In a move criticized by Placer County Supervisor Robert Weygandt, the Roseville City Council approved a developer’s request Wednesday to begin processing a 2,213-acre annexation that could bring a university to the city.

Weygandt, who was skeptical about some financial figures for the project, asked the council to delay its decision and sit down with county officials to hash out the numbers.

“I’m extremely disappointed,” Weygandt said Thursday. “They clearly did not even give it any consideration whatsoever. ... For me, it was a very sad day in the history of Placer County and regional cooperation.”

Stretching 3 1/2 miles along the city’s existing northwest border, the proposed Placer Ranch includes 5,000 homes and 9 million square feet of commercial and industrial space.

The crown jewel promises to be a California State University, Sacramento, satellite campus on nearly 300 acres donated by developer Eli Broad.

Placer Ranch had been proposed as a county development until last month, when project partners abruptly switched gears and submitted a formal annexation request to the city.

In their letter to the city, Placer Ranch Partners, which is controlled by Broad, cited a higher cost for services in the county than Roseville.

“The applicant made a very bold and politically risky move,” Weygandt said. “They knew all the implications, and they knew I wouldn’t be happy.

“I’m assuming they took this risk because they had a pretty good guarantee from the city that the city’s numbers would be far more desirable to them.”

Weygandt expressed doubt about how much cheaper the cost of doing business in Roseville would be. County officials have indicated it would cost roughly $1,700 per dwelling unit to provide public services such as police and fire protection.

Weygandt claimed Roseville gave the developer a figure in the range of $300 per dwelling unit.

Placer Ranch President Holly Tiche said Roseville hasn’t come up with any numbers yet.

“Historically, Roseville’s numbers will tell you that they do provide these services at a reasonable rate,” Tiche said.

Roseville Mayor Jim Gray said the city doesn’t give guarantees.

“They have to go through the process,” he said.

Council members on Wednesday stressed that the first order of business will be an analysis of the project’s fiscal feasibility.

“It’s our top priority that we narrow those numbers as quickly as possible to see if we’re able to proceed with the project,” Councilwoman Carol Garcia said.

Two years ago, a council- appointed committee recommended Placer Ranch as the next potential expansion area.

Much of the project site, however, lies within the county’s Sunset Industrial Area – an economic hub and job center.

“It’s well known our intent has been to preserve and protect that area in the county,” Weygandt said, adding that Placer Ranch makes up 40 percent of the Sunset Industrial Area.

If Roseville had held off its decision and agreed to meet with the county, Weygandt said, a mutually beneficial solution might have been reached.

“Perhaps Roseville could have taken all the residential development, and the industrial and commercial could have gone to the county,” he said.

Gray said city staff members will continue to work with county officials, adding later that he saw no harm in moving forward.

“We will be looking at everything. As I assured Mr. Weygandt, this will be an open and transparent process. Whether we put it off for a month or get going on it now, the conclusions we’re going to come to are going to speak for themselves,” Gray said.

Council members extolled the benefits of a public university in Roseville, citing the estimated 20,000 jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars it would bring to the local economy.

Officials also said a university would add cultural amenities and business opportunities.

Gray emphasized that the university wouldn’t be the only consideration.

“Of course, a university coming to Roseville would be a great thing. But it should not be the sole, driving factor,” he said.

Three other annexation proposals – totaling 3,350 acres – are now making their way through the city’s planning process. The council agreed to consider limiting Roseville’s ultimate boundaries to those three projects and Placer Ranch.

Placer Ranch attorney George Phillips said he anticipated it would be a year or longer before the project would go before the council for approval.