Amador County – Nearing the latter of dozens of meetings, the Sutter Creek Planning Commission talked about Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort’s specific plan and started looking at its conditions of approval Monday. Gold Rush’s Troy Claveran told the commission that the sole purpose of an agreement with Sutter Creek was to get tertiary treated water for its golf course. Claveran said Gold Rush helped the city and Amador Regional Sanitation Authority in a pinch, when they were close to lose the property on which the sewer treatment plant stands. Gold Rush provided $2.5 million dollars, matched by $375,000 dollars each from the city and ARSA, to save the sewer facility. He said “there has always been a subdivision” on Gold Rush, and “that was the basis for the project.” Commissioner Cort Strandberg said that the first and second phases of residential and golf were accepted, but when Phase 3 came out with 1,100 total homes, that’s when people “filled the auditorium” – to hear about the hotel and time-shares. Claveran said “no one has ever stated how many homes we are ever going to have.” And the “only number that ever existed” was one the engineer came up with and put in the EIR. Commissioner Mike Kirkley said Gold Rush, to his knowledge, “may be the biggest project ever proposed in the city.” But he was worried that it never addressed traffic. And despite the Highway 49 Bypass, he thought the city would still have a “Level of Service” rating of “F” on its traffic. Kirkley said he “could support maybe 500 homes because of traffic.” And he said it was “hard to believe we have this demand for 1,400 or 1,500 homes.” Peters said the city has “locked in this process and someday we’ll come to a conclusion.” He said the they “get the specific plan right, it will be consistent with the General Plan, no matter what the size of the project.” The commission was short 2 members, Frank Cunha and Robert Olson, both on vacation, but went through Peters’ comments on the “Conditions of Approval” for Gold Rush. Commissioner Cort Strandberg said he was “not satisfied” with the specific plan’s consistency with city General Plan Goal 2.1, on preserving the city’s feel. He asked to move on and return to the topic when all 5 commissioners are there. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – If you build it, they will come. But when? That was the question in Sutter Creek Planning Commissioner Frank Cunha’s mind Monday night when he asked for a timeline from developers of the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort. If commissioners approve it, when will they start to see tangible results? Cunha asked what he tells people who confront him in their shops and tell him he is holding up the process, and that if they approve Gold Rush, will it have people golfing in Sutter Creek, shopping in Main Street stores within a year. He asked about a stipulation that would give Gold Rush a 5-year extension on permits in certain instances. Gold Rush principle Bill Bunce said conditions of approval require Gold Rush to have a new wastewater treatment plant operational and serving the city before the project can get building permits. Bunce said design and construction of the wastewater plant would take 18 months, but grading can begin before that time. He said: “In a best-case scenario, it will take a year to a year-and-a-half to get earth moved, after city approval.” If they cannot get earth moved in a year-and-a-half, they would seek the extension. Weather is a seasonal variable of the timeline too. He said having the wastewater plant in place – to give the city its 480,000 to 600,000 gallons a day treatment capacity – is a provision “typical in light of the current economy.” He told the commission: “I can’t tell you if the economy is getting better or worse.” But the project’s phasing is documented in the conditions of approval. Bunce said: “We take our hat off to the care and consideration of the city … but we also look forward to the wrapping up of the approval process.” City Manager Rob Duke said a deal that would give the city wastewater plant to Gold Rush developers was the best value for the city, because developers in turn would give a boost in the level of treatment, expand the daily treatment capacity and also expand the Amador Regional Sanitation Authority’s storage capacity at Henderson Reservoir, and piping. “From our standpoint, this is a great deal,” Duke told commissioners. He said the ARSA and plant improvements funded by Gold Rush could equal $30 million dollars in value to Sutter Creek over the next 30 to 40 years. The commission revisits the Gold Rush specific plan in July and August. