Eye On Modesto

Thoughts and observations about Modesto and Stanislaus County

Archive for the tag “Salida Annexation”

28 Jul 2013

July Salida MAC Meeting Now Available for Viewing

Thanks to Brad Johnson and 104.9 K-GIG FM  the Salida MAC  July meeting is available on line.  Watch land use attorney George Petrulakis, lobbyist Cecil Russell, real estate salesman Craig Lewis, Village I profiteer Bill Zoslocki, and conflicted LAFCO member Brad Hawn try to convince the audience that SPRAWL is a good thing and that concrete is better than Prime Farmland.  Now if we could only get the Chamber representatives to respect women….

The following is the complete (all five parts) Salida MAC meeting.

http://kgig.org/Town_Meeting_Live_Video_Salida_Ca_Streaming_Online_.html

 

Salida CA - Salida, CA

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26 Jul 2013
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Modesto Chamber of Commerce Representatives Get Offensive with Salida MAC Attendees

By Emerson Drake

Despite the nice turnout of over 120 people the night had an ugly start when one of the Modesto Chamber of Commerce’s representatives, Craig Lewis, started making negative comments to a few of the people as they walked through the door.  (No, they weren’t directed at me)!  I believe he prefers to denigrate women as we heard several times as the night progressed.  I guess its the way he was raised, believing women belong at home, pregnant and if they want to have an opinion they should ask their husband for theirs, (heaven forbid they form an intelligent one of their own).

Unfortunately professionalism went right out of the window and the presentation continued going down hill from there.  Land use attorney, George Petrulakis, felt the need to call out several people in the audience during his part of the presentation, even before they had a chance to speak.  He made the mistake in attempting to suggest that a Del Rio resident, who in the past at a variety of meetings around the County, has been vocal in her attempt to save prime farmland,  had no real basis for her argument since she lived in Del Rio.  Several in the audience immediately stood up and requested Salida MAC Chairman Thomas Reeves to reign in  Mr. Petrulakis and insist he start using civility which he was obviously lacking.  George claimed he was only making a point, although at her expense.  Maybe in this case George should have stayed quiet since she stood up and pointed out he lived in Del Rio too and was attempting to convince others his opinion was the only correct one. Agriculture_Investment_Zones_Around_Modesto

The above is the first time the Chamber suggested all 25,300 acres of their plan for SPRAWL be brought into Modesto’s General Plan. The above picture is courtesy of Duane Spyksma.

It seems that according to Mr.Lewis and Mr. Petrulakis, the only people allowed an opinion are men since they were heard to  verbally abuse both females, an audience member and a member of the Salida MAC for having one.

During the meeting the Modesto Chamber’s CEO and head lobbyist Cecil Russell was overheard by several attendees to say “The problem with these people is they’re stupid, they aren’t smart enough to think outside of their small box.”  We freely admit this phrase was told to us by several people after the meeting.  And though their recollections varied slightly and the prior statement is paraphrased, we believe it is  extremely close to his original statement.

While the presentation was going on it appeared that several people who were first time attendees and lived in the Wood Colony area weren’t believing very much of what they heard.  Like most of us believe, the idea that the Chamber wanted to protect prime farmland by bringing it into Modesto’s General Plan was ludicrous. And when the Chamber reps started getting vicious and personal with the audience several couples  got up and left shaking their heads in disgust.

Very telling was hearing Cecil Russell trying to take the meeting over by attempting to not allow the comment time that Chairman Reeves had already scheduled immediately after the presentation for the listeners.  Now and in the past Cecil has refused to allow the general public to have a copy of his Pathway to Growth/SPRAWL plan and isn’t interested in any forum that allows debate.  He, and the Chamber, apparently intend on ramming it through the Modesto City Council where it’s believed he might already have the votes. The Modesto Council has ignored the public on every recent vote where preserving prime farmland is concerned.

Here is the most recent copy of the plan for greed and SPRAWL we’ve managed to obtain.  The is from the Modesto Planning Commission meeting July 15, 2013.  The Chamber refused to supply the Salida MAC with an electronic copy from their meeting.

GPA-10-001_EXH_Chamber_of_Commerce_plan_7-15-13

The Chamber brought along most of their usual cadre of supporters, Brad Hawn, Dave Romano, Bill Zoslocki and a few others.  We found council candidate for District 4 Bill Zoslocki, a Village I profiteer, prefers to be called a “broker” rather than “developer.” From our view that like a highway man being offended by someone saying  he used a revolver  instead of an automatic during a hold-up, but if that’s what he prefers maybe he won’t jump up and melt down when his name hasn’t been used.  It seems like the Chamber’s buddies enjoy when members of the public are called out by name but take offense even when theirs isn’t used.  I have to think he recognized himself.

