Elk Grove City Council Approves St. Marie Goretti Appeal
Planning commission overturned, new Catholic parish gets blessing for smaller facility After a five-hour plus hearing, the Elk Grove City Co...
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2009/09/elk-grove-city-council-approves-st.html
Planning commission overturned, new Catholic parish gets blessing for smaller facility
After a five-hour plus hearing, the Elk Grove City Council approved an appeal by proponents of the proposed St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church for a conditional use permit for a church and other structures on Bradshaw Road.
The vote was 4-0 with council member Gary Davis abstaining. Davis was absent during a presentation by the project's attorney James Sweeney and under the advice of the city attorney did not vote.
The project had been rejected unanimously by the planning commission in June.
The council approved the the appeal after hearing from over 80 speakers offering a variety of opinions on the project. Although many of the speakers were members of other local Catholic parishes, numerous church members from other denominations spoke in favor of the new parish.
While most speakers supported the parish, many self-identified Catholics objected to the project. The objections primarily centered on preserving the semi-rural nature of the area.
Initially council members Davis and Steve Detrick voiced opposition to the project while Jim Cooper and Sophia Scherman supported it. Mayor Pat Hume echoed many of the speakers saying he had concerns about the "size and scope" of the project.
Davis and Detrick signaled that while they appreciated the argument that the parish needed to move to a permanent facility from their temporary home at the Sheldon High School cafeteria, both said it was not in keeping with the city's general plan. Detrick suggested that the Sacramento Diocese look for a location that is closer to parishioners.
Hume suggested that the project be scaled down to allow for a 600-seat church rather than the proposed 900-seat facility. After a lengthy council deliberation that included two breaks, the council moved to approve the project on a smaller basis.
The project was approved but new design details of the project will be presented during the city council's October, 28 regular meeting.
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It is nice to see the city council using some common sense. It is also nice to see how willing the church is to compromise and work with the concerns of local neighbors. I live close to the sight and drive by it daily on my commute to work. I am looking forward to the new church.
Nice to see that it is oh so easy to disregard the work done by the residents of the Sheldon area to preserve the rural nature of the East Elk Grove area. Of course, the Sphere of Influence wickedness will eventually leave this new parish in the center of the City of Elk Grove. Bye-bye Sheldon/Wilton!
I attended the meeting last night and have several reflections..of course, just my own opinions and thoughts..
first, the attorney for the church did not do anything to further positive communication or sense of community. He was condesending, arrogant, and downright rude to the residents of the rural area.
Second, the council seemed to bend under the pressure of a "federal lawsuit" that the church's attorney aluded to several times.
Third, both the rural folks and the citizens supporting the church acted professional throughtout the meeting...however, the attorney really brought down the civility of the procedings.
Fourth, Steve Detrick again spoke up for the citizens...he took offense to the characterization that the attorney used to describe "those rural activists".
Fifth, both Cooper and Scherman sold out the citizerny for votes...plain and simple...Cooper wants the 30,000 catholic votes for sheriff and Scherman somehow believes those votes will help her become mayor next year..and finally, compromise is always an option to be considered when both sides are emotionally charged and personally affected...but sometimes, there is a right and a wrong and a compromise shouldn;t be allowed....IMO, the council looked the other way last night...the final outcome will shape the future of that area for decades to come...I feel sorry for those folks who have worked so hard for many years to perserve that small, unique, rural area only to find out the council lacked the courage to support them.
Note how the #1 poster commutes by the site daily...as do seven thousand others. Just wait until Dibenedeti Acres, Poppy Ridge Estates, Madiera South, Tuscan Ridge, Arbor Ranch, and the as-yet-un-named 35 other units fill out over the years. A 900 seater almost sounds more appropriate...
If we indeed intend to follow this supposed "sustainable" growth model, another church is hardly the sort of growth that supports that mantra. This is certainly a harsh indictment...but exactly where are we going to be creating the median wage jobs needed to support living in the community? There is no doubt in my mind that 96% of the income earned by the rural East Elk Grove AR-5 and AR-10 zoned residents is not earned in East Elk Grove and this church will not likely change that. The "rural" feel of Sheldon exists today because their residents brutalize other areas with their incessant thru-commuting. They've done exactly that for the past forty-five years to Rosemont, to Florin, and to Oak Park by slicing it in half with highway 99 expansions. That Sheldon itself is poised to be sliced in half with a thru-freeway or a six-lane expressway of its own is a stark example of why this kind of urban design is so destructive. No one in any inner ring is spared from growth on the edge unless we build that edge growth correctly.
Growth is inevitable; it never has been and never will be stopped. We should abandon our ridiculous continuation of sprawl and shape future growth into a more benevolent form, but sadly, I cannot possibly see Elk Grove ever doing that.
Typical Gary Davis, chickens out of a vote for political expediency.
Why aren't we attacking the beloved Gary Davis here. Once again he thinks of himself first and us last. He is a two faced backstabbing liar. He is only interested in higher office and will stop at nothing to get there. I just don't understand why certain members of the Council get attacked for the same vote but your Gary Davis escapes. Why the double standard?? His vote is for sale people to the highest bidder. It's not us, it's the developers, unions, and anyone willing to finance his campaign.
Wakeup and smell the coffee.
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