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| Newman, Patterson |
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| Written by Jonathan Partridge / Patterson Irrigator / | |
| Saturday, 17 November 2007 | |
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NEWMAN — Newman’s City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a joint resolution with the city of Patterson to oppose a 4,800-acre industrial project on and around a former naval airfield in Crows Landing. The board also voted to send a letter written by Newman City Manager Mike Holland that listed the reasons for the city’s opposition to the project. “I love this town, and I’m going to do everything I can to protect it,” Councilman Ted Kelly said. West Park, led by Sacramento-area developer Gerry Kamilos, is negotiating with Stanislaus County to develop a 4,800-acre industrial park on and around Crows Landing’s former 1,527-acre naval airfield. A main component of the project includes a short-haul rail link from the airfield, now owned by the county, and the Port of Oakland. A few attendees, including West Park consultant Mike Lynch, expressed disappointment that the council voted without first listening to what they had to say. “Frankly, I think this resolution is premature,” Lynch said. “It is obstructionist in its goals.” Mayor John Fantazia and Councilman Mike Crinklaw responded Wednesday that the council would have voted the way it did regardless of what attendees said at the meeting. Patterson’s City Council approved the joint resolution Nov. 6. The West Stanislaus County Fire Protection District also supports the resolution. The Newman City Council also joined Patterson’s council Tuesday in directing the Stanislaus Council of Governments policy board to oppose a resolution to seek state bond funding on behalf of West Park. Fantazia, who sits on the StanCOG board, said he would “vote with (his) council,” which he ultimately did Wednesday. StanCOG decided to seek the funding, 10-4. Council members said they wanted to preserve Newman’s small-town feel, and they believed West Park’s project would destroy that. “The impact of this project is so overwhelming that people down the road will say, ‘What were you thinking?’” Councilman Ed Katen said. Katen also expressed fear that the children of workers at the industrial park would overwhelm the Newman-Crows Landing School District. The school district will consider taking a stance on the resolution in December. Lynch argued that the district could legally decide not to accept new students. In addition to Lynch, a handful of other attendees expressed support for the project and disappointment that the council voted before listening to their views. Angie Archibeque, who has lived in Newman for most of her life, said that many others she has talked with favor the project. “Whether we like it or not, (this area) is going to grow,” she said. Newman resident and West Park representative Laroy McDonald, who said he had been criticized for favoring the project, said it would reduce commutes and create local jobs. “I don’t mind taking a whipping if I’m fighting for a cause that I know is just and right,” he said. Meanwhile, Newman resident Timothy Parker said he personally knows the challenges of commuting, having commuted to work since he moved to Newman in 1991. However, he is nervous about the scope of West Park’s project. “There’s been a lot of land grabbing going on in this city and in this county,” he said. “Once you cover up that agricultural land … where are we going to get our food?” Several members of West Park opposition group West Side-Patterson Alliance for Community and Environment attended the meeting. A few of them spoke about the project’s possible impact on agriculture, traffic and air quality. “Our children’s playground at Bonita (School) will be next to a four-lane freeway,” Crows Landing resident and WS-PACE member Teresa Escobar said. Crows Landing resident John Schuler, who is involved in the appraisal business, estimated it would take close to a century to build out a project on 4,800 acres. Though Fantazia said he would oppose seeking bond money for the project, he sternly warned attendees Tuesday to refrain from name-calling and making “nasty” accusations. He said the process for developing the airfield has become contentious. “What started out as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to develop (the Crows Landing airfield) has turned ugly,” he said. Fantazia also said he would like to hear more from the people of Crows Landing — noting that they must contend with a dilapidated septic system — to better understand their needs and desires regarding the project. Later in the meeting, Newman council members also talked about how to prevent city documents from being leaked before they are made available to the public. A West Park representative appeared to have obtained a draft copy of a letter dealing with the city’s worries about West Park before the Oct. 23 council meeting. At that point, the letter from City Manager Holland had been sent only to council members, Crinklaw said. A few council members wanted to ensure that confidential documents were not leaked, but no formal action was taken. To reach Jonathan Partridge at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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