The city of Galt is requesting that Elk Grove be required to create a permanent greenbelt buffer between the two cities before it is allowed to expand.
Galt City Manager Ted Anderson, in a letter to the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission dated Aug. 14, made the request as part of its response to Elk Grove's bid to look beyond its own borders.
The city of Elk Grove in February applied to Sacramento LAFCO to extend its sphere of influence over 10,536 acres south of the existing city boundaries at Kammerer and Grant Line roads.
A sphere typically defines the area to be studied for future annexation to meet probable growth over a 20-year period.
The letter to Sacramento LAFCO said both Galt and Sacramento County "have been trying to work with Elk Grove for several years" to create the buffer.
"Unfortunately, little progress was ever made in that effort, and Elk Grove stopped participating some time ago," Anderson wrote.
Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis, reached Friday, said, however, that there has been movement on the greenbelt issue.
"It's an interesting issue, because two months ago I talked to (Galt) Mayor Andrew Meredith about that and told him I would champion that issue with him," Davis said. "I've been waiting for him to send over the draft memorandum of understanding."
Davis said later he had learned that document was in the process of being finalized.
The Anderson letter also said that Galt is "very concerned" with any Elk Grove expansion of the sphere to include a 100-year floodplain northwest of the Cosumnes River.
"We do not understand why the area would be included in the (sphere)," Anderson wrote. "It should be left under the county's jurisdiction for the best open space protection."
That position echoed that of residents in nearby Wilton, who have collected more than 2,700 signatures in opposition to the floodplain bid.
Addressing that issue, Elk Grove Mayor Davis said last week he is open to the idea of dropping the floodplain from Elk Grove's request to LAFCO.
"I've said it before," Davis said. "I think cities are generally in the business of putting together general plans and building out their cites.
"Counties are the better place to do land preservation. That's a philosophy that I have had."
Still, Davis acknowledged his February vote to proceed to LAFCO. That vote was part of a unanimous council decision to seek to expand the sphere by 10,536 acres, including more than 2,400 acres of 100-year floodplain.
"So the council clearly has different direction (on the floodplain issue)," he said. "And I have been a part of that. So, I own that (February) vote."
But Davis said the "back and forth with Wilton and others" prompted him to reconsider.
In Wilton, Bill Kutzer, spokesman for the Wilton Action Group, said Elk Grove's abandonment of the floodplain portion of the plan would be a move in the right direction.
"I think that Elk Grove would go a long way toward showing its neighbors that they, in fact, might be able to act in good faith in regards to the environment," Kutzer said. "I think it would be a good neighbor move by Elk Grove."
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