Rocklin affordable housing project near pipeline, railroad set for City Council vote

A proposed 281-unit affordable housing project in Rocklin is heading to the City Council next week, as questions continue about housing growth, traffic, local control and the state’s role in approving new developments.

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The Midas Apartments project would bring three four-story buildings to a roughly 7.1-acre vacant site at the northwest corner of Pacific Street and Midas Avenue. All 281 apartments would be designated as affordable housing. The project also includes parking, a community facility, a playground, landscaping and other infrastructure.

The Planning Commission recommended approval of the project and its environmental exemption on Aug. 4. The City Council is scheduled to consider the project Tuesday.

The project is one of many adding to a growing debate in Rocklin over how much new housing the city should approve and how much control local officials have over those decisions.

Potential pipeline problems

The proposed apartments are next to Union Pacific railroad tracks and a Kinder Morgan petroleum pipeline that runs within the railroad right-of-way west of the property.

Haley Reid, a spokesperson for the city of Rocklin, said the city was aware of the pipeline during its review of the project.

The pipeline is connected to Kinder Morgan’s Roseville Station bulk petroleum storage facility, which began operating in 1957, Reid said. The project plans show the pipeline’s location based on information provided by Kinder Morgan after the developer coordinated with the company.

The city determined the pipeline and the proposed residential development had already been considered as part of Rocklin’s General Plan environmental review.

The city used a consistency analysis rather than requiring a new environmental impact report. The analysis concluded the project is consistent with the city’s general plan and does not create new significant environmental impacts that were not already addressed in the previous general plan environmental impact report.

Reid said the developer also contacted Kinder Morgan before formally submitting the design review application. Kinder Morgan reviewed the plans and told the developer it had no objection to the proposed development.

The pipeline would be about 140 feet from the closest apartment building, according to the city. No proposed site improvements or underground infrastructure would be within 20 feet of the pipeline.

Reid said Kinder Morgan provided the developer with construction requirements, including contacting an underground service alert center before excavation, maintaining required clearances and having a Kinder Morgan damage prevention inspector monitor construction within 25 feet of the pipeline.

Emergency access and trains

The railroad’s proximity has also raised questions about emergency access if a train blocks a nearby crossing.

Reid said both the Rocklin Police Department and the Rocklin Fire Department reviewed the project and did not express concerns about blocked access caused by trains.

The railroad corridor has about 18 train crossings per day, including eight during nighttime hours, according to the city.

The apartment complex would have two vehicle entrances. The Pacific Street entrance would allow full turning movements, while the Midas Avenue entrance would be limited to right turns in and out.

If a train is crossing Midas Avenue and vehicles back up toward Pacific Street, the city said emergency vehicles would still be able to use the other through lanes on Pacific Street. Pacific Street has two through lanes in each direction.

Vehicles leaving the apartment complex during a train crossing would either have to wait inside the property until there is enough room to enter Midas Avenue or use the Pacific Street entrance, according to the city.

The project also must meet the city’s fire-access requirements, including standards for emergency vehicle access, fire hydrants and other fire-safety infrastructure.

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Mayor raises broader housing concerns

The Midas project comes as Mayor David Bass has publicly raised concerns about the state’s housing laws and the limits they place on local governments.

In a Facebook post Wednesday, Bass said he has heard from Rocklin residents concerned about the “density, the traffic, the parking, the construction” and the loss of commercial property to housing.

At the same time, Bass said he supports workforce housing and wants residents to understand the legal pressures facing the city.

A major focus of his post was Assembly Bill 712, authored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, which became law in October 2025. The law imposes penalties on cities that fail to comply with state housing laws, allows successful housing applicants to recover their legal fees, and prevents cities from requiring developers to agree to certain liability rules.

Bass argued the law has increased the financial risks cities face when challenging housing projects. He said the law allows developers and certain nonprofit organizations to seek attorney’s fees when they successfully sue a city under California housing reform laws.

Bass also pointed to the state’s Housing Accountability Act, Density Bonus Law and other housing laws that can limit a city’s ability to reject qualifying housing projects.

“Why doesn’t Rocklin just say no?” Bass wrote. He argued that doing so can expose the city to state enforcement, litigation, attorney’s fees and potentially significant penalties.

Bass said Rocklin has already faced pressure from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, including a warning related to another housing project.

The mayor’s comments come after the City Council recently delayed a decision on the proposed Sierra Wilds Apartments, a 120-unit affordable housing project near Maria Montessori Charter Academy.

During that discussion, Councilmember Jill Gayaldo also raised concerns about local control. She said the property had originally been zoned for commercial development and was expected to generate sales tax revenue that could help pay for city services.

Sierra Wilds was identified by Rocklin as a housing site in the city’s state-required Regional Housing Needs Allocation inventory. The project therefore receives protections under California’s Housing Accountability Act, which can limit a city’s ability to reject qualifying housing projects based on certain objections.

The Department of Housing and Community Development told the city that Sierra Wilds qualified for those protections, according to the information provided by the city.

Gayaldo warned that a finding of noncompliance could have consequences beyond that single project.

The Sierra Wilds debate is similar to the broader questions surrounding Midas: how Rocklin balances the need for affordable housing with concerns about traffic, infrastructure, commercial land and neighborhood impacts while complying with state housing laws.

Rocklin’s recent affordable housing projects

Midas would be one of several large affordable housing projects moving through Rocklin.

In May, the City Council approved a $2.23 million loan to help finance The Steven, a 180-unit affordable apartment complex for seniors on Rocklin Road between El Don Drive and Sierra College Boulevard.

The Steven includes 178 apartments plus two manager units on 7.3 acres. The apartments are reserved for residents 55 and older earning between 30% and 70% of the area’s median income, with rents expected to range from about $650 to $1,850 per month.

The Midas project would add another 281 affordable apartments, increasing the amount of affordable housing being developed in the city.

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