LODI NEWS SENTINEL
July 19, 2002
Fifteen show up at inaugural Lockeford MAC
meeting
By Ross
Farrow/News-Sentinel staff writer
No solutions were reached and few decisions
were made at Thursday's inaugural meeting, but the
Lockeford Municipal Advisory Council and the 15
residents who showed up to watch appeared excited
to have a greater voice with San Joaquin County.
"I am very pleased to see this body formed,"
said Gary Gordon, a board member of the Lockeford
Community Services District.
"I encourage the community to get involved,"
said Timothy Fowler, the council's first chairman.
The Lockeford Municipal Advisory Council, a
seven-member group appointed by the Board of
Supervisors on June 25, was formed to advise
county officials about planning, traffic, safety
and other community issues.
Aside from organizational matters like electing
officers, where to publicly post meeting agendas
and agreeing to rent a post office box, the
council had little to recommend the county,
realizing that more information was needed on
several topics.
However, there was a brief debate on whether
Lockeford should be a growing community or if it
should remain close to its present 3,100
population.
"I personally don't want to be part of the
Tracy-Manteca scene," said Gordon, who was not
speaking on behalf of the Community Services
District.
Resident Bill Fuhs added, "I don't believe that
Lockeford has to grow or it dies. L.A. grew, and
it died."
Fowler and MAC member Bob Marty said that
Lockeford will grow to some extent, but the MAC
must be a voice to control it.
"Lockeford is never going to be a Tracy or
Manteca," Marty said.
Census figures for 2000 showed Tracy with a
population of 56,929 and Manteca with 49,258.
The issue came up when Galt developer Ryan
Voorhees explained his proposal for 34 residential
lots south of Highway 88 at the eastern end of
Lockeford. The council made no recommendation
because Voorhees hadn't acquired water and sewer
service from the Community Services District.
Voorhees won't be able to acquire water and
sewer service unless the Community Services
District acquires additional property for sewage
disposal. District officials say they have been
unable to find willing sellers to accommodate
future sewage needs.
Joe Salzman, the Community Services District's
general manager, told the MAC that his board
opposes condemning land for additional sewage
disposal to benefit housing developers.
The big housing project facing Lockeford is
Lockeford Oaks, a 307-home subdivision northeast
of Jack Tone and Brandt roads, which was approved
May 9 by the San Joaquin County Planning
Commission.
However, landowners Ernest and Edward Pestana
have acquired water and sewer rights to construct
the first 73 homes of Lockeford Oaks.
Three issues discussed briefly Thursday are
likely to be discussed in more detail at the Aug.
15 meeting. They are:
-- Traffic lights planned for Highway 88 at
Victor Road and at the intersection of Elliott and
Tully roads. A Caltrans representative may attend
the meeting to explain a series of delays in
getting the lights installed.
-- How to rehabilitate a large abandoned
19th-century building at the northwest corner of
Elliott and Highway 88.
"It's an eyesore to the community," said MAC
member Peter Bregman.
Before the next MAC meeting, Marty will
research the current status of the building and
what the community and the county can do to make
it more attractive.
-- The possibility of acquiring land for a park
at the northern edge of the Lockeford Oaks
subdivision on Jack Tone Road.
Officers are Fowler as chairman, Marty as vice
chairman, Lani Eklund as secretary and Bregman as
treasurer. Also on the MAC are Roy Wales, Chris
Littlefield and Don Litchfield.
The council will meet at 7 p.m. the third
Thursday of each month at the Lockeford Community
Center's McDonald Building, 19456 N. Jack Tone
Road. |
