Commercial Real Estate in Rancho Murieta: Planned Development Zoning, Jackson Highway and CSD Services

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

Rancho Murieta is a master-planned community in eastern Sacramento County, and its commercial property is a short list: a retail complex and office building, commercial pads at Murieta Drive and Jackson Highway (State Route 16), an airport and equestrian facilities, and a commercial site planned in Rancho Murieta North. It is not a city. Sacramento County zones it, largely through planned development (PD) zoning, and a community services district provides water, sewer, drainage and security. Confirm zoning, PD conditions and service capacity for each parcel with the County and the district.

Who controls the parcel

Zoning. Land use is governed by the Sacramento County Zoning Code and County planning entitlements. Rancho Murieta was built under a planned unit development, so many parcels carry a base zone with a PD suffix. Examples include A-2(PD) and GC(PD) in the Rancho Murieta North notice. The PD ordinance and its site plan matter as much as the base zone.

Services. The Rancho Murieta Community Services District was established July 20, 1982 under the state Community Services District Law. According to Sacramento LAFCo, it provides:

water
sewer
stormwater drainage
security
public recreation
garbage collection

A five-member elected board governs it, and its offices are at 15160 Jackson Road. LAFCo lists enforcement of covenants, conditions and restrictions and fire protection among its latent powers, which it is authorized to activate but does not currently perform. The district describes itself as covering about 3,500 acres, roughly 5.5 square miles. It says the community includes an airport, an office building, a fire station, an equestrian center and a retail complex.

Rancho Murieta zoning for commercial, industrial and mixed use

The County districts that show up in Rancho Murieta’s commercial filings come from Chapter 2 of the Zoning Code.

District	Intended uses	Rancho Murieta notes
LC Light Commercial	Broad range of retail and services	Murieta Gardens site listed as LC(F), with the flood combining zone
GC General Commercial	Heavier commercial uses on major streets	Rancho Murieta North proposed about 39.8 acres of GC(PD)
BP Business Professional Office	Offices with integrated light commercial	Possible for office parcels; confirm on the map
C-O Commercial Recreation	Active recreation, mostly by use permit, often in resort and water-oriented areas	Relevant to recreation and resort-type uses
A-2(PD) and other PD zones	Legacy planned development zoning	PD site plan governs layout and uses
F Flood combining	Areas subject to 100-year flooding; elevated first floors	Applies to some parcels near the Cosumnes River

Jackson Highway, Murieta Gardens and Rancho Murieta North

Murieta Gardens. A 2014 Supplemental EIR filing describes the County’s review of an amendment to the Murieta Gardens mixed commercial and residential project. The site covers about 53 acres at Murieta Drive and Jackson Highway, near the Rancho Murieta Airport. The amendment proposed:

an 83-room hotel and 24 extended-stay units in place of a planned office building
residential lots reduced from 95 to 78
a commercial component of about 160,000 square feet on some 27 acres

The listed entitlements were a site plan, use permit, land division and zoning ordinance amendment. We have not confirmed what was approved or built, so treat the filing as background and ask the County for the current approvals.

Rancho Murieta North. The County’s 2015 notice of preparation for Rancho Murieta North covers 772.2 acres off Murieta Parkway. It proposed 827 homes in eight villages and about 39.8 acres of commercial. The request was to rezone from A-2(PD) to RD-4(PD), RD-5(PD), GC(PD) and O(PD), with a Special Development Permit for height and setback deviations. Sewer capacity is listed as a project issue. Confirm the project’s current status before relying on the commercial acreage.

Water, sewer, security and other Rancho Murieta rules

Service capacity. In Rancho Murieta, commercial feasibility depends heavily on the CSD:

Capacity. A new restaurant, hotel or other water-intensive use needs water and wastewater capacity from the district, and connection or capacity fees can be significant.
Rates. Each district service has its own budget, funded by taxes and user fees, so ask for the current rate structure and any special taxes on the parcel.
Private rules. CC&Rs may also restrict uses. The district’s latent power to enforce them suggests private restrictions are part of the community’s structure, so obtain the recorded CC&Rs and any architectural rules.

Mobile home village. The County’s Rancho Murieta Mobilehome Village PD, adopted July 17, 1980, zones its site RM-1(PD). It limits the site to mobile home park and subdivision uses with resident-serving accessory uses, so it is not a commercial site.

Lodging. Hotels and short-term rentals pay the County’s 12% transient occupancy tax. Home-based short-term rentals follow the County’s STR rules, which require an on-site resident.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

Rancho Murieta pays only the County documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500, per the Clerk-Recorder. A County General Business License is required for businesses located in the unincorporated area, per the Department of Finance. A change of ownership generally triggers Proposition 13 reassessment, and CSD charges and any special assessments appear on the tax bill.

Due diligence that matters in Rancho Murieta

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Pull the PD ordinance, site plan and conditions of approval, not just the base zone.
Confirm water and sewer capacity with the Rancho Murieta CSD before committing to a new use.
Obtain recorded CC&Rs and any association architectural rules.
Check the F flood combining zone and flood insurance for parcels near the Cosumnes River.
For airport-adjacent parcels, confirm any height or use limits.
Confirm a County business license and any use permit for the current tenant.

Questions people ask

Is Rancho Murieta a city?

No. It is an unincorporated community zoned by Sacramento County, with services from the Rancho Murieta Community Services District.

Who provides water and sewer?

The Rancho Murieta CSD, formed in 1982. It also provides drainage, security, recreation and garbage collection.

Where is commercial land in Rancho Murieta?

Mainly near Jackson Highway and Murieta Drive, plus the existing retail and office buildings and a commercial site proposed in Rancho Murieta North.

Was a hotel approved at Murieta Gardens?

A 2014 County environmental filing reviewed an 83-room hotel with 24 extended-stay units. We have not confirmed the final approval or construction.

What does PD zoning mean here?

Planned development zoning ties a parcel to an approved site plan and conditions, which can be stricter than the base zone.

Is there a city transfer tax?

No. Only the County’s $0.55 per $500 applies.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in Rancho Murieta?

Contact Matthew Martinez to discuss buying, selling or leasing commercial property in Rancho Murieta.

Sources & notes

Note: The County’s master PD ordinance for Rancho Murieta, the CSD’s capacity fee schedule and the community’s CC&Rs were not reviewed. The Murieta Gardens and Rancho Murieta North outcomes were not confirmed.

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.

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