NEW PLACERVILLE COURTHOUSE

June 10 2015, Notice of Determination that the Judicial Council certified the Final Environmental Impact Report and approved the project.

February 13, 2015, Letter to Judicial Council Click Here

The Blue Ribbon Committee was formed with the foregone conclusion that the New Placerville Courthouse will be built on Ray Lawyer Drive and that the Main Street Courthouse will no longer have court rooms. If the Placerville City Council wants to keep court rooms on Main Street to retain downtown Placerville’s economic vitality (as stated by City Clerk Susan Zito), then why isn’t the Blue Ribbon Committee and the City Council lobbying the Judicial Council of California to adopt Alternative 2 of the Draft Environmental Impact Report?

Link to City Manager’s January 27, 2015 Report regarding the formation of the Blue Ribbon Committee: http://www.cityofplacerville.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=9371

December 29, 2014, Letter to the Editor, Land swap between El Dorado County and Briggs Family Trust for New Placerville Courthouse

November 12, 2014, Potential Business Park planned for land near New Placerville Courthouse

Land for Sale listed on CBRE website. The land swap between El Dorado County and Briggs Family Trust was approved by the Board of Supervisors on December 2, 2014.

“The historic courthouse is an integral and central part of the economic, social and cultural life of the city, and its abandonment would cause irreparable damage to the city. If the courthouse moved to a new location, the public defender’s office, the district attorney’s office, the CASA office and numerous attorneys and other services adjunct to the judicial system would soon follow, leaving downtown Placerville a blighted ghost town.

There appears to be a conflict of interest in regards to the ownership of the property. John Briggs is the father of a sitting El Dorado County Supervisor and grandfather to a past City of Placerville Planning Commissioner who advocated for this specific location. John Briggs is presently marketing the property as the future site for potential leased county facilities.” December 1, 2014 Comments on Draft Environmental Impact Report John Briggs is speculating that future Board of Supervisor decisions will favor these potential county facilities and increase the market value of his land.