South San Joaquin County has a mixture of four expanding cities and a growing job base with an even brighter outlook that is destined to clash with vibrant agricultural endeavors.
The economic lot of the four cities is tied together as much by geography and market as they are by three key ingredients critical for economic vitality - a dependable supply of water, the prospect of less expensive electricity and unparalleled access to rail, freeway, an airport capable of handling cargo jets, and even a seaport to move goods.
The coming 10 to 20 years are critical to making sure agriculture survives as well as thrives and that the four cities grow right and not become one massive blob reminiscent of East Modesto.
It will take a close relationship between the cities as well as the cities and county to make sure the South County develops not as a repeat of past urbanization patterns that have decimated agriculture elsewhere in California. Spread-out growth is also ultimately is unsustainable in terms of being able to afford services and maintaining the cohesiveness of a strong community life.
That is why the redistricting of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors based on the 2010 Census results is critical. The current board sees no need for “significant changes.” Unfortunately that is a myopic view that could ultimately seal San Joaquin County’s fate to simply become a repeat of San Jose and Sacramento where there is no separation of communities and agriculture has either been run out or is on the run.
Manteca, Ripon, Lathrop, and Escalon should have their own supervisor’s district.
By doing so, it would force whoever is the supervisor to play closer attention to how the cities interact as they grow plus to protect the interests of rural residents and the county’s No. 1 industry - agriculture.
There is no other area in the county where three cities are on a collision course to essentially become one. The growth dynamics in the South County are much different than they are in the North County where Stockton and Lodi are slowly moving toward one another. The agriculture in the path of growth is different as well. In the North County farming is mostly open fields. In the South County it is dominated by almond orchards and vines that have a higher value per acre and a better ability to hold up against growth if development is planned right and directed properly.
Leroy Ornellas currently represents part of Manteca and the area south of the city as well as Ripon and Tracy.
By all accounts Ornellas is hard-working, fairly effective and a gentleman. Unfortunately he is torn by the river with Tracy being much more on his mind - and in his heart - as that is where he hails from.
One can’t help but wonder how things would be different in the McKinley Avenue Expressway battle where Manteca is planning a growth inducing roadway at the southern limits of the current sphere of influence if there was a supervisor whose interests were 100 percent in the South County.
Right now, those farmers trying to battle the city are almost citizens without a country. County bureaucrats essentially have told them they are in the sphere of influence of Manteca so therefore the city will dictate development patterns. It leaves them essentially with no representation and puts planning in default mode.
There might indeed be a way to accommodate Manteca’s growth and protect farming but that isn’t being explored because there is no opposing political force that is worried about the entire future of the South County. While it is true supervisors don’t have any say in how cities are run and it takes three supervisors to make a decision, there needs to be an advocate for South County agriculture as well as someone who has a vested interest to help make sure the four cities work effectively together to develop in the best possible manner while protecting farming.
It won’t happen via decrees, textbook planning, or issue by issue. It will take someone who looks at the big picture and can ill afford to put one interest significantly above the other as it would create problems at the ballot box.
Creating a true South County district doesn’t mean someone will get elected to the supervisor seat that will pick up on the need to bring the four cities and rural interests together.
But if the cards aren’t laid on the table that someone can take and play it will never happen.
The economic lot of the four cities is tied together as much by geography and market as they are by three key ingredients critical for economic vitality - a dependable supply of water, the prospect of less expensive electricity and unparalleled access to rail, freeway, an airport capable of handling cargo jets, and even a seaport to move goods.
The coming 10 to 20 years are critical to making sure agriculture survives as well as thrives and that the four cities grow right and not become one massive blob reminiscent of East Modesto.
It will take a close relationship between the cities as well as the cities and county to make sure the South County develops not as a repeat of past urbanization patterns that have decimated agriculture elsewhere in California. Spread-out growth is also ultimately is unsustainable in terms of being able to afford services and maintaining the cohesiveness of a strong community life.
That is why the redistricting of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors based on the 2010 Census results is critical. The current board sees no need for “significant changes.” Unfortunately that is a myopic view that could ultimately seal San Joaquin County’s fate to simply become a repeat of San Jose and Sacramento where there is no separation of communities and agriculture has either been run out or is on the run.
Manteca, Ripon, Lathrop, and Escalon should have their own supervisor’s district.
By doing so, it would force whoever is the supervisor to play closer attention to how the cities interact as they grow plus to protect the interests of rural residents and the county’s No. 1 industry - agriculture.
There is no other area in the county where three cities are on a collision course to essentially become one. The growth dynamics in the South County are much different than they are in the North County where Stockton and Lodi are slowly moving toward one another. The agriculture in the path of growth is different as well. In the North County farming is mostly open fields. In the South County it is dominated by almond orchards and vines that have a higher value per acre and a better ability to hold up against growth if development is planned right and directed properly.
Leroy Ornellas currently represents part of Manteca and the area south of the city as well as Ripon and Tracy.
By all accounts Ornellas is hard-working, fairly effective and a gentleman. Unfortunately he is torn by the river with Tracy being much more on his mind - and in his heart - as that is where he hails from.
One can’t help but wonder how things would be different in the McKinley Avenue Expressway battle where Manteca is planning a growth inducing roadway at the southern limits of the current sphere of influence if there was a supervisor whose interests were 100 percent in the South County.
Right now, those farmers trying to battle the city are almost citizens without a country. County bureaucrats essentially have told them they are in the sphere of influence of Manteca so therefore the city will dictate development patterns. It leaves them essentially with no representation and puts planning in default mode.
There might indeed be a way to accommodate Manteca’s growth and protect farming but that isn’t being explored because there is no opposing political force that is worried about the entire future of the South County. While it is true supervisors don’t have any say in how cities are run and it takes three supervisors to make a decision, there needs to be an advocate for South County agriculture as well as someone who has a vested interest to help make sure the four cities work effectively together to develop in the best possible manner while protecting farming.
It won’t happen via decrees, textbook planning, or issue by issue. It will take someone who looks at the big picture and can ill afford to put one interest significantly above the other as it would create problems at the ballot box.
Creating a true South County district doesn’t mean someone will get elected to the supervisor seat that will pick up on the need to bring the four cities and rural interests together.
But if the cards aren’t laid on the table that someone can take and play it will never happen.
