Supervisor Kirk Uhler is on a solo mission to change the Granite Bay Community Plan (GBCP). Why? The State highly recommends (not requires) plan reviews to determine if the assumptions are current. The GBCP contains about a page and one half of assumptions and it should not cost the taxpayers $150,000 to determine if they remain valid. Uhler's true motivation is suspect. Developers and other large donors have heavily financed Uhler's campaigns. The twenty-year GBCP was followed until Uhler assumed office. Shortly after being elected, Uhler promoted projects that promoted profit over community benefit and used his influence to get projects approved in spite of heavy community opposition. A parcel above Auburn Folsom Road on Douglas was rezoned from residential to commercial without community involvement. A large condominium storage company is now planned for this site. A car wash and office building complex were approved on re-zoned Douglas frontage west of the Quarry Ponds, the first ever exception to the 300 foot Douglas Boulevard setback. These re-zones set dangerous precedents and are ominous signs for what the future may hold. Remember that one third of Granite Bay has yet to be developed.

Uhler says he values community input. At the February 11th community forum, the community voted overwhelmingly: DO NOT CHANGE THE PLAN. Uhler never mentions this vote in any public statements. There is no official record of this vote and it was requested the vote be included in the April Municipal Advisory Committee (MAC) minutes. After this request, Uhler's MAC appointee, Eric Sanchez,, wanted the minutes to reflect that the 400 people who attended and voted at the Feb 11th meeting are not representative of Granite Bay. According to Sanchez "think", the people who decide not to vote in an election should be given more weight than those who do.

The county has refused to hold a second community meeting prior to the June 30th land use deadline to decide criteria. Instead the county wants to see what players are on the field before they write the game rules. The county has been repeatedly asked what weight community input will have in deciding the final criteria and the county has repeatedly refused to answer. Why can't the community be involved as an equal partner from the outset as it was when the GBCP was developed in 1988 and when it was updated in 2005? Why is the community limited to individuals sending comment forms to the County Planning Department?

A new community group, Residents Defending Granite Bay, 376 members strong and growing, whose mission is to promote sensible and livable development in Granite Bay, will be proposing criteria for inclusion in the GBCP and will post this information on its web site (www.rdgb.org). We need to stand together and send the message: OUR COMMUNITY IS NOT FOR SALE

MARLENE GEORGE, CHAIR
RESIDENTS DEFENDING GRANITE BAY