Integrating Neighborhood Centers as the Plan Framework

There will be a series of interconnected, mixed-use neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are sized in such a way that all residents of Loma Rica are never more than ¼ mile – about a five-minute walk – from a central node of community activity. These nodes might contain neighborhood-serving retail, community-oriented amenities such as meeting halls, schools or religious facilities and recreational facilities such as playgrounds and formal urban parks.

This pattern is inherently visible in historic towns of the Sierra Nevada that often grew to the constraints of their primary users – pedestrians. Main Street in Grass Valley, for example, is approximately 1200’ long, or about ¼ of a mile. This compact, pedestrian-oriented character has remained an attractive and pleasant component of the Sierra Foothill towns for residents and visitors alike.

The individual neighborhoods are to be connected by a network of tree-lined streets with sidewalks, pedestrian paths and rural trails providing a variety of choices of access for residents and visitors alike. In addition, each of these centers will integrate the diversity of traditional neighborhood centers, including a variety of housing types and uses. The five neighborhoods are referred to as Olympia Creek, Ranch Center, Manzanita Village, Woodlands Village and Loma Rica Lake. In addition, there is a designated single-family estate area – Madrone Estates – in the northeastern corner of the property.