Good to see that some of the ideas from Rancho Cordova have been incorporated, and now the plan moves on to the next round of public input.
City's parkway ideas make some headway
But Rancho Cordova bid for 'developed recreation' loses.
By Ed Fletcher - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Wednesday, January 31, 2007
The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors gave the city of Rancho Cordova some of what it wanted Tuesday but rejected its request to change the designation of additional acreage along the American River Parkway from "limited recreation" to "developed recreation."
In adopting a 24-member citizen committee's updated plan for the 23-mile parkway, the supervisors heard hours of testimony, much of which criticized Rancho Cordova's proposals.
Officials from Rancho Cordova have been pushing a plan to utilize parkway land for a variety of more intensive uses. Those proposals included plans to build a bridge linking Ancil Hoffman and Hagan parks, building a sensory garden, expanding an organic farm, creating a river history interpretive center and expanding the Live Steamers small-scale railroad program. The railroad was the biggest area of disagreement.
The supervisors rejected the bridge proposal, approved a modified sensory garden request, gave their OK to the expanded organic farm and interpretive center, and voted to study moving the railroad away from the parkway without increasing its size.
Rancho Cordova had requested an additional 18 acres of "developed recreation" east of Hagan Park for the sensory garden and an expansion of the small-scale railroad. Rancho Cordova officials said the designation is needed to allow needed paving and shade structures.
The plan adopted would study moving the railroad further from the parkway (without it growing) and would allow the sensory garden to proceed so long as it could be done within the lighter use "limited recreation" designation.
In all, the supervisors voted 5-0 for the updated parkway plan, and on all the specific Rancho Cordova issues except for the Live Steamers vote. That was approved 4-1, with Don Nottoli opposing.
