residential areas at Antelope Road and Roseville Road but also suggested exploring annexation west of the city limits toward the I-80 and Greenback Lane overpass and further south, along Roseville Road to Elkhorn Boulevard.
Currently, the western city limits stop at Antelope Road and Daly Avenue and run south along Daly Avenue, passing through several residential areas, veering slightly west along the interstate, and then back east before continuing south again up to the corner of Auburn Boulevard and Manzanita Avenue.
Several locations mentioned by both Nelson and Lopez-Taff were part of an annexation study in 2023. In October of the same year, the city presented findings from the study. At the time, Citrus Heights City Manager Ash Feeney clarified that all four areas explored, even individually, would result in a significant financial deficit and that some areas had various infrastructure needs that would incur significant high costs upfront.
The four areas studied previously included Greenback Gateway; the commercial parcels at Fair Oaks Boulevard and Madison Avenue; Dewey Drive, which included Mercy San Juan Medical Center; and Roseville Pointe, including the commercial center anchored by Home Depot off Antelope Road.
Two sub-areas were also analyzed: one small residential area within Roseville Pointe and one sub-area off Dewey Drive, which includes a church, nursing facility, and residential housing.
The study was completed by RSG, a financial consultant firm based in California that has completed multiple similar fiscal impact studies for other cities investigating the feasibility of annexation.
Karpinski-Costa also suggested annexation in her list of priorities to discuss at the upcoming meeting, but in a different light. Karpinski-Costa would like to explore the feasibility of either reorganizing or annexing portions of the Sunrise Recreation and Park District. The former mayor wants the city to examine pros and cons and determine the likelihood of voter approval before too much time is devoted to the idea.
“[The] park district receives 4 percent of our property taxes, spent outside the city—we currently cannot offer recreational choices and programs to meet the special needs of our residents,” Karpinski-Costa said, adding that the city already invests funds in parks.
Last year, Karpinski-Costa also floated the idea of exploring creating the city’s own park district.
See the full strategic planning meeting agenda here.
See the breakdown of Councilmembers’ top priorities here: Sunrise Tomorrow, fiscal stability, annexation, listed as City Council top priorities ahead of annual planning meeting – Citrus Heights Sentinel
The special city council strategic planning meeting will be held Wednesday, March 18, at Citrus Heights City Hall in the Large Conference Room and Community Room from 8:30 am to 5 pm with various breaks in between. Public comment is scheduled to take place at 9 a.m. but is subject to change.
The meeting is open to the public. Anyone wishing to make comments can do so by attending the strategic planning meeting or by submitting comments online by emailing the city clerk at [email protected]. Speakers will be limited to three minutes each, and the mayor has the discretion to lengthen or shorten the allotted times.
Citrus Heights City Hall is located at 6360 Fountain Square Drive.
