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City responds to claims it lacks space for jobs |
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Written by John Saiz / Patterson Irrigator /
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Saturday, 22 September 2007 |
Debate: Patterson has been criticized by an economic development taskforce for focusing too much on residential construction, but city officials respond that the city has designated nearly a thousand new acres of industrial space — including Keystone Pacific Business Park, shown in the background at left — since 1990.
 Pi Photo File
At the council meeting Tuesday, members authorized sending a letter that objects to a report from a Stanislaus Economic Development and Workforce Alliance “white paper” that claims Stanislaus County cities are not designating enough land for job growth. They also took exception to quotes from the Alliance’s CEO that appeared in The Modesto Bee.
“But nothing is being planned to accommodate jobs,” the Bee reported Bill Bassitt as saying.
The article also said Bassitt used City Council objections to a 4,800-acre industrial center that could be built on and around the Crows Landing Air Facility as an example of the city’s resistance to job creation.
“This statement is totally inaccurate and inappropriate to come from an organization, which is partially funded by the city of Patterson,” Patterson City Manager Cleve Morris said in a report to the council.
The Alliance is an economic-development agency that receives funding from private enterprise, Stanislaus County and the county’s cities.
Morris said he disagrees with the Alliance’s claims that Patterson has not prepared for job creation.
“In 1990, the total acreage of property zoned industrial park in the city of Patterson was 93,” Morris’ report states. “Today the city has over 1,000 acres of industrial land zoned, a 1,048 percent increase.”
He also said in the report that the council has never opposed the development of the airbase. Instead, the council opposed developer PCCP West Park’s proposed plans because they call for development beyond the 1,527-acre county-owned airfield, which would increase train traffic in Patterson.
Morris drafted a letter that the council reviewed Tuesday in response to the white paper and Bassitt’s reported comments.
“The purpose of this letter is to take exception to the some of the inferences in the Alliance white paper,” Morris said in a draft letter. “Although I understand the basic message, the technique used and the apparent attack on the city of Patterson are not necessary.”
At Tuesday’s meeting, Morris said he had talked to Bassitt since drafting the letter, and Bassitt had said the Bee had misrepresented him. Morris suggested that his original letter could be toned down.
“After talking with him, the letter I sent out to you does not have to be quite so harsh,” Morris told the council.
Some council members said the letter was fine as is and doubted that the Bee had misrepresented Bassitt.
“Leave the letter as stated,” Councilwoman Annette Smith said. “I don’t think (the Bee) would make that up.”
Councilman Sam Cuellar also wanted to leave the letter alone.
“(Bassitt) is not going to get his feelings hurt by what we say,” he said. “He’s a big boy.”
Bassitt could not be reached for comment before press time.
To reach John Saiz at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at
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it does not take a genius to look around and see that Patterson lacks decent paying jobs.
With the ma*s exodus of people going back to the bay..my question is who is going to buy all these homes? the current household income is so out of whack with the price of a home here in town, something has got to give.Prices yes are coming down but still jobs that pay well need to be here!Im glad that this review board the city funded was able to remain non-bias and report the truth! for them to say otherwise I would have found suspect.So to bad City of PAtterson guess you all are going to have to pay the piper!