Saving Clover Valley - Letters 1
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| Placer Herald - Friday, March 16, 2007 9:32 AM PDT The importance of preserving history Fellow Rocklin residents should be standing tall these days, given the extremely unique pieces of news they've recently received concerning our community's history. I'm talking about last month's story telling how the famed photographer Ansel Adams spent time in our city taking pictures of the region's unique topography and stunning native oaks. The Clover Valley Coalition is on record documenting that Ansel Adams spent time in the valley, capturing its magic in black and white. Now, we learn that the city of Rocklin received an unsolicited $10,000 grant from REI to restore Huff's Spring in Rocklin. Members of Rocklin's Historical Society know the value of such a grant and they help frame this importance for the rest of us. Preservation of history is important. We know this. More and more, we are learning how unique our community is - and, I would add, without peer in the region and perhaps the state. Can you think of another community that can boast Rocklin can? And to think that the most unique historical jewel still lies untouched: the 622 pristine-like acres on Rocklin's northeast corner known as Clover Valley. Allison Miller, Rocklin |
| What will Rocklin look like in 10 years? Right now, the developer money is rolling in to the city, concrete and asphalt are being laid everywhere, and buildings are springing up, almost like magic. The City Council feels great. Everything looks just great for the developing mini-metropolis of Rocklin. But what will the quality of life be here in 10 years? My vision is that we will have concrete and asphalt everywhere. Houses and commercial buildings and parking lots everywhere. We also will be totally hemmed in by Lincoln and Roseville. (Hopefully, Loomis will resist the development explosion threatening it.) lost. lost. I don't like the vision of Rocklin 2017, and I don't think that most of the rest of the city's residents will like it, either. -- Don Perera, Clover Valley Foundation Rocklin |
| Placer Herald - Thursday, February 15, 2007 9:50 AM PST This week the owners of Clover Valley held a dinner at the Zinfandel Grill for their supporters. The invitation, which was shared with Save Clover Valley Coalition by an invitee, attempts to appeal to the public with the following glowing descriptions: The development will have 366 acres of public open space for hiking and biking. The public open space will consist of streets of upscale homes and playground parks. But, then there are the steep hillsides for hiking. The area will be open to the public for the first time. Yes, but you won't see the same wild valley with only the sounds of birds and wind. All trees will be replaced. Even they know what a distortion that is. We will wait 50 years for the 12 to 15 foot replacements to "replace" those bulldozed majestic native Oaks. Improve local traffic and add a new connector road. How will adding more traffic improve traffic in Rocklin? The "important" new connector road will bring additional traffic from Lincoln and Loomis through Rocklin from Sierra College Boulevard to shop in Roseville. The development will also build a new, free fire station. Who pays the salaries to staff this new station and for the upkeep of the new roads and utilities in the develop-ment? This is going to be a big new expense for Rocklin taxpayers. If they built the minimum 180 homes, the city would not have to extend the current sewer line capacity which would be great news to the hundreds of homeowners whose yards, homes and lives would be disrupted for weeks while a 30-foot trench is dug on Rawhide, Midas and Argonaut. Please consider the real facts if you attended this dinner, and for the rest of us who didn't and don't buy this sales pitch, let the City Council know your feelings. Janet Dunlap, Rocklin |
| Good reason for project delays Placer Herald - Thursday, February 1, 2007 11:59 AM PST We were sorry to receive the letter from Clover Valley Partners announcing an appreciation dinner and lamenting their delays, supposedly caused by opponents of their ambitious proposed project. What the letter failed to say, or more accurately, covered with rhetoric, was the fact that there are very good reasons why this project has run into so many roadblocks. The simple truth is that it is not a good project. Destruction via bulldozing of ground is one thing, but to bulldoze over half the 622 acres because they are not conducive to development says it all. There are places where development should never occur, and Clover Valley represents the epitome. Filling in wetlands, polluting the creek with run off, desecrating prehistoric sites, cutting down more than 7,000 oaks, wiping out scenic ridges, and putting up oppressive concrete sound walls are being portrayed as something we should want. The vast majority of any intelligent group of citizens knows this is not a reasonable or appropriate development for this unique valley. As the last of our rock walls are destroyed, as wildlife dies or struggles for survival in small groomed parks and so-called "open spaces" that are so steep they can't be built on anyway, can anyone really shed a sympathy tear for frustration over delays? The delays are for good reason; halting the project forever is the best solution. Katie Cather, Loomis |
