Author: Save Our County

Attend Dollar General Appeal Hearing – Tuesday, April 5th at 2:00pm

Please attend and show support for Main Street, Georgetown

From Georgtown Gazette, March 31, 2016, Letters to the Editor

Dollar General is a gargantuan design

To the people of the Georgetown Divide and El Dorado County, I am reaching out to you with good news, that the Dollar General project approved by our planning commissioners is not a done deal, the jury is still out.  The Georgetown Preservation Society has appealed this project directly to the Board of supervisors and consequently we have a hearing date set for Tuesday April 5th, at 2pm.

We need all the support we can get from concerned citizens who love or care about historic Georgetown.  Folks, you need to come out to this Board Meeting if we are to steer the County toward the right decision about this very important matter.  They’ve heard from some of us but not from enough of us.  There are critical issues at stake including flooding, the fate of Empire Creek and the unknown condition and extent of an underground mine. 

As concerning our cultural resources and tourism, guidelines of the General Plan that protect against the defacement of historic districts, in spite of all the commentary from the public, has been ignored by our government.. The Dollar General would be a massive structure, and if they had wanted to put it over on Highway 193 somewhere, they wouldn’t be facing this opposition.  Mr. Beam has the right to sell or develop his three parcels, but let’s keep it historical Georgetown, as all the others on Main Street have.  If we band together we can save our town.  If we don’t, this project will be the end of Georgetown as we know it.  The gargantuan design will be unlike any architecture from the California gold rush era, nor does it fit in with the Victorian structures surviving and maintained in the area until now.   As you all know they want to construct Dollar General and a great big lighted parking lot and loading dock along Main Street, between the stamp mill and the rest of the historic town, across the street from the oldest hotel.  As Jeff Worton said at a hearing, it is a spaceship landing in town.  I invite you all to join me and GPS at the April 5 hearing to shut this irreversible act of defacement down.

DAVE SOUZA

Meeting Location:
Board of Supervisors
Building A
330 Fair Lane, Placerville, CA

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37,000 parcels rezoned without public input in El Dorado County

The Planning Commission heard staff testimony and public comment on Thursday, August 27, regarding the Targeted General Plan Amendment and Zoning Ordinance Update (TGPA/ZOU) and will continue on Wednesday, September 2, at 8:30am.


One thing that became very clear during the hearing is that the County DID NOT make any effort to notify the public about proposed zoning changes to parcels. The small print of the Public Notices in the newspaper and the County’s email notices did not make it clear that it is up to you to research whether or not your parcel or adjacent parcels are proposed to change.


Here is an example: At the hearing, parcels were identified that are proposed to be rezoned to Commercial Regional ( a new zone being created), which is a high-intensity retail commercial zone. However, the parcels are currently zoned Commercial, which is a very broad category that includes light commercial to heavy commercial. If the new zoning is applied, then the parcels will not be considered for light commercial, despite the fact that light commercial is more compatible with the nearby residential properties. Staff acknowledged that property owners did not have input into the decision, nor were the adjacent property owners notified. Staff determined the criteria and proposed changes without property owner input. And the list of 37,000 proposed parcel changes could be full of incompatible rezones.


You can look up the information regarding your parcel here, using either your parcel number or street address: http://gem.edcgov.us/zoning_luppu/ It would also be good for you to click around the map to see if any parcels adjacent to your property are proposed for rezoning.


If you have questions regarding what they are doing with your parcel or nearby parcels, call Shawna L. Purvines, Principal Planner, County of El Dorado, (530) 621-5362 or email at shawna.purvines@edcgov.us
Please attend the meeting. Just tell the Planning Commissioners to vote for NO PROJECT. They have no right to massively amend the voter-approved General Plan or change our historic zoning rights.

FWD: County votes to proceed with Meyers Plan #4 despite extensive public comments

This is happening all over the County.  We need to speak up now!

