Testy tract before voters

Yuba County voters head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether or not to approve the Yuba Highlands project, even though the project's developer is asking for an opportunity to change the planned community.

Two weeks ago, developer Gary Gallelli Sr. told the Appeal-Democrat that he wants to change the project by decreasing the number of houses, rethinking access roads to the project and using more green material for building. He's urging voters to vote no on Measure N, the Yuba Highlands Development Project.

"We can do a better project," Gallelli said then. "We were running 100 miles an hour and we didn't step back to take a look at where we were headed."

Yuba Highlands was originally presented as a 5,100-home subdivision in the Yuba foothills between Beale Air Force Base and the Spenceville Wildlife Area.

Gallelli said that revisions to the project call for decreasing the number of homes to 4,000 while increasing the amount of retail space as well as open space for recreation.

Following his announcement, Gallelli placed a full-page advertisement in the Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce's business publication explaining the reasons behind the project revision. An op-ed in today's Opinion section of the Appeal-Democrat written by Gallelli details some of the planned changes while maintaining that housing in the Yuba foothills is a viable concept.

"The project will allow Beale AFB to thrive while creating 10,000 new jobs and giving our families a beautiful new community to live in ... all outside a flood zone," Gallelli writes.

Josh Cook, representative for the Yuba Highlands Project, said Tuesday's election is not the focus of the developer. Cook spoke last week for Gallelli.

"We're more focused on a coalition to come together create a better project and bring jobs to Yuba County," Cook said. "We're going out and getting input. We looked at what we had and now we are adjusting to the market conditions."

Opponents of the project have said the community is poorly planned, and that it could endanger the future of Beale and the wildlife at Spenceville.

"Until someone comes up to show there is enough water in the foothills for current residents and future projects, it's going to be risky for the county," said Mark Augustine.

Augustine, a member of the "No on Yuba Highlands, No on Measure N" committee, said the group is still urging voters to oppose the project in order to remind the county supervisors of the view of the people.

"The supervisors have to see that after 3,000 signatures show that people don't want it," Augustine said. "Supervisors had the opportunity to change, instead they went through with the expense of the election. The developer backed down, and now they still have the expense."

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