Editor, Ceres Courier,

For over 35 years our elected officials have talked about planning for ag. Yet today the elected officials in the City of Riverbank are considering plans for the elimination of the best farmland and the best water recharge area in Stanislaus County. The River Walk Project, apply named to conjure an image of a pleasure stroll along the Stanislaus River while attaching Riverbank to Del Rio and setting up that exclusive enclave to be forever known as West Riverbank!

The sleepy City of Action, more accurately, the City Council and Planning Commission, are setting up to bring big city problems to town: More congestion, higher water and sewer rates, and the high cost associated with police and fire services over many more acres, with the promise of a brighter future. The same promoters that brought us Diablo Grande assure us that somehow we are all better off replacing our best growing area with more asphalt and concrete from City Center to the Country Club, which will no longer be in the country. Sprawl hurts us all! No doubt that only one plan of action will save our county’s best farmland. Urban limits voted into place by the voters of our cities. No reason for Riverbank or any of our cities to continuously be planning the elimination of our best farmland. To the east of Riverbank and Modesto are vast areas of poor, low quality soils to satisfy area housing needs. The City of Action needs to act in the best interest of its voters and all of the people in Stanislaus County. No River Walk!

Denny Jackman,

President Voters for Farmland,

Modesto

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