Rural Roots Sunday - Beginnings: Part 2
Many folks believed cityhood would provide a better chance to have a say in Elk’s Grove's future
by George Murphey |
This is the second installment in a series on Elk Grove's rural Sheldon area.
Last week’s article provided a snapshot of the settlement of the Sheldon/Rural area of Elk Grove. Fast forward to the year 2000. Elk Grove’s population was approximately 73,000. This was the year Elk Grove citizens voted to become a city.
Why?
Many folks believed cityhood would provide a better chance to have a say in Elk’s Grove's future. No more traveling to Sacramento to testify in order to advocate for Elk Grove, with testimony seemingly falling on the deaf ears of a majority of supervisors.
Similar to the past, many names come to mind. These are people who cared deeply for the future of Elk Grove, while at the same time wanting to honor Elk Grove’s roots. People like Leo Fassler, Shirley Peters, Tom Shine, Sarah Johnson, Tom Nelson, and many others, all dedicated to preserving Elk Grove’s agricultural heritage.
It was during this time, 2000-2005, the city began adopting its own General Plan, casting off old Sacramento County policies. Work had begun on shaping Elk Grove’s future. People became involved. This group of folks were especially concerned about losing what little was remaining of Elk Grove’s agricultural heritage. They wanted to protect that heritage, history and lifestyle.
Their early advocacy swelled within the community, and many others joined the effort. A major advocate for preservation was the Greater Sheldon Road Estates Homeowners Assoc. (GSREHA). Another community advocacy group, the Sheldon Community Assoc.(SCA) formed in 2002. Together, these two groups brought the voices of folks living in the rural area to the table. We had a voice!
As the General Plan update progressed, the two community groups developed working relationships with city planning staff and the five new council members. Their efforts included defining the rural area and developing policies that would protect the rural area from higher-density development. To be sure, those policies didn’t come about over night, just appearing on paper.
No, this would take many months and long hours in workshops held at city hall. The community had to express the thoughts and reasonings behind the policies we were seeking. The time and energy spent was worth it.
In the end, the city adopted a new General Plan that defined the rural area, along with policies limiting future development to that which was already present. This meant, development would be limited to lots that are a minimum of 2 acres in size, provide appropriate development standards for rural properties, allow farming and agricultural activity and maintain a rural ambience.
It’s now 2026, the population is approximately 183,000. What’s changed?
As mentioned before, there’s the Southeast Connector, which will eventually run through the Sheldon business district. The rural area is now facing one of its greatest challenges.
The city is processing a development application requesting to amend the General Plan. The project is known as Summer Villas SPA. The amendment, if approved, would change the zoning of 116+/- acres, currently zoned for 2-acre lots, to a higher density, allowing up to 499 homes to be built.
That’s a 1300% increase over current General Plan zoning. These homes would be surrounded by rural residences, all with the “Right to Farm”. This means odors, animals, equipment noise, dust and crop spraying, potentially affecting the new residents.
Will the proximity to farming activities be tolerated or challenged? Will this be the beginning of policy changes? Will policies need to be amended or replaced? Which ones and how many? Will Elk Grove lose more of its history and heritage? What are the unintended consequences? How do we face this challenge?
First and foremost, become engaged and informed. These articles are meant to inform those who are not familiar with the rural area, highlighting what area residents and the city have done to preserve, protect, and promote the rural area (photo below).
Rural Roots Sunday is meant to engage a wide cross-section of Elk Grove. The Rural Area is part of Elk Grove and, by design, rural in nature. Preserving the Rural Area will require the support and efforts of the rural community, followers of RuralElkGroveCa, friends and neighbors. The rural area can remain intact. This remaining piece of Elk Grove’s agricultural roots and heritage can be preserved.
For more information, visit the Rural Elk Grove Facebook page.
