We will begin by explaining a Sphere of Influence, what can be done, and why we don’t want it.

The Town of Yucca Valley is attempting to take a sizeable chunk of land from the center of the Yucca Mesa Community and redefine it to claim it as their own. At any future time, they can expand their claim to the rest of the Mesa, to Flamingo Heights, to Landers, to Johnson Valley, and in essence claim the entire Homestead Valley as their own.

A Sphere of Influence is not a political or legal designation, nor is it merely an evaluation, but a designation used for development and annexation purposes.

A Sphere of Influence can be best thought of as an invisible net hanging over the heads and homes of everyone in Yucca Mesa, put there by The Town of Yucca Valley’s Sphere of Influence application to LAFCO. Once in place, the Sphere of Influence can only be removed by LAFCO. The strange thing about this net is the Town of Yucca Valley is holding the rope and can drop this net over any part of our community anytime they feel the need to grab some area where they want newer homes, commercial, or industrial development. Once the Sphere is granted to Yucca Valley, this net can only be removed, folded up, and put away by the LAFCO commissioners after a public hearing and a vote of LAFCO. If we do not fight this Sphere of Influence and stop Yucca Valley from putting the net over our homes and land, we will lose our community identity and be forced by the Town of Yucca Valley to become Yucca Valley residents.

Stopping the Sphere of Influence is a major uphill battle and requires the support of not only Yucca Mesa residents, but support from elected leaders. We need to be pressuring the Town of Yucca Valley Council, the County Supervisor, and the LAFCO commission how important this move is to protect our community. In addition, we must have large numbers of residents oppose the Town of Yucca Valley’s application for a Sphere of Influence by writing LAFCO commissioners, and signing petitions. Only then will we have a David chance against this Goliath sphere.

If we do not fight this Sphere of Influence, we will be doing what many California communities have done before: acting like ostriches sticking their heads in the sand. If we can stop this Sphere of Influence, it will stop the Town of Yucca Valley from cherry picking land like they have done before when they incorporated. The idea is always to acquire new land with no pre-existing service needs so you take money from the area and not put money in. For example, Yucca Mesa’s septic tank systems are working as they should and do not require sewers or a waste water treatment plant. Yucca Valley’s water has become contaminated with nitrates which now requires an extensive and costly sewer system. If Yucca Valley forces Yucca Mesa to become an extension of Yucca Valley, Yucca Mesa residents would suffer the same fate as Yucca Valley is presently facing and be forced to also install and pay for a costly sewer system as a result of the same over-building.

Land owners and/or registered voters must sign petitions at the Mesa Market (the corner of Aberdeen and Yucca Mesa Road) which will be delivered to LAFCO at the appropriate time. It is important to show the LAFCO commissioners the support, solidarity, and strength of the local community. Without community support and involvement the Town of Yucca Valley City Council will be sealing our entire community’s fate to becoming residents of a different community. In addition, we need business leaders in the Town of Yucca Valley(not just owners) to step up to the plate and be counted. If they want our business, they need to support our community in its hour of need. We need businesses in the Town of Yucca Valley to make petitions available and seek signatures of employees and customers.

The bottom line is that Yucca Mesa is a rural community very different from the increasingly urban Yucca Valley. We have and continue to want slow growth and development, large open spaces, homes on large parcels of land, a small community center, no industry, only one mom and pop store, the keeping of horses and farm animals, and dirt roads that define the character of the community. Our crime rate is very low. We are happily serviced by the County of San Bernardino. We live by the unspoken motto: "Mind your own business and I’ll mind mine." It works for us.