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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

February 8, 2004

Group fights to keep Lagoon Valley undeveloped

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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world," Mead said. "Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

The group has more modest ambitions than changing world. It wants to keep semi-rural Lagoon Valley along Interstate 80 from changing too much.

Meanwhile, Triad Communities has sketches showing how Lagoon Valley would look with 1,325 homes, a school, a town center and a golf course designed by former U.S. Open champion Tom Kite.

Triad's Curt Johansen in an autumn mailer to Vacaville citizens talked of "the art of community creation and quality of life."

The Battle of Lagoon Valley is about to resume.

Vacaville officials talk of releasing a draft environmental report on the project by mid-month, though they don't give a firm date. Public meetings will follow.

The City Council last gathered public opinions on the proposal in February 2003. Supporters and opponents packed the council chamber and spilled out the door. The council ordered the environmental study, a prerequisite for development.

An environmental study looks at the effects development will have on traffic, nature, noise, water quality, air pollution and other factors. It suggests ways to mitigate the effects, if possible.

"It's going to be, I think, a very long document and technical in many ways," said Marian Conning of Friends of Lagoon Valley.

Friends of Lagoon Valley plans to probe the draft environmental report carefully. The group, through cooperation of the Greenbelt Alliance, will have help from consultant Terrel Watt, Conning said.

Ultimately, the Vacaville City Council can approve the development even if the environmental report shows significant impacts.

If Triad wins council approval, Friends of Lagoon Valley will circulate a petition and try to bring the issue before voters, Conning said. The group would need signatures from 10 percent of registered voters to force a ballot measure.

"We're convinced the community is ready to say 'No' to development there," Conning said.

Meanwhile, the group is working on an alternative plan for Lagoon Valley. The plan could include a modest subdivision using septic tanks, she said.

Also, land in Lagoon Valley could become a mitigation area for development done elsewhere, she said. Developers must do such things as preserve and create wetlands at other locations if construction work destroys wetlands.

"Our concern is (Lagoon Valley) landowners have been kind of led along and deserve to be made whole," Conning said. "We don't believe they necessarily deserve to be made wealthy."

Triad Communities is also awaiting the release of the draft environmental report, which was written by a city-chosen consultant.

"We will get our first look at it when everybody else does," Johansen said.

The report might have surprises in it, he said. Triad will respond and try to find the best solutions, he said.

Residents will have 45 days to comment on the draft environmental study.

They will also get to see the specific plan and design guidelines for the project, Johansen said. Plus, Triad and the city will have community meetings, so residents can talk to the people who created the documents, he said.

"We're really proud of what we're creating," Johansen said. "We want people to understand it."

The development is to have three villages with houses in a variety of price ranges. It is to have a town center with a grocery store and other shops, a school, a fire station and what Triad calls a "village-style corporate park."

Triad is creating a "smart growth" community where people can walk to their destinations, Johansen said. It's not going to be automobile dependent, like so many suburban communities in recent decades, he said.

"We just detest sprawl," Johansen said.

His comments reveal yet another point of contention. A Friends of Lagoon Valley newsletter calls the Triad proposal "intensive suburban sprawl."

Kite is well along in his efforts to design the golf course. The course will have such features as corridors so wildlife can move between the hills and Lagoon Valley park, Johansen said.

"It has to be carefully crafted," he said. "We especially brought Kite in because his team has experience doing environmentally sensitive golf courses."

Triad considers Lagoon Valley a gem and understands it is important to Vacaville, he said.

"We really want the public to understand that this isn't like any other project Vacaville has ever seen," Johansen said.

Conning called the project "beautiful," adding, "put it someplace else."

Lagoon Valley should remain a greenbelt between Fairfield and Vacaville, Conning said. The group doesn't want Solano County to become another Santa Clara County or Contra Costa County, she said.

Johansen has heard this criticism. The city chose Lagoon Valley years ago as a possible site for executive housing. The decision had nothing to do with Triad, he said.

He hasn't seen another possible site in Vacaville for this type of project, Johansen said. The project requires a lot of land, something that's hard to get when there's a patchwork of ownership, he said. Triad had to get five major landowners in Lagoon Valley to cooperate, he said.

Lagoon Valley has been in Vacaville city limits and targeted for development since 1991.

Johansen realizes the project could end up the target of a referendum and be put on the ballot.

"Big projects in the Bay Area always have that factor," Johansen said. "That's certainly not anything that's discourages us from moving ahead to put together a great project out there."

Triad in recent months sent glossy fliers to Vacaville residents explaining its plans. Friends of Lagoon Valley sold T-shirts with a logo showing a white pelican and had members talk to residents.

Both parties have waited for the draft environmental report. The release of the report starts a crucial period in determining the future of Lagoon Valley.

The wait is just about over.

Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.

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