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Tuesday, 08 May 2007 00:40

Jackson Planning Commission Makes Recommendation On Jackson Hills Golf Community Project After 5 Hou

slide2Last night the Jackson Planning Commission held a special meeting to make their recommendations to the City Council concerning the Jackson Hills Residential Community. The projects developer, New Faze Development is proposing 540 homes, an eighteen hole golf course, clubhouse, restaurant and maintenance facilities, recreation community center and spa, a 3 acre park and all the necessary roadway and infrastructure improvements associated with, and supporting, site development. Jackson and other County residents have mixed feelings about the project. Some state that there are major impacts that outweigh the benefits of the project. Impacts such as: traffic, sewer, effects on neighboring range land, and impacts local Police and Fire services.

Also a major concern is the density of the project which has lot sizes ranging in size from 6,000 square feet to one acre. It has been argued in the past that the new General Plan proposed minimum lot sizes of 8,000 square feet and larger and that the Jackson Hills developer should be held to that lot size. A benefit of the project, it has been argued is using reclaimed water to water the golf course.This has been a major argument on behalf of the opponents, but according to City Planner Susan Peters if recycled water is not available the project would designate the associated golf course lots as Open Space under the General Plan Amendment and place development prohibitions within the Planned Unit Master Development Plan.

slide7 Last night after nearly 5 hours of public comment and discussion the Jackson Planning Commission, after hearing arguments both for and against the project recommended, denial of the project to the City Council. Commissioners Terri Works, Dave Butow and Warren Carlton all said no to the project with Commissioners Wayne Garibaldi and Leticia Sexton stating that they would like to see a redesign of the project. Ultimately it’s the City Council who has the final vote in the matter. The Planning Commission’s recommendation will now move forward to the City Council for their review and discussion