What the remaining listeners heard was the Chamber’s plan will bring 39 square miles into Modesto’s General Plan when Modesto proper is only 37 square miles. And the Chamber wonders why their plan is being called the Pathway to SPRAWL by those who see it for what it is. The largest bait and switch land grab in Modesto’s history.   After all, who could believe the Chamber was going to “protect” the farm study areas by bringing them into the General Plan?  From all of those I talked with there weren’t any believers that night.

And shame on the arrogance and lack of professionalism of the Modesto Chamber of Commerce for publicly going after these women by name.     Besides boys, these ladies will kick your butt at the ballot box!

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25 Jul 2013

A Salida Resident Talks about the Recent Salida MAC Meeting

By Jim Bonetti

I attended Tuesday nights Salida M.A.C. meeting and listened to the delivery and performance of Modesto Chamber’s
plan for expansion that will bring Jobs, Jobs, Jobs.  George does a pretty good job getting his point across. I did notice that a few items were left out of the delivery.  Namely that part about the property on Kiernan Road. I don’t know if that was intentional or not, but George does not make many mistakes.
Salida CA - Salida, CA
THE LAND SOUTH OF KIERNAN ROAD FROM KAISER HOSPITAL WESTWARD TO STODDARD ROAD BELONGS TO SALIDA!
THE LAND NORTH OF KIERNAN FROM DALE ROAD WESTWARD TO SISK BELONGS TO SALIDA!
There were a few disparaging comments made during the meeting as well that will probably hurt the Modesto Chambers cause.
Cecil Russell was overheard saying that “the people of Salida are too stupid to see out of their own box”.  Hey, we don’t want to see anything but ALL OF SALIDA BEING INCORPORATED! You don’t see us stepping on Modesto’s toes as they can do whatever they want…..with Modesto!
Craig Lewis said he doesn’t think Amanda Sorenson dresses well for a meeting. Hmm, does she need wear clothes according to Craig’s dress code. WHAT? He also says that Katherine Borges is OPINIONATED!! OMG! Really? Thank God she has opinions and thank God we have a dedicated group of Salidan’s who care about the future of this town to donate their time and talents to make this a better town as well as contribute to incorporation. Yes, Katherine is opinionated…..and, I confess, so am I. Its beyond me to allow outside organizations, without expressing myself, to take over our town or chip away at our land as they did with Kaiser Hospital, Costco, Lowes and Save Mart.
 
We’ve said it before “STAY OUT OF OUR TOWN…EVERY SQUARE FOOT OF IT”! Take ALL of Salida OUT OF MODESTO’S PLAN AND SPHERE OF INFLUENCE!
By Jim Bonetti

 

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22 Jul 2013

Salida MAC Meets Tuesday Night at 7:00 PM At the Salida Library

Just a reminder to attend the Salida Municipal Advisory Council’s (Salida MAC) meeting tomorrow night (Tuesday) at 7 pm at the Salida Library Community Room. Featured topic will be “Pathways to Jobs & Prosperity” presentation presented by the Modesto Chamber of Commerce.  Their plan is an expansion upon the City of Modesto’s General Plan update and they’ve requested it be adopted by the Modesto City Council and Planning Commission.  Modesto’s General Plan has included Salida since the 1990’s.  A map of the plan can be viewed at the Salida MAC newsletter link below.

 

Salida CA - Salida, CA

 

 

PLEASE NOTE: The parking lot may fill up so volunteers will be on hand to direct parking. Please consider carpooling or being dropped off too.

 

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20 Jul 2013

A Salidan’s Comments to the Modesto Planning Commission

By Jim Bonetti

The people of Salida have had to fight to protect our land ans homes every time a current Modesto mayor takes a notion to annex us.  We are aware of what you Chamber says of the mayors and councils. Every administration for the past 30 years has failed to do anything to improve business here because they did not know what to do or how to do it!

 

Salida CA - Salida, CA

You did manage to steal some nice pieces of Salida for Kaiser Hospital, Costco, Lowes, and Save Mart….THROUGH EXTORTION!  No Water without annexation!  Mr. Mayor, you did play by LAFCO’s rules, you sent out notices to farmers within 300 feet of the property to be annexed.  Not enough to get writers cramp, for sure.  Most of Salida never knew what hit us! Salida shrank a little more that day to feed Modesto’s gluttonous appetite for more tax money to spend.

