Amador County – Amador County Local Agency Formation Commission voted unanimously last week to finalize the annexation of properties into the city of Plymouth that includes two residential developments with 485 housing units.
City Manager Jeff Gardner lauded the 5-0 vote, which followed a cleaning up of language in agricultural buffers for the two developments of Reeder Sutherland Incorporated, and partners. They include plans for 370 single family homes in the Zinfandel Subdivision, and 115 homes in the Shenandoah Ridge Subdivision.
Gardner said LAFCO Executive Director Roseanne Chamberlaine reiterated a comment on the annexation and “Sphere of Influence” saying they were the best-prepared applications she has seen in her 22-year LAFCO career.
Garnder said there was no public input but Chamberlaine did read into the record a last-minute e-mail from the Foothill Conservancy. Bob Reeder briefly spoke, and one man who lives on Clinton Road said he was there to support the project for the county of Amador as a whole.
The revised resolution included rewording on some of the issues of agricultural buffers. The change resulted in leaving it up to city to use its ag buffer guidelines anywhere where no agreement existed between Reeder Sutherland and the neighboring land owners. Gardner said that included three or four properties, including a large tract owned by Jack T. Swaggart’s JTS Properties.
Gardner said the next step is the “Development Agreement,” which he said he would be “working on the final wording” Thursday, and the agreement will be taken up by the Plymouth City Council at its first meeting next month, on March 8.
That meeting will also include a presentation addressing “alternative fueling sites,” for the city. Gardner said he is also trying to put together a meeting with the people overseeing the major federal fiber optic trunk project.
He said he would like to get high-speed wi-fi internet service for businesses and at least the new developments if possible. He said the $128 million dollar federally funded project will be putting in a fiber optic trunk line from Mariposa County to Nevada County and Grass Valley.
Gardner said the fiber optic truck line “is definitely a plus for every county it goes through and definitely an angle we can use to promote the county and attract development.” He is trying to put together a meeting with the project’s managers and will try to get all of the Amador County stakeholders to attend as well.
Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
