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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

April 11, 2004

Lagoon Valley has Supes' eye

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And it's not just any development.

On the board's agenda is the ever-controversial Lagoon Valley project, which would be located inside Vacaville but on the edge of the unincorporated area.

Debated for months, the proposal to build about 1,300 houses and a championship golf course on more than 730 acres of the valley floor is now moving through an environmental review.

As part of that review process, any member of the public can comment on the efficacy of the project.

But it's unusual for the county to formally weigh in on a housing proposal outside of its jurisdiction.

Supervisor Duane Kromm, however, requested that county officials receive a presentation of the Lagoon Valley project, according to a county report.

"I have certainly participated in comments on city of Fairfield projects," he said. "The danger that we all face is trying to be too narrow-minded about our own interests. Our responsibility is to think countywide."

The housing development proposed for lower Lagoon Valley concerns the county largely because it could increase traffic congestion on Interstate 80, Kromm said.

More directly, county roads could be impacted by the development because cars from Lagoon Valley could circumvent the interstate to get to Vacaville and avoid the congestion, he added.

"This is the extreme opposite of smart-growth and infill development," he said.

It was clear Friday that the county's move had already stepped on the toes of some members of the Vacaville City Council.

The council has been largely supportive of Seattle-based Triad Communities' move to develop the project.

The housing envisioned in the Lagoon Valley plan will provide an economic engine and executive-style housing for the county's residents and will be attractive to businesses looking to locate in northern Solano County, the council has said.

More bluntly, Vacaville Vice Mayor Pauline Clancy said Friday the county was sticking its nose in where it didn't belong.

In addition, when Vacaville agreed several years ago to take a portion of the county's allotment of state-mandated housing, it did so with the agreement that there would be no interference in city development projects, she said.

"They said they weren't in the development business," she said. "It's typical of the county to go into areas where they have no business. I think we should give them a free map of the boundaries."

Since the inception of the project, its supporters have been battling some in the area who have organized to keep Lagoon Valley's rolling hills and man-made lake as it is.

A politically savvy group called Friends of Lagoon Valley as well as the regional Greenbelt Alliance have been consistent detractors of the proposal.

Urban sprawl and disturbance to the natural character of the Lagoon Valley land are chief among their concerns, and they have showed up at many public meetings to say so.

On Friday, Vacaville Councilman Steve Hardy said the county's proposal to discuss its concerns at its own board meeting was a break from that protocol.

"As far as I know we haven't had any communication from the county on this. Its come out of the blue," he said. "They should have at least given us a heads up."

He also attacked Kromm's contention that the development would clog the Interstate.

"There's 600,000 new residents a year coming to California; they're all using the freeways," he said. "Lagoon Valley being located where it is isn't going to clog up the freeway."

Jason Massad can be reached at county@thereporter.com.

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