News Archive (6192)
Amador County has joined
Jackson and Plymouth in raising recreation fees assessed when building permits are pulled, but like the
cities, the Supervisors also split over the
amount of that assessment. The
Amador County Recreation Agency under the guidance of executive director Tracey
Towner Yep, conducted a nexus study that looked at the needs of the communities
through out the county and then worked backwards to assess an approximate fee
that should be charged on all new residential structures for recreation in the
county.
This Thursday the General Plan Update Committee
will meet at 6pm at the County
Administration building
after having an extension to their committees' lifespan granted by the
Supervisors. The purpose of
this General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) meeting is to discuss circulation
issues as they relate to the General Plan Update. Charles Field,
Executive Director of the Amador County Transportation Commission will give a presentation on Roadway, Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation
issues in the county.
The Amador County Chamber of Commerce has
announced the winners of the 5th Annual Margaret Dalton Golden
Nugget Awards. The award honors celebrates and acknowledges local unsung
heroes; those who contribute their time and efforts to the community and local
causes with little fanfare or recognition. This year’s honorees are Rich
Hoffman and Gloria Stoddard. Rich Hoffman is CEO of Jackson Rancheria Casino
and Hotel – he serves on the Sutter Amador Hospital Board of Trustees and on
the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. As the one who holds the purse
strings at the Rancheria, Hoffman works with many local charities. Gloria
Stoddard is the Clerk of the City of Plymouth – she wears many hats in Plymouth
City government and is the “go-to”
person if you need something in Plymouth.
She is active with her church and taught Sunday school for many years. The
Golden Nugget Awards dinner will be held February 8 at the Jackson Rancheria
Casino Conference
Center and tickets are
available from the Chamber of Commerce – 223-0350.
An Amador County farm established more than a century ago by the Winter family has been preserved in agriculture by the state and the Sacramento Valley Conservancy. The conservancy used some 680,000 dollars awarded by the state Department of Conservation to buy the 180-acre Winterport farm near Ione. Money for the purchase came from Proposition 40, the $2.6 billion open space and farmland preservation bond passed by voters in 2002.
Although Ione is 30 miles from Sacramento, development pressure in the scenic hills surrounding the tiny town has been building. A developer has purchased 16,000 acres near the Winterport farm. "We're in the path of development, and we're trying to encourage them to go the other way," Winterport farm owner Dan Port said in the release. He said he and his wife expect their grown children to eventually come back and take over the farm, which currently grows hay but has produced melons, pumpkins and Christmas trees. (end) am McClatchy-Tribune contributed.
Despite some strong public comment opposing the project, the Amador County Planning Commission, or ACPC, approved the Environmental Impact Report for the Mokelumne Bluffs Subdivision. The EIR was first submitted to the agency in 2003 and has since gone through numerous changes in response to opposing forces who believe the project will have a detrimental environmental impact. Commission members were also doubtful about specific aspects of the document at Tuesday night’s meeting and asked for clarification from Charlie Simpson, the consultant who drafted the EIR. “What we’re doing in the EIR is responding to all elements and requirements of the (California Environmental Quality Act),” said Simpson.
Simpson also took the moment to respond to earlier public comment asking for more research on environmental impact. “We identified, as guidelines required, comparative environmental alternatives. It’s a no brainer, 50 lots instead of 100 would obviously be less of an impact. I think we gave a reasonable range of alternatives,” said Simpson. He went on to say that the current project, as opposed to the project reviewed in the draft EIR in 2005, is substantially more refined now, including a wildlife and oak tree mitigation plan. “If you run down the list of changes and think to your self ‘is this a plus or a minus?’ in terms of the environment, these are all pluses,” said Simpson.
Earlier in the evening, Pine Grove citizens who will be living near the project voiced their opinions. John Carlson of Pine Grove believes the project will add to global warming because of its location and its future residents perceived commute. Indeed, much of Tuesday night’s debate wavered off track into discussions about global warming in general. The commissioners expressed their concerns over some of the vague language in the EIR, but were happy overall with the document. The document was approved in a vote of 4-1, on a condition that any further changes will need to be introduced later as findings. Chair Andy Byrne voted to oppose the approval, stating that he believed the document still needed some revision.
Also at the Plymouth meeting, the council discussed whether or not the City could take eminent domain actions on a 20 foot wide permanent pipeline easement and a 25 foot temporary construction easement across from the AT&T property in Sutter Creek. The public hearing opened up with the opportunity for the property owner or a representative of the owner to voice their objection, none were voiced and the statutory hearing was closed. Public comment was opened with questions arising on who would actually own and operate the pipeline in question. The Pipeline Project would be fully owned and operated by the AWA. To adopt the Resolution of Necessity, an authorization to file eminent domain action for the easements in a 4/5 vote was necessary from council. Council passed the Resolution 4-1 with Councilman Baldwin opposing.
Regional Traffic Plan Fees “Shocking” To Amador County Planning Commission and Developer
Written by
“This is a deal breaker” is how the Amador Planning
Commission characterized traffic mitigation fees being applied to a recently
reviewed project proposed for downtown Pine Grove. The request was for
the conversion of a residential property to various commercial businesses about
one half a mile east of the Ridge Rd intersection with Hwy 88 in Pine Grove.
The Technical Advisory Committee previously asked for a traffic study, which was prepared and presented.
During the public hearing developers Phil Longacre and Jack Stewart appeared
before the planning commission stating that a commercial development in the
Pine Grove area could help, not only the community directly around the project,
but the county as a whole as consumers in the upcountry area could reduce car
trips on Hwy 88 as consumer needs are meet in the upcountry areas.
Last week the city of
Plymouth became the second city in Amador County to adopt the new Amador County
Recreation Agency’s nexus study report, the regional recreation Masterplan, and
the development recreation impact fees that go with them. The Nexus Study recommends that
cities in the county require between 8,670 and 4,300 dollars in recreational
impact fees for new development. Some residents of Plymouth stated that
the 4,300 dollar fee may even be out of the question because it could make
building in Plymouth too expensive and deter developers and therefore growth.
Jackson, the first of the two cities to adopt the fees, chose to implement the
8,670 dollar per dwelling recreation fee; the maximum recommended by the nexus
study.
Cal Trans Responds To Cost Overrun Controversy on Bypasses
Written by
After almost two weeks Cal
Trans has responded to the proposal offered by the Tri-County’s in regards to
the outstanding 12.8 million dollar increase for the Angels Camp Bypass. Previously on December 22 a
meeting was held by representatives of the Tri-Counties, Alpine, Amador and
Calaveras, ACTC Executive Director Charles Field and Cal Tran’s
representatives. Field said, “We all agreed to ask Cal Trans…and the
California Transportation Commission for money.” He said that requested funds included the 12.8 million
dollars for the Angels Camp Bypass cost overrun and “an additional million to
maintain Hwy. 49.” When asked if funds were included in the proposal to
repair damage to Sutter Ione Road which was caused by construction equipment
used to Build the Hwy. 49 bypass, Field responded by saying that, “Sutter Ione Road was also in
the discussion, but it was up in the air as to whether the Tri-County’s, Cal
Trans or the California Transportation Commission’s support will be given, (as
well as) the money to repair Sutter Ione Road.” Although Field added
that “everyone was in agreement to ask for the money.” At the Dec. 22nd
meeting a proposal was developed that helped meet the needs of the
Tri-County’s, and it was agreed upon that ACTC would guide the effort.