You say you’re doing it for JOBS, JOBS, JOB!  That is crap and you know it.  You don’t care about jobs, REAL, GOOD PAYING JOBS.  You care about legacy, campaign donors, and what the people think of your progress and accomplishments! That’s what you care about.  I’ve been hearing all about some 27,000 jobs you will create by developing all of that PRIME FARMLAND and ANNEXING SALIDA. There is little that can compete with the gross farm product from that land.  You can’t develop ANYTHING that can compete with those farmers.  THEY know what they’re doing!  All of this speculation about commercial/industrial development in the greater “Beckwith Triangle”, which doesn’t much look like a triangle anymore, is your PIPE DREAM!

The jobs brought here will be lost somewhere else, but hey, why would companies want to move to Modesto anyway?  Modesto according to statistics, is the 6th worst town to live in, and the 6th WORSE RUN city and they don’t want to move there because there are fewer educated people there to work in their businesses.  I mentioned that fact at the “Transportation Workshop: meeting last year at city hall and was just ignored.  They had an agenda to promote and couldn’t be bothered with statistics.

Now, you think it’s high time, Mr. Marsh and Council, to do something outstanding for the constituents so they think you’re doing Mayor’s  job for once. You can pump up your tax base and developers can line their pockets!!  Something to pull Modesto out of the hole.  You’ll get a lot of tax money out of the people of Salida by annexing our town or cherry picking pieces of Salida because you think it’s the answer to what ails Modesto!  You figure to cure Modesto’s problem on the backs of the good people of Salida. WHAT A DESPICABLE ACT OF OPPRESSION!!  There is nothing you or your council can do or will do for Salida that we can’t do for ourselves with incorporation.  Water or no water , the people of Salida will make it happen.

You have been told EVERY TIME we DON”T WANT TO BE ANNEXED!! WHAT PART DON”T YOU UNDERSTAND??!!

By Jim Bonetti

Salida CA.

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17 Jul 2013

A Salida Resident’s Comments to the Board of Supervisors 7/16/13

By Katherine Borges

 

My comments tonight are to share with you an update on the Salida Annexation and Incorporation.  I find it extremely

 

English: This map shows the incorporated and u...

English: This map shows the incorporated and unincorporated areas in Stanislaus County, California, highlighting Modesto in red. It was created with a custom script with US Census Bureau data and modified with Inkscape. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

sad and unfortunate that I even have to include the annexation part of these comments considering that the people of Salida have spoken and our Supervisor came out in support of us, yet the land grab rape and pillage of Salida continues.

 

 

 

The latest assault occurred in this very room, just 24 hours ago, sitting in your very seats were Modesto’s Planning Commissioners. They were presented with two General Plan updates for Modesto – one by Brent Sinclair, Director of Community and Economic Development for Modesto and the other was presented by various members of the Modesto Chamber of Commerce.

 

 

 

Both plans include Salida.  Mr. Sinclair’s plan includes an additional 1,800 acres along Kiernan that is part of the Salida Community Plan.  It’s quite callous and arrogant the manner in which Modesto’s planners treat Salida in that regard.  That they have the gall to include portions of the Salida Community Plan’s land, let alone Salida, just because they can. Its called “The Salida Community Plan” for a reason and not “The Modesto Community Plan”.

 

 

 

Now I know you have seen the Modesto Chamber’s presentation which contains the further troubling aspect of landlocking Salida to the East and the West with land grabs of astronomical proportions. And I know that nearly all of you farm so I’d be preaching to the choir with any data or statistics I could quote about the quality of prime farmland in and around Salida, so all I really want to do is remind you that you five are the stewards of this prime farmland.  You have it within your power to stop Modesto from making a travesty of their city seal over there.

 

 

 

You also have it within your power to help free Salida because the citizens of Salida can only do so much. We had hoped to file for a designation called a “Community of Interest” which in Riverside LAFCO has previously been used to set the boundaries of an unincorporated community and protect it from annexation.  But Stanislaus LAFCO has a different policy for a Community of Interest which has turned out to be a real bust for us.  In Stanislaus, all the designation affords is that the MAC and Sanitary District are notified of any pending land annexations.  The only way left for Salida to protect Salida is through incorporation.

 

 

 

So now we are working on completing the steps required by LAFCO for incorporation.  I plan to come back and give you updates on how this progresses.

 

 

 

In the meantime, its up to you to protect Salida and preserve our community plan for Salida. I realize that even though the Modesto Chamber has asked both the Modesto City Council and the Modesto Planning Commission to adopt their plan, that that might not necessarily happen.  But they could end up in some sort of compromise where the Chamber starts out asking for more, much much more, and settles for less which may even be the happy medium that they were going for in the first place.  Either way, unless you stand up to them on Salida and the other county areas behalf, we stand to get shafted once again.  We need you to defend us.  You are our voice.

