Author: APAC Board

April 11, 2023 in CIP EDH APAC Planning Commission

EDH APAC Comment Letter to Planning Commission About Latrobe Road CIP Item

Comment Letter submitted to Planning Commission recommending tabling Latrobe Road CIP Item.

El Dorado Hills APAC submitted a comment letter to the Planning Commission regarding Agenda Item #2 on their scheduled April 13, 2023 Planning Commission Hearing. EDH APAC members, and many El Dorado Hills residents have concerns regarding the timing of adding a Latrobe Road widening project back into the County’s Capital Improvement Program, just three years after removing the project (then – CIP Project No: 72LATROBE) due to a finding that it was unwarranted in 2019/2020.

The timing concerns center on the staff recommendations that the new CIP #36105055 item is due to “growth in the EDH Business Park.” EDH APAC Subcommittee members have observed that the only significant growth in the El Dorado Hills Business Park that might justify traffic improvements has been the expansion of the John Adams Academy private school. The school has been a success welcomed by EDH residents, and has generated a significant traffic impact in the area, however without a traffic analysis it is uncertain if that one development has triggered the need for the expansion of Latrobe Road. John Adams Academy opened in El Dorado Hills in 2017, so some of its traffic impacts should have been known in 2020 when CIP Project 72LATROBE was removed from the CIP list.

It appears that CIP #36105055 would mostly benefit the proposed Project Frontier, which EDH APAC Subcommittees are still reviewing. EDH APAC Subcommittees are concerned that adding CIP #36105055 into the CIP would expose El Dorado County Taxpayers to more costs by shifting the funding burden away from the full impacts of the proposed Project Frontier development before it has been adequately reviewed and analyzed.

CIP project #36105055 proposes to widen Latrobe Rd between Investment Blvd and Golden Foothills Pkwy (south)

The EDH APAC comments to the Planning Commission recommend:

EDH APAC would propose delaying this action before your Commission before a thorough review has been completed. Considering that CIP 36105055 was removed as “unwarranted” just in 2020, it is fair to ask if it was short-sighted to remove the project at that time. If so, it may also be short-sighted to add the project back into the CIP without a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of Project Frontier in 2023.

Taking too long?

Reload document

Open in new tab

April 11 2023 Comment Letter [185.87 KB]

March 14, 2023 in Commercial Development Project Frontier

Project Frontier Applicant and County Auditor Controller Responses to EDH APAC

Project Applicants provide responses to EDH APAC comment letter submitted for February 16, 2023 TAC Meeting

The applicants for Project Frontier, a proposed distribution and sortation facility consisting of two buildings totaling four million square feet, to be located at the southern end of the El Dorado Hills Business Park on the west side of Latrobe Road between Royal Oaks Drive on the north, and Wetsel-Oviatt Road to the south, have supplied a response letter to the comments submitted by EDH APAC to the El Dorado County Technical Advisory Committee Meeting held on February 13, 2023. The response letter indicates that the project’s application for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to allow one of the project’s buildings to exceed current El Dorado County height limits, has been provided a determination by the County Planning Department that the appropriate decision making authority rests with the Zoning Administrator (Director of Building and Planning).

From the response letter:

The project applicant has applied for a conditional use permit to allow one of the buildings to exceed current height limits. A conditional use permit is a discretionary approval and the El Dorado County Zoning Code (“Zoning Code”) requires a noticed public meeting for a conditional use permit. Section 130.52.021 provides for the Zoning Administrator or Planning Commission to be the review authority for a conditional use permit, and “[t]he determination of the review authority shall be made by the Director based on the nature of the application, and the policy issues raised by the project.”
A conditional use permit is not required to allow the project uses. The Matrix of Allowed Uses in Table 130.23.020 of the County Zoning Code provides that “Wholesale Storage and Distribution,” the same use as the proposed project, is an allowed use in the Research and Development Zone. A local agency cannot selectively or arbitrarily require a discretionary approval for uses that the Zoning Code allows by right with a ministerial building permit approval.
The applicant understands that, because the proposed project uses are consistent with zoning, are allowed by right, and have been previously analyzed in numerous environmental analyses, the Planning Department has determined that the Zoning Administrator is the appropriate decision-making body for the conditional use permit that is limited to the proposed building height.

