Ever since Stanislaus County Supervisors rammed through the “Salida Now” proposal in 2007, local citizens with good memories have feared the prime farmland around Salida will be lost either to commercial/industrial development or to housing, or both. “Salida Now” is a primary reason some citizens are reluctant to support incorporation for Salida. For those unfamiliar with the details, a good description of “Salida Now” is here. Below, Bruce Frohman provides […]
Bruce Frohman on the “Dark Side” of Urban Sprawl
The City of Modesto’s positions on Wood Colony and Salida have become two of the most divisive issues in the region. One of the sources of the controversy is differing views about Stanislaus County’s role in promoting urban sprawl. Garrad Marsh, John Gunderson, and Bruce Frohman have long been acutely sensitive to the County’s potential threats to farm land. Here, Bruce establishes the historical context for fears that the County […]
Bruce Frohman on the “Dark Side”?
In a recent Facebook post, Emerson Drake announced that I had “gone over to the dark side”* because I sent an email to Modesto Mayor Garrad Marsh indicating that I would like to be contacted when the ballot argument against the Stamp Out Sprawl (SOS) initiative is written. Apparently, Mr. Drake intends to post a copy of my email to Mayor Marsh without the courtesy of asking my permission and […]
How to Integrate Resources for Homelessness
In order to end homelessness in Stanislaus County, all available resources need to be integrated. A homeless person has the right to refuse service, but does not have the right to receive service if he refuses to cooperate. Someone needs to be appointed coordinator for resources to serve the homeless. The coordinator will need to inventory all available services within Stanislaus County. The coordinator can be in the public or […]
How to End Homelessness in Stanislaus County
Enough resources are available to eliminate homelessness in Stanislaus County. The barriers to elimination include lack of coordination of resources, failure of the homeless to cooperate, and an ongoing influx of homeless people attracted by the very resources that are being misallocated. County Resources Consider all of the available resources to aid the homeless: Social programs like Welfare, Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability, Medicaid, Section 8 Housing, job training, […]
Modesto’s Bike Lane Mystery Solved
The City of Modesto recently installed bike lanes on Briggsmore Expressway between Prescott Road and McHenry Avenue. Some citizens have been wondering whether the expenditure represents the best use of limited public funds. After a strong lobbying effort by bicycle riding advocates in the 1980’s, when Modesto’s General Plan was updated, bike lanes became a part of the process for infrastructure improvement. A bike path was built in Thousand Oaks […]
Support Urban Limits to Spare Wood Colony
A ballot initiative was recently submitted to the Stanislaus County Elections office for certification of a measure that would establish urban limit lines for the City of Modesto. There are good reasons to establish urban limits. The City of Modesto Planning Department has a map showing proposals for development of parts of Wood Colony. One of the designations is for a shopping center on the northwest corner of Maze Boulevard […]
Denham-Eggman Race Turns Negative
Negative flyers seem to be coming out earlier this election season. With over a month to go before the election, both candidates have already sent out multiple glossy flyers. The earlier flyers exhorted the virtues of the two candidates, incumbent Republican Jeff Denham and Democrat challenger Michael Eggman. The latest flyers have turned negative and will probably discourage citizens from voting. “I Won’t Vote For Either Clown” In past elections, […]
Can City and County Spare Wood Colony?
At the September 20 town hall meeting, Modesto Mayor Garrad Marsh proposed a solution for protecting Wood Colony from urban development. He suggested that Modesto enter into a written agreement with the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors to leave the area zoned for agriculture in perpetuity. In exchange, Modesto would drop its efforts to annex the area into the General Plan. The agreement would also need to preclude a future […]
Only Urban Limits Can Save Stanislaus Farm Land
When the 2008 stock market crash hit, urban development in Stanislaus County collapsed. New housing construction stopped completely. The area was overcome with foreclosures and financial ruin. Meanwhile, the agriculture industry kept chugging along with year after year of prosperity, generating billions of dollars in economic activity. While the urban development industry was dormant, the power brokers of the San Joaquin Valley were plotting the next boom. Developer interests continued […]