 

 

 

In closing, I would like to thank Salida’s Supervisor Withrow for his continued support of Salida, I’d like to thank Supervisor Chiesa for attending the Salida MAC and Ad Hoc Committee meetings; we appreciate your involvement.  I’d like to thank Supervisor O’Brien for his “No” vote on the Salida Now initiative because you would’ve preserved our vote, but I’d also like thank Supervisors DeMartini and Monteith for their “Yes” votes on Salida Now because that gave us a better community plan than the one we previously had and its one that’s worth fighting for.

 

By Katherine Borges

 

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14 Jul 2013

Planning Commission Meeting Monday 7/14 6 PM in Council Chambers

Everyone Needs to Attend This Meeting It May Be the Last Opportunity to Meaningfully Address the Planning Commission. Lets Get Salida OUT of Modesto’s General Plan. If You Don’t They Will Be In control  of SALIDA in the Future

Greed

Greed (Photo credit: Muffet)

SUBJECT: GPA-10-001 – General Plan Amendment for Land Use and Circulation:
Public Workshop (City-initiated)

PURPOSE
The current Modesto general plan was adopted in 1995.

There has been a long-standing need to update the land use and circulation elements to enable the general plan to serve as a better tool to guide future growth and development, and this General Plan amendment (GPA) project
is intended to meet that need. In conjunction with GPA project work, staff facilitated public workshops for the benefit of the community in general and the Planning Commission in particular.

The purposes of these workshops were to inform the Planning Commission about
the GPA project, educate the public and provide opportunities for comments and questions.
The preliminary public workshop series included three (3) workshops – March 18, April 15 and
June 3, 2013.

These workshops proved valuable in terms of the public comments, concerns
and questions raised. Staff recorded all the comments and discussion points from the three
workshops, which will be used as the proposed GPA documentation continues to be refined.

The purpose of this fourth workshop is for staff to provide additional detail, for the
Commissioners’ benefit, regarding proposed General Plan policy language and other specific
project information. The Chamber of Commerce has expressed an interest in presenting their
preferred land use plan as well.

Secondary purposes include providing additional opportunity for public input and for the
Commission to provide direction to staff regarding the proposed project, which will help confirm
the project description for purposes of environmental analyses.
A fifth workshop is scheduled for August 19, 2013, for the Planning Commission to provide
feedback and direction on the General Plan amendment. Following a Planning Commission
recommendation, staff will then seek formal confirmation by the City Council in September or October.

BACKGROUND
California cities and counties commonly review their general plans to evaluate the need for
updates every five to ten years. Although the Modesto general plan has been amended
several times since its adoption 18 years ago in 1995, the land use and circulation elements
remain largely unchanged since that time.

The focus of this GPA is on the land use and
circulation / transportation elements, and the broad project objectives are to:
• adjust land use designations to be more realistic and to reflect economic development
objectives;
• align the circulation element with infrastructure planning instruments (e.g. Capital
Improvement Program, Regional Transportation Plan, Federal Transportation
Improvement Program, and Capital Facilities Fee program);
• achieve a more livable community through application of smart growth principles;
• establish priority areas for economic development;
• achieve a more coordinated, efficient process for linking general plan goals with
infrastructure investment policy; and,
• implement new state laws to improve air quality, reduce vehicle miles traveled, and
create a balanced transportation system (AB 32, SB 375, AB 1358).

Incentives for pursuing the GPA project include the need for implementation of state laws
referenced above, and the fact that federal grant funding for the project was awarded in late
2010.

These factors result in a need (state law) and opportunity (funding) to undertake and
complete the GPA. While the GPA is not a comprehensive general plan update, the fact that
both the land use and circulation / transportation elements will be amended means that
Modesto’s general plan can be significantly improved and modernized.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The scope of work for the GPA project includes: consideration of General Plan goals, policies
and objectives; establishing priorities related to economic development; establishing linkage
and consistency among the General Plan, Regional Transportation Plan, Capital Improvement

Program and other infrastructure funding plans and programs; and, addressing the complete
range of laws and issues described under Background, above. A significant amount of work has
been done, which has resulted in new draft / proposed General Plan goals and policies, and
related new draft / proposed changes to the General Plan land use and circulation diagrams.

The project is a complex undertaking, and a range of issues has been identified. These include
land use compatibility, transportation analysis, alternative transportation solutions,
infrastructure, and others that will be resolved through completion of project work.

