2008-01-12 23:15:38 UTC
"It's not just the pollution, it's all the added traffic, the extra emissions, the crime, anything that's going to go with it," said parent Kent Ketterling. "To put this between two schools is just ridiculous."
The gas station and minimart, along with a car wash and a Jack-in-the-Box restaurant, are planned for the northwest corner of Bradshaw and Calvine roads just north of Elk Grove. Bradshaw Christian's preschool and elementary school are just north of the property on Bradshaw. The private high school campus is just west of the project on Calvine.
The public hearing, however, was only to answer questions about the emission levels. Dave Grose and others from the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District told the audience the estimated levels of benzene were well under the threshhold considered safe.
Parents were also upset they weren't told of the project when it was going through the permit process at the county level. However, notification was only required for residents actually living within 500 feet of the project.
Sacramento County Supervisor Don Nottoli told the parents if he would've known about their concerns he might have voted differently during the approval process. He vowed to keep them more informed, beyond what's required by notification law, when future projects are planned in the open space area around the school.
Most parents left the meeting still frustrated, though many said they appreciated the information. They also vowed to be more active in fighting a proposal by the company to sell beer and wine at the minimart, a process which has yet to begin.