Sutter Creek – The Sutter Creek City Council came to a 4-1 consensus Monday to allow 1,334 units in the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort. The council also discussed and accepted fiscal committee phasing recommendations and moved closer to a final decision on the project, expected at its next regular meeting December 7th. The council and consultants discussed the number of housing units for Gold Rush, and reached a 4-1 consensus, with Mayor Pro Tem Tim Murphy against. Murphy in the past has recommended the number of units be cut in half. Mayor Gary Wooten and Councilwomen Linda Rianda and Sandy Anderson were joined by Councilman Pat Crosby in the majority of the consensus. Crosby was against that number in the last council meeting, but after fiscal and traffic impact studies, he changed his vote. Charles Field, Amador County Transportation Commission executive director, highlighted traffic mitigation fee recommendations from the ad hoc traffic committee, of which Crosby was a member. Field said he would like to take the mitigation package for approval by the ACTC board and “on to Caltrans” for state approval. Field said a Martell area improvement plan will have computer aided designs over high resolution aerial photos, to show various roads projects proposed as mitigations. Field said recommendations included having Gold Rush pay both local and regional traffic fees. It also included “Day 1 requirements,” to be built prior to issuing the first building permit. That included constructing an improved intersection at Highway 104 and Ampine/Allen Ranch Roads. Another would be extending Allen Ranch Road to Valley View Way, and a third would be construction to align Bowers and Prospect Roads and make an intersection with Highway 104. Consultant Anders Hauge said the council – if it so chooses – will have the ability to approve the Gold Rush specific plan, Environmental Impact Report and related resolutions and documents at its December 7th meeting. Those would include city council amendments to the specific plan and large lot tentative maps, and the Planning Commission’s recommended changes to those, and General Plan and zoning amendments. Hauge said the council must certify the EIR and it would approve the development agreement and a set of conditions of approval that is built into the specific plan. Also included is a “mitigation monitoring program,” with a $15,000 annual budget, through which developers pay city hall staff to monitor the implementation of mitigation measures. Huage recommended that the council get quarterly reports on mitigation measures from developers, but it could be annual reports. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.