The Sacramento City Council on Tuesday kicked off a closely watched public hearing on a developer-backed proposal to annex roughly 475 acres of farmland southeast of Interstate 5 near Sacramento International Airport for a massive industrial complex. The council stopped short of a final decision and continued the item to its next scheduled meeting on December 2. If the annexation clears all approvals, the land would shift from unincorporated county into the city so it can connect to municipal water, sewer and other infrastructure needed for large-scale industrial development.
Roughly 50 residents took the mic during the hearing, with the crowd splitting between organized labor backing the project and nearby neighbors warning about more traffic, noise and pollution. Mayor Kevin McCarty urged colleagues not to rush and to continue the debate beyond a single meeting. Councilmembers Lisa Kaplan and Caity Maple recused themselves because of conflicts of interest. Many supporters said the buildout would bring thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in economic activity to Sacramento, according to KCRA.
What’s proposed
According to the City of Sacramento, the Airport South Industrial Annexation would fold about 475 acres into city limits for master-planned light-industrial use. The plan could accommodate around 6.6 million square feet of industrial buildings along with roughly 11 acres of highway-oriented commercial space. The application seeks several entitlements, including a Prezone, a General Plan Amendment, a Planned Unit Development and a property tax-exchange agreement with Sacramento County. Project advocates say annexation is essential so the site can hook into city water and sewer systems that industrial tenants require.
Environmental review and acreage details
The state’s CEQA database lists a multi-volume draft environmental impact report for the Airport South Industrial project, placing the study area at about 474.4 acres. Other project documents cite slightly different acreage totals as parcel groupings and alternatives have been refined. The EIR includes detailed analyses of traffic, air quality, noise, biological resources, and potential effects on nearby schools and neighborhoods. Draft environmental documents for the project are posted on the state CEQA site, which outlines the scope of review, according to CEQAnet.
Neighbors and environmental groups push back
Residents who live near the proposed annexation line told the council they fear a surge in truck traffic, worsening air pollution, and negative impacts on nearby Paso Verde School. Several speakers argued the plan would trade open farmland for an industrial corridor on the edge of existing neighborhoods. The Environmental Council of Sacramento submitted formal comments urging the council to deny or significantly scale back the proposal, citing habitat issues and concerns about the Natomas Basin flyway. Those objections surfaced repeatedly throughout public comment on Tuesday, according to ECOS.
Labor and the economic pitch
On the other side, many speakers affiliated with local building trades unions pressed the council to approve the annexation, calling it a rare chance to lock in construction work and long-term logistics and warehouse jobs in Sacramento. Supporters argued that without city utilities, the property would remain farmland indefinitely and that industrial users need guaranteed municipal water and sewer capacity to operate. The potential scale of private investment, and the tax revenue and wages it could generate for the region, were central themes from backers, as noted by KCRA…