The full response letter addressing the items raised by EDH APAC is embedded here:

March 14, 2023 Applicant Responses to EDH APAC Feb 16, 2023 TAC Meeting Comments Letter

Taking too long?

Reload document

Open in new tab

Download Applicant March 14 2023 Response Letter [403.70 KB]

EDC Auditor Controller March 14, 2023 letter to EDH APAC

El Dorado County Auditor Controller Joe Harn provided the following letter to EDH APAC addressing Sales Tax and Apportionment questions raised by EDH APAC.

Auditor Controller Harn’s letter is embedded here:

Taking too long?

Reload document

Open in new tab

Download EDC Auditor Controller March 14 2023 Letter [329.06 KB]

Project Frontier Applicant Presentation at the EDH APAC March 15, 2023 6:30PM meeting

The project applicants will provide a project presentation and discussion at the Wednesday March 15, 2023 6:30PM EDH APAC Meeting. The meeting will be hybrid: in-person at EDH Fire Station 85 1050 Wilson Blvd, with virtual discussion via ZOOM, and streamed live on the EDH APAC YouTube Channel. The Room capacity does not exceed 100 guests. Meeting details and streaming links can be found on our March 13th meeting event page

EDH APAC Project Documents page updated with Draft Traffic Impact Analysis Report and all available project documents.

To read all public project documents, including the DRAFT Traffic Impact Analysis Report, visit the EDH APAC Project Documents Page for Project Frontier

October 13, 2022 in Transportation

El Dorado County Transportation Department October 12, 2022 Presentation to EDH APAC

Transportation Department Director Rafael Martinez provides details on maintenance funding, and Ballot Measures R and S

At the October 12, 2022 El Dorado Hills Area Planning Advisory Committee meeting, the El Dorado County Transportation Department provided a video presentation from department Director Rafael Martinez. In the presentation, Director Martinez discussed many elements of the Transportation Department’s responsibilities, the various sources of funding to the department, and how that funding is broken down to support road maintenance activities in El Dorado County. Additionally Director Martinez discussed the shortcoming in funding that was projected to be provided by the 2017 Senate Bill 1 (SB1) – the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, and how state dollars that have historically been dedicated to providing local road maintenance funding has continued to shrink. Director Martinez provides detail on the El Dorado Count Ballot Measures R and S: Proposed Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) tax rate increase. Measure R would raise the TOT rate on the Western Slope from 10% to 12%, and Measure S would raise the TOT rate on the Eastern Slope (unincorporated Lake Tahoe area) from 10% to 14%. These are taxes mostly paid by visitors to El Dorado County from hotel, Bed & Breakfast, and vacation home rentals. The 2% increase on the Western Slope and the 4% increase on the Eastern Slope would be dedicated to road maintenance and snow removal.

DOT Presentation to EDH APAC by Director Rafael Martinez

View the presentation on the EDH APAC YouTube Channel

June 21, 2022 in Uncategorized

Transportation Department provides list of road Projects in District 1

Comprehensive list of road projects in and around El Dorado Hills

At the June 2022 El Dorado Hills Community Council meeting, District 1 Supervisor John Hidhal shared a list of area road projects and developments provided by the El Dorado County Transportation Department. Several items included in the list are either already in progress, or will begin in the near future.

The list is quite comprehensive, and covers both road projects and development projects that impact roads.

Taking too long?

Reload document

Open in new tab

Download D1 Project List [139.27 KB]

June 9, 2022 in Central El Dorado Hills Specific Plan Planning Commission

Planning Commission June 9, 2022 CEDHAP Hearing – Commissioners vote to recommend project denial

Findings center on lack of General Plan Consistency, and El Dorado Hills public sentiment.

The El Dorado County Planning Commission held a public hearing to complete their deliberations on recommendations to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors regarding the proposed Central El Dorado Hills Specific Plan. After a morning of receiving additional Public Comments (continued from the Planning Commission’s April 28, 202 2public hearing) the Commissioners heard additional updates from the project applicant, and from County Planning Staff.

