This property should be turned over as part of the $700 billion bailout and turned into a public park for eveyone in the region to use.

Please don't let your dog chase the deer when you take them out there for excercise.

Not only can it happen in Clover Valley, but now also watch the destruction of agricultural lands with the bribe of the university. They could have put that university anywhere in Placer County, but no, they took the bait that a huge developer put out. The county didn't even get what it deserved in transportation mitigation fees--so we taxpayers will be paying that bill forever.

Agricultural lands will become roads and roofs; we may never see auniversity--the agreement is fraught with loopholes . Then, in about ten years, the developer, AKT, will say, "Well, hey, since we already have houses out here, I have another proposal for you. He will then get the green light from his star-struck buddies (looking for campaign contributions) to go ahead and destroy what's left of Placer Couny's ag lands--he owns more than 2,000 acres adjacent to the carrot, I mean, university lands.

NO, he doesn't have private property rights to go against the General Plan or the existing zoning, but the supervisors accommodated him by changing those rules. Why do we have plans and zones if they are not followed? Because money talks, especially at election time.

Which supervisors? Name them. We can vote them gone.

I'm sure that nobody cut a tree, shoveled dirt or scared off a cricket when they built your house did they...please.

Pro family completely misses the point: These lands were zone "Agricultural." They were NOT zoned "Public Facility" or "High Density Residential" or "Commercial," but that's what the the developer has been granted now. Bickford Ranch was the same thing--Ag lands, but the rules were changed (quietly in this case) so that a few could make a lot of money. Greed has a strange way of backfiring.

Don't we have a right to know that our own laws will be followed and enforced, or do we believe that a few big wigs, who contribute to elected officials campaigns, do NOT have to follow the rules? And we'll especially give them a pass if they come bearing gifts--aka a "bribe."

At least some folks are helping the planet by not having children and, if they want to hear the pitter patter of little feetzies, they adopt instead of adding to the overpopulation problem. That way, we keep those trees, and families stand a better chance breathing clean air and drinking unpolluted water.

"At least some folks are helping the planet by not having children and, if they want to hear the pitter patter of little feetzies, they adopt instead of adding to the overpopulation problem."

Ah but Jim, now you are introducing "non-traditional" families into the mix, some of which are being denied Constitutional rights anyway because of their choice not to procreate, so I would be very careful about using this in your argument about rule enforcement, zoning, etc.

Profamily. We built a house in 2004, due to existing County tree ordinances we were not able to cut a single tree so we worked with the Architect to place the house where it would not require cutting any trees. I truly don't know if we killed some crickets or ants during construction, we did move some dirt and we had to ensure that there would be no runoff problems and the County Inspector made sure we complied 100%. Can you tell the difference between a single house pad located in five acres and the massive clear cutting that has taken place at Bickford Ranch, there is a big, big difference. The County was much more accommodating to this developer than they are to JQP when they build a single house.

Clover Valley is going to be in the same boat but who cares, you probably have never seen it and probably don't even know where it is.

How about the Auburn Dam? Should it be built? Big families use a lot of water. Just food for thought.

I know exactly where Bickford is and Clover Valley for that point and have been to both of them. They are beutiful pieces of earth and I will concede that in my opinion far more beautiful without development.

However, that being said, I'm sure that your property was nicer without you on it, nicer before it was even zoned Ag land, nicer before even the Indian took a step on it, but to say, "well, now that I am here, development should cease is foolish."

Having lived in this area my entire life, I've seen a countless acres of land bulldozed, rezoned and developed in some fashion and I am entirely behind the concept of smart development and trying to preserve lands and wildlife while at the same time respecting the requirements of mankind.

I beleive that Bickford was a masterplanned community and had and would continue to have input from the community on how it progresses. That is your opportunity to be heard. If your elected officials do not heed you warnings and do not represent you adequately, then you should take up the casue to remove them. If, as you say, they've taken "bribes" from developers then that is a serious charge and they shoud be investigated and if culpable, be prosecuted.

It is a shame that the economy hit such a low and that the project at Bickford was stalled...I say stalled because it won't be stopped. I predict that within a year, another developer(s) will pick up the pieces and will move forward.

I too harken back to my youth and wax nostalgic about the small town feeling around here...a feeling that is on many accounts lost forever. But I also realize that progress comes at a price and that those first Pilgrims quite likely had protectionist attitudes too.

In regards to not having children, I don't follow you and do not see the nexus between kids and Bickford. However, I'm quite certain that you are glad that your parents did not share your view. And if you think they were wrong in procreating it is a mistake that you can correct anytime you like.

More food for thought!!

If the CA population continues to rise to the estimated 50 to 60 million in the next 25 years, both water and agricultural land will be very important to our continued survival. Since we get water in only a few months of the year, storage will become a real problem unless we start planning right now. Also, since agriculture uses the major proportion of CA's available water, storage, and distribution, will also become more important in this area as the population rises.

Profamily, you have absolutely no idea from whence you speak. More procreation means more kids needing more schools, more roads for more cars, more land and trees swallowed up for more houses, more water needed for all those ridiculous lawns, more malls, more of EVERYTHING. Every mouth to feed you add to this overburdened planet is just one more sucking at the teat that's going dry with over 6 billion people. Those of you having babies should thank your lucky stars that some of us are not.