Amador County – The Plymouth City Council directed staff Thursday to pull an inclusionary housing policy from its General Plan Housing Element. They also requested the plan include a glossary of terms. The council discussed the General Plan update and its Final Environmental Impact Report, including a public hearing, but took no formal action. The council gave planning staff directions on preparing the General Plan for the next council meeting, and also approved a contract extension for planner Paula Daneluk. Daneluk and planner Darcy Goulart spoke on the General Plan, answered questions and addressed issues brought up during public comment. Bob Reeder of Reeder Sutherland, developers of 2 housing projects in and around Plymouth said the General Plan required 20 percent of housing in any project to be inclusionary or subsidized housing. Reeder said “in a project like ours, that is completely unreasonable.” He asked that the inclusionary housing requirement be removed from the Housing Element. He said California Housing and Community Development in a letter said inclusionary housing is not required for a Housing Element, and is only voluntary. He said no change would mean his projects’ EIR and traffic studies would have to be redone. Reeder also asked that “buffers” required by the plan, between ag land and housing, be changed to “building setbacks”. He said “most people moving into an agricultural area probably want to view it.” He also urged the city to define loose terms in the plan, like ridgelines, viewsheds and buffers. He was worried that “ridgeline” policy might affect his project, which has homes on ridges, but his subdivision must be driven into in order to see the homes. Mayor Jon Colburn said he would not support the General Plan until the planning department sent letters to people who live in areas affected by the Land Use Element Map. Daneluk said they had been very open to area residents about that map, with public meetings, personal invitation letters and even telephone calls to get people to meetings. Vice Mayor Greg Baldwin, Councilman Michael O’Meara and Councilwoman Pat Shackleton disagreed. Baldwin pointed out that it was a consensus, and therefore a staff direction. Baldwin said “inclusionary needs to go away in the General Plan.” Shackleton said her brother-in-law was worried, but she thought the city General Plan might better protect land along city limits, and closely surrounding Plymouth. Colburn brought up the need for the glossary of terms, and all agreed it was a necessity. The council continued the public hearing to resume on July 9th at 6:30 p.m. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Monday, 29 June 2009 00:33
Plymouth General Plan
Amador County – The Plymouth City Council directed staff Thursday to pull an inclusionary housing policy from its General Plan Housing Element. They also requested the plan include a glossary of terms. The council discussed the General Plan update and its Final Environmental Impact Report, including a public hearing, but took no formal action. The council gave planning staff directions on preparing the General Plan for the next council meeting, and also approved a contract extension for planner Paula Daneluk. Daneluk and planner Darcy Goulart spoke on the General Plan, answered questions and addressed issues brought up during public comment. Bob Reeder of Reeder Sutherland, developers of 2 housing projects in and around Plymouth said the General Plan required 20 percent of housing in any project to be inclusionary or subsidized housing. Reeder said “in a project like ours, that is completely unreasonable.” He asked that the inclusionary housing requirement be removed from the Housing Element. He said California Housing and Community Development in a letter said inclusionary housing is not required for a Housing Element, and is only voluntary. He said no change would mean his projects’ EIR and traffic studies would have to be redone. Reeder also asked that “buffers” required by the plan, between ag land and housing, be changed to “building setbacks”. He said “most people moving into an agricultural area probably want to view it.” He also urged the city to define loose terms in the plan, like ridgelines, viewsheds and buffers. He was worried that “ridgeline” policy might affect his project, which has homes on ridges, but his subdivision must be driven into in order to see the homes. Mayor Jon Colburn said he would not support the General Plan until the planning department sent letters to people who live in areas affected by the Land Use Element Map. Daneluk said they had been very open to area residents about that map, with public meetings, personal invitation letters and even telephone calls to get people to meetings. Vice Mayor Greg Baldwin, Councilman Michael O’Meara and Councilwoman Pat Shackleton disagreed. Baldwin pointed out that it was a consensus, and therefore a staff direction. Baldwin said “inclusionary needs to go away in the General Plan.” Shackleton said her brother-in-law was worried, but she thought the city General Plan might better protect land along city limits, and closely surrounding Plymouth. Colburn brought up the need for the glossary of terms, and all agreed it was a necessity. The council continued the public hearing to resume on July 9th at 6:30 p.m. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