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Ione Community Preservation Project was discussed last week at the Ione City Council meeting. City Manager Kim Kerr said a community committee recommended that the city council set up a non-profit organization with a separate elected or appointed board. The committee also wished that “there would be an ex-officio seat on the board for a member of the city council to be on that board.” She said there were 15 people at the meeting, all interested in being involved. The committee met in early June and recommended the city set up its Main Street program as a non-profit organization, Kerr said, with a separate Board of Directors, elected or appointed by the organization’s members. They also recommended that the City Council have the committee create its Articles of Incorporation. In public comment, Jack Brotherton said he thought there would be a non-voting advisory committee that governs the nonprofit organization. Kerr said “there may be one, but it will have to be set up by the non-profit’s board, or they may elect to do something else.” She said the ex-officio seat is a requirement of the city council, to act as a liaison to the board from the city council, as a non-voting member. Brotherton thought the council should have some non-voting membership on the board. Kerr said the ex-officio member would be that. She said there is no organization yet, so the city has given it no money, and there will be no agreement between the 2 bodies until the nonprofit organization is formed. Kerr said the organization’s board will “technically” be a “public meeting,” and would be best run as such. She said staff will bring in an expert to professionally train the board members. Kerr will work with City Attorney Kristen Castanos on guidelines for articles of incorporation, and e-mail those to the committee. The articles would delineate the board make-up, appointments, and how members would be elected. The community preservation program could potentially have a total of $284,775 dollars from two closed 1980s CDBG grants, which the city council may spend as it sees fit. $25,000 could be in the façade program and $75,000 is in the “Main Street Program”, with another $4,775 dollars to set it up. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The specter of the Mello Roos default may have returned to Ione. About 200 parcels are on a list of Castle Oaks property parcels that are in default of the second payment of a Mello Roos/Community Facilities District special tax payment. Amador County Tax Collector Michael Ryan said he reported to the city of Ione that about 200 parcels were in default of the 2006 Mello Roos special tax. The Ione City Council tomorrow will discuss a staff report that focuses on properties owned by the developer, JTS Communities Incorporated, and other defaulted parcels in the Castle Oaks Subdivision. City Planner Christopher Jordan said staff prepared a letter to JTS partners to notify them of possible impending action against them. That included 99 parcels owned by JTS. Jordan said other letters would be sent out to individual parcel owners and homeowners. He said the defaults have occurred in all areas of Castle Oaks housing development’s Improvement Areas 1, 2 and 3. Jordan said the staff report in tomorrow’s meeting highlights JTS’s portion of the default areas, but focus on involved private homeowners will not be highlighted that way. A report prepared last Thursday by City Manager Kim Kerr detailed the notification of JTS and its partners and delineated the steps toward foreclosure. The report included information from consultants on Improvement Areas 1 and 2, which Kerr said “have reached the applicable foreclosure threshold.” Kerr said the “next step for these improvement areas is for the city to send letters to delinquent property owners notifying of their delinquency and of the commencement of foreclosure proceedings if special taxes are not paid.” She said the city will need to hire foreclosure attorneys before October 1st, in order to commence proceedings prior to that date. The city also sent a letter to JTS and its partners requesting payment and telling of possible repercussions. The Ione City Council will also be faced with the possibility of conflicts of interest affecting a quorum on the council, as three city council members, Mayor Lee Ard, Vice Mayor Skip Schaufel and Councilman David Plank all live in the Castle Oaks Subdivision. An issue regarding a parcel adjustment request in Castle Oaks came up at the last meeting, with all three potential having to excuse themselves due to a conflict of interest. Staff resolved the matter, to maintain a quorum of at least 3 of the council members to hear the issue, by drawing straws. Plank won the draw, but the issue was tabled. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Sutter Creek Planning Commission finished weeding through its errata sheet for the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort Tuesday, finding a few items that needed work. Among those was whether houses should broach the crest of hills or whether the hilltops should be preserved. Commissioner Robert Olson said he would like to bring up the point that the specific plan for Gold Rush allows a house top to surpass the “crest of a visible ridge” by 15 feet. He said “you won’t see structures poking above the ridges in really nice subdivisions.” Olson said: “I don’t see why we are going above the ridge tops.” Commission Chairman Robin Peters said they settled on the 15-foot limit in a previous study of the city General Plan. Olson said it was a major issue for him, because after a home is built, above a crest of a hill, it would be up to the owner to provide tree cover to hide the home. He said that would make it more unlikely to happen. Peters didn’t “want to revisit the General Plan compliance conversation,” and he said “it might be good for commissioners to keep a list of issues to revisit.” Olson said they would “call it an unresolved issue.” Consultant Anders Hague said a group of maps that the commission received was prepared by Gold Rush’s Greg Bardini, in response to directions the commission had already