Intersection key to development

Williams officials said a new truck-friendly intersection at Highway 20, between Husted Road and Interstate 5, is critical to attract industry to the area.

Councilwoman Angela Plachek-Fulcher is meeting with Caltrans officials today to determine what the next step is in getting access to the highway at what would be an extension of Margurite Street north to the highway.

Margurite runs north from E Street to the new Woodland Community College facility. It dead ends at Ella, which runs east to Husted.

"We really want some industrial development there," Plachek-Fulcher said Tuesday. "We already have enough houses and fast food (restaurants). What we need is good paying jobs."

The councilwoman said she knows of at least two firms that have taken their projects down the road — in part because of access on and off the highway.

"At one point a Gatorade bottling plant wanted to come in there ... and the truck stop is now looking at Dunnigan," Plachek-Fulcher said.

Those apparent decisions not to locate in the Vann Brothers development area came despite access to the area from Husted Road, which is not far from the intersection site, and connects to Margurite Street via Ella.

But Plachek-Fulcher said that intersection is already busy, particularly during harvest, and truckers have indicated making a right-hand turn from eastbound Highway 20 onto Husted is a challenge.

She said if the new intersection is put in, more truck-friendly turn lanes can be designed, and the additional truck traffic would not add to the congestion at Husted.

There has been no indication that improving the Husted intersection is considered a viable option.

Plachek-Fulcher said the city is prepared to put up $50,000 to do engineering and other feasibility studies to start the project.

The total cost of the project, and how much of that would be absorbed by the development interests in the area, has not been determined.

The overall issue came up at the most recent council meeting last week, at which time a fair amount of frustration was expressed over fluctuating Caltrans requirements and other issues.

Part of that centered on traffic studies, which the city has conducted twice already, City Administrator Chuck Bergson said.

But that may not be the highest hurdle to clear.

Plachek-Fulcher said she and Bergson recently received a letter from Caltrans expressing concerns about putting the intersection in given the prospects of a methanol plant possibly being built in Colusa, and what impact that would have on Highway 20.

That news raised Plachek-Fulcher's concerns for a number of reasons.

The councilman fears that project, which depends a great deal on building a railroad spur from the California Northern Railroad over to Colusa, could be years away — if only because of the time it would take to put in the spur.

If Caltrans decides to hold off on the intersection until the methanol plant is closer to reality, Williams officials believe many industrial opportunities may be lost.

Plachek-Fulcher is also frustrated because at one time Colusa City Manger Jan McClintock had approached her and Councilwoman Pat Ash about the methanol plant.

Plachek-Fulcher said one of the ideas discussed, albeit informally, was to build the plant on the west side, where the railroad tracks already run, and then the two cities could work out a tax-sharing agreement.

"The next thing I know, the plant is coming to Colusa," said Plachek-Fulcher, adding she learned that by reading a newspaper account of the project.

McClintock was not available for comment Tuesday. She has indicated at least one county representative was part of very early discussions as well.

The methanol plant, a Calmetha project, is not a done deal by any means, however, but officials have indicated it is close.

It would mean a projected 300 full-time, year-round jobs, and likely would attract a number of other industrial and commercial interests to the area, McClintock has reported.

Contracts to provide the ag waste that would be used to produce the methanol could be signed as early as January, officials said.

Where the plant would be located has not been disclosed, but McClintock said the idea is that the property would be annexed into the city.

Plachek-Fulcher said she would be happy if such a project were to be built in Colusa or any other place in the county. She believes everyone would benefit.

However, she is hopeful that the prospect of that project will not keep the Highway 20 intersection proposal from happening, and in turn, keep other industrial opportunities from landing in Williams.