Update on Petition Signatures, the Special Election in District 2, the General Plan Update (LUPPU), and more

Post date: Jun 25, 2014 8:26:33 PM

Greetings Shingle Springs residents and El Dorado County rural lifestyle supporters,

It's been a busy few months. Here are a few items of interest:

Purple Petition - We're near the finish line!

The Green (Community Region Line) petition was turned in to the Elections Office on Wednesday, June 11, with 9,421 signatures.

The Yellow (Measure Y) petition was turned in to the Elections Office on Monday, June 16, with 9,815 signatures.

The Purple (Retain Zoning and Preserve Resources) petition currently has 8,600 signatures collected and needs approximately 800 more signatures by September 8, 2014 to qualify to be on a ballot. There is not enough time to get the Purple Petition on the November 2014 ballot, so if we get enough signatures it will be on the next statewide ballot, which is June 2016.

The energy of our grassroots efforts has raised awareness in the county of the threats to our quality of life. People are taking notice and taking action. Let's keep up the good work and finish collecting signatures on the Purple petition. Visit our website www.LVC-EDC.org for locations to sign the petitions or reply to this email to help gather signatures.

District 2 Special Election to Replace Ray Nutting

A Special Election will be held on September 9th to replace Ray Nutting, who was removed from his seat as Supervisor of District 2 on June 6th. This is a crucial election because we will need to find and support a candidate that agrees with the residents who want to protect the rural quality of life in El Dorado County. Keep an eye on your email for an announcement of a community-wide meeting to meet the candidates.

General Plan Update (LUPPU, Land Use Policy Programmatic Update)

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for LUPPU was released on March 24, 2014, and public comments regarding the DEIR are due on July 23, 2014 at 5:00pm. There is a countywide team working on making comments on the DEIR and we can use more help. If you are interested and have experience in researching and writing reports, please reply to this email and we'll get you started with the team effort.

There is a Public Hearing with the Planning Commission scheduled for Thursday, July 10, at 8:30am in the Hearing Room of Building C at 2850 Fairland Court, Placerville. This is a good opportunity for you to ask questions about the impacts of the General Plan Update and learn how to submit your concerns to the county. Detailed information is available at: http://www.edcgov.us/Government/LongRangePlanning/LandUse/TGPA-ZOU_Main.aspx

Apartment Complex in El Dorado Hills Town Center

Although this project is not in Shingle Springs, it is of concern to the entire county. The impacts on water and traffic of an apartment complex of this size should be analyzed in a full Environmental Impact Report because the proposed density is 55 units per acre, which is more than allowed in the Specific Plan for Town Center, and more than the density allowed in the county's mixed-use and multi-family land uses. The scale of this project is not compatible with our county's policies of 16 units per acre in a mixed-use project or 24 units per acre in a multi-family project.

Here is the information that I am passing on from another concerned group in the county:

Please join us at the public comment meeting on Thursday 6/26/14, 8:30 AM, at the Planning Commission (2850 Fairlane Court, Building C, Placerville) on the purposed EDH apartments, item 14-0769. This is a chance to make your voice heard. If you cannot be at the meeting, you may submit written comments to:

Mel Pabalinas, Senior Planner

Community Development Services

Fax: (530) 642-9025

Email: planning@edcgov.us – Attention Mel Pabalinas in the Subject Line

COMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JUNE 25TH. PLEASE take a few minutes to send an email or fax and make your concerns known! Below is sample wording you can use:

Dear Planning Commissioners:

I am writing to voice my concerns over the 250 unit apartment complex being proposed for the El Dorado Hills Town Center. I don’t feel the impact of this project has been adequately analyzed. The impacts on water and traffic of an apartment complex of this size should be analyzed in a full Environmental Impact Report because the proposed density is 55 units per acre, which is more than allowed in the Specific Plan for Town Center, and more than the density allowed in the county's mixed-use and multi-family land uses. The scale of this project is not compatible with our county's policies of 16 units per acre in a mixed-use project or 24 units per acre in a multi-family project. Please vote to require an Environmental Impact Report.

[You may also list any specific concerns (noise, congestion, traffic, water concerns, etc.) to the Board/Commissioners here.]

Thank you,

[Your name]

[Your town or address]

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Thank you for your time and continued attention to protecting what is important to all of us who live in El Dorado County - our beautiful environment and life away from the congestion of the city. Please forward this email to your friends, family, and neighbors.