Rio Linda Elverta News, January 1, 1998
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Rio Linda News January 1, 1998

The County Board of Supervisors heard a report at their December 10th hearing on the Rio Linda Elverta Community plan. It was introduced by Planning Director Tom Hutchings as a "presentation by the applicants on infrastructure to try to clarify some of the expectations for infrastructure financing". The "applicant" is a group of developers and land owners who wish to build "Elverta Villages", a 1593 acre development at 16th Street and Elverta Road which could include 7379 dwelling units and boast a population as large as or larger than all of Rio Linda and Elverta today.

The applicant is paying the County's bills for updating the Rio Linda - Elverta Community Plan, which includes all of Rio Linda and Elverta, not only Elverta Villages. The Board of Supervisors voted December 22, 1993 and January 26, 1994, to accept a $378,757.00 "donation" from the applicant at "armslength" with the applicant to have no control over the update of the Community Plan. The applicant funded the plan update as they wished "to develop their property in a manner not presently permitted by current land use designations".

A "Community Plan Update" usually does not include the level of detail shown in the applicant's report as the exact developments are unknown at the time of preparation. A Community Plan Update is usually prepared for a "Community", not for an "applicant" who provides funding for the Community Plan Update to facilitate a specific, well defined, development.

The applicant's December 10th report concludes that "Alternative G is the only Alternative that can provide the funding to pay for the infrastructure required under each Alternative". Alternative G is the Alternative that provides for the applicant's Elverta Villages project at 16th Street and Elverta Road.

The County's plan for the north-south traffic from Elverta Villages, should the Board of Supervisors approve Alternative G, is to route the 16th Street traffic from the north over to Dry Creek Road at U Street, and realign Dry Creek Road just south of C Street to become Raley Boulevard. Dry Creek Road would be widened to four lanes between C Street and U Street, taking front yards and possibly homes, to handle the expected increase-in vehicle traffic.

The new four-lane roadway for Alternative G is shown in the applicant's report to extend from 16th Street north of Kasser Road, near the Placer County line, past Rio Linda High School and Dry Creek School into the City of Sacramento on Raley Boulevard.

The other Alternatives being considered were prepared by the Community Planning Advisory Council (CPAC), which consists of local residents, not developers. The CPAC Alternatives do not include this new four-lane roadway.

The realignment of Raley Boulevard and 16th Street to Dry Creek Road has been selected by the County to avoid the potential cost and environmental impact of a new 16th Street bridge across the channels of Dry Creek. Such a bridge, connecting the north and south portions of 16th Street as shown on previous roadway plans, has now been deemed by the County to be too expensive an alternative. Instead, the traffic would be routed next to the schools and would take property from owners of residences on Dry Creek Road.

The next Board of Supervisors hearing on this matter is scheduled for January 14, 1998 at 2:30pm. Public testimony will only be accepted on  new material that was presented in December, such as the applicant's infrastructure report. It is anticipated that no further public testimony will be accepted on the Rio Linda - Elverta Community Plan after January 14th.