given staff and the applicant. Peters said the maps would be available for public review at City Hall. Among other items, Peters recommended raising the standard height of sound barrier fences to 5 feet. Peters did “some research and found 5 feet was a common height.” He also suggested a rewording that made it clear that a need for sound barriers higher than 5 feet tall could be done, and “shall be accomplished with a berm and a wall or fence.” Also, it could be done with a staggered series of walls or fences, built in a terraced manner. He suggested walls for sound control over 5 feet tall be required to have terraces, like the retaining walls on the Sutter Hill bus center. Hague said they would get with Assistant City Manager Sean Rabe to use the same language used in the buss center specific plan. The commission next meets on Gold Rush June 17th. Hague said “the next time we get together, you are going to see a complete specific plan,” with changes recommended changes suggested by the commission. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Ione City Council and Planning Commission made several land use designations last week to plan for the city’s future. The joint panel worked on the General Plan Update and designated 3 properties in the land use map as “Future Growth Areas.” That included about 100 acres of the Silva property, west of 5 Mile Drive. Another was a smaller portion of the Rancho Arroyo Seco, located north of Mule Creek State Prison. The third “Future Growth Area” designation was placed on the “Mule Town” area. All 3 properties lie outside of the city limits and also outside of the city “Sphere of Influence,” but are within the “Planning Area” used by city staff to create the land use map. City Planner Christopher Jordan said that the Future Growth Area designations would help plan for 20 years in the future. Planning staffer Daniel Hamilton said the Future Growth Area will “give guidance for the next general plan update.” Several residents spoke against some of the FGA designations, including Lynn Winter, who said 5 Mile Road historically has been designated by LAFCO as the “boundary between city and agriculture.” Jordan said “this is going to be one of the last times to make some substantive changes to the meat of the General Plan,” before the Environmental Impact Report is released, in early June. After that, the Planning Commission will review and make recommendations to the council on both the General Plan Update and its EIR. The council and commission also designated Q Ranch as a Special Planning Area. One man spoke against the designation, and said agriculture across the road from Q Ranch typically sends dust clouds all across the ranch. Jordan said making the SPA designations is “not approving any project,” but the council is “designing a yard stick to measure these projects.” Jordan said property owners were involved in selecting designations for their properties. Several spoke, including Bill Bunce of Rancho Arroyo Seco and Amador Ranch Associates, who said: “I concur with all staff recommendations as they relate to our lands.” Virginia Silva said “Bob and I requested Special Planning” or Future Growth Area designation west of 5 Mile Drive. They plan to develop part of the property in about 10 years. Tim Smith of Howard Properties urged the panel to keep in mind “the potential for phasing infrastructure” and “phased development” as the city shifts to larger uses. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Sutter Creek Planning Commission nearly stalled Monday discussing affordable housing at Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort, then adjourned the meeting to May 26th. Commissioner Mike Kirkley said they would have to sell those homes for “under $100,000 dollars,” adding: “Why would you even say that if you know you can’t do that?” Consultant Anders Hague said “people in the low income housing category cannot buy housing. They are renting.” Commissioner Robert Olson said he was “adamantly against this approach,” and “it should be up to the city council to make the financial decision.” Commissioner Frank Cunha tried to put the issue to a vote, or take a poll of commissioners to decide, but discussion continued. Cunha pointed out that 9 “large lot” parcels in the Gold Rush specific plan would have “Low” or “moderate” income level housing, at 8 to 12 percent of the dwelling units. Some wording said 70 units would be “affordable by design” – smaller houses on smaller lots. Gold Rush Project Manager Jim Harnish said the wording was several years old. That wording was omitted by the commission, which also kept wording the same in the 9 large-lot parcels, to have 8 to 12 percent of units be “affordable for low-income or moderate-income households,” and added wording saying it “may include housing that is affordable by design.” The commission added requirements for low- and very low-income housing. Resident Sharyn Brown said Granny Unit’s, or “second units” on lots “can be considered affordable housing.” Resident John Mottoros said “did not think the city has any business being in the business of affordable housing,” and the requirements are causing the developer to play Robin Hood, charging more for moderate and higher income homes, whose buyers are “paying for those lower income houses.” Hague said the city already is in the housing business and has built affordable housing. Harnish said the city already has “zoned enough land for those very low-income housing areas,” though “it’s very different from building them.” He said the city has a surplus of areas zoned for low income housing. