San Ramon Valley Regional Planning Commission End Of Days
Contra Costa County Plans To Let The San Ramon Valley Regional Planning Commission Die In October
"The commission has outlived its usefulness," said Rick Clark, a member of the Contra Costa Planning Commission. "So much of south county is within incorporated cities or outside the urban limit line, and there's very little for them to do. Plus, it's expensive to staff these meetings, which are held in Danville or San Ramon."
With no subdivision proposals pending for this area, and the City of San Ramon and Danville now controlling their own developments, there is very little work for the Planning Commission to do. In fact, they have only meet three times in the last 12 scheduled meetings.
Over the years, local communities like San Ramon wanted to control their own interests and break free from the control of the County. Incorporation was what cities have done to establish their own building and zoning codes for these local areas. Other unincorporated areas such as Alamo are also feeling the pressure to control their own destiny by becoming a city themselves.
With so much controversy brewing between developers, local residents, planning commissioners, and supervisors, it is a constant battle for everyone when a much larger picture is taken into account for Contra Costa County. Developers have been known to circumvent the Planning Commission and appeal directly to Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors in order to push development through.
From a local perspective, it is wise for the local communities to control their own destinies. After all, it is the local citizens that will have to live with increased traffic and other infrastructure issues for a long time to come.
Jim Warholic
"The commission has outlived its usefulness," said Rick Clark, a member of the Contra Costa Planning Commission. "So much of south county is within incorporated cities or outside the urban limit line, and there's very little for them to do. Plus, it's expensive to staff these meetings, which are held in Danville or San Ramon."
With no subdivision proposals pending for this area, and the City of San Ramon and Danville now controlling their own developments, there is very little work for the Planning Commission to do. In fact, they have only meet three times in the last 12 scheduled meetings.
Over the years, local communities like San Ramon wanted to control their own interests and break free from the control of the County. Incorporation was what cities have done to establish their own building and zoning codes for these local areas. Other unincorporated areas such as Alamo are also feeling the pressure to control their own destiny by becoming a city themselves.
With so much controversy brewing between developers, local residents, planning commissioners, and supervisors, it is a constant battle for everyone when a much larger picture is taken into account for Contra Costa County. Developers have been known to circumvent the Planning Commission and appeal directly to Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors in order to push development through.
The regional commission, for example, turned down the controversial 39-unit Humphrey Ranch project on Stone Valley Road. But the developer appealed to the Board of Supervisors, which overturned the commission's decision. See: Planning Panel May Have Plug Pulled
From a local perspective, it is wise for the local communities to control their own destinies. After all, it is the local citizens that will have to live with increased traffic and other infrastructure issues for a long time to come.
Jim Warholic
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