Amador County – Highway officials earlier this month urged denial of the Gold Rush Ranch & Gold Resort revised traffic Environmental Impact Report, based on severity of impacts and lack of mitigation. Daniel H. Brewer, chief of Caltrans Rural Planning and Administration, sent a May 4th comment letter to the Sutter Creek Planning, which is taking comments on Gold Rush’s Revised EIR, on a new Traffic Impact Study. Brewer said based on an “inadequate and flawed DEIR” chapter on “Transportation and Circulation,” and “the lack of addressing even those significant impacts the DEIR has disclosed,” Caltrans recommended “Sutter Creek not certify this EIR or approve any additional entitlements for this project.” ACTC Executive Director Charles Field wrote a May 5th comment letter. He said the Gold Rush “project contributes to such a high number of traffic and circulation related impacts for which mitigation cannot be reasonably assured, that the RDEIR serves to provide evidence to support findings for project denial.” The letter said 18 intersections and 18 road segments would be impacted. ACTC’s Board of Directors will review the staff comment letter by Field at their meeting Wednesday night. Field said the Gold Rush revision relies too heavily on ACTC’s “Circulation Mapping Exercise” tool, which he said is nowhere near complete and may never be complete. The CMX tool would use jurisdictional data to calculate fair shares of road mitigation costs in the Martell area. Field said “CMX is stalled at the committee level because developers cannot agree on a funding mechanism and program that will provide funds needed to ensure long term mitigation.” It includes “low fair share percentages” that do not offset “the high cost” of road projects. Most projects mentioned are not consistent with CMX. One that is consistent with CMX, expansion of the Ridge Road and Highways 104 and 49 intersection, would cost about $3.5 million dollars. Field said if Gold Rush pays a fair share of 6 percent, it would be $210,000 dollars. Field said regional funding earmarked for that intersection was $300,000 dollars, leaving nearly $3 million unfunded. Fixing the highway 49 and Jackson Gate intersection would cost about $1.2 Million, with no money presently earmarked in the county/city Regional Traffic Mitigation Fee program. Gold Rush includes 945 acres, an 18-hole golf course, a combined golf and community clubhouse, 1,334 single-family residences, 300 timeshare vacation units, a 60-room hotel, up to 57,000 square feet of commercial uses and a police and fire station. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.