From our friends in Meyers:

Hello Meyers Community,
Thank you to all of those who sent in letters and/or attended today’s Board of Supervisors meeting. Unfortunately, the Board voted to proceed with the environmental review on the draft Meyers Area Plan version #4, which includes changes that are contrary to most of the general community feedback to date (as well as promises made by County representatives last year), including but not limited to:
  • Maximum height at 42 feet – community feedback has mostly favored no more than 35 feet
  • Maximum densities of 30 units/acre – most community feedback supported 10-15 units/acre
  • Allowing hotels throughout the entire Meyers “core” – community feedback limits hotels to the north end (as the 1993 Plan allows) or limits to smaller bed & breakfast facilities at 10 units/acre
  • An Advisory Council that is selected by the Board of Supervisors – while the community has clearly stated it wants more local say
  • A “Community Incentive Program” and other changes which favor large developments – while the community favors supporting existing and new small, local businesses
Most of the public comments today (and written comments submitted in advance) requested the Board wait and ensure a true, community process. The public recognized that once a new plan moves into the environmental review phase, it is unlikely to change much. Here is the breakdown of the 17 public comments at today’s meeting:
  • 10 community members discussed the problem with the public process to date and requested the Board not proceed and instead, listen to the residents
  • 3 speakers associated with the NV-based Tahoe Chamber encouraged the Board to push forward the new Area Plan (#4)
  • 1 TRPA representative requested the Board pursue the new Area Plan (#4)
  • 1 community member involved in the 1993 Plan requested the environmental review process move forward, but that the community needs to be involved
  • 2 other community members supported moving the plan forward
Of the 4 Board Supervisors voting (remember: Sue Novasel can’t), 3 voted ‘yes’ (to push the new Plan forward). Supervisor Frentzen, the only ‘no’ vote, questioned the use of County resources to pursue the new Area Plan given there is no information to show what the economic impacts (good or bad) are from the proposed Area Plan. During this discussion, County staff said they ‘were not sure’ if the Plan will bring investments the community wants to see (such as tearing down the Tveton lot), and also responded that the County “isn’t in the development business” and that the “environmental analysis will look at the impacts.” Supervisor Frentzen also asked what the impacts would be from allowing new hotels next to residential areas throughout the entire Meyers core. County staff also ‘did not know’ and again deferred to the environmental review.
On a final note, Supervisor Ranalli said: “[he] appreciates the public’s recognition that it’s the Board’s charge to make the decision today, even if [the Board members] don’t live here.“
We encourage you to continue to write to the Board of Supervisors, as well as express your concerns to the local media and other outlets.
Thank you.

 

COURT BRIEF FILED IN CASE AGAINST EL DORADO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR ABUSE OF DISCRETIONARY POWER

For Immediate Release                                        Contact: Sue Taylor (530) 391-2190

COURT BRIEF FILED IN CASE AGAINST EL DORADO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR ABUSE OF DISCRETIONARY POWER

June 30, 2015, Placerville, CA
The Opening Brief has been filed in the matter of Citizens for Sensible Development in El Dorado Hills v County of El Dorado. The basis of the litigation can be seen in a copy of the Brief here: http://tinyurl.com/oy66nw2

The abuse of discretion by the Board motivating this legal action is described in Attorney Tom Infusino’s December 1, 2014 letter:

“Given the unusual decision of the Board of Supervisors on November 4 to defy the recommendations of their advisory bodies, and to direct the Planning Department to prepare for project approval, it has become necessary to explain why this project approval is not only ill advised, but also unlawful at this time.”

It is up to citizens to take action and hold officials accountable when they abuse their discretionary power and ignore the law. Citizens for Sensible Development in El Dorado Hills and Save Our County are working together to see that public concerns about the project and its impact on the community are addressed and that environmental law is followed.

Please visit www.Citizens4SensibleDevelopment.org or www.SaveOurCounty.net to find out how you can join the effort to hold the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors accountable for abusing their discretionary power.
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Act now! Main Street Placerville Streetscape on 6/23/15 Consent Calendar

The Main Street Placerville Streetscape plan is on the Tuesday, June 23, 2015 Consent Calendar for funding.  This is despite the fact that the Council has yet to decide on the final elements that will be included in the project and that there is not adequate funding for the entire project.  There is nothing attached to the agenda item for the public to review to aid in the selection of the elements to be included in the project.   Click here for the Agenda and here for the Staff Report.

Click here to review a detailed timeline of the milestones on this project. 

Please contact City Manager Cleve Morris at (530) 642-5200 or cmorris@cityofplacerville.org to forward a request to the City Council that the item be pulled off of the Consent Calendar for public discussion.

Attend the meeting to give your input on this project.
City Council Chambers – Town Hall
 549 Main Street, Placerville, CA 95667
6:00 P.M. Open Session

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