Planning Commission postpones traffic decision

The issue of traffic didn't exactly stop approval for pre-zoning and reorganization from Mountain View to Kamm avenues -- but it did stall the Kingsburg Planning Commission's original intention to pass the issue on to the City Council Sept. 3.

The commission was looking over plans to pre-zone the area on State Route 99, between Mountain View Avenue and Kamm Avenue between Kingsburg and Selma. At the same time, they were going to approve the "mitigated negative declaration" needed for the Guardian Glass/ Sunmaid reorganization. Improvements needed on Mountain View to support traffic, as well as a traffic report from October 2006, came under question.

As far as the flow of traffic was concerned, because of Mountain View and State Route 99's proximity to the city of Selma limits, issues of over-crowding on the streets and parking in the long run had some people concerned that Selma's businesses would be negatively impacted.

Selma City Attorney Neil Costanzo reminded the commission that they have a project they are developing on the other side of Highway 99 and suggested the two cities meet.

"Selma of course is your neighbor and we want to be a good neighbor," Costanzo said. "Allow us to have that meeting -- hopefully we'll be able to come to a solution (about the Mountain View interchange). Hopefully, we can withdraw our objection."

Commissioner Merton Parlier was supportive of a mutual agreement, but hesitant to hold over the issue for another month.

"I'm with you, but I'm wondering what will come of delays," Parlier said.

But Tim Jones, an attorney representing Selma Crossing as well as the developer for the Crossing Project, wanted the commission to know that not looking further into traffic before sending the issues to the Council would be a waste of time and resources later down the line.

"I support your development, I have concern for traffic," Jones said. If the issue passed to the City Council, he said he'd have to scramble to get resources together by Sept. 3 to show why the plans should have been discussed further beforehand. "I'm going to have to spend money to show you why," he said.

Jones said an outdated traffic report from two years before contained a fatal flaw and failed to talk about what traffic trigger points exist.

Jones said he hoped next month's planning commission meeting would result in better news after the discussion.

"Bottom line -- allow us to meet," Jones said.

With the disagreements over the costs and studies surrounding the traffic, the planning commission decided to hit the red light on sending it to the City Council. The public hearing will continue at the Sept. 11 meeting of the Planning Commission.