The 1978 Flood and now the "Business Park"
"They found a body down the fourth row of trees" my friend said as I slowly walked up D Street. The devastation seemed unbelievable. Washers and dryers, stoves and sofas, and now a body, had washed down from Sespe Creek, through Los Serenos and across 126 into Marvin and Bonnie Smith's orchard. The tree trunks were buried in several feet of mud.
This was a sad day in 1978. After weeks, if not months of rain, the Sespe couldn't contain itself.
Highway 126 at that time was only two lanes. Tall eucalyptus trees lined both sides of the highway through Rancho Sespe. Mud and boulders were strewn across the highway. The Los Serenos tract was devastated.
I don't remember the man who was washed down the creek into the orchard. Some of you may have known him. I believe he had been warned to evacuate.
The other devastating loss from that day was Marvin and Bonnie's house. Bonnie's father had built the house so she had lived there her entire life. It now had over a foot of mud and water in every room. The family room with the fireplace was the only part of the house that was salvageable.
They decided to rebuild the house around the family room. It took a couple of years and they lived in their fifth wheel waiting for the house to be rebuilt. Bonnie was the sweetest and kindest person you could know and she was also strong enough to endure that time in her life with a smile. I only saw tears in her eyes once or twice.
She passed away a few years ago. Marvin, who has some health issues, has turned over the farming duties to his son Bill.
Marvin and Bonnie's property is located in the "Business Park". Marvin and his son have said that they do not want any part of the business park and want to maintain their agricultural operations.
The business park EIR is now on the City's website. I urge you to review it and submit any comments or concerns you may have.
The EIR has incorrectly stated that the Smith property is in Phase II of the business park and
"It is anticipated that agricultural activity to the west of this property(The Stop) would cease as the Plan Area builds out in accordance with the proposed Master Plan. Therefore significant conflicts between onsite development and agricultural activity are not anticipated."
Mr. Payne became aware over a year ago that the Smith's (and other property owners) were not interested in becoming part of the Business Park. Yet, the EIR or Master Plan have no acknowledgement of this fact.
The City was contacted by the Agricultural Commissioner reminding them that the State considers agriculture one of our most important resources and that a 300' buffer is required around all ongoing ag operations. In addition, the County's Right to Farm Ordinance provides protection to farmers when development threatens to encroach and harm their viability.
Sadly, this business park will try to put these farmers out of business against their will. I don't know how you feel about agriculture but because of our alluvial floodplain we have the most productive soil in the world, which is not found in abundance, and we are taking 200 acres of it out of production forever.
In addition, at least four families have been or will be displaced. This seems unfair and borders on eminent domain. The business park's promises of jobs is used as a selling point but I remain ever the skeptic at the exaggerated numbers. Rite Aid only employs about ten people and I doubt that they are making high wages. A Long's Drug will hurt Rite Aid and won't provide "high quality" jobs which is one of the goals of the business park. It's all speculation at this point. While the biggest manufacturing employer in Fillmore, Ameron, is being forced out. The speculative jobs seem to take precedence over real jobs.
These are the victims of these plans to turn Fillmore into a place that has already become unrecognizable. Unrecognizable in the vicious political games, unrecognizable in the way citizens are treated, unrecognizable in the way that long time family farmers are treated.
Some of the business park developers have made comments that their projects are on the borderline of economic viability. If the business park is not feasible or cost effective on its own merits then perhaps it should not be done until it is feasible.
posted by Gayle Washburn @ 1:50 PM
16 Comments
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16 Comments:
Whats the point in posting anything? hello? is anyone home?
Yes, we're home!
Do you need an alarm clock?
Whats up???
This blog is neglected!
Won't the levee prevent flooding?
oh brother!
Where did you go now?
let's see..
anon1: No, don't need an alarm clock. I wake up at 5:00 am every day. (don't always jump up though)
anon2: Whats up??? Lots! Working on my brother in law's website, closing JoAnn's estate, still some rehab on the house, etc.
stewie: Yes, it is neglected. Sorry. I don't have time to write something every day or respond to every comment. We've been traveling since October and I'm hoping that we can stay home for awhile. I've got a lot of catching up to do.
dick: If you're asking about the Sespe Creek levee, the answer is... probably...but as you know, the County is reviewing the levee and may possibly de-certify it based on FEMA's revised flow rates due to climate changes.
anon3: Do you mean today or the past month?
