Aerojet 'Area 40' part of 7 lots for Folsom Ranch

Aerojet Rocketdyne is carving a 148-acre parcel into seven large lots for future sale and development in Folsom Ranch south of Highway 50. The Folsom Planning Commission approved a large-lot tentative map Oct. 30 to subdivide a 148.2-acre parcel on Aerojet property near Prairie City Road and Mangini Parkway. The parcel includes the infamous Aerojet "Area 40" hazardous waste site currently being cleaned up by the Environmental Protection Agency. The undeveloped site features gently rolling hills covered with non-native grassland and a variety of trees. A 26-acre "open space" will be fenced off until high soil vapor levels drop, according to the EPA. The Folsom City Council approved amendments in 2016 for development of the overall "Hillsborough" project on a 714-acre site along the western edge of Folsom Ranch, officials said. The Hillsborough project proposes 2,018 homes, 737,000 square feet of office/industrial/retail uses, parks and schools at the west end of Folsom Ranch, according to the report. In general, the 2016 changes included roadway realignments, relocation and resizing commercial land uses, relocation of multi-family land uses, and single-family, high-density homes in an area previously designated for a private school site. Since the Folsom City Council approved Hillsborough in 2016, Area 40 has been cleaned under the direction of the EPA, Department of Toxic Substances Control and Regional Water Quality Control Board. Eighteen specific sites in Area 40 were identified as designated cleanup areas. The remediation includes a permeable barrier to treat groundwater, multiple digs to remove contaminated soil and continued monitoring of water, soil vapor and ambient air to evaluate effectiveness and progress, staff said. "When the remedial actions are done, the risks posed by the contamination hazard will be adequately reduced to protect public health," staff said in the report. A detailed discussion of cleanup for each of the 18 sites can be reviewed in the environmental impact report online at the city of Folsom website. The City Council changed the land use of some properties to increase the allowed residential capacity of the area, according to the report.