After a lunch break, the Commission resumed their deliberative process, discussing issues among themselves, and providing their own opinions on many elements of the proposed Specific Plan. Eventually settling on concerns that the project as proposed was inconsistent with the Adopted 2004 Voter Approved General Plan, the commissioners first voted to not accept the Final Environmental Impact Report as complete on a four to one vote, with Commissioners Payne, Nevis, Harkin, and Vegna supporting, and Commissioner Clerici voting no. Following this, the Commissioners voted unanimously to provide a recommendation of Denial to the Board of Supervisors.

The project will move on to the Board of Supervisors for consideration. The Board of Supervisors does not have to accept the recommendation of the Planning Commission, and may, in fact, approve the project. No hearing date has yet been publicly announced.

The Meeting Minutes of the Planning Commission Hearing will be posted in the Planning Commission Documents section of the EDH APAC website when they are published by El Dorado County.

A Message to the El Dorado Hills Community from EDH APAC Chair John Davey

Many, many people have reached out to congratulate APAC regarding the Planning Commission decision to recommend denial of the Central El Dorado Hills Specific Plan to the Board of Supervisors – but to be honest, I don’t know that congratulations are appropriate, or warranted. I certainly join the majority in our community in thanking our APAC volunteers for their beyond-the-pale efforts in examining and reviewing the project. Additionally, many members of the community participated in providing feedback to the Planning Commission over several years, and their efforts should not go unrecognized.
As I mentioned again in public comments to the Planning Commissioners at the hearing, I really view our APAC finding of non-support, and the Planning Commission’s recommendation of denial as a failure – from all corners.
Failure from our community and APAC in conveying our concerns about the project in a way that the applicant and county planners could recognize that the project could have been modified in some beneficial manner that the community could support, and a failure from the applicant, planning staff, and the approvals process that this project took ten years to get to the Planning Commission with no meaningful compromises, that might have satisfied the community, and generated actual benefits that the community might have been able to support.
I absolutely take no joy in the project being recommended for denial by the Planning Commission. I believe it was the correct decision, but ultimately I regret the lost time of ten years, and squandered opportunities to find a recreational use for the former Executive Golf Course property, as well as the opportunity for needed multifamily housing in the Pedregal Plan area, to benefit our community.

My hope is that a community approach can be undertaken to generate a project (or projects) for the properties that respects existing zoning. One that our residents can support, that enhances the things we all love about El Dorado Hills, and that is a beneficial project for the property owner. Understandably many may perceive a sense of animosity between members of the community and the project applicant. That is unnecessary – this all revolves around a simple disagreement, and nothing more. It’s natural and healthy to have reasonable disagreements. What we do to resolve our disagreements speaks more about our community, than arguing about the issues.
JOhn Davey, El dorado Hills Area Planning Advisory Committee chair.

June 2, 2022 in Central El Dorado Hills Specific Plan EDH APAC

El Dorado Hills APAC Subcommittee submits finding of non-support for CEDHSP

Click HERE to see EDH APAC Findings Report

Planning Commission Public Hearing Scheduled for June 9th at 8:30AM

The El Dorado Hills Area Planning Advisory Committee submitted the findings of the APAC Central El Dorado Hills Specific Plan Subcommittee report to the County of El Dorado Planning Commission, and the El Dorado County Planning Department on Thursday June 2.

The Subcommittee Findings report is comprised of 68 pages of findings, concerns, and questions. Thirteen supporting exhibits were also included. The Report concludes with a finding of non-support, which is consistent with the Subcommittee report in January 2020, prior to a second recirculated Draft Environmental Impact Report being issued to address the new Vehicle Miles Traveled transportation standard that became part of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and law in July 2020, and two new suggested project alternatives.

The subcommittee draft findings report was approved unanimously by voting EDH APAC members at a special May 25, 2022 meeting. The past two weeks, EDH APAC volunteers have worked on formatting, layout and internal linking for the supporting documents.

As part of the public comments, EDH APAC submitted the following observation in a cover letter:

The goal of EDH APAC is to review proposed El Dorado Hills development projects with the intent of finding the best possible result for our community, for the applicant, and for the County. To provide community feedback on the future of development in our community. Our reviews result in one of three possible findings:

1) Support of the project as presented
2) Conditional Support based on recommendations and improvements in the proposed project
3) Non-Support of the project based on incompatibility, or overall negative impacts for the El Dorado Hills community

As we offered in our January 2020 findings regarding the CEDHSP, our result in 2022, again, is a recommendation of Non-Support. The project has not changed in any meaningful way.

