Sacramento LAFCO Lays Out Timeline For Elk Grove's SOI
At last night's regular meeting of the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo), a timeline was provided for the City of El...
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2013/04/sacramento-lafco-lays-out-timeline-for.html
At last night's regular meeting of the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo), a timeline was provided for the City of Elk Grove's proposed southward expansion. The process, which must be initially approved by the Sacramento LAFCo, is the so-called sphere of influence (SOI) application that the city must undertake as it seeks annexation of approximately 12 square miles.
While Elk Grove's desired southward expansion has the support of the city council, major housing developers and landowners in the proposed area, it has been vocally opposed by an assortment of local anti-suburban sprawl activist and several prominent environmental groups. Although one land owner in the affected area and a housing developer spoke in favor of the expansion, several Elk Grove residents spoke against the city's expansion plans.
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| Mayor Gary Davis has justified the proposed expansion as a means to rectify the city's housing to jobs imbalance. |
Also in attendance were Elk Grove's city attorney Jonathon Hobbs, planning director Taro Echiburo and Phillip Carter, principal of Pacific Municipal Consultants (PMC), the city's contractor for planning services. As planning contractor, PMC stands to substantially benefit should the city be granted expansion rights..
None of the officials from the city or PMC spoke during the proceedings.
A complete timeline of the SOI process over the next several month can be viewed here.
EGN will post more information regarding the April 23 workshop as it becomes available.
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EVERY TIME I hear about the SOI I always ask the question: "How big is big enough?" Is Elk Grove truly a community with legitimate Metropolis envy?? I deeply believe the answer is "no". We are currently at 156,000... I think that is big enough (possibly too big).
The existent boundary lines of Elk Grove were designed to provide adequate space for a financially solid community with a variety of living options & potential career centers/ office centers.
I have continually heard council members respond to citizens at the podium that the reason we do not have certain programs in place and our economic development is inhibited by the age ( being so new) of our community. Folsom and Roseville are established communities, and therefore they "deserve" the success they are having. If that is the case, then our community is DEFINITELY too young for an expansion. We must establish a precedent of success in management and planning, before we take this ENORMOUS step. The city and it's Planners (aka PMC) need to look beyond their pocketbooks and political aspirations and gently put their foot on the brakes with the SOI.
From above - "The city and it's Planners (aka PMC) need to look beyond their pocketbooks and political aspirations and gently put their foot on the brakes with the SOI."
I agree, except they should stomp on the freakin' brake!
Do you think it is a coincidence that the council reduced fees last week? It was done under the guise of bringing more offices, but can we believe that given the city's abysmal record of planning one thing only to change it later that they will do anything different?
With funding for affordable housing effectively knee-capped, this is just a huge opening for residential builders to open the south side to build McMansions (whose demand is questionable) on a lot of RD 3's, 4's and some 5's, sans any affordable housing element. Council member Cooper made his position clear on these "people" in our community.
Council Member Hume said it himself the meeting before last that he will forever believe office parks and jobs follow housing, not housing following offices parks and jobs. He spoke the truth of the fix that is on yet nobody seems to pay attention.
Get ready for more suburban sprawl, bad air, the continuance of the regions worst jobs to housing imbalance and soulless pedestrian unfriendly communities that our youth will flee at the first opportunity. Now that is being laser focused!
Way to go fellas!
Problem is, there are too many people who will profit from growth in the SOI-realtors, bankers, title companies, contractors, new retailers, land use consultants, police union, etc. So if you are looking for quality of life, forget it. The shortsighted money grabbers rule the roost and will keep electing those who toe the line for them.
In large part the American economy and the California economy in particular are reliant on F-I-R-E, or finance, insurance and real estate - all of which fit neatly into residential real estate development.
Elk Grove is but a mere symptom of a larger problem with the American economy. We don't really manufacture things, aside from houses. The things we buy at Wal Mart are manufactured in China, Vietnam or some other low wage country.
What does that leave the American economy - you got it - finance, insurance and real estate, and oh, a lot of retail jobs which by some accounts are the largest job classification in our country.
Read it here: http://money.msn.com/now/post.aspx?post=57cd1fc8-2184-4018-807d-21aa30851e2b
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