Amador County – The Sutter Creek Planning Commission heard a report on traffic impacts and mitigations for the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort Monday, with a report from Charles Field and public comments. The commission then advised staff to continue working on traffic mitigations in the city’s “conditions of approval” agreement with Gold Rush. Amador County Transportation Commission Executive Director Charles Field said he thought the numbers could be low for Gold Rush, and an ideal method of looking at its impacts would be the unfinished Community Mapping Exercise tool, or CMX. He said Gold Rush’s Greg Bardini “used the new CMX cost estimates where needed,” in his study, and Field “commented that he thought the numbers were low.” Gold Rush’s portion came out as a 6 percent share of the estimated $3 million upgrade project needed at the Highway 49 and Ridge Road intersection. Field said the impacts were seen as low because traffic at the location was already at its highest due to other projects already approved that would impact the intersection. Field said Sutter Creek’s “fair share” methodology with Gold Rush could be better served with the CMX. But he said the ACTC board has “wasted time” on the “fair share” issue, in spending time on it without approving it. City Environmental Impact Specialist Bob Delk said the “mitigation measures in the EIR are intended to identify the impacts,” and the “city must argue that the mitigation projects are not feasible.” Commission Chairman Robin Peters asked Field what he thought they should do. Field said they should “use language to have the CMX program approved, or a better program approved than the fair-share program.” Commissioner Robert Olson said the Gold Rush project will add 10,000 people to the city population. Field said ACTC’s Neil Peacock studied the fair-share impacts and found it to be $700 to $800 for the Martell area, while based on what that area actually pays, the “state and region are subsidizing the Martell area.” Peters told consultant Anders Haugue that when they talk about fair-share with Gold Rush, they need to talk about an index of costs and a nexus. The commission asked Hauge to work with City Attorney Dennis Crabb and the developers on the conditions of approval and traffic mitigations. Crabb said he knows what needs to be done to get those issues worked out. The commission next work on Gold Rush August 19th, and again August 24th. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.