The Community

The Granite Bay Opportunity Area is the most solidly suburban of the areas covered by this study. It is centered on the intersection of Auburn-Folsom Road and Douglas Boulevard, each of which provide regional connections to more intensively developed areas in Folsom and Roseville to the south and west, respectively. The area covers just under 400 acres of diverse residential uses surrounding commercial uses that are concentrated at the Auburn-Folsom/Douglas intersection and along Auburn-Folsom south of Douglas. Housing types and densities range from rural residential uses in the southern part of the area near Eureka Road to more typical low-density single-family residential neighborhoods near Douglas Boulevard. There are also three mobile home parks in the area, as well as a newly-constructed gated neighborhood of 28 duet homes on 3.4 acres at the southwestern corner of Auburn-Folsom and Eureka Roads (Carnelian at Granite Bay). There are no multi-family developments in the area. Commercial uses are largely concentrated in two community-scale retail centers at the Auburn-Folsom Road/Douglas Boulevard intersection: the 86,000 square-foot Granite Bay Village at southeastern corner and the 140,000 square-foot Country Gables at the northwestern corner. There are also several retail and office uses on individual parcels at the intersection as well as along Auburn-Folsom Road south of Douglas Boulevard, mostly along the western side.

While the area benefits from good regional roadway access via Auburn-Folsom Road and Douglas Boulevard, no transit services are available. There are Class II bike lanes along the full length of Auburn-Folsom Road and similar facilities are planned for Douglas Boulevard.

The Granite Bay Community Plan (adopted 1989, updated 2012) governs development in the area. The Community Plan acknowledges that Granite Bay as a whole “lacks a vibrant central area with a strong image and character,” but cites commercial sites along the Douglas Boulevard and Auburn-Folsom Road corridors as opportunities to create such a center with a mix of infill uses. The Plan refers to several “Mixed-Use Opportunity Areas” that it envisions as locations for civic, cultural and entertainment facilities as well as residential, commercial, retail and/or employment uses; these include the corner of Douglas and Auburn-Folsom Road and the east side of Auburn-Folsom Road south of Fuller Drive (which is also identified in the County’s Housing Element as a “Housing Opportunity Site”).