Whatever became of the promise by the owners of Clover Valley, the United Auburn Indian Community and the city of Rocklin to purchase and preserve as open space the entire valley floor of Clover Valley?
What are Rocklin city officials doing to ensure that this agreement – one that they actively campaigned for – will take place?
Six months ago, after a historic 10-year battle to save Clover Valley, we held the Feb. 3 election to settle the question of development there. Yet, we have not heard one word from our City Council about the purchase and preservation of open space in Clover Valley. The people of Rocklin have a right to know.
The sale of the valley floor by the owners of Clover Valley to the United Auburn Indian Community was contingent on Measure H passing. In this deal, they proclaimed that all of the ancient 7,000-year-old pre- historic sites would be preserved, an interpretive center would be built for all to enjoy and the valley floor would remain open space forever.
Our City Council aggressively campaigned for development of Clover Valley, and the focal point of that campaign was the purchase and preservation of the valley floor.
Forty-seven percent of Rocklin voters were in favor of stopping this development. In all, 8,508 Rocklin voters marked their ballot to preserve this valley. The difference between victory and defeat was a little less than 500 votes.
We believe that many people who voted "yes" on Measure H were swayed by the idea that the valley floor would be preserved – the idea that our city and our City Council promoted. What has become of this promise? The people of Rocklin have a right to know.
The day after the election, Mayor Storey indicated in news reports that he was going to meet with both the UAIC and the owners of Clover Valley.
On March 18, I requested an update from the city of Rocklin on the meeting Mayor Storey was to have had with the United Auburn Indian Community and the owners of Clover Valley, and the status of the purchase and preservation of the valley floor.
The response from the city of Rocklin 15 days later was that there are "no written or recorded transactions of the mayor's meeting with the UAIC and the owners of Clover Valley."
What does the city of Rocklin or the tribe or the owners of Clover Valley have to hide? Has this agreement fallen through?
While the agreement to purchase portions of Clover Valley was at one time a private issue between the United Auburn Indian Community and the owners of Clover Valley, it became public when it was used to sway the vote in a public election, an election that was lost based on the campaign promise of the tribe, the owners of Clover Valley, our city officials and our City Council.
The people of Rocklin have a right to know what happened to the promise.
Elaine O'Deegan has lived in Rocklin for 15 years and served as chairwoman of the Save Clover Valley Coalition.
