Ramble away

I went to a Sacramento County General Plan Community Workshop last night. I was ready to stand up and tell these people WHO don't live here how short-sighted and dumb they were. Was I pleasantly surprised and mildly disappointed. I really was looking for trouble.

A bit of history: The last time Sac County updated their plan (1993), they came into the community and TOLD us what they were going to do to improve us and our fine area. (Pave several of the creeks that can overflow their banks; widen the thorough-fare to eight lanes, when it was only two at the time, so that the people in the east could get west without going on the freeway; increase the requirement for allowing livestock on one acre to requiring ten acres; planning to allow the development of 6500 homes and having no provisions or plans for improving or expanding the two tiny schools we currently have). You know, stuff that made no sense for the community or its citizens.

Created quite the uproar. The one thing I have learned in the last 17 years about living in a rural part of a major metro area is not to TELL the people what you are GOING TO DO, unless you live there and have discussed it.

Well, the powers that be in Sacramento County actually learned a lesson from that experience many moons ago, as well as others, I assume. The workshop was very informative, well orchestrated. The above link includes the link to the "game" we played.

I did let my group moderator know that while I learned a lot from the game about my attitudes toward development, I was EXTREMELY disappointed that none of the pro and cons addressed water. Either its drainage or supply. Water is a very important issue with me. My creek drains most of the northwest section of Sacramento County, and much of southwest Placer County. The more they add concrete and roads, the faster the water gets to me. Not a problem, except that the creek, my creek feeds into, is not maintained for adequete drainage DOWN stream, and the back 2/3 of my land "holds" the water until it can drain, thereby rendering it useless to my critters.

I left feeling like they listened to my concerns about growth and development, which are shared by most of my neighbors; but the truth will be known when the Board of Supervisors gets down to discussing the various plans in late October. The Board is known for swinging one way in a community and then doing an about face when together. They never met a dollar they didn't love.