Where to grow? Supervisors ponder choices

Two of Yuba County Supervisor Don Schrader's concerns with the county's attempts to plan for growth over the next 20 years are what to do with the foothills and how to develop the Highway 65 corridor around Beale Air Force Base.

During a two-hour discussion Tuesday that included public comments, Schrader said those are his two main focuses because there is more room for growth in those locations.

"Plumas Lake and East Linda (specific plans) are already approved," Schrader said. "The question is how do we develop acreage south of Beale so people can work close to home and not drive to Rocklin, Roseville and Lincoln."

"If you don't have a job-housing balance, all of these plans are doomed to fail," he said.

Schrader voted in favor of a foothills housing project, Yuba Highlands, in 2007 that was subsequently defeated by voters. He then lost his re-election bid in June to Roger Abe, who was critical of the foothills project.

Supervisors discussed five land-use alternatives as part of the general plan update to pinpoint how the county should grow through 2030, including direction for the foothills and Highway 65.

The five alternatives ranged from little growth in the valley and preservation in the foothills as the first alternative to growth potentials that exceed state expectations. The five maps were released to the public in July.

With comment from Tuesday's meeting, planning staff will condense feedback and information from supervisors as well as from eight public meetings to create two modified land-use maps to present to supervisors at their Nov. 18 meeting.

Supervisors Dan Logue, Mary Jane Griego and John Nicoletti agreed that a major element to county growth is to balance it with ample job opportunities.

"The future of this county is south of the river," Logue said. "And the corridors are where we need to grow."

Although he said he's been accused of being anti-development, Supervisor Hal Stocker said he is not opposed to mixed-use growth concentrated in the Highway 65 and 70 corridors that also provides for jobs.

"If a project had a good mix of jobs and growth, that'd be hard to pass up," Stocker said.

What's next: Yuba County planning department staff will take input from the Board of Supervisors and the public on the five land use alternatives to create two additional, modified maps. Those maps will be presented at the Nov. 18 supervisors meeting.

General Plan Update Web site: www.yubavision2030.org

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