Amador County – The Plymouth Planning Commission voted 5-0 Wednesday to recommend two housing development projects to the full Plymouth City Council for the environmental documentation toward annexation into city limits.
Commission Chairwoman Sandy Fuller introduced the newest Commissioner, Peter Taylor, who was appointed by Mayor Greg Baldin. Taylor was serving in his first meeting on the council. The Commission voted unanimously to make recommendation to the City Council to certify the Environmental Impact Report, with a “Mitigation Monitoring Plan,” for a “Sphere of Influence” expansion and annexation request.
They recommended submitting a request to the Local Agency Formation Commission to expand the Sphere of Influence; and recommended adopting a “pre-zoning designation” of “Planned Development West” for the entire annexation area. They also recommended related vesting tentative maps, development plans, conditions of approval, and development agreements for the Zinfandel and Shenandoah Ridge residential developments, led by Reeder Sutherland Incorporated.
City Planner Jeff Beiswenger said the Zinfandel is entirely outside the current Sphere of Influence (SOI) and city limits. To annex the property, it must be in the Sphere, and before it can be put in the Sphere, it must have pre-zoning applied. He said the new SOI will incorporate Shenandoah Ridge and Arroyo Woods. Most of the area to be annexed is designated “Urban Residential,” but other designations exists, and the “Planned Development West” designation would be a “base zoning.”
Taylor asked how the developments would vary garage placements, per lot, to diminish monotony, as the plan and design guidelines said. Development Coordinator Richard Prima said that was presented as part of Reeder Sutherland’s marketing, and the city “kicked it up a notch, a big notch” and required them to do the variance in garage placements, and each home. He said it is much more thanTaylor might have seen in the previous draft.
Beiswenger said the development agreement ultimately is decided by the City Council, but it was on the Planning Commission’s slate, and the “City council definitely wants you to weigh in on it.”
After nearly three hours of discussion, the Commission voted unanimously to recommend all items as presented. The Planning Commission, appointed by City Council members, is Chairwoman Sandy Fuller, appointed by Sandy Kyles; Jason Ralphs, appointed by Peter Amoruso; Mirea Danielsen, appointed by Vice Mayor Jon Colburn, Mel Cossairt, appointed by Pat Shackleton; and Peter Taylor, appointed by Mayor Greg Baldwin.
Beiswenger said Plymouth City Council plans a workshop on Reeder Sutherland’s projects next week, when it continues a public hearing from Aug. 25. The meeting is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 6. City Manager Jeff Gardner said there will likely be more discussion because Colburn has a lot of questions.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
