The 2015 Harvest South of Hwy 50
With the rapid expansion of Folsom, it only became a matter of time before the city started looking south. Thousands of acres of undeveloped land sit empty and alone.
Folsom has been heading toward the annexation of 3,584 rural acres of land south of Highway 50 for many years. Recent developments lean toward Folsom annexing the land.
In 2001, the city expanded its sphere of influence to include the 3,584 acres between Highway 50 and White Rock Road as annex-able land. Folsom said the goal was to give the city control of the tract, which was under Sacramento County's jurisdiction.
In March 2004 the city council directed city planners to begin a "visioning" process, which included input from residents, to determine the potential development of the land.
In November 2004 Measure W was put on the ballot. It said 30 percent of the land south of Folsom would have to be maintained as open space; that a separate water supply must be found for the area; and that residents living north of the freeway would not have to pay for future schools in the south. The measure passed with a 69 percent margin.
On January 25, 2005 Folsom City Council told city planning staff to begin analyzing the feasibility of annexation. Developers who own land south of the highway have calculated that as many as 10,000 new homes may be included in the subdivisions of 2,500 acres of the land as well as millions of square feet of commercial space, retail space, schools, fire stations, and churches.
The population of Folsom in 2008 was 65,611. The new addition of 10,000 homes would increase our population by an estimated 30,000. That is a 46% increase in population. This is great news for churches that are focused on evangelism and kingdom building. Some estimates show that construction could begin as soon as 2015.
“Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.
Isaiah 54:2 (NIV)
