Yuba County's growing challenge

If Yuba County is going to continue to grow, supervisors want to be sure it is done wisely and efficiently.

Ideas on growth were addressed during the final workshop of Yuba County's general plan update process.

The plan, which will provide a blueprint for the county through 2030, was presented to supervisors in a series of workshops that covered job retention and creation, growth and development in the valley and the foothills and traffic congestion.

During Thursday's meeting, county staff brought up global climate change.

While one supervisor questioned the validity of such a threat, another questioned Yuba County's role in global environmental changes.

"We're a rural community. We can't decrease our carbon footprint," Supervisor Don Schrader said. "People come here for the rural atmosphere. But unfortunately with rural atmosphere you have to drive to get a loaf of bread."

Schrader said the issue needs to be addressed in the general plan update, but it should be modified to fit Yuba County.

"We're not San Francisco or Sacramento," he said.

Supervisor Dan Logue said he wasn't sure climate change was such a threat. Instead, Logue said, experts revisited the idea of global warming and put a new spin on it and now call it climate change.

Supervisor John Nicoletti said that issue should be addressed through the county's growth patterns.

"A large part of our footprint comes from driving cars," Nicoletti said. "The general plan shouldn't put so many people out where they have to travel long distances. Growth should concentrate on major growth corridors."

Supervisor Hal Stocker said growth should be limited to the major highways such as 65 and 70 in the southern part of the county.

Kevin Mallen, Community Development and Services Agency director, suggested the county work with Wheatland and Marysville to develop agreements to be prepared for growth.

"In the next 15 years, Wheatland will be the fastest growing city in the north state," said Logue. "We're smart if we get ahead of this train."

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Andrea Koskey at 749-4709 or akoskey@appealdemocrat.com