A Lodi / Stockton buffer

By JoAnne L. Mounce

A buffer between Lodi and Stockton is a great dream, but it will come at a high price. I am not above looking to the federal government for assistance in establishing some kind of green space and to work hard to find a solution.

I have followed the City of Stockton's general plan update and is seems that there is little interest on the part of the community as a whole to create any form of buffer between our two towns. Will this result in eventually sprawl? From the forecasted maps of the Central Valley for the year 2020 - most likely: yes.

Lodi has been talking about a greenbelt for over twenty years. We have yet to define what our vision of a buffer even is. Are we talking about golf courses, wetlands, parks, a "moat" or five-acre ranches? And in our quest, are we willing to pay the cost necessary to purchase the developer rights from the property owners in the proposed green belt? These indecision maybe our downfall.

A buffer between Lodi and Stockton is a great dream, but it will come at a high price. Outside of litigation, there may be no way to stop Stockton. And as far as I am concerned, I would rather have Lodi grow and benefit, than allow Stockton of mow us down. Council needs to get down to the business of working with the property owners in the proposed greenbelt and our county Supervisors to find solid policies to preserve open space.

In the past four year the county, the property owners and the city have been working to find common ground. Our general plan may reflect a new land use call AL5. This may be the community separator we have all dreamed of.