| Sac Bee - Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, April 5, 2007 Saving valley benefits all Have you heard of the "Rocklin Taxpayers for Sensitive Planning"? I hadn't, either, until I re- ceived a copy of a letter from this organization claiming that the "sky will fall" if the Clover Valley development doesn't occur. It falsely suggests that the Rocklin taxpayers will be stuck with almost $400 million in additional taxes if the proposed 558 homes aren't built in the Valley. The truth is that, if Clover Valley Coalition's plans for a nature preserve and American Indian Cultural Center come to pass, these additional taxpayer costs will not happen. We are looking for a consortium of conservation organizations to purchase Clover Valley from the developer. If this happens, the Rocklin taxpayers will have none of the costs indicated in this scare letter, and property values and the quality of life in Rocklin will improve. If the coalition's vision for Clover Valley goes as planned, the developers will be paid a negotiated, fair price for the valley. In addition, they will receive substantial tax benefits. If our vision comes to pass, the developers make money on the land in a time of a falling real estate market, Rocklin benefits from the preservation of Clover Valley and the taxpayers are not stuck with additional taxes. Sounds like a win-win-win situation to me. -- Don Perera - Clover Valley Coalition, Rocklin |
| This story is taken from Sacbee / Community News / Placer County News. Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, July 5, 2007 Speak out now to preserve Clover Valley Clover Valley is a 622-acre valley in the heart of Rocklin. It has 33 prehistoric sites dating back thousands of years. It has a meandering year-round stream and thousands of beautiful oaks. It has been home to a host of wildlife for thousands of years, including deer, coyotes, beaver and many species of birds, even wild turkeys. It is a beautiful valley with an allure of its own. Those of us who live near it and have the opportunity to experience it often are indeed privileged. This privilege needs to be extended to all of Rocklin and can be with enough effort from all of us who live here. This opportunity is afforded to us from the hard work of a relatively small number of dedicated, forward-looking people. Their effort started less than 10 years ago. Today, their numbers have grown to several thousand as a citizens coalition. Clover Valley Lakes is the proposed development for this beautiful natural land. It will consist of 558 homes and 5 acres of commercial property. It will remove several thousand oak trees and be preceded by the "Valley View" parkway, if approved. Projections are for 16,000 cars a day crossing over the upper part of the valley. The impact on the quality of life and property values along this parkway and Park Street are painful to imagine. The effect will be enormous to the adjoining communities of Springfield, Whitney Oaks and Stanford Ranch. Several community schools and parks along Park Street will be heavily impacted by the traffic. Local opposition to this development has delayed approval by our City Council for years, but a final consideration by the council appears to be in the not-too-distant future. We, the citizens of Rocklin and Placer County, have a unique opportunity to preserve this wonderful and historic valley for all the people and future generations. It will have a natural green belt allure. The calming and relaxing effect it will provide in our busy world will be appreciated and enjoyed for generations to come. We all need to be vigilant and recognize how much a letter, a phone call and a vote will count. We need to save this rare piece of our history. -- Doug Hammitt Rocklin |
| Must consider loss of tax revenue, property value Placer Herald - Thursday, July 5, 2007 Many people with different agendas propose the Clover Valley development as either the greatest or the worst idea ever created for Rocklin. The true issue is that no one realized when the original design was approved that the rest of Rocklin would be directly impacted the way Clover Valley will impact the existing homes and streets. During heavy traffic times Park will become a virtual freeway which no one could have fully realized this situation when at the time the only traffic was a few wild turkeys. There was no way to fully understand the Galleria, Bickford Ranch, numerous schools and the countless developments outside of Rocklin would be laid out to complete the perfect storm of traffic this outlet will create. When Park connects back around to Highway 65 and then also to Catta Verdera (12 Bridges Drive) the end result will make I-80 seem quiet. I also cannot comprehend the speed cars will reach going down the hills on Park surrounding the Whitney Oaks development. The fact is that many cities who stood up to developers and started limiting the amount of growth or stopped it all together are the cities where more people want to live in due to the quieter, safer streets and better community feeling. The other reality is that the negative impact that Clover Valley parkway will have on property value and the resulting loss of tax revenue will more than offset any stated increase in tax revenue from the new development. I truly hope everyone in Rocklin fully understands the overall negative impact this development will have on the city. John Tincher |