Amador County – Jackson City Council in early July voted 4-0 to draft an agreement to defer property improvements for five years at 257 New York Ranch Road, for a new veterinary clinic.
City Planner Susan Peters said a company wants to purchase the building, but defer improvements recommended in June by the Jackson “Site Plan Review Committee,” made up of Peters, Building Inspector Larry White, and City Engineer Roark Weber.
Recommendations include realigning New York Ranch Road; extending frontage curbs, gutters, and sidewalks; paved parking; a minimum one parking space per 500 square feet of floor space; and widening the driveway to 24 feet.
The property, north of Quail Hollow Commercial Center, is owned by Anne Lintz, who in a letter requested the Council “defer these improvements for a period of five years to allow the buyers of the property, Blue Oak Veterinary, time to become established.” She said “Mary Allen will likely be moving her Blue Oak Veterinary office to the location within several months of purchasing this property.”
City Manager Mike Daly said the city is in the process of applying for a Safe Routes to School grant for improvements on New York Ranch Road, including widening, realignment, and installation of sidewalks. He said the Site Plan Review Committee supported “the proposed deferred agreement because the improvements may be done under the grant as a single, cohesive project,” and if the City doesn’t get a grant, “improvements would need to be constructed by the property owner.”
Peters said it was the same agreement made with Lintz when she wanted to expand her business. Lintz told the Council: “I had the intention to improve it, but chose a different location.”
She said “I know the buyer can’t go through with the purchase if we don’t have this agreement.” The buyer “would have to do some work to make it ADA accessible,” though “technically could move in without any improvements.” Lintz said “you are talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of improvements on that stretch.”
In public comment, Jack Georgette said he’d like to see implementation of improvements required in five years, whether on not “they pull the permit.”
Lintz told the Council she hoped that if she does not sell the building, or lease it for a commercial purpose, and wants to keep it as a house, that the Council does not require the improvements. She said the Council could name “Blue Oaks” or the “veterinary clinic” in the agreement.
Councilman Wayne Garibaldi asked: “Why do you have to realign New York Ranch Road at all? Peters said it was because the use change would affect traffic. Mayor Connie Gonsalves said ingress and egress safety would be affected.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
