Planning Commissioners stated that the traffic mitigation fees for the project were shocking to them with just one portion of the mitigation amounts totaling 792,000.00. Larry Peterson, Director of Amador County Public Works, stated that this project is the poster child for the new Regional Traffic Plan regulations that have been put into place. The Regional traffic Plan is a nexus study that reviewed needed road improvements in the county and develops costs, assigning shares of those costs to new developments impacting the county’s roadways through a formula calculation method. Peterson stated that the Board of Supervisors has approved these new rules, regulations and formulas and that until now no project “this perfect” has come along for which to apply the new fees. Peterson stated that the traffic studies on this particular project indicated that there are four corridors and intersections that would be impacted including pass bys and merchant destination trips. Then the RTP fees were applied to the project, the traffic impact fees agreed Peterson “are shocking” but are also the mitigation measures that are necessary to bring traffic under control in the county.

Citing the RTP’s fees which designated a 33 percent responsibility to this project for nearly 3 million dollars in road improvement necessary according to the RTP, the planning commissioner’s questioned how such a large burden of responsibility could be placed on one parcel? Peterson responded “according to the study, that’s how it works out”.

Commissioner Andy Byrne stated that he is very familiar with traffic considerations and he felt he must stick with the RTP formulas applied to the project because, “Although these fees are huge and scary the projected costs countywide are huger and scarier”.stated that this is the poster child for how policies can run a muck- this is exactly what every candidate running for something can hold up and say “this is terrible” he stated. He continued stating “This is a small project on three acres to add 12 businesses to the community. Asking for 6 million dollars in road improvements show the percentages in the RTP are way off. There is no way this project will generate a 33 percent improvement share to the Ridge Rd and Climax Rd intersection.” The total share of fees under the application of the RTP for this small project, according to commissioners, is 5-6 million dollars. Planning Commissioners called this a deal breaker. “What can we do?” asked planning commissioners. Commissioner Erik Christeson

Commissioner Christesen stated he does not think that anyone understood the impacts of the Regional traffic Plan, and its fees, on small developments. Developer Longacre approached the commission and stated that he would like to meet with Caltrans to discuss the Ridge Rd and Hwy 88 intersection. Longacre again emphasize that this project does not impact the Hwy 88 corridor through the Ione area, the Ridge Rd/New York Ranch Rd intersection or the Ridge Rd /Climax Rd intersection. Longacre stated “We are willing to put in sidewalks, contribute to stop lights at Pine Grove/Volcano Rd and improvements at the Ridge/Hwy 88 Pine Grove intersection. I do not agree to paying for the Jackson corridor, etc. It needs to be realistic- we are small time” stated Longacre.

Peterson disagreed with Longacre on which road improvements were required and stated again that these policies and fees are Board adopted by the Supervisors. “There is some room to talk about opinions regarding traffic generation, including studies and generators of a commercial development. This project is not consistent with its current zoning and these fees are applicable.” Peterson stated “The large percentages of the amounts that the project is responsible for were based on fair share calculations for proposed projects under county and regional traffic plans. The fees are based on the number of average daily trips on Hwy 88 that the new businesses would generate. This amount was estimated to be at 2.6 percent of all the trips on the highway for people coming and going to these businesses.”

Planning Commissioners questioned if the number should really be 2.6 percent. The report states that there are actually around 13,580 trips per day in the Pine Grove area and Commissioners questioned how this project could generate 26 percent of these? The ACTC estimated 1000 trips would be generated by this new commercial development and 25 years from now it would generate around 2600 trips. Commissioners questioned the accuracy of the 26 percent of road trips calculated when the number is really under 12 percent according to the commissioners calculations. The bottom line was the Planning Commission approved the project so the developer can appeal the road costs of over 5 million dollars to the Board of Supervisors. ‘Our hands are tied’ stated the commission, ‘this need to go to the Supervisors’. The developers will appeal to the BOS for their input and decision regarding the fairness of the application of the RTP.