Proposed Project & Amenities
One of the design inspirations for the proposed Specific Plan focuses on the creation of new amenities for El Dorado Hills to create a vibrant community with a high quality of life for residents and visitors alike.
Promontory Park, El Dorado Hills, CA (Sample for demonstration)
Village Park
Parks are major contributors to the physical quality of communities and neighborhoods because of the aesthetic and environmental value they provide. Perhaps more importantly, they offer residents a place to gather, and they play a vital role in promoting the recreational health of a region. A key attraction for the proposed Specific Plan is a 15-acre public village park, similar to the size of The Promontory Park.
The planned park site is adjacent to U.S. Highway 50 in the Serrano Westside Planning Area and its proximity to the transportation corridor allows for the possibility of lighted athletic fields. More importantly, the proposed park provides a permanent green space next to the freeway to act as a scenic corridor. The site is large enough to accommodate two adult-size soccer fields, an adult-size softball field, a dog park or community garden, a concession stand, gazebo, picnic areas, water feature, dedicated parking and permanent restrooms.
The Parkway, Folsom, CA (Sample for demonstration)
Trails, Riparian Corridor and Open Space
The Specific Plan emphasizes the creation of a trail network for passive enjoyment. The Plan’s location in the center of El Dorado Hills provides strong connectivity between new and existing neighborhoods and land uses, and convenient non-motorized access to employment, services and recreation. An important feature of the proposed Specific Plan is to upgrade the drainage way along El Dorado Hills Boulevard to create a riparian corridor similar to the wetland features along Silva Valley Parkway south of Serrano Parkway. The existing Class I bike path next to the travel lanes of El Dorado Hills Boulevard between Fire Station #85 and Serrano Parkway is proposed for relocation away from vehicular traffic to the east side of the enhanced riparian area. The proposed trail will connect to an undercrossing at Serrano Parkway and extend south to a planned pedestrian overcrossing at U.S. Highway 50. The proposed trail improvements provide a safe network for walking, jogging, cycling and skating, and allow users to connect easily to a system of 17 miles of trails traversing the Serrano community.
Finally, one of the main objectives of the proposed Specific Plan includes the conversion of planned residential uses in the original El Dorado Hills Specific Plan (Serrano) into permanent, public open space. Subject to the approval of the proposed Specific Plan, the 1988 development rights for the planned Serrano Village D1 Lots C and D dwelling units will be relinquished and two ridgelines above El Dorado Hills Fire Station #85 will be preserved in perpetuity. Exceeding the County’s standard, fifty percent of the proposed Specific Plan is set aside as permanent public open space.
Bidwell Pedestrian Walkway, Folsom, CA (Sample for demonstration)
Highway 50 Pedestrian Overcrossing
The division of El Dorado Hills by U.S. Highway 50 poses a current-day challenge to promoting El Dorado Hills as a walkable, pedestrian-friendly community. Two existing connections under U.S. Highway 50 (El Dorado Hills Boulevard/Latrobe Road and Silva Valley Parkway/White Rock Road) lack “complete street” improvements to accommodate and encourage a range of users, and therefore U.S. Highway 50 obstructs connectivity between the majority of the housing on the north side, and the commercial and employment opportunities to the south. The proposed Specific Plan’s adjacency to U.S. Highway 50 provides an ideal opportunity to relocate a planned pedestrian overcrossing slightly east of El Dorado Hills Boulevard/Latrobe Road to provide a shorter and more direct route between the riparian areas of Serrano Westside and the El Dorado Hills Town Center. An important design feature to supplement the pedestrian network in El Dorado Hills is a combined riparian and pedestrian corridor within the Plan Area for walkers and cyclists generally parallel to El Dorado Hills Boulevard.
Civic/Limited Commercial
The northerly most portion of the Serrano Westside Planning Area between the Archery Range and the El Dorado Hills Fire Station #85 is set aside for municipal, civic or public services such as a sheriff substation, senior facility, or public park and recreation activities. The proposed site may also provide for professional and administrative office space for public-sector agencies such as the County of El Dorado and the El Dorado Hills Community Services District (CSD), or other private-sector enterprises.
Land Use Exhibit and Summary
Pedregal Preliminary Lot Layout – with rear set back dimensions
Rear Setback to PL Dimensioned with Aerial
Trail Circulation Plan
Vehicle Circulation Plan
Design Principles
Careful consideration of the foothill terrain and sensitive land use planning respects and protects the site’s aesthetic ridgelines and oak woodland savannah by focusing a majority of the new development areas on lands previously disturbed by the former golf course operations. Design principles focus on clustering most of the land uses on the gentle terrains of the property and designating low-intensity land uses on a small portion of the property with moderate slopes.
The design theme of the proposed Specific Plan follows sixteen guiding principles:
- Principle #1: Fulfill regional land use objectives by achieving Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy consistency
- Principle #2: Curtail suburban sprawl
- Principle #3: Assist in meeting future Regional Housing Needs Allocations
- Principle #4: Broaden the housing stock in El Dorado Hills
- Principle #5: Provide a strong community identity and quality built environment
- Principle #6: Utilize existing infrastructure and public services
- Principle #7: Improve connectivity of the regional roadway network
- Principle #8: Encourage future transit opportunities
- Principle #9: Create a new non-motorized transportation system
- Principle #10: Improve north-south pedestrian and bicycle connectivity
- Principle #11: Provide opportunities for recreational facilities in El Dorado Hills
- Principle #12: Improve the U.S. Highway 50 scenic viewshed
- Principle #13: Preserve the Village D1 ridgelines
- Principle #14: Minimize impacts to oak woodlands
- Principle #15: Protect important cultural resources
- Principle #16: Foster sustainable communities