On Aug. 23, the Turlock City Council and Planning Commission held a joint meeting. Citizen input compiled from several general plan update community meetings as well as data relevant to the city's land use, history and projected growth were used by city staff and the consultant to present three plans for consideration by the council and commission. At the end of the discussion, the council would vote on a chosen growth scenario. From that scenario, the consultant and staff would move to the environmental impact review.
One master plan area included infill and growth to the southeast, utilizing Turlock's current general plan. Another master plan area included the Southeast Master Plan as well as a Northwest Master Plan that would put residential development west of Highway 99. The third option was a large growth area, including southeast and northwest growth; it appeared to be included to make the first two growth scenarios appear legitimate.
Several citizens spoke of the logic of developing the southeast, utilizing infill and compact growth and keeping residential development east of Highway 99. (Turlock's general plan shows no residential development west of the freeway.) As the evening wore on and it appeared that Councilmen Ted Howze, Kurt Spycher and Councilwoman Amy Bublak were not in agreement with the audience, Mayor John Lazar asked each planning commissioner for their preference.
Every commissioner supported the Southeast Master Plan and rejected the Northwest Master Plan addition. The reasons varied but each commissioner said growth should remain confined to the southeast. Seven commissioners and one alternate flatly rejected residential growth west of the freeway. Lazar and Councilwoman Mary Jackson also rejected the scenario to move residential growth west of the freeway.
Turlock's general plan is considered by many professional planners to be the model of smart growth in the valley. Past councils have used the freeway and railroad as a boundary to residential growth. Thanks to a commitment to smart growth, it is still possible to drive across town in a matter of minutes, shop at one of the busiest shopping centers in the area or buy fresh local produce at the farmers market downtown.
Turlock's current general plan is committed to growing compactly so the town remains surrounded by productive farmland. The plan has an urban boundary at Taylor Road, protecting farmland and an important water recharge area and keeping Keyes and Turlock as distinct communities. Developing to the southeast directs growth onto poorer soils that are less productive. Additionally, the southeast area is underutilized, needs repurposing and infill. Growing to the southeast will use existing infrastructure and city services. This is the smartest kind of growth.
Turlock's current general plan has the capacity to accommodate growth for 20 years. Turlock should continue the vision of past City Councils to grow compactly, protect world-class farmland and keep city services and public safety efficient and affordable. The general plan update must utilize realistic population projections as well as hard facts on the economic condition of the state, county and city.
The Farmland Working Group encourages the voters to consider smart growth and farmland protection in the upcoming election, when two council seats are to be filled. Take time to learn the candidates' platforms on land use. Three votes on the City Council can undo decades of smart growth and farmland protection overnight.
Jackman is chairman of the Farmland Working Group.
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