Month: January 2018

January 26, 2018 in EDC BOS EDH Apartments

El Dorado Hills Apartments At Town Center Board of Supervisors Hearing Feb 13, 2018

The El Dorado County Community Development Services Planning And Building Department has issued a Notice of Public Hearing regarding the A16-0001 El Dorado Hills Apartments at Town Center Project at the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors, on February 13, 2018 at 1:00PM.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The County of El Dorado Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing in the Supervisors Meeting Room, 330 Fair Lane, Placerville, CA 95667 on February 13, 2018, at 1:00 p.m., to consider General Plan Amendment A16-0001/Rezone Z16-0004/Specific Plan Revision SP86-0002-R-3/Planned Development Revision PD94-0004-R-3/El Dorado Hills Apartments submitted by THE SPANOS CORPORATION to request the following: (1) General Plan Amendment adding a new policy under Objective 2.2.6 (Site Specific Policy Section) increasing the maximum residential density allowed in the General Plan from 24 dwelling units/acre to a maximum of 47 dwelling units/acre for the 4.565-acre site within the Town Center East Planned Development area identified as Assessor’s Parcel Numbers 121-290-60, 121-290-61, and 121-290-62; (2) El Dorado Hills Specific Plan Amendment incorporating multifamily residential use, density, and related standards for the apartment project. The project site would be designated as “Urban Infill Residential” within the Village T area of the El Dorado Hills Specific Plan; (3) Rezone of project site from General Commercial-Planned Development (CG-PD) to Multifamily Residential-Planned Development (RM-PD) and revisions to the Multifamily Residential zone district development standards applicable to the proposed 214-unit apartment complex; and (4) Revisions to the approved Town Center East Development Plan incorporating multifamily residential use, density, and related design and development standards for the proposed 214-unit apartment complex within Planning Area 2 of the Town Center East Development Plan. The proposed apartment complex would be contained in two 4-story, 60-foot-tall buildings and a 5-level, 60-foot-tall parking garage and other on-site amenities. The property, identified by Assessor’s Parcel Numbers 121-290-60, 121-290-61, and 121-290-62, consisting of 4.56 acres, is located on the northwest corner of Town Center Blvd. and Vine Street, within the Town Center East Planned Commercial Center, in the El Dorado Hills area, Supervisorial District 1. (County Planner: Mel Pabalinas) (Environmental Impact Report prepared, State Clearinghouse No. 201704217)

The Planning Commission has recommended approval of these applications based on the Findings and Conditions of Approval on file in Planning Services of the Planning and Building Department.

All persons interested are invited to attend and be heard or to write their comments to the Board of Supervisors at 330 Fair Lane, Placerville, CA 95667 or via e-mail: edc.cob@edcgov.us.
If you challenge the application in court, you may be limited to raising only those items you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Board at, or prior to, the public hearing.
Any questions regarding this project should be directed to the County of El Dorado Planning and Building Department, 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville, CA 95667 or via e-mail: planning@edcgov.us.

Project Document Page

January 24, 2018 in Development EDH FD

EDH Fire Department New El Dorado Hills Development Projects List

At the January 18, 2018 El Dorado Hills County Water District (EDH Fire Department) Board of Directors meeting, El Dorado Hills Fire Department’s Fire Marshal, Marshall Cox, provided a comprehensive list of current and proposed development projects in El Dorado Hills, and the immediate surrounding communities where the EDH Fire Department provides service, for the Board’s review.

Many residents are not aware that every project proposed in El Dorado Hills is reviewed by the El Dorado Hills Fire Department prior to moving through the approvals process. The Fire Department ensures that all projects are in compliance with fire codes – things like road widths, and building access and heights – to make sure that new projects can be served by EDH FD equipment, and that adequate water supply and fire hydrants are available to serve the project, and the project area, as well as many other criteria. The EDH FD doesn’t make recommendations about projects like the County Planning Services Dept, the Planning Commission, or the County Board of Supervisors (should it be built, should it be modified, is it an appropriate land use, is zoning correct, etc), they simply make sure that a project is in compliance with the fire code, and that the EDH FD has the resources to provide service to the project.

There are many projects on the list that residents my not be aware of, some new, as well as some that may have been forgotten (there are several older projects on the list), such as the Hampton Inn & Suites/Serrano on Saratoga and Arrowhead (which is now known as Sartoga Commercial), or “Town Center ACE Hardware” which currently has no available public information. Additionally, the EDH Fire Department does not monitor road improvement plans, like the new Country Club Dr realignment to Bass Lake Rd, so there are no road projects on the list.
A great aspect of this list is that it provides basic information for all the projects impacting El Dorado Hills in one document – as anyone who has tried to research projects on the El Dorado County website could tell you, there are multiple locations for project documents:

The Legistar file tracking system/calendar for the County Board of Supervisors, and their appointed Commissions, and decision making agencies
The county Project Status Pages for Approved Projects, and for Non-Approved Projects
As well as the Public Notice Pages that are mixed across various County Agencies

With all of these document locations, finding all the available information for any particular project can be overwhelming.

EDH FD Fire Marshal, Marshall Cox was kind enough to provide EDH APAC with an updated copy of the EDH FD New Development Report. APAC volunteers would like to thank Fire Marshal Cox, as well as the EDH Fire Department, for sharing this list, and for their commitment to helping to keep existing and new projects in El Dorado Hills as safe as possible.

Review the complete list in a single PDF document HERE

Here are some snapshots of the individual pages:
Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

January 17, 2018 in DR08-003-R Saratoga Retail EDH Apartments Planning Commission

Planning Commission Approves Town Center Apartments, Denies Sartoga Retail Drive-Thrus

At the January 11, 2018 El Dorado County Planning Commission hearing, Commissioners approved the El Dorado Hills Apartments A16-0001 project by a 3-2 vote, and approved the findings for denial of the Saratoga Retail DR08-0003-R project.

The Saratoga Retail project, originally approved in 2009 as the Shops at El Dorado Hills as a compromise between area neighbors, El Dorado Hills residents, El Dorado County, and the developer to limit the project to a Walgreens pharmacy with a drive thru for phase one, and phase two would consist of ’boutique’ shops in two buildings, that would serve the local neighborhood, as well as El Dorado Hills, and would not be ‘tourist drawing in nature’. The applicant sought to modify phase two by reducing overall square footage of phase two, but sought to add a third building, and two drive thru fast-food restaurants. The Planning Commission, after hearing from numerous residents in El Dorado Hills, decided to deny the project based on concerns regarding traffic/circulation, noise, aesthetics, environmental effects, and found that the project does not comply with the El Dorado County Zoning Ordinance’s parking requirements. The applicant can submit a revised project within 12 months, and additionally, has 10 days to appeal the ruling to the Board Of Supervisors.

The El Dorado Hills Apartments project was approved on a 3-2 vote, with District 1 Planning Commissioner Jon Vegna, and District 4 Planning Commissioner James Williams voting against approving the project. The project is scaled down from a previously approved project on the site (that is currently appealing litigation that stopped the project). Instead of a 250 unit complex, it has been downsized to 214 units, in two 4-story buildings, with one 5-story parking garage in the center. EDH APAC submitted a recommendation of non-support for the project primarily based on traffic impacts, land zoning/use conflicts, the loss of future sales tax and transient occupancy tax revenues, the loss of retail/commercial space in the Town Center Planned Development, and a General Plan amendment, changing the voter approved El Dorado County General Plan standard for multi-family density from its current 24 dwelling units per acre, and essentially doubling it to 47 dwelling units per acre for this project. The project now goes to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors for final approval. El Dorado County residents can still submit public comments, questions, and concerns, either supporting or opposing the project, to the Board of Supervisors. The hearing date for the project has yet to be scheduled.

January 8, 2018 in EDH APAC

EDH APAC January 2018 Meeting Agenda

The El Dorado Hills Area Planning Advisory Committee has published the agenda for the January 2018 regular meeting.

The meeting will be 7:00PM Wednesday January 10, 2018, at the El Dorado Community Services District Norm Rowett Pavilion on Harvard Way.
Event details are HERE

Guest Speaker

The meeting features guest speaker Executive Pastor Jarrod Weaver of Vintage Grace Church will present Vintage Grace’s plans for a new 23,000 square feet worship center and a 1,000 square feet field house.

Also speaking at the meeting will be District 1 Supervisor John Hidahl.

Projects and topics reviewed at the meeting include:

UPDATE– Actions taken by the Planning Commission at the December 14, 2017 Meeting with respect to the Saratoga Retail and Pavilions Memory Care Projects, and what comes next for these 2 projects. Formal APAC vote on Saratoga Retail Project.

UPDATE– Planning Commission Meeting on January 11, 2018. On the Agenda: Official Findings for Denial of Saratoga Retail project, AND Hearing to consider the El Dorado Hills Apartment Project. Updated APAC letter with respect to the El Dorado Hills Apartment Project in response to comments made in the Final Environmental Impact Report. APAC’s John Davey will lead the presentation and discussion on this.

UPDATES– on the Central El Dorado Hills Specific Plan, AND the lawsuit filed by Rural Communities United against the County of El Dorado and the Board of Supervisors to overturn the Oak Resources Management Plan and the Oak Resources Conservation Ordinance that were approved by the Board of Supervisors on October 24, 2017.

Nomination and Election of APAC officers for 2018

To complete the meeting, APAC will conduct its election of officers for 2018.

Agenda in PDF Format

January 5, 2018 in EDH APAC EDH Apartments Planning Commission

EDH APAC Submits Response Comments To El Dorado Hills Apartments Project Final Environmental Impact Report

The El Dorado Hills Area Planning Advisory Committee submitted response comments regarding the El Dorado Hills Apartments project A16-0001 to the El Dorado County Planning Commission in advance of their January 11 2018 project hearing.

Read the 12 page response letter HERE

The Project seeks to gain four entitlements that will permit the project to move forward with two 4-story apartment buildings comprised of 214 apartment units, and one 5-story parking garage at the corner of Town Center Blvd and Vine Street. The property is currently zoned for commercial development. It had previously been proposed to develop a hotel project on the site.

The four project entitlements are:

General Plan Amendment adding a new Policy (Policy 2.2.6.6) under Objective 2.2.6 (Site Specific Policy Section) to increase the maximum residential density allowed in the General Plan from 24 dwelling units per acre to a maximum of 47 dwelling units per acre specifically for the 4.565-acre project site within the TCE Planned Development area identified as Assessor’s Parcel Numbers 121-290-60, 61, and 62.
El Dorado Hills Specific Plan Amendment incorporating multi-family residential use, density, and related standards for the project site. The project site would be designated as “Urban Infill Residential” within the Village T area of the EDHSP Plan.
Rezoning of the project site from General Commercial-Planned Development (CG-PD) to Multi-Family Residential-Planned Development (RM-PD) and revisions to the RM-zone district development standards applicable to the proposed 214-unit apartment project
Revision to the approved Town Center East Development Plan incorporating multi-family residential use, density, and related design and development standards for the proposed 214-unit apartment project within Planning Area 2 of the TCE Plan area.

In studying the project, EDH APAC volunteers were concerned with issues regarding the traffic impacts, loss of commercial space and associated employment opportunities, sales tax loss, transient occupancy tax loss, non-compatible land use and conflict with the 1988 El Dorado Hills Specific Plan, and conflicts with the Voter Approved El Dorado County General Plan regarding a general plan amendment seeking to change the current multifamily residential density standard from a maximum of 24 dwelling units per acre, to 47 dwelling units per acres for this project.

El Dorado County continues to accept public comments on this project – to have public comments available to Planning Commissioners, comments should be submitted prior to January 10, 2018

Address public comments to:
County Planner Mel Pabalinas [ rommel.pabalinas@edcgov.us ]
Please be certain to cc: planning@edcgov.us and the Clerk of the Planning Commission, Char Tim [ charlene.tim@edcgov.us ]