Before a single spade of soil is turned in the proposed developments of South Hill Village, Kenny Ranch, Loma Rica Ranch and Northstar, the city of Grass Valley will first do a little digging of its own in an economic feasibility study of the projects.

That effort will attempt to lay out the impact of all the developments on city services, jobs, housing and transportation. Combined, the proposed projects include approximately 3,000 homes, condominiums and apartments.

Currently, Grass Valley city planners are in the process of interviewing consultants to conduct the study, said Joe Heckel, Grass Valley community development director. The study will be funded proportionately by the developers, he said.

"We want to know what the true fiscal impacts are" on sanitation, public safety and other municipal services, Heckel said.

The consultant will first establish a base line - what currently exists in the city.

The first scenario in the study will look at what happens if all the ways the land is to be used - such as for residential and commercial - in the Grass Valley general plan are fully developed. Second, Heckel said, the consultant will analyze the impacts of all the projects if they are developed as now proposed. While only one project, South Hill Village, has formally submitted an application to the city, planners are working with the other developers and are familiar with the proposed subdivisions, Heckel said.

Finally, the study will look at what is the best land-use mix in regard to market change and demand over the coming years and decades. Essentially, land-use mix consists of housing -- both market value and affordable homes, commercial/business park and retail.

All phases of the study will, along with other issues, look at the balance between jobs and housing, particularly work-force housing; transportation and infrastructure needs and deficiencies; park and recreation needs and costs; annexation boundaries, phasing and rate of growth; and consistency with the city's general plan policies.

"The economic consultant we are interviewing has been through this before," Heckel said. "And this study will provide an informational tool for the city council."

Grass Valley Mayor Patti Ingram said she and her colleagues are aware of the "fine line" between the needs of the community and the developers. She noted that along with the housing proposals in all the projects, there will be commercial development, which generally generates more tax revenue but requires fewer services than homes.

Mainly because Grass Valley doesn't have a major interstate bisecting it, Ingram said she "can't imagine we are ever going to look like Rocklin, Lincoln or Roseville. But it doesn't mean you close your eyes and approve everything.

"What realistically is going to happen is what the council is going to let happen," she said. "These (projects) aren't going to develop overnight. And along with that is plenty of time for community input."

Heckel said the timeline for the economic study is three to six months after the council approves a consultant.