Growth is one of the most charged words in Folsom politics. Mention it and people immediately take sides. But beneath the noise is a question that should matter to every Folsom resident: are we keeping the promises we made to the people who chose to call Folsom home?
I’m not just a councilmember here. I’m a resident. I drive these roads. I see what’s changing. And I feel it the same way you do when things aren’t keeping up.
If you live in Folsom, you’ve felt it. Traffic that wasn’t there five years ago. Schools filling up. Roads that weren’t built for this many people. The question isn’t whether Folsom is changing. It’s whether we’re getting ahead of it or falling behind.
Last Tuesday the Folsom City Council voted 4-1 to move forward with the Alder Creek community. Here’s why it matters to every Folsom resident, regardless of where you live or how you feel about growth.
Years ago, Folsom residents and previous councils adopted a long term vision for south of 50. Through a specific plan and voter approved measures, they made a commitment: that this part of the city would one day be a complete community, with the schools, parks, trails, roads, and public safety facilities to support it. Tuesday’s vote was about honoring that commitment.
This land was already entitled. The question before the council was never whether this community would be built. The question was this: do we build it right, or do we leave residents with all of the impact and none of the relief?
Residents are right to demand that infrastructure keeps pace with growth. That roads, schools, parks, and public safety facilities are ready before the pressure overwhelms the community. That is exactly what this plan requires. Infrastructure tied directly to phasing. Not promised later. Built as the community is completed.
My district is north of 50. Lexington, Parkway, Willow Creek. These are the neighborhoods I was elected to represent. And here is the truth: what happens south of 50 doesn’t stay south of 50. Every car sitting in incomplete infrastructure ends up on East Bidwell. In our neighborhoods. At our intersections.
Folsom’s oak trees, open space, and natural landscape are part of what makes this city worth protecting. This project required a genuine balance between infrastructure and nature, not one at the expense of the other. That balance is what quality of life in Folsom actually looks like.
An unfinished community leaves us with exactly that. Unfinished roads. More congestion. More problems. Half a community means all of the impact and none of the relief.
Those who know my record know I ask hard questions. I’ve voted no before and I’ll vote no again when the answers aren’t there. On this one, the answers were there.
The same things that matter in a family matter in a city. Do what you say you’ll do. Protect what you’ve built. Plan for the future. That’s what this vote was about. Connected roads. Finished neighborhoods. Safer streets. Schools, parks, and open space delivered as promised. A Folsom that works as one city, not a city divided by a freeway.
Anna Rohrbough is the City of Folsom’s Vice Mayor and represents District 5 on Folsom City Council and authored this commentary. She can be reached to discuss issues atannar@folsom.ca.us.
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