What should have been a simple process has turned into a years-long, complicated nightmare for the Howe family. Please attend the Placerville City Council meeting at 549 Main Street, Placerville, on March 28, 2017 at 6:00 pm to show your support.
On April 30, 2015, Wilbur Howe and his sister, Marilyn McCarthy, received a notice from the City of Placerville to correct a violation of a City code due to a complaint submitted by past City employee Steve Calfee.
The Howe Family felt that they had no other choice than to submit an application for a permit to allow their employees to park on their adjacent property.
At the November 3, 2015 Planning Commission meeting, after 2 previous hearings, the Commission conceptually approved Conditions of Approval that waived paving, landscaping, and lighting on the Howe’s private property. Planning staff asked to return on November 17, 2015, with project findings and conditions, consistent with the Commission’s discussion, for approval of the project.
After this approval, Planning Commissioner Michael Frenn met with Wilbur Howe on the property and realized a sign was needed to prevent the public from parking on the property. Commissioner Frenn also found that the bollards were extremely expensive and desired to give the Howe Family another option.
Here is the Staff Report for the November 17, 2015 meeting: 11-17-15 Staff Report
At the November 17, 2015 Planning Commission meeting, Commissioner Michael Frenn asked if he could have the Commission reconsider items #4 and #5 (the bollards and sign). He was told they would need to re-open the hearing for the public and Commission to discuss, which was scheduled to December 15, 2015.
Here are the Staff Report and Conditions of Approval for the December 15, 2015 meeting: 12-15-15 Agenda Report
At the December 15, 2015 Planning Commission meeting, the project went sideways. The Planning Commission denied the permit based on an insufficient application following Peter Wolfe’s motion. (The application had been deemed complete by staff on July 6, 2015.)
After many more meetings, the request was reconsidered by the Commission and on September 20, 2016, Conditions were approved which required paving, striping, and a landscaping maintenance agreement.
On September 30, 2016, the Howe Family appealed the Planning Commission’s decision to the City Council.
At the March 14, 2017 City Council meeting, erroneous information was shared to the City Councilmembers and is excerpted here:
The Howe Family is asking the City to restore the Conditions of Approval that were conceptually approved by the Planning Commission on November 3, 2015, with changes to Condition #4 to allow for a decorative wall instead of bollards, and Condition #5 to allow for returning the larger, more visible, Private Parking sign.
Here is a drawing that was suggested for the decorative wall instead of bollards in Condition #4:
Save Our County - Joint Coalition 
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