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Sutter Creek Planning Commission will tackle the tough topics tonight on the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort, when it revisits its comments unresolved wording of the various documents. The commission will discuss and possibly take action on Gold Rush and related items. That includes reviewing and making comments on the “Combined Errata Sheets” on the General Plan Amendments. The commission also is scheduled to revisit Zoning Ordinance Amendments, and the Gold Rush Ranch Specific Plan. The errata is a list of corrections or revisions to the original Specific Plan, kept as the Planning Commission noted errors or changes it wanted in the document, some possibly disputed between Gold Rush developers and the commission. New zoning designations to be discussed include “Residential Small Lot.” Permitted uses include one- and two-family dwellings, duplexes, “associated accessory buildings”, home occupations (by Home Occupation Use Permit) and second dwelling units. The council could also discuss “Mixed-Use” zoning, “designed to create a walk-able district with vertical and horizontal mixed-use, including commercial, office, residential, hotels and motels, and time share units.” Recreation zoning that may be discussed includes permitted uses for a golf course; athletic fields (excluding stadiums); facilities for tennis, racquetball, swimming and horseback riding; and public parks. Separate golf course accessories include a driving range, clubhouses, lockers and showers, storage, and reclaimed water storage and disposal. Conditional recreation uses include bars, restaurants and on-site sports equipment sales. Building proportion limits are listed at 3 stories and 35 feet, and the minimum lot size is no smaller than 7,000 square feet. The Specific Plan errata refer to the California General Plan Guidelines. It notes that: “Statutory provisions allow for streamlined permitting once a specific plan is in place. For example, residential development projects are exempt from (the California Environmental Quality Act) if they implement and are consistent with a specific plan for which an (Environmental Impact Report) or supplemental EIR has been prepared.” The “Housing Program” chapter errata, requested by the Planning Commission, notes mixed lot size limits in small-lot subdivisions within each large lot. Those include 10 percent lots sized 3,500 to 4,500 square feet; 10 percent sized 4,501 to 6,000 square feet; and 20 percent sized 6,001 to 7,000 square feet. 60 percent of those lots must be larger than 7,001 square feet. The commission meets at 7 p.m. today in the Community Building on 33 Church Street in Sutter Creek. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Sutter Creek Planning Commission canceled its regular meeting Monday and will resume work on the Gold Rush Ranch & Golf Resort’s specific plan when 2 of its members return from vacation. Commissioners Frank Cunha and Robert Olson missed the last meeting July 13th and are still gone. The commission is looking to get through clean-up work at its next 2 meetings, and discussed that earlier this month, and planned a lot of work in 2 meetings in August. Commissioner Mike Kirkley said they need a “meeting with all 5 commissioners to discuss General Plan consistency” of Gold Rush’s specific plan. Consultant Anders Hague told the commission that mitigation measures were put into a single package at the end of the document’s conditions of approval, “in order to keep the measures clear.” The commission must go through those conditions. Hague said he is “working on the timing of the Development Agreement,” including when a tertiary water treatment plant has to be built. Gold Rush’s Troy Claveran said Gold Rush would be obligated to pay $8,760 dollars per lot for recreation impact fees. In discussion, they said language for parks included land “adjacent” to Gold Rush, which could be housed outside of the current development area. Sharyn Brown asked about noise control for a commercial area in Gold Rush. Hague said that was handled in the mitigation measures. Commissioner Corte Strandberg said construction noise was prohibited on Sunday. It is allowed from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, and during weekday business hours. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Amador County’s foreclosure tally rose to 29 foreclosures and 85 defaults since the start of 2007, according to data released by research company MDA DataQuick. This helped to bring the foreclosure total in the eight county Sacramento region to 41,903. In April, May and June, another 4,448 were repossessed and filing notices of default were issued against 10,682 more households late on their payments. In total, that’s 10.2 percent of California's 410,744 foreclosures in the same time period. DataQuick credited rising unemployment and a ragged economy as the key elements preventing homeowners from affording their mortgages. Still, Amador County is fairing much better than other counties in the region. Sacramento County had 3,019 foreclosures and 6,862 defaults, and El Dorado County had 202 foreclosures and 632 defaults. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.