City eyes planning developments

By Alicia Castro | Posted: Friday, June 6, 2014 6:00 am /Calaveras Enterprise

The Angels Camp Planning Department had the attention of the city council Tuesday night when it presented projects and ordinances related to the city’s growth.

One such item was the Partnership Planning Grant, an award of $150,000 granted to the city from Caltrans through the Calaveras Council of Governments in 2013 to review the north Highway 4 and 49 intersection. The same area was highlighted May 29, following a vote by the Planning Commission to approve the site plan of a proposed Mark Twain Medical Center clinic on Dogtown Road.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Design Workshop was selected as the project’s consultant.

“It’s going to be tight on what we can actually do,” said Planning Director David Hanham. “Based on the experience of this firm, we feel we’re going to get the best bang for our buck. … It gives us a good opportunity to outline things for future development.”

Hanham said one of Design Workshop’s strengths is its community involvement; the firm hopes to involve stakeholders such as business owners, neighborhood groups, school representatives and tourism organizations, as well as public safety and jurisdictional groups, in the development of circulation and access project plans.

At last week’s Planning Commission meeting, the group heard a number of citizens’ concerns about potential changes in access to Dogtown Road and Gardner Lane as a result of the proposed hospital clinic. Hanham said he hopes the results of the Partnership Planning Grant may ease some of those reservations with the project’s site and its impacts on businesses and residents.

The project is scheduled to be reviewed by the city council at the June 17 meeting.

Oak tree ordinance

The council also reviewed a seven-page oak tree ordinance, designed to protect trees located on future developments. The ordinance was initiated in 2009 and its development process was extensive.

Several years ago, the commission selected an ad-hoc committee to put together a draft ordinance, and the item was reviewed over the course of seven meetings. The ordinance was approved in January 2011, and it came before the council in April 2013 but was returned to staff with suggestions. A revised ordinance was approved by the city’s Planning Commission this April. But the item was again sent back to staff with amendment suggestions Tuesday night.

“This was a complex document for me,” said Councilman Bert Sobon. “This is one of the documents that has taken me the longest to review in my year-and-a-half in the council. … I think the goal and objective is a reasonable one – protect our trees – but this seems like an onerous procedure to go through.”

City Attorney Derek Cole, who specializes in environmental law, conceded that the ordinance is complex but added that it is consistent with other cities’ ordinances. He also stressed that as part of the 2020 General Plan update, a tree preservation ordinance is required.

The ordinance was initