Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Sawmill Lake Project at the forefront of Planning Commission meeting

The following video is of the September 13, 2012 Planning Commission meeting which weighed heavily on the Sawmill Lake Project.

According to Planning Commissioner Rebecca Willis "11 issues are identified in the staff report.  At the applicant’s request, the Planning Commission continued the hearing until Dec 13th.  Staff is willing to meet with the applicant to look at project modifications that Castle and Cooke may be willing to do and where that may go.  However, the nature of some of the items do not lend themselves to being “resolved” in 90 days."

At the 9-13-12 meeting planning submitted a staff report that was prepared August 24, 2012. The report stated that the Sawmill Lake Project was not consistent with the Current General Plan and precludes option in the conservation element, land use element and water element of the General Plan. The report further stated that the Planning Commission direct 'staff to prepare a resolution recommending that the Board of Supervisors deny without prejudice the General Plan Amendment, Specific Plan, Vesting Tentative Map, and Development Agreement for the Sawmill Lake Project based upon the findings contained and found there in to be brought back to the Planning Commission for action.'

The questions surrounding the approval of the project include, but are not limited to, habitat of the Western Pond Turtle, six Tuolumne Button Celery plants, residential water runoff that could potentially have detrimental effects on Chinese Camp Brodiaea plants downstream, thinning of Oak trees, and more. (Read full staff report for list of ‘findings.’)


Planning Commission 9-13-12 meeting VIDEO