County Line project hits roadblock

An Orange County developer failed to get even a cursory nod from the Colusa County Planning Commission to build a new community at County Line Road in Arbuckle.

The commission voted 4-1 Monday to deny outright a recommendation to the Colusa County Board of Supervisors to amend the General Plan.

The amendment, as requested by Pacific Cascade

Group, in conjunction with Arbuckle-based Colusa Heritage Partners, would create a new land use designation, changing the site of the future town from primarily agriculture use to a mixed-use development of residential, commercial and industrial property.

The decision was made without a formal review of the project, under the California Environmental Quality Act.

According to Steve Hackney, Colusa County Planning Director, the commission’s denial is not binding, as only the board of supervisors has the authority to amend the General Plan to add the new community planning area designation.

Ben Felt, a spokesman for Colusa Heritage Partners, said he felt Monday’s public hearing before the planning commission was premature, as the project requires a thorough environmental analysis before any decisions about the project can be rendered.

“Without the CEQA study, the commission basically has no viable information to review or analyze in order to make any recommendation to the supervisors,” Felt said.

Felt asked the commission to defer the matter to the supervisors or recommend the supervisors continue the processing requirements, including CEQA, and then bring the application back for consideration.

“Please study the plan,” Felt said. “It will cost the county nothing, and until these independent studies are completed, no one really knows whether this proposed County Line project is good or bad for Colusa County.”

That, however, wasn’t enough to keep people from weighing in Monday on whether they thought the project was good or bad for the county, or from raising issue that would be addressed by the environmental studies, such as traffic impacts and water supply.

Cheri White, a proponent of the project, said Colusa County must diversify in order to jump-start the economy.

White said in the mid 1990s, the planning commission and board of supervisors believed the County Line Road would be an ideal site for a major economic center, and 500 acres was zone for industrial use.

“It is a perfect location,” she said. “It is what employers are looking for. It’s within 35 miles of an international airport, sits along an interstate freeway with an existing off ramp, has rail access and is not within a flood zone.”

Carole Cain, an opponent, said the project does not protect farmland, enhance the existing communities, preserve the culture history of Colusa County, does not maintain the county’s rural character and will not enhance the quality of life for Colusa County citizens.

Vernette Marsh, Elaine Rominger, Gary Shaad and Brian Fedora, Colusa County Farm Bureau president, each voiced their concern over the destruction of prime agriculture land used for the growing of food.

“I don’t know about you,” Fedora said, “but I don’t like the taste of asphalt.”

According to Colusa Heritage Partners, the project has been scaled back from its original proposal of more than 6,000 homes.

The project now calls for the building of 3,160 homes over a 30-year-period on approximately $1,000 acres of land, attracting about 9,000 new residents to the South County area.

Hackney said that due to the size, scope, scale and general magnitude of the project, it would still be appropriate for the county to update the General Plan first, with the project to be considered and provided for in future land use policies.

“The General Plan is the vehicle that provides for any future growth and development,” Hackney said.

Only Planning Commissioner Charles Reische voted against the denial.

“I hate to see the county set a precedence of denying projects before they go through the CEQA process,” Reische said.