The “work-in-progress” draft general plan land use and transportation chapters are attached for
Commissioners’ review, and they have been posted to the City’s website. Although staff is not
necessarily seeking specific feedback on the draft text amendments at this time, the proposed
land use and transportation diagrams must be confirmed in order to initiate the necessary
Master Environmental Impact Report (EIR) update. Therefore, as indicated under “Purpose,”
above, staff will be seeking confirmation and/or direction from the Commission regarding the
proposed GPA on August 19.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
It is anticipated that the General Plan Amendment project will require a Supplemental EIR to
the Modesto Urban Area General Plan Master EIR. Funding for the Master EIR work has not yet
been identified, and it is anticipated that the City’s budget for FY13-14 may include that
funding. If so, the proposed General Plan and Master EIR should be released for formal public
review toward the end of calendar year 2014. At that time, staff will be seeking comments
regarding the complete draft General Plan and Master EIR proposed for adoption.

The following information will NOT be provided to the public at the meeting. 

ATTACHMENTS (included with Commissioners’ packets only)
1. Work-in-Progress General Plan land use (Chapter III) and transportation (Chapter V)
elements / chapters

Open the following pdf and go to Chapter III the City sealed this online portion from the public.

071513_PC Agenda GP Workshop

 

 

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12 Jul 2013
1 Comment

Modesto Chamber Double-Crosses Pathway to SPRAWL Supporters

By Emerson Drake

In recent weeks the Modesto Chamber of Commerce has been going around to a variety of civic organizations

attempting to drum up support for its dubious  Pathways to Jobs plan which should be more accurately named  Pathway to SPRAWL because of the housing the Chamber plans on building houses instead of business parks.  The Chamber has visited the Latino Community Roundtable (LCR), the King Kennedy Community Center Board, and even had a discussion with Frank Johnson, President of the local NAACP.  Now while I might and will question how wide spread the support is in these various organizations, the Chamber uses their endorsements when speaking to the Modesto City Council and the Stanislaus Board of Supervisors to claim some in the community support their plan.

After talking with many members of these organizations one topic reverberates consistently, and that’s the unrelenting belief of a need for more police officers in their respective neighborhoods. I’ve also talked with and interviewed many of the council candidates and they too expressed the over arching concern of the people they’ve talked with for the need for more police officers.

Now that the Modesto Chamber has their endorsements for the carrot on a stick, “JOBS” , and their Pathway to SPRAWL, the Chamber has pulled the old switcheroo. 

On Tuesday night at the Modesto City Council meeting the Chamber’s head lobbyist, Cecil Russell, announced very

Hetaera urinating in a chamber pot. Tondo from...

Hetaera urinating in a chamber pot. Tondo from an Attic red-figure kylix. Antikensammlung Berlin, 3757. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

plainly the Chamber would not be supporting the proposed “sales tax” initiative which according to Modesto City Manager could add 60 to 80 more police officers.  No real surprise there considering the Chamber is afraid if Modesto’s sales tax gets approved this year the voters won’t approve the County road tax in November of 2014 and they feel the road tax is a necessary link for their proposal.

The Modesto Chamber says NO to more Police Officers for Modesto

BUT now the Chambers representatives, George Petrulakis and Janice Keating and others are  actively seeking  groups and individuals to undercut community support to DEFEAT the sales tax proposal.  Now that the Chamber has the endorsements of LCR, NAACP and the King Kennedy Board they are seeking to remove, what these groups feel is the  number one concern, SAFETY in their neighborhoods.  How many more drive-bys shootings and children being stabbed and killed over cell phones are we going to endure just to support the greed of the members of the Modesto Chamber of Commerce?

Why should lobbyist Cecil Russell care, he lives in a gated community safe and far away from much of Modesto’s crime.  Will these organizations rethink their endorsements?  Or will they continue to follow along like lemmings to the slaughter?

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12 Jul 2013

Denny Jackman Blindsided at Committee Meeting

By Eric Caine

Central Valley Farmland Trust President Denny Jackman was mugged, mauled, and kicked in the teeth at Wednesday night’s Economic Development Committee meeting in Modesto.

The issue was Jackman’s Residential Urban Limit (RUL) proposal. Word was even the Chamber of Commerce was going to endorse it. Those who thought such a notion too good to be true were soon confirmed in their skepticism. Photo by Eric Caine

To read more go to http://thevalleycitizen.com Craig Lewis

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03 Jul 2013

Watch the June Salida MAC Meeting

Here you go folks, the most recent Salida MAC meeting videos.

Stanislaus River

Stanislaus River (Photo credit: chaimann)

https://vimeo.com/69520817

https://vimeo.com/69520816

For those who couldn’t be there this is the next best thing.

The second link contains much of Katherine Borges’  incorporation presentation.

Many thanks to Brad Johnson for the recording and uploading of the videos.

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