Home > Resource Center > In the News Home > Greenbelt Alliance in the News

Greenbelt Alliance In the News

July 28, 2006

Supes put orderly growth on the ballot

Subheading

Supervisors were presented a few weeks ago with a citizens petition calling for the extension. Under state law, they had the choice of extending it themselves or putting the matter on the ballot.

They took two votes. First, they voted on extending it themselves. The motion failed 2-3 with Supervisors Duane Kromm and Barbara Kondylis voting in support and Supervisors Mike Reagan, John Silva and John Vasquez opposing. On the second vote, the board voted unanimously to put in on the ballot.

Under the orderly growth law, most farmland can't be developed until a city annexes the land. Proponents say this helps protect agriculture and avoid pockets of rural development.

Reagan said the orderly growth law hurts the county's ability to create more jobs. Most people he's heard from say the 30-year time period is too long.

Kondylis wanted the board to extend the law.

"I'm just convinced that if this goes on the ballot it's going to pass overwhelmingly," she said. "People are smart enough to understand what it's all about."
Voters passed the first orderly growth law by slim margin in 1984. The board in 1994 received a petition to extend the law until 2010 and did so itself, rather than put the matter on the ballot. Now comes the latest proposed extension to keep the law intact until 2036.

Thirty-four people addressed the board Tuesday night, with 15 supporting extending the initiative and 19 opposing it, including most of the farmers who spoke.

Bob Hansen owns 55 acres in Suisun Valley. He is working to find ways to keep farming alive in the valley, including selling produce directly to customers. But he is concerned a 30-year extension will hurt the effort.

"The orderly growth initiative is a killer to us," Hansen said.

Rancher Don Pippo, a former supervisor, also opposed the extension. It's like the orderly growth committee is throwing the farmers an anchor and saying it's helping them, he said.

Al Nedvitz is a rancher in the hills near Rio Vista. The orderly growth law helped him expand his operation by allowing him to buy more land at agricultural prices, he said.

Nicole Arnold of the Greenbelt Alliance supported the law, saying without the orderly growth initiative, cities would merge into the next and Solano County would look like Interstate 80 from Richmond to Oakland.

Several farmers on the Solano County Agricultural Advisory Committee on July 12 voiced concerns about the proposed extension. Among other things, some farmers wanted the county to first finish updating its General Plan. The committee recommended by a 7-1 vote that the Board of Supervisors reject the extension as proposed, with one abstention.

Reach Barry Eberling at 427-4646, ext. 232 or beberling@dailyrepublic.net.

###