Amador County – A 3-2 vote opening Q Ranch land use designation by 350 more housing units will not be an immediate impact, Ione officials noted Tuesday. Ione city council raised the limit of 500 units to 830 units, maximum. Q Ranch representative Kevin Walker said “when the application comes forward, you are all going to get another bite of the apple.” Councilman Jim Ulm voted no, concerned “very much” that Ione would lose agriculture land. Councilwoman Andrea Bonham was uncomfortable, wanted more discussion with the developer or owner, and also voted no. Councilman David Plank said he’d like more time in the future to absorb such a proposal, but joined Vice Mayor Skip Schaufel and Mayor Lee Ard to vote yes in the approval. The council also voted 4-1 to do an environmental study of a possible land swap between Q Ranch and Amador Ranch Associates. It would swap 16 acres north of Irish Hill Road with 44 acres south of Irish Hill Road, owned by Amador Ranch. Ulm said “some people live around there and do not know about it.” Jordan said approval “gives the opportunity to consider it in the future,” not approval, and allows the council to see the conceptual land use. City Attorney Kristen Castanos said “it relates to the scope of the Environmental Impact Report being prepared” and does not affect the General Plan. The council also approved staff changing the General Plan map to match the one proposed by Walker, with changes in “text for concurrency.” Bonham suggested and the council approved language preserving the viewshed on Highway 104, “so that when you drive into town, you would see agriculture, not houses.” City Manager Kim Kerr said “you are not giving any entitlements here,” and full public hearings would come with any applications. Castanos said the “text gives you parameters that the council is authorizing for that map:” If they draw specific lines, that fixes the zoning; but if parameters are simply defined, “you can move the lines without having to do a General Plan amendment.” Planning Commissioner David Jenkins said it “doesn’t circumvent CEQA” requirements. Ard said even with the designation, it was not a lock to get the property, and if Q Ranch doesn’t annex, “a lot of it is in the county so the city would have no say anyway.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Amador County – A 3-2 vote opening Q Ranch land use designation by 350 more housing units will not be an immediate impact, Ione officials noted Tuesday. Ione city council raised the limit of 500 units to 830 units, maximum. Q Ranch representative Kevin Walker said “when the application comes forward, you are all going to get another bite of the apple.” Councilman Jim Ulm voted no, concerned “very much” that Ione would lose agriculture land. Councilwoman Andrea Bonham was uncomfortable, wanted more discussion with the developer or owner, and also voted no. Councilman David Plank said he’d like more time in the future to absorb such a proposal, but joined Vice Mayor Skip Schaufel and Mayor Lee Ard to vote yes in the approval. The council also voted 4-1 to do an environmental study of a possible land swap between Q Ranch and Amador Ranch Associates. It would swap 16 acres north of Irish Hill Road with 44 acres south of Irish Hill Road, owned by Amador Ranch. Ulm said “some people live around there and do not know about it.” Jordan said approval “gives the opportunity to consider it in the future,” not approval, and allows the council to see the conceptual land use. City Attorney Kristen Castanos said “it relates to the scope of the Environmental Impact Report being prepared” and does not affect the General Plan. The council also approved staff changing the General Plan map to match the one proposed by Walker, with changes in “text for concurrency.” Bonham suggested and the council approved language preserving the viewshed on Highway 104, “so that when you drive into town, you would see agriculture, not houses.” City Manager Kim Kerr said “you are not giving any entitlements here,” and full public hearings would come with any applications. Castanos said the “text gives you parameters that the council is authorizing for that map:” If they draw specific lines, that fixes the zoning; but if parameters are simply defined, “you can move the lines without having to do a General Plan amendment.” Planning Commissioner David Jenkins said it “doesn’t circumvent CEQA” requirements. Ard said even with the designation, it was not a lock to get the property, and if Q Ranch doesn’t annex, “a lot of it is in the county so the city would have no say anyway.” Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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