|
The “Grand Plan” unveiled . . . and the opposition says, NO!
|
|
591 new homes in Angwin?
Angwin residents shocked and angry.
60% increase in population in semi-rural Angwin, a little village on a mountain top.
This week the Triad Corporation of Seattle, Wash., and Pacific Union College told us they want to build 591 new houses on 885 acres of College property.
The subdivisions would completely surround the College, some of them out in the boonies, some on campus, and some of them on Angwins Main Street, Howell Mountain Road.
And they have the audacity to tell us no open space or agricultural lands would be lost. The fact is that almost all would be on farm land, open space, or woodlands.
1) We all know that the land across from the church on Howell Mountain Road is prime agricultural land. We have seen the hay being cut in the Spring. Every Spring. This is top soil 20 feet deep.
They would put 264 units here, maybe some pretty boutique shops.
2) We all know that the lands stretching from the old farm northward between the airport runway and Howell Mountain Road has been woodlands and farm for nearly 100 years.
They would put 64 - $1-million mansions here on one-acre parcels.
Some of the plan makes sense, such as new housing for PUC faculty and staff and for workers at the St. Helena Hospital. These would be on campus, close to work.
"Save Rural Angwin" is NOT opposing 191 units for those purposes, far more than College really needs. And they have already been approved by the County.
But we must defeat 400 more units on top of that, a plan to put millions and millions of dollars into the pocket of a Seattle carpet-bagger.
They say there would be no traffic problem. Well, let's look at the figures. There are no jobs for 400 more families in Angwin. Nor in St. Helena. New residents would have tocommute to Napa and Santa Rosa. Would we face a traffic problem here? Oh, my! Traffic would double in Angwin and on the winding road down to St. Helena.
They say they would not cut any trees. 591 housing units and cut no trees?
They say they would keep a Nature Preserve at the far, far reaches of the College lands. But the students would have to walk a mile to get to it. Just lovely.
They say this would be an "Eco-Village." I guess that means that they would obey the public policy which says that new subdivisions in California should be solar-heated.
But the real truth is this: You cannot put 591 more houses in Angwin on farm lands and woodlands without destroying that natural environment.
The "Eco-Village" is an environmental disaster.
We don't care if they promise us a gold-plated, solar-heated Taj Mahal. They would destroy the Angwin we know and love.
And we say NO!
|
|
This land west of the airport has been farmed for decades. (Photo taken in 2006. Looking north. Runway at right). Triad would put sixty-four $1-million mansions here on one-acre parcels at left in photo. Ironically, they would call this subdivision "The Farm." 
|
|
Finally, Cell Phone Service in Angwin
|
|
Thanx to Maria Lopez, director of PUC's Information Technology and Systems and Services, we now can use our cell phones in Angwin. We were not high on Verizon's list, but Maria's nagging made it happen. Below, the tower and Maria.
|
|