Amador County – Getting both praise and criticism, Rancho Arroyo Seco’s future was the topic of the latest meeting of the Amador General Plan Update, Tuesday in Jackson. Owner Bill Bunce was called worthy of sainthood and also a model land manager by a couple of local activists, while others criticized the county for handling the land designation. Jim Scully of Ione said they should call the historic areas of Rancho Arroyo Seco “a definite zone where you cannot develop, so that Bill Bunce can design his project and not infringe on these sensitive areas.” Art Marinaccio of Amador Citizens For Responsible Government, said the real question should be: “Do we have enough water for a project of that size?” Speculation said a project at the site could increase the county population by 40,000 people. Marinaccio said there was “no way” a 40,000-person population boom “will be developed in this 20-year General Plan’s” lifetime. He urged that the panel “apply a designation to it that allows something to come forward.” Local farmer and activist Susan Bragstad voiced support, saying “Bill Bunce should be declared a saint.” Casino opponent and Ione area resident, Jerry Cassesi agreed, but said he was not lobbying for Bunce’s sainthood. Cassesi said he has worked for the Arroyo Seco Ranch for about 15 years, and now works for new owner, Bunce, who “lets the chips fall where they may.” Cassesi said Bunce allowed him to take all the Indian groups and archeologist “out to every site they wanted to see and every site that I knew about.” Bunce “had no idea what they would find – 1 site or 100,” In the end the panel of supervisors and planning commissioners decided to rename the “Special Planning Area-Interim” designation, calling it a “Restricted Planning Area” designation. Planner Susan Grijalva said Bunce has no project proposal for Arroyo Seco, but only sought to have criteria for the designation clarified and approved or discarded by the panel. The panel will meet again in 2 or 3 weeks, to revisit the “economic element” and also the “Urban Reserve” land designation. No date has been set for the next meeting. 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 – Getting both praise and criticism, Rancho Arroyo Seco’s future was the topic of the latest meeting of the Amador General Plan Update, Tuesday in Jackson. Owner Bill Bunce was called worthy of sainthood and also a model land manager by a couple of local activists, while others criticized the county for handling the land designation. Jim Scully of Ione said they should call the historic areas of Rancho Arroyo Seco “a definite zone where you cannot develop, so that Bill Bunce can design his project and not infringe on these sensitive areas.” Art Marinaccio of Amador Citizens For Responsible Government, said the real question should be: “Do we have enough water for a project of that size?” Speculation said a project at the site could increase the county population by 40,000 people. Marinaccio said there was “no way” a 40,000-person population boom “will be developed in this 20-year General Plan’s” lifetime. He urged that the panel “apply a designation to it that allows something to come forward.” Local farmer and activist Susan Bragstad voiced support, saying “Bill Bunce should be declared a saint.” Casino opponent and Ione area resident, Jerry Cassesi agreed, but said he was not lobbying for Bunce’s sainthood. Cassesi said he has worked for the Arroyo Seco Ranch for about 15 years, and now works for new owner, Bunce, who “lets the chips fall where they may.” Cassesi said Bunce allowed him to take all the Indian groups and archeologist “out to every site they wanted to see and every site that I knew about.” Bunce “had no idea what they would find – 1 site or 100,” In the end the panel of supervisors and planning commissioners decided to rename the “Special Planning Area-Interim” designation, calling it a “Restricted Planning Area” designation. Planner Susan Grijalva said Bunce has no project proposal for Arroyo Seco, but only sought to have criteria for the designation clarified and approved or discarded by the panel. The panel will meet again in 2 or 3 weeks, to revisit the “economic element” and also the “Urban Reserve” land designation. No date has been set for the next meeting. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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