fresno elections 2008

I do support the Quay Valley development. This will bring development to the west side. With the many of the things planned will help the development of the west side. The development of green area and housing this will be a state of the ark development. Growth will increase the population for the county and also economic development by the creation of jobs for industry that will be developed in this area. The idea of many other activities for this development will help not just the people living here but also many other who travel here to participate in these. It will not be a quick fix but it will be a long time increase. It will also increase the total population for this county which will help us gain in size and clout with other counties. This will give us additional funding for the many agencies that are funded by the county.

In regards to the “Quay Valley” project, it is of little importance if any candidate is in support of the project or not. Of more importance is how the candidate and the county will deal with the development as it proceeds. The development may never happen, but if fully realized it could mean as many as 150,000 new residents in the district and $10 billion in investment! This would be a doubling of the county’s population and a 600% increase within the current boundaries of District 2. This could mean tremendous problems or opportunities, and it is imperative that county leadership be able to discern the difference between the two. It is of utmost importance that if the project is allowed to proceed, that the development is undertaken in the proper manner and that it would not be allowed to become a “boondoggle” or an unfair burden or infringement upon current residents of the district or the county. Water is a big concern in the district and the project must be required to demonstrate adequate water supplies and reserves to support such a development. If the development proceeds, it is also important that county leadership work to maximize the potential benefits that could result from such a development. Obviously, if the development occurs, it will bring a significant number of new job and business opportunities to the county and the district.

I believe that master plan communities are a better means by which to plan. We should take advantage of smart growth principles that have development around schools and commercial areas, reducing traffic, pedestrian friendly, transit oriented developments. As I stated before, we also need a balanced approach and recognize the need to preserve our precious agricultural land.

"Quay Valley" may or may not ever get built. It is our job to make sure that the people of our county do not get stuck holding the bag for a failed project or having their tax dollars spent on it. We are doing that. The project itself is interesting. You are using pretty unproductive ag land, they have proposed to use recycled ag drainage water that has been purified and to implement all of the latest green environment designs and technology. Existing cities are constantly trying to implement the Livable Community ideas of in-fill, walkability, putting services in areas where residents can walk instead of driving, creation of jobs that do not require a commute, cutting down on the use of cars and busses and trucks that create the majority of our air pollution. This proposed community builds on those principles and provides hybrid vehicles for its new residents, it is built around the maximum use of solar power, with all possible recycling of resources. It is proposed to be the pilot project for the cities of the future in a world of dwindling resources. If they can make it pencil out, which is the big question, why would we oppose it? If we get the population growth projected for the Valley, do we want to grow our cities to accommodate that population? Can we carry more traffic on 12th, 11th, Lacey, Grangeville? Our cities are built on the most productive farmland, do we want to pave it over to accommodate growth or do we want to build a new city to hold them? I always keep an open mind.