Developers Flock To Natomas As Building Permits Are Accepted For First Time Since 2008
NATOMAS (CBS13) — A building boom could soon be headed to Natomas after Sacramento city leaders voted to end the area's nearly eight-year moratorium.
The city started accepting building permit applications on Wednesday, and builders lined up early to get one.
Since 2008, lots have sat empty and devoid of development after the Federal Emergency Management Agency declared the levees weren't cutting it when it came to new standards introduced following Hurricane Katrina.
On Tuesday, the Sacramento City Council cleared the way for construction to resume after feds gave their approval.
While Wednesday marked the first day permits would be accepted, none of them will be approved until June 16, when the moratorium officially ends.
Sacramento Mayor Pro Tem Angelique Ashby represents the Natomas area and says not long after the city planning department opened, people were there applying for building permits.
Leo Pantoja with KB Home was one of the people applying. Many builders had to stop dead in their tracks after the moratorium, leaving some neighbors frozen in time.
"We build homes for people to basically fulfill that American dream. So we are happy to be able to build in Natomas again," he said.
The amount of construction will be limited by the city for the first year and a half to make sure people aren't building too much too fast. They will reconsider that limit at the start of 2017.
The city will only accept 1,000 new home permits and 500 multi-family unit permits in 2015 and 2016. An unlimited number of commercial permits will be approved.