GRANITE BAY, Calif. — In March, Placer County residents made it clear they don't want low-income housing in their backyards. Their fight continues this week.
Placer County officials are looking for 19 more properties to rezone for high-density, low-income housing as part of its Housing Needs Rezone Program. The county must find more places for this kind of housing to keep local control of its land and have access to grant funding for local programs and initiatives.
The plot of land in question is in Granite Bay at the intersection of Auburn Folsom Road and Fuller Drive.
"To change it into three and four-story buildings housing a lot of people. We don't think it's fair to the people that they're attempting to bring in because they don't have places to shop, there's no public transportation, our schools are full, our fire stations are closing," said Cheryl Berkema.
"It is home to bald eagles. It is a salmon habitat. There's deer that are seen in here regularly, so it ecologically doesn't make sense," said Donna Hogue.
Berkema, Hogue and dozens of others rallied in front of the county's administration building Tuesday morning demanding the county stop rezoning the properties to 'residential multi-family.'
"My biggest concern is their environmental impact report that determines whether there's any substantial impact to the area," said Holli Tamas.
The county's planning director told ABC10 it's finalizing a detailed presentation on the rezone program and it will still have to go before the Board of Supervisors before anything can move forward. The people who rallied say they're going to continue to fight until then.
"We just want it stop. Stop what's happening now before it's too late," said Hogue.
Residents can speak during public comment at the next meeting on April 25 at 9 a.m.
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