Your Voice - OpinionsThis is our OPINIONS page. We welcome comments from all sides of the community issues confronting the Valley Springs area. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of all of us...but this is 'Your Voice'. Submit letters or comments to MyValleySprings.com Contact Us Regardless of how much lipstick is put on this pig, most people don't want to kiss it.The recent Voorhees town hall meeting was obviously a PR job. As I see it, his plan appeals to two kinds of people: the greedy and the ignorant. I am confident that, when combined, these two groups make up only a small minority. Regardless of how much lipstick Voorhees and Mike Dell'Orto put on this pig, the vast majority don't want to kiss it. Anyone with common sense can see that they are offering a glass of water to a drowning man.The Valley Springs area has been growing steadily for the past 30 years. Up until the last couple of years, growth has transpired in a smooth fashion. But we have reached a point of critical mass. Now the downside of population growth greatly outweighs the upside of it. And all of this talk about how we need to plan our future subdivisions better than the past ones has a big problem: It's too late.
You Can't Grow Out of a Traffic MessOur supervisors didn't see fit to collect road impact fees from developers until February 2004. And though they have approved a lot of subdivisions since then, I haven't seen any remedial road work done to deal with the impact of more cars. Yet the ignorant wing of the pro-growth movement seems to think that somehow we'll grow our way out of traffic congestion. How? Even if Valley Springs gets a signal at Highways 12 and 26 or a bypass of the town as a result of allowing more subdivisions, by continuing to add more cars to our roads, how will motorists be able to get onto Highways 12 and 26 in the first place? You're going to need four-way stops every quarter mile.How Many are in Favor of this Uncontrolled Growth?There are those who favor more subdivisions and those who don't. But what matters is: How many are in favor and how many are against? Our supervisors can put the question on the ballot next election in order to find out where the people stand.- Mark Steeneck (Published 11/29/05, Calaveras Enterprise) 
Note on CRV :CRV Enterprises is the developer that wants to cram 1100 homes, each on lots as small as 3800 square feet, onto a beautiful piece of Valley Springs ranchland. This is huge! Of course they are going to be the main focus of a group of people that favor smart growth...This is not smart in that the Valley Springs Community has not said that this is what we want. This is not smart as it does not fit the character of our area. It may be smart in Galt, but not here. What do the majority of people in the area want for their community? The ranchland is "rural agriculture" in the community plan.We have traffic problems, I think we all agree. Adding a two-lane road connecting Hogan Dam road and Lime Creek Road will not solve the problems; particularly if 1100 families are added to the mix. Do we think Gold Creek Estates fits into the look of our rural community? This is an example of CRV's workmanship.
A development on Ponte Ranch is not the solution to already existing growth and asthetic problems.
The solution is a carefully written General Plan and Community Plan. Why hurry to build?
- Seana Hogan
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