The Community

The Penryn Parkway Opportunity Area covers just over 600 acres east and west of Penryn Road and north and south of I-80 and Taylor Road. The western edge of the area, between I-80 and Taylor Road, abuts the Loomis town limits.

With the exception of the areas adjacent to the Penryn Road-I-80 interchange, the area is developed predominantly with large lot residential uses. North of the highway, west of Penryn Road is the Orchard at Penryn Park project, which consists of 84 townhomes on 8.6 acres. This is the area’s only existing residential project with moderate density (e.g., approximately 10 units per net acre). The under-construction Penryn Townhomes project, which lies on the eastern side of Penryn Road just north of I-80, will consist of a similar density (23 units on 2.3 acres). Farther north on the west side of Penryn Road is the proposed Orchard at Penryn project, which will consist of a 54-unit single-family gated community on two parcels covering approximately 15 acres, with primary access from Penryn Road and an exit gate on Taylor Road; this site had previously been approved for 150 multi-family residential units. Commercial and office uses in the area include the Penryn Parkway Business Park (adjacent to the I-80 interchange on the north side of the highway) and the Penryn Plaza Office Park ((adjacent to the I-80 interchange on the south side of the highway); both of these projects have remaining development capacity on unused pads or vacant parcels. Other non-residential uses include the Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center (on Penryn Road), Hope Lutheran Church and School, Placer Buddhist Church, and the United Auburn Indian Community (UAIC) Tribal School and Education Center (south of Taylor Road, adjacent to the Loomis town limit).

The Penryn Parkway area has excellent highway access, with the Penryn Road ramp to I-80 at the center of the area. Placer County Transit’s Taylor Road Shuttle provides local bus service, with connections to Newcastle and Auburn Station to the east Loomis and Rocklin (including Sierra College) to the west. Placer County Transit’s Placer County Express service also has scheduled stops at the Penryn Park ‘n’ Ride lot at the I-80 interchange. The Penryn area is also a favorite destination for road cyclists, with Taylor Road and Penryn Road providing access to routes throughout the Sierra Nevada Foothills.

Land use and development policy for the Penryn Parkway opportunity area are covered by the Horseshoe Bar-Penryn Community Plan, which was adopted in 1994 and updated in 2005. The policies in the Community Plan are generally focused on retaining and protecting the rural and natural qualities of the area. The exception is the Penryn Parkway area, which is located adjacent to and extending to the north from the I-80 interchange at Penryn Road to Taylor Road. According to the Community Plan, “the Parkway is meant to provide a mixed-use area, including multiple-family residential, professional office, and commercial uses.” Its excellent access to and visibility from I-80, as well available public infrastructure, including sewer and water services, present opportunities to attract a mix of more intensive uses to serve both residents of the area and visitors.