Commercial Real Estate in Freeport: The Town of Freeport NPA, Freeport Boulevard and Delta Rules

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

Freeport is a small unincorporated river town on the Sacramento River just south of the City of Sacramento, strung along Freeport Boulevard, which is State Highway 160. Its commercial property is mostly older buildings fronting the boulevard, a few river-oriented sites, and farm land around the town. The County regulates all of it, and a 1983 neighborhood preservation ordinance adds design review for most commercial changes, so confirm the zoning and review path for any parcel with Sacramento County Planning before relying on this page.

Who controls the parcel

Freeport is not part of any city. Sacramento County’s Zoning Code sets the base zone, and the Town of Freeport Neighborhood Preservation Area adds a layer of design control on top. That NPA was adopted on March 10, 1983 as NPA-83-1, through zoning map amendment 4245, the 1983 Delta Area Rezone. The Board of Supervisors’ findings describe Freeport as a historically unique riverport community under pressure from urban growth to the north, and the stated aim is to protect its river town atmosphere and historic character.

Because the City of Sacramento is so close, check jurisdiction from the parcel number. A property on the city side follows city zoning and pays the city’s additional transfer tax; one in the town follows County rules.

Delta layer. The Sacramento County Delta Protection Element names Clarksburg, Courtland, Hood, Locke, Walnut Grove and Ryde as the unincorporated Sacramento River towns in the Delta’s Primary Zone, and Freeport is not on that list. Confirm the zone status of any specific parcel on the Delta Protection Commission’s maps, since the Primary Zone policies, which favor agriculture-supporting uses, carry more weight there. The County’s 2021 hazard mitigation Delta Annex does treat Freeport as one of the Delta’s legacy communities.

Freeport zoning for commercial, industrial and mixed use

The NPA does not list its own use categories, so allowed uses come from the base County zone shown on the zoning map. The Chapter 2 districts that fit a small river town are:

District	Intended uses	How it plays in Freeport
LC Light Commercial	A wide range of retail goods and services	Restaurants, shops and services on Freeport Boulevard, subject to NPA review
GC General Commercial	Heavier commercial uses on major streets	Auto, equipment or service businesses
BP Business Professional Office	Offices, with some light commercial or residential	Small office conversions
C-O Commercial Recreation	Active recreation and water-oriented uses in remote areas	River access, marina or resort-style sites
AG Agricultural districts	Long-term farming with minimum lots of 20 to 160 acres	Farm land around the town
F Flood Combining	Overlay on 100-year flood areas	Elevation rules for new habitable buildings

What the Town of Freeport NPA requires

Projects that need development plan review. Under the NPA, these need review before permits issue:

new buildings
changes of use
exterior alterations to principal buildings
new signs
cooperative public parking lots

Building or modifying a one- or two-family home on an existing parcel is exempt, which means the ordinance falls mainly on commercial property.

Who decides. The County’s planning director approves projects and may waive review for insignificant minor work or send a project to the Planning Commission. Applications go to the Delta Citizens Municipal Advisory Council before final action, and review fees may apply.

Design expectations. No architectural style is mandated. Instead, the County looks at height, placement, shape and proportion against the existing town, and projects should respect the area’s character.

Setbacks. Set case by case, with room for shade trees and planters, particularly along Freeport Boulevard.
Landscaping. Required where a site has on-site parking or a building set back from the sidewalk; levee slopes and front yards may be included.
Trees. Removal needs the director’s approval first, and grading is limited where significant trees could be harmed.

Parking flexibility. Standard County parking minimums apply, but the director may allow off-site parking and approve shared or community lots, and may require added screening. For a restaurant on a narrow boulevard lot, that flexibility can decide whether a reuse works.

Violations. Breaking the NPA is treated as a violation of the County Zoning Code.

Levees, the boulevard and Delta projects

Levees. The state Department of Water Resources’ Maintenance Area 9 maintains roughly nine miles of levee between Freeport and Courtland, according to the County’s Hood flood study page. Work on or near the levee can need state flood-control approval in addition to County permits, and the County’s Delta element calls for setting new structures back from levees.

Gateway project. Sacramento County’s transportation department has run a Freeport-Delta Gateway Monuments project to design two gateway monuments and a history sign on Freeport Boulevard, marking the town as the northern gateway to the Delta. Phase One design was funded by a Proposition 68 grant through the Delta Conservancy; building the monuments depends on a second grant. The County page also says Freeport is one of eleven legacy communities in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area, and that a 2020 Delta Community Design Study identified improvements for residents, visitors and businesses.

State highway frontage. Because Freeport Boulevard is SR 160, driveway, sign and right-of-way work along the frontage may involve Caltrans as well as the County.

Lodging. The County’s short-term rental rules let STR be a primary use only in parts of the Locke and Courtland SPAs and the Walnut Grove NPA, not the Freeport NPA. Lodging in the unincorporated County pays a 12% transient occupancy tax plus tourism district assessments.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

A sale in the County’s Freeport pays documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of value, less assumed loans, through the County Clerk-Recorder. The City of Sacramento’s additional transfer tax of 0.275% applies only to parcels inside city limits, which is why the jurisdiction check matters here. A business located in unincorporated Freeport needs a County General Business License, per the Department of Finance. A sale generally triggers Proposition 13 reassessment.

Due diligence that matters in Freeport

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Confirm County versus City of Sacramento jurisdiction, and the base zone under the NPA.
Plan for NPA development plan review for any change of use, exterior change or new sign, including the advisory council referral.
Confirm Primary or Secondary Zone status on the Delta Protection Commission map.
Check the F flood overlay, flood insurance and levee setbacks.
Confirm septic or sewer service and water supply for food service.
For a bar or restaurant, verify the ABC license and any County use permit conditions.

Questions people ask

Is Freeport in the City of Sacramento?

No. The town is unincorporated and regulated by Sacramento County, though city limits are close by, so confirm with the parcel number.

What is the Town of Freeport NPA?

A 1983 County overlay that requires development plan review for new buildings, changes of use, exterior alterations and signs to protect Freeport’s river town character.

Does a new sign on Freeport Boulevard need approval?

Yes. Erecting a sign in the NPA requires development plan review.

Does the NPA apply to houses?

Building or modifying a one- or two-family home on an existing parcel is exempt from the review.

Is Freeport in the Delta Primary Zone?

The County’s Delta Protection Element does not list Freeport among its Primary Zone towns. Confirm a parcel’s status on the Commission’s map.

What transfer tax applies?

The County’s $0.55 per $500. The City of Sacramento’s added 0.275% applies only inside city limits.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in Freeport?

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

Sources & notes

Note: The NPA’s boundary is shown only as a map image, which we could not read; confirm whether a parcel is inside it. We did not confirm the base zoning of specific parcels or Freeport’s Primary or Secondary Zone status.

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

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