Tales from the Greenbriar Patch

There will be a public hearing tomorrow night at the Sacramento City Council meeting about the infamous Greenbriar development.

Even though North Natomas had officially been declared a flood hazard zone, council members last week voted unanimously to support annexation of 577 acres of the north area just outside the city limits and allow construction of 3,500 houses and apartments in the proposed Greenbriar project area near the Sacramento International Airport.

Mayor Heather Fargo was conspicuously absent from the meeting. A fact which did not escape budget cut coverage by the Sacramento Bee and its columnist Marcos Breton.

At tomorrow’s meeting the council is expected to approve a list of resolutions that will pave the way for even more development in the north area — once the levees are up to snuff, of course.

As a resident of North Natomas since 2001, I wonder how city council members can justify annexing more land when they have not kept good on promises to those who already live here… Think regional park, police substation, and light rail if you’re not sure what I mean.

Recently, Councilmember Tretheway wrote his constituents about the city’s efforts to address the homeless after evicting them from ‘tent city’ located on property owned by Union Pacific Railroads near Richards Boulevard.

Bounty hunter Leonard Padilla offered his own fallow land in the north area where some homeless now camp — ironically, across the freeway from the proposed Greenbriar project (see photo above).

Currently drivers headed south on Interstate 5 into Sacramento are greeted with the sight of this new homeless camp unofficially known as “Chirs Bourroughville,” after Channel 13 anchor Chris Burrous who reported on the new camp last year.

According to Tretheway, the city and County of Sacramento have a 10-year plan to end homelessness.

Both the Greenbriar development planned for, and the existing homeless camp in North Natomas, speak volumes about the city’s inability to follow through on its “plans.”

Perhaps this sign at the homeless camp should read instead, “Welcome to North Sacramento: Neighborhood of Broken Promises.”