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Stockton Record - May 18, 2005
Sanctuary of the future Fritz Grupe's proposed 7,000-home Stockton development represents all the best smart-growth principles of the past decade.
The master-planned Sanctuary subdivision could have been taken directly from a September 2002 Urban Land Institute report ("Putting the Pieces Together: State Actions to Encourage Smart-Growth Practices in California").
Grupe, co-chairman of the Urban Land Institute's statewide committee, wrote in the introduction:
"New development patterns are needed in order to accommodate projected growth while preserving people's quality of life. Development must be encouraged to locate in existing urbanized areas.
"New development in nonurbanized areas must be more compact, of a mixed-used character and be served by public transit. Jobs and housing must move closer together. Open space and important natural features and environmental systems must be preserved."
Grupe's ambitious plans for the Shima Tract in northwest Stockton are a potential model of environmental awareness and compatible urban-agricultural existence.
What he's proposing includes:
- A quarter-mile forested entry.
- A villagelike town center accessible by bridge across a small lake.
- Small shops, restaurants and a market. No big-box retail stores.
- Only one main road exclusively for gas-powered vehicles (the rest is designed to accommodate foot traffic and electric-powered vehicles).
- Apartments and condominiums near the village center.
- A marina neighborhood with access to the Delta.
- An 80-acre north-south green area beneath existing power lines (30 acres for a park, 50 acres for farming).
- 300 acres for parks.
- Two other housing areas: Great Park Village and Lake Village.
- Seven miles of public-access trails on levees around the perimeter.
The agricultural area would be available to homeowners. Vineyards and olive orchards could be purchased by the row for those who wanted to make their own wine or dabble in olive oil production.
While some of the housing would be high-priced, Grupe Co. planners are considering a range of costs. The town center also would include 420,000 square feet of office space.
In 15 to 18 years, the Sanctuary would be a $3 billion project — the largest in San Joaquin County's history.
"It will reshape San Joaquin County," Grupe said.
It's hard to argue. Stockton officials are impressed, and Grupe almost has members of the en-vironmental community embracing his vision, too.
If it weren't for the Sanctuary's proximity to the San Joaquin Delta, even members of the Sierra Club might be supportive.
Grupe has established a five-decade reputation for maintaining high standards and building quality housing. Residents of Lincoln Village West, Quail Lakes and Brookside can attest to that.
He also has shown an interest in the city's neglected core areas, investing millions to build University Park on the site of the former Stockton State Hospital on California Street.
He's also held exclusive rights to negotiate with city officials to develop the north and south shores of the Stockton Deep Water Channel. He might lose that exclusivity on the north shore today if city officials allow the agreement to expire.
That would be Stockton's loss.
Grupe has demonstrated time and again he's willing to do what's required to achieve the highest quality in housing.
If all of Grupe's objectives are met, the Sanctuary could be more than just a model community development for Stockton.
Planners in other California communities no doubt would use it as an example of how high quality-of-life developments can coexist comfortably with pristine natural surroundings.
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