General Plan, infill housing and cannabis ordinance head to Auburn City Council

Editor's note: This story was updated at 12:08 p.m. Oct. 28, 2026, to correct the date of the City Council meeting, and to clarify a statement made during the General Plan discussion about the impacts residential or industrial zoning designations would have on the Blocker Drive property and the surrounding area. An updated General Plan, a significant infill housing project and a new cannabis ordinance were all advanced by the Auburn Planning Commission Tuesday to the City Council for review and potential approval on Nov. 9. All three of the projects have been in the works for at least a year; some, like the General Plan Update and the Auburn Station Infill Plan, longer. The latter two projects required comprehensive environmental review in the form of Environmental Impact Reports (EIR). EIRs study potential impacts new development could have on project properties and the areas around them, including natural resources and ecosystems, air and water quality, traffic, noise, aesthetics and public services and utilities. After more than three hours of discussion, city planning commissioners ultimately forwarded the items to the council with their blessing even if some residents disagreed. 2045 General Plan After the three-year process to complete the EIR and update the General Plan, the only issue that remained controversial, based on resident input, was whether a 14.3-acre undeveloped property off Blocker Drive should be designated for medium-density housing or light industrial. Planners had proposed in the General Plan that the property be rezoned for housing but included two options zoning it for industrial development for the commission's consideration. Property owner Steven Meade, speaking during public comment, said the city sold him the property with an M1R1-10 open space zoning. "This zoning is what I'm asking the city to retain in the General Plan," Meade told the Planning Commission. "I'm not asking for a new zoning designation. I'm asking that the property be planned consistently with the zoning under which I purchased the property from the city. "Secondly, I brought a development proposal to the city that included both housing and self storage. Both were rejected," he added. "I went back to the city and asked, 'What does the city need?' The answer was light industrial ... the city did not tell me it needed housing. Now I'm asking the Planning Commission to support option two in the General Plan for providing light industrial use at the Blocker Drive property that is consistent with the city's stated direction and the property's existing zoning history." Although letters of support for Meade's request were received from some residents and businesses in the area, a contingent of homeowners living mostly on Hidden Creek Drive adjacent to the property asked planners to include the residential zoning designation for the property in the General Plan. While sympathetic to those residents' pleas, Planning Commissioners elected to go with one of the industrial zoning options, noting that it is a need within the city. Commissioner Melissa Johnson said that there would be "strong impacts" to the property whether it is zoned industrial or medium density residential. "They're both going to change that area dramatically," she said. The existing Auburn General Plan was adopted in 1993 and established a planning horizon of 2012. In 2023, the city initiated a comprehensive General Plan Update to extend the planning horizon to 2045 and ensure the plan reflects current community priorities, regulatory requirements and best practices. The city retained a consulting team to manage the project and prepare the plan and EIR in September 2023. Auburn Station Infill Plan Across Nevada Street and a few blocks north of the Blocker Drive property at the Fulweiler Avenue intersection is a 17-acre property owned by Placer County. It contains the administrative offices of Placer County Library, a World War I Veteran's Memorial and the Placer County Administrative Center Building, commonly known as "the Domes" for the cluster of dome-shaped buildings. As part of the city planning for the future growth, a 10.5-acre portion of that site has been designated as the Auburn Station Infill project and could include between 238 and 315 apartment units as well as other uses such as business offices or professional services. No formal plan has been submitted by a developer; the city has simply laid the groundwork – zoning and environmental review – to allow for such a project should one come forward. Two different development options were drawn up, one that retains the dome buildings and one that demolishes them to allow for more housing units and other uses. The site is part of what the city deems the "Domes, Fulweiler, Nevada Street Redevelopment Green Zone" under the Green Means Go pilot initiative. Green Zones are areas targeted for projects that: Promote the use of alternative transportation options Increase housing near expanded travel options and other amenities Make it easier for the region to access electric vehicles "In support of the Green Means Go, the city identified the Plan Area as a potential location for transit-oriented housing with a mix of affordability levels, and successfully applied for grant funding for master planning of the site," a staff report on the project stated. "Adjacent to the site is the Auburn Transit Station, which hosts the most concentration of transit services, including Amtrak and the Capitol Corridor commuter rail service, and local and regional bus services." The City Council in April of 2024 approved a consulting contract with AECOM to work with the city on the development of the Auburn Station Infill Plan, conduct feasibility studies and assist in the planning and design of future housing and mixed-use development on the site. AECOM performed an economic and real estate analysis to inform the development of options for the redevelopment of the site, along with physical site planning, multi-modal access studies and planning, evaluation of the site context, and close coordination with Placer County. Over the course of the preparation of the plan, there were five rounds of concept development, with input from the City Council on Aug. 12, 2024, and March 10, 2025. New cannabis ordinance The dozen or so people who spoke during public comment on whether the Planning Commission should recommend the ordinance to the City Council or not were about evenly split. Those in favor argued that cannabis sales are legal in the state of California, and said residents living in Auburn should have access. Those against the city allowing retail cannabis use said medical marijuana can be purchased in town and that allowing a retail shop could make access to cannabis easier for kids and teens under the age of 21 – although sales to those underage are illegal. The draft ordinance sets the regulatory framework for cannabis retail sales in Auburn, allowing the city to maintain control over the number of shops that can open, and when and where those businesses may operate. The ordinance, developed by city staff and recommended by the Planning Commission, allows one retail cannabis shop to start and would allow another when the city's population doubles that. Right now, Auburn's population is about 13,800 residents. The draft ordinance identifies four areas within the city where a cannabis shop would be allowed, including a section in the Downtown area on High Street and a couple of spots in the Highway 49 corridor. The areas were selected to make sure any new cannabis shop is away from schools, day cares and neighborhood homes, staff told commissioners. The City Council instructed staff to explore the idea of a cannabis ordinance in August of 2025 after hearing from several residents who asked that they consider it. Staff conducted a survey around the topic and held two town hall meetings in September of that year.