What harm will the proposed Belcaro project really do?
Sitting here at one of my favorite eateries, Route 66, having lunch and watching the traffic on Soledad Canyon Road, it is terrible now, but just wait until 5 p.m. or tomorrow morning with school traffic. A short distance away is another high-density housing project, Vista Canyon, boasting hundreds of new homes. And now, at Sand Canyon and Soledad is the Sand Canyon Plaza with over 700 more homes. The city’s infrastructure cannot withstand this kind of massive development. Truth is, we are ruining our city with out-of-control building, all being encouraged by elected representatives in Sacramento.
The following are remarks I made at the Planning Commission meeting on Aug. 18. A total of 31 concerned citizens came forward and spoke in opposition to this proposed development:
I am a 47-year resident of Sand Canyon. My primary reason for buying into Sand Canyon in 1979 was the special standards district it has. That district, maintains a rural atmosphere where horse trails and other amenities exist such as no street lights and no sidewalks. Most properties range from an acre and up to many acres. The Belcaro project is totally inconsistent with the special standards district.
There are 1,100 to 1,200 homes in Sand Canyon. Should this project go forward with 341 additional homes, it would be about a 30% increase to what is there now. The Belcaro brochure says it will enhance emergency access and public safety. Just the opposite is true. The 2016 Sand Fire, which burned down 18 homes and one life lost, made clear the problems with evacuation of Sand Canyon. People were waiting in their cars for up to two hours because of the traffic gridlock getting out.
The state mandates much of the development occurring today. Come forward with a project indicating low to moderate income housing, or in this case, age restriction 55 and older, and you get an automatic approval. This is causing development failures such as Vista Canyon and the mess at Sand Canyon Plaza. Note, that project has 140 age-restricted units about 500 yards from the proposed Belcaro development.
The applicant repeatedly talks of mitigation of everything under the sun, but with one exception: How it will negatively affect the people living in Sand Canyon and especially those living on Lost Canyon. Those families bought into Sand Canyon for the peace and quiet and quality of life. This project will strip them from that quality of life. Lost Canyon will become a traffic nightmare for these families. I can assure you property values will go down as a result. The only people wanting this nightmare project are the ones lining their pockets at the expense of others.
I encourage all living in this great city to pay attention as to what is going on and do your part to fight this insanity. You can start by taking a good look at who you vote for in the state Legislature. On a local basis, elect council members who will do all possible to prevent irresponsible development.
Bob Kellar
Canyon Country
