By Tony Bizjak
February 27, 2018
The Sacramento Bee
A moment that once belonged only in sci-fi novels is now a month away in California.
Starting in early April, auto manufacturers and technology companies will be free to put cars onto California city streets for testing with no one at the wheel – and in fact no one even in the car.
The Department of Motor Vehicles received legal approval Monday to publish the ground rules – and will begin issuing permits in a month.
By Vanessa Romo
February 12, 2018
National Public Radio
California has a giant rodent problem.
To clarify, it’s not that California has a huge problem with run-of-the-mill rats, it’s that the state has an emerging problem with jumbo-sized critters.
Nutria, otherwise called Myocastor coypus, were thought to have been eradicated from the state’s wetlands and rivers as far back as 1965, but they have mysteriously reappeared in three counties over the past year, California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Peter Tira told NPR.
Expanding Elk Grove: Narrow vote allows city to start considering southern development of farmland, wildlife habitat
Environmentalists and farmers say commission vote opens door to sprawl
By Michael Mott
February 15, 2018
Sacramento News and Review
A regional body of elected officials and residents narrowly approved opening the door to development that farmers and environmentalists say could threaten wildlife habitats and conservation efforts south of Elk Grove.
On February 7, the Sacramento Local Area Formation Commission, or LAFCO, approved landowners’ bid to expand Elk Grove’s “sphere of influence” by 1,156 acres, which could lead to a formal annexation and development process. The commissioners’ 4-3 approval came with an environmental impact report that warned development could cause “significant and unavoidable impacts” to wildlife, habitats and groundwater.
There’s already plenty of land available for growth without causing more urban sprawl across the County of Sacramento and within the Urban Services Boundary around the City of Elk Grove in the south of the county. We need to focus on smart growth, infill development, public transit, water supply, air quality, and open space in order to support the quality of life for future residents.
There was a great team effort by groups like ECOS, Habitat 2020, Friends of Swainson’s Hawk, Save Our Sandhill Cranes, the Sierra Club and community members from all over the county who presented a strong case against Elk Grove’s latest sprawl push.
Unfortunately, on February 7, 2018, the Kammerer Road-Highway 99 Sphere Of Influence Amendment passed with a 4-3 vote by LAFCo (Local Area Formation Commission) members. This allows the City of Elk Grove to expand urban development beyond their currents limits.
In favor of the expansion: Patrick Hume, Sue Frost, Susan Peters, Ron Greenwood
Opposed to the expansion: Angelique Ashby, Gay Jones, Jack Harrison
Learn more about the City of Elk Grove’s Sphere of Influence here.
By Hudson Sangree
February 06, 2018
The Sacramento Bee
…Elk Grove has ample room for growth within its current boundaries, including large undeveloped areas. (One expansive open area was offered unsuccessfully as a possible site for Amazon’s planned second headquarters.) They object to extending the city’s sphere of influence into farmland and wildlife habitat.
“Sacramento County has policies going back to 1993 saying, ‘We need to protect farmland. We need to have compact growth. We need to avoid urban sprawl. We don’t want to lose agriculture needlessly,” said Judith Lamare, president of Friends of the Swainson’s Hawk, a regional environmental group.
“You don’t want to cross the (urban services boundary) and build on farmland before you’ve exhausted opportunities to grow inside” existing city limits, she said.
By the Sacramento Bee Editorial Board
February 06, 2018
The Sacramento Bee
Here we go again with another proposal that could pave the way for more urban sprawl near Elk Grove.
On Wednesday, Sacramento County’s Local Agency Formation Commission is to decide whether to add 1,165 acres south of Elk Grove to the city’s planning area. Once again, the commission should just say no.
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