A finding of Non-Support is essentially a failure. A failure of EDH APAC and the Community to convey the necessity of needed improvements or changes for the project to be a benefit for our community. And a failure of the applicant and the Planning Department to recognize the community’s concerns, to discover some middle ground, improvements or changes, that recognizes and respects the numerous legitimate community concerns of shortcomings, and injury that our community seeks to avoid.

All documents – report, exhibits, etc – submitted as public comment for the June 9, 2022 Planning Commission Hearing are cataloged on this findings page: https://edhapac.org/edh-apac-subcommittee-findings-cedhsp/. Each link will allow the website visitor to view the full document as a PDF, without having to download each document.

El Dorado Hills residents are encouraged to offer their own fact-based concerns and questions as public comment to the Planning Commission – comments may be submitted to planning@edcgov.us. Include the following in the subject line: Public Hearing: Agenda Item 3, Central El Dorado Hills Specific Plan.

April 7, 2022 in Development Planning Commission Summer Brook Transportation

EDH APAC Submits Recommendation on Summer Brook TM-R21-0001

Finds that request to modify 2008 conditions of approval for the signalization of the Green Valley Rd – Deer Valley Rd intersection should be denied.

EDH APAC April 5, 2022 letter to El Dorado County Planning Commission

Taking too long?

Reload document

Open in new tab

Download EDH APAC Public Comments [153.71 KB]

Full project documents and details can be found on the project document page:

Summer Brook documents page

Green Valley Rd – Deer Valley Rd intersection 2012 prior to 2014 intersection improvements- looking west

Green Valley Rd – Deer Valley Rd intersection 2021 following 2014 intersection improvements – looking west

August 25, 2021 in Costco EDH 52 Development Scoping Meeting

EDH52 – Costco Commercial Center NOP Draft EIR and EDH APAC Response to Virtual Scoping Meeting

El Dorado County issues Notice of Preparation of DEIR and Virtual Scoping Meeting Scheduled for September 8, 2021 at 6PM

On August 23, 2021 El Dorado County Planning Department published a Notice of Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report for the proposed EDH52 Commercial Center, featuring a Costco Membership Warehouse to be located at Silva Valley Parkway and US50, near Tong Road. The NOP also included a notice for a Public Scoping Meeting, which will be held virtually on September 6, 2021 at 6PM. To attend the Scoping Meeting, residents must register in advance.

The NOP and a subsequent corrected notice of the Public Scoping Meeting are shown below.

Notice of Preparation of Draft Environmental Impact Report

Taking too long?

Reload document

Open in new tab

Download NOP [1.69 MB]

Corrected Notice of Public Scoping Meeting

Taking too long?

Reload document

Open in new tab

Download Corrected Notice of Public Scoping Meeting [26.48 KB]

EDH APAC Submits letter seeking an in-person Scoping Meeting

El Dorado Area Planning Advisory Committee Officers believe that a project of this prominence, and generating interest among hundreds of El Dorado Hills residents merits an in-person public meeting. EDH APAC has heard from many community members with numerous questions, concerns, and comments about the project. The August 11, 2021 EDH APAC meeting held at El Dorado Hills Fire Department’s Station 85 Meeting room drew over 60 attendees in person to hear from the project applicants a presentation, and for the opportunity to ask questions. The meeting was also live streamed to over 68 virtual attendees.

EDH APAC Officers believe that a virtual scoping meeting diminishes the opportunity for the project applicants to meet with residents, and to directly hear, and answer questions that may result in a project that better benefits the El Dorado Hills Community, as well as the applicants.

EDH APAC Letter Regarding The Virtual Scoping Meeting

Taking too long?

