Values we share

This week, as detailed in News), the Chico City Council met with the city Planning Commission to consider land-use and transportation policies for the general plan. Unanimity wasn’t expected, not with Larry Wahl on the dais, but the council came as close to consensus as possible with a direction for Chico that eschews sprawl and traffic while promoting neighborhoods and transit.

Will this “paradigm shift,” as Mayor Ann Schwab called it, transform Chico into an idyllic oasis? Hardly. Infill projects rarely fit seamlessly between existing properties, and we respect developers’ concerns about building residences that people want to inhabit (and buy). We also understand that the car culture won’t just vanish in a sea of bikes and buses.

That said, the city isn’t planning for 2013; it’s planning for 2030. A lot will change over the two-decade span of this updated general plan. What the council supported is what many of our neighbors have expressed throughout the input process. We share this vision for Chico and look forward to its further development.