It doesn't matter,just let us know when you have time,thanks
And yet, you cannot even understand the financial analysis that true experts have prepared. You continue to amaze with your true lack of expertise on the technologies that are out there. In fact I would be willing to bet that you may have pushed a few buttons and read a few meters on an automated treatment plant that requires three employees, but have never designed a plant. ROI, please ROI is an easy thing to do, you use a spreadsheet input the data and conduct minimum analysis to determine of the ROI is worth the expense. I do them all the time. In fact in college we spent oh about a minute studying ROI because it was so easy. Construction supervisor, interesting point, but not relavent. Looking at blue prints and telling someone what do is whole lot different than actually designing one and understanding the concepts that go behind the design. From what I have seen on TV from you at the city council meetings and PC meetings, is the same tired questions with a few words changed, that have been answered time and time again. IN FACT THE CITY HAD TO SPEND 20K+ to prepare a document that answered your questions after we spent another 20K answering them at workshops, which occured after they had been answered at numerous city council meetings. STOP CAUSING OUR SEWER RATES TO GO UP AND UP AND START TRYING TO FIND VIABLE SOLUTIONS THAT ACTUALLY ARE REALITY BASED AND FUNCTIONAL.
I have a few other choice words, but will refrain. As far as I am concerned you are a big cause of a lot of this city's problems and have made things far worse. SO GET OVER YOURSELF AND GO BACK TO THAT SEWER PLANT YOU OPERATED AND LEAVE FILLMORE ALONE.
February 8, 2008 3:03 PM
Anonymous said...
AMEN. GAIL IS NO EXPERT.
Gayle I find it interesting that you actually talk about the farmers, yet not the land owners. ALL THE LAND THAT HAS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ON IT IS NOT FARMER OWNED!!!! The land in which ag is present will remain ag, the land in which the owners/ developers choose to turn into the business park will do so. THUS, IS YOUR PREMISE THAT LANDOWNERS DO NOT HAV THE RIGHT TO DEVELOP THEIR LAND AS THEY SEE FIT?????????????????
What is next are you going to tell that land owners what crop to plant, or when to plant it, or how to fertilize it. GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!! you continue not to make any sense and only seem to be able to talk with forked tongue. Were in the constitution does it say that a landowner does not have the right to with their land as they see fit within legal confines.
Okay anon, I will chat with you probably one last time. But it's evident from your hostile tone that you really don't want to have a dialog, you just want to insult me and be nasty.
The sewer plant has all been discussed previously, so I'll pass on that for now. Actually you haven't asked a proper question so there is nothing to answer. As far as your insults, you just go ahead and think what you want.
I will address your tirade about the land owners, since that is something I have not commented on before.
First, I never said anything about the land owners - or perhaps speculators - who want to develop their property, even though it was agriculture when they bought it. My point was the land owners who DON’T want to develop and want to farm their land and stay in their homes.
Aren't they entitled to do with their land as they see fit too? Farming, by the way, is what that land is best suited for. That's why it's called "prime farmland" and "land of statewide importance".
I'm quoting you here... "Were in the constitution does it say that a landowner does not have the right to with their land as they see fit within legal confines."
Do you think I'd be able to have the zoning changed on my residential property to open a pet store or a coffee shop to generate some income? You say it was residential when I bought it. But I want to speculate - and aren't I entitled to make as much money from my property as I can?
Now please don't comment anymore unless you can be civil.
Gayle your premise does not make any sense. Of course you can change your home to a retail store, once you have the zoning changed, just like the landowners in the business park. This would be a legal reclassification. The problem is that you have to have the city council and planning commission agree with your changes as well as your neighbors.
As far as the landowners that wish to remain farmers. I ask you were in the business park master plan does it state that they have to stop farming and start developing their land into industrial uses? This is called a grandfather claus. For example, even though the zoning may change, the landowner does not have to change the land use. Their previous landuse is grandfathered in. Thus, if one looks at the business park plan and the efforts that the city is taking it is obvious that they are making arrangements for future development should the land owners change their mind or sell the land to someone who does.
Gayle, when are you going to start making sense???? As stated one has to apply for and have a zone change approved. If you are able to do this, than yes you can open your coffee shop or pet store!!!! Farming might what the land is best suited for according to you, but maybe not the land owner. With the SOAR and Green Belts in place the loss of this land in lieu of increased tax base, jobs, etc... is the loss of this land to the landowners desires worth it??? I feel that the answer to this question is yes. Farming simply does not provide the jobs are revenue the city needs. Illegal Immigrants working for less than 30K a year and taking far more out of the system than they put in, tax revenue being a minimum for the lands current use versus high paying white collar and lower paying blue collar jobs for FILLMORE residents as well as potentially huge increases in tax revenue, what do you think is the best use for the land. UHHHHH THE BUSINESS PARK!!!!!
Than again, I guess the farm lands are really helping to pay for the sewer treatment plant??? NOT, but the business park will help to pay for the sewer plant.
Well said.
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