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Greenbelt Alliance In the News
February 1, 2009
Lining Up Their Ducks
Subheading
Richard Rico
This dumpster economy doesn't have everyone down in the dumps. Every foundering day is another day Friends of Lagoon Valley have without the sight of rooftops rising up out of the south end of the valley. At the other end, each passing day allows developer Triad Communities to get more ducks in a row, a lake waterfowl pun intended, foul as they are. It is not a standoff as much as a timeout. FLV has fought the good fight to block the 800-acre residential-business park-with-golf-course development, but the courts have ruled in Triad's favor. The developer is waiting for a critical U.S. Corps of Engineers wetlands permit before it begins a cutting-edge example of "new urbanism." That, and an uptick in the economy. Both sides, meanwhile, play the waiting game.
Marian Conning is one volunteer at the forefront of the FLV fight to block the development, or at least place speedbumps in its path. Curt Johansen, exec. veep for Triad in Lagoon, has been its point person since 2001. Talking with both on the same day was an interesting exercise.
First, Lagoon has long been seen as the perfect, natural buffer between Vaca and FF, and a development plum ripe for the picking. Manuel Vaca and Juan Pena saw it as a valley rich in resources. Edwin Markham waxed poetic over his "Young Man With a Hoe" in the southeast corner. Before Hines Nursery brought a section to full flower, years ago it was pitched as the site for a new Solano Community College. It chose Suisun Valley instead.
Bank of America made headlines when it announced plans to build a processing center south of the lake. A tractor carved a BofA logo in a grain field so it could be seen from a plane carrying VIPs before lunch. Bouncing around in a small plane after lunch might bring up a wrong impression.
Triad has partnered with Standard Pacific Homes. If the duck lineup behaves, building could begin in 2011-12, Johansen said. "We believe in Lagoon's potential." He added that a mix of affordable to executive housing, melding with a "knowledge-based" business park, is perfect for a "new urbanism" concept -- creating jobs for people who live in that community. In Triad's plan, that could amount to 2,000. A commute to work by golf cart? Maybe so.
Friends is almost out of legal cards to play, although they may have an ace up their sleeve to challenge the Engineers' permit, Conning said. (A quip comes to mind about humorist W. C. Fields, seen reading a bible. "What are you doing?" a friend asked. "Looking for a loophole," W.C. replied.) I apologize, but openings can appear when you least expect them.
It's the subdivision that rankles FLV, Conning added. "If the people had been allowed to vote -- no one wants housing in the valley." But that's water out of the lagoon. FLV knows that, which led the citizen group to restate its direction several weeks ago. By being "more conciliatory than combative," Conning said the goal is to now argue for more public land -- maybe commitments to alternative energy (solar) sources. "They don't owe us a pretty view, but they do owe us a vote of thanks -- without our delays they'd have had to put in a lot of infrastructure by now." She added, "Johansen has been receptive to talking with us in the past," Conning said. And, she hopes, they're not done talking yet.
Taking out about 250 acres for a golf course, open space and habitat, building will cover about 500 acres, Johansen said. A "knowledge-based" campus means the plan is to call upon the learning and re-search resources of UC, Davis. It sounds good, especially the biotech part. Triad has sweetened the pot with about $6 mil in improvements to Lagoon park. When the Greenbelt Alliance pushed for more open space parkland, Triad sliced off 70 acres and gave it to them. "It'll forever be protected," Johansen said. Surprisingly, improving Pena Adobe wasn't a city mandate. Johansen says he'd be willing to sit at that table, if need be. Meanwhile, Triad/S. Pacific are keeping their eye on the banks, Obama and the economy's bouncing ball. The FLV is keeping an eye on all of them.
I have never been a fan of building in Lagoon. But if it is to be, we owe it to the valley and to follow-on generations to make sure we get back at least as much as we give up. Triad says yes; FLV has its doubts. If Markham was still out there, he could put it to poetry. I'd love to read it.
