By Jim Reece -
The Sutter Creek Planning Commission met last Wednesday and commented on another six chapters of the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort Draft Environmental Impact Report. A laundry list of categories drew some public comment and remarks from the commission. In the public services and facilities element, staff found the EIR sufficient in that, like the city’s General Plan requires, Gold Rush will pay its fair share of new, improved or expanded public services and facilities. Likewise, the developers will fund improvements to the collection and treatment systems to keep pace with needs. In the safety element, Anders Hauge, consultant for the city, said that no open mine shafts were found on the Gold Rush property, but they would go look again just to be sure. The General Plan requires capping any such shafts. Staff found that sufficient soil investigation had been completed at the site. Staff also found that FEMA had not designated the site a 100-year flood plain. The report said “Hilly topography and drainage within existing swales, Stony Creek, and tributaries within the site minimize the potential for flooding.” Findings also said the project will control peak flow runoff such that it does not significantly add to flooding hazards. Chairman of the commission Robin Peters asked about language placing fire hydrants in wildland fire areas of the property. Hauge said the intent was to get hydrants out in some of the hundreds of acres of open space areas, to meet fire suppression requirements in the General Plan. The project will provide peak fire flows of 1,500 gallons per minute. On the noise element, Commissioner Mike Kirkley said that constraints of the project put conflicting land uses – housing – close to the noise of the existing SPI wood mill in the area. A consultant for Gold Rush said the comment gives them reason to go back to the noise data, decibel readings, to see if the mill was operating on that day. The Commission still needs to go through the EIR’s housing element, at a meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, then it will discuss changes and recommendations at later meetings scheduled through February 2009.
