A plan to build what would essentially be a new town 40 miles north of Sacramento may be stillborn.

We have a story in the current edition about potential exurban growth north of Sacramento. However, the Colusa County Planning Commission made clear earlier this week that it is not interested in a large development along I-5. (The Colusa County Sun-Herald, which does a nice job of covering land use, reports from the Planning Commission meeting.)

Colusa County is sparsely populated and not terribly wealthy. But the people who live there are not unsophisticated Valley hicks, and they are not about to roll over for a developer, especially one from Southern California.

Pacific Cascade's project would be a major departure from the Colusa County general plan. On a 4-1 vote, the Planning Commission recommended the Board of Supervisors stick with the plan. The board is scheduled to consider the proposal next week and is unlikely to depart from the Planning Commission's recommendation.

The day after the Colusa County Planning Commission rejected the Pacific Cascade proposal, Yolo County released a draft general plan update that calls for dramatic growth in Dunnigan, just south of the Colusa County line.

– Paul Shigley