An interesting argument that certainly has some merit.
Editorial: Who owns the ranch?
Supervisor should cede on Placer Ranch
Published 12:00 am PST Saturday, November 17, 2007
California counties should get out of the business of approving urban development. While counties can reap a quick windfall from such projects, they lack the capacity to provide urban services over the long run.
Want proof? Look at North Highlands. Or swaths of Los Angeles County. California needs to stop growing the Uncity. There ought to be a law.
Until the Legislature passes one, cities and counties must develop a working relationship. Cities need to grow. Counties need a reasonable share of revenues to handle their responsibilities. In Placer County there's an opportunity for Roseville and Placer to firm up this relationship. Alternately, there's a chance of a messy divorce.
At issue is Placer Ranch, a proposed 2,200-acre development on the north edge of Roseville. Developer Eli Broad has long worked with the county on a plan that would include 5,000 homes and sizable commercial and industrial space. It would also include a satellite campus of California State University, Sacramento.
