When my husband and I first moved to Redding 70 years ago, I really liked the town. It was large enough to find almost anything we needed, but small enough so people retained the pioneer spirit of helping their neighbors.
Back then, most of Redding was on the west side of the river with a scattering of homes and businesses in Enterprise. The narrow, old Freebridge at the east end of Parkview served Enterprise and Highway 44.
We did most of our shopping on Market, Pine, and California streets, plus the cross streets between them. Our favorite market was Dunlaps on the northeast corner of East and Yuba streets.
Back in Trinity County, we shopped in Redding and watched its growing pains as it expanded south along Highway 99 and north to the Miracle Mile. The Garden Tract, Sunset Terrace, Benton Tract and other open areas filled with homes. Enterprise eventually became Redding’s bedroom.
As population increased, commercial businesses spread. Down toward the river, a shopping area called Village Plaza was built. Next was the roofed-over downtown shopping mall that shut off the street and tore down much of the old downtown. That was followed by construction of the Mount Shasta Mall with its insane traffic problems.
Shasta County is currently casting covetous eyes at the most precious undeveloped piece of property in the Redding area. This is Churn Creek Bottom, with the best farming soil in the area, and the water to make it produce.
The proponents of paving over that fertile soil in order to produce jobs by building a mall for retail outlets are blind to the real needs of people. They’re more than willing to sacrifice the land’s potential to feed people to their hope of making dollars. However, they need to realize that producing food and products for life must be the very first consideration.
Today, go around Redding and you see many “for rent” and “vacancy” signs.
Why destroy valuable, irreplaceable property when it has a better use?
Churn Creek Bottom should not fall victim to greed for dollars.
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 3
ShastaSon2 writes:
Well said... You have lived it!
There are many others who know and feel as you.
http://anewscafe.com/2011/08/30/churn...
I hope that clear thinkers can step up to the plate...
CatLover writes:
Maybe the solution is to compensate the owners of the land that would be developed with funds derived from increased sales taxes, and for the compensation the land owners must agree to retain the land in agricultural use for the next 50 years. That seems fair to all. The grandkids will thus not be deprived of seeing a cow in a pasture that way.
HeardEnough writes:
There are vacant store fronts in Redding because nobody wants to locate in them. No freeway access has hurt retail businesses. Sales tax from this retail center will benefit the county to the tune of $2 million a year. Monies that could provide more deputies or re-open the empty jail cells. When was the last time this parcel was farmed? If it is so important to Churn Creek bottom residents, why haven't they purchased it? This is not a publically financed project. No concessions are being requested. The developer is putting up a large chunk of change. This is not his first shopping center. He's not investing his money to fail. It's NOT your property and it's NOT your money. Everyone has a right to their opinion. But, until you have a stake in the game, it's just an opinion.
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