Reload document

Open in new tab

Download EDH APAC Letter Regarding Public Scoping Meeting [139.99 KB]

August 10, 2021 in EDH APAC EDH FD

August 11, 2021 APAC Meeting In Person At EDH Fire Station 85, also Streaming Via Zoom and YouTube

Find the meeting details on the event page

Meeting in Hybrid Format

The August 11th EDH APAC meeting is being held in-person at the El Dorado Hills Fire Department Station 85 Meeting Room, located at 1050 Wilson Blvd, in El Dorado Hills. The meeting start time is 7:00PM

Since this will be the first in-person meeting for EDH APAC since restrictions for public gatherings were implemented in 2020, and because many community members find value in being able to attend EDH APAC Meetings virtually, the meeting will also be streamed via Zoom – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84531672523

Additionally, because the meeting topics are expected to draw increased attendance, EDH APAC will also attempt to stream the Zoom virtual session via the EDH APAC YouTube Channel – the live YouTube meeting link is https://youtu.be/kNmI-t_z6fE

The in-person attendance is limited to 114 guests. The EDH APAC Zoom Webinar attendance is limited to 100 attendees. Because of the these limits, if the Zoom session maxes out on attendees, Zoom will prompt every attendee beginning with the 101st attendee to follow the meeting live stream on YouTube. YouTube attendees will not be able to participate in the discussion, but will be able to view the live video, and hear the live audio.

REMINDER

Because EDH APAC has not conducted an in-person meeting in over a year, and also because meeting topics may be viewed by some members of the community as controversial, we offer these EDH APAC Meeting reminders:

PUBLIC COMMENTS are limited to three minutes, to allow all attendees the opportunity to participate.
PUBLIC COMMENTS on matters not on the published agenda are heard at the beginning of the meeting, at a designated time.
Courtesy is extended to all attendees from the Community, as well as to all speaking guests, and project applicants.
When public comment and questions from the community begins, we ask attendees to come forward to use the microphone – this allows all attendees to hear the comments and questions, both in-person, and for our streaming attendees. We cannot accept questions shouted from the audience.
Keep comments and questions short and focused – 1 or 2 questions/comments are permitted.
If your question has been asked, please do not repeat the same questions – we only have a limited time availability to use the meeting space.
Courtesy is expected in allowing guests to respond to questions and comments without interruption.

EDH APAC strives to make sure that our public discussions remain civil. Development projects can be controversial, for both supporters and for those who may be opposed. It is human nature to be motivated by emotion, but in EDH APAC’s experience of 40 years of reviewing proposed projects, we have found that emotion tends to cause decision makers to tune out the community’s concerns – and we have been guilty of that in the past too, just like any other community members. We’re committed to better, more effective, communication.

EDH APAC is not focused on supporting a project, or denying a project – we have no land use authority – EDH APAC strives to review proposed projects in a thoughtful informed manner, so that when we provide our findings, that they are based in facts, and reason. This allows the community’s concerns, questions, and suggestions, to be heard by the project applicants, the County Planning process, and our elected decision makers. EDH APAC’s goal is not to see a project approved, or denied, but to result in the best possible project outcome for El Dorado Hills residents, the County, and the project applicants. EDH APAC never seeks advocacy to support or oppose a project.

We’re excited to welcome the El Dorado Hills Community back to in-person public meetings – your participation is valuable.

July 8, 2021 in Transportation

Intersection Improvements – Silva Valley Parkway at Harvard Way

El Dorado County announces road construction activities beginning July 12th through September 30th

From the El Dorado County Press Release:

(PLACERVILLE, CA) — El Dorado County’s Department of Transportation will be performing road work at the intersection of Silva Valley Parkway and Harvard Way in El Dorado Hills beginning the week of July 12 through September 30, 2021. The construction work will require occasional lane and shoulder closures for which motorists should expect delays.
The closures are necessary to ensure motorist and worker safety while the County’s contractor constructs additional capacity in right and left turn pockets in both directions and adding a southbound through lane at the intersection on Silva Valley Parkway. Additionally, the project will improve bike lanes, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements at the crosswalks and curb ramps, and optimize the traffic signals for safety and efficiency.
Every effort will be made by the County’s contractor to minimize any impacts to school drop off and pick up times while school is in session.
Motorists are advised to slow down through the work zone and expect delays during reversing traffic control. Motorists are also advised to allow extra time when traveling through the work zone in order to arrive at their destinations on time.
The County sincerely appreciates the cooperation and patience of motorists that use this roadway and we apologize for any inconvenience as a result of these closures.
For questions regarding this construction, please contact the County’s Transportation main line at (530) 621-5900 (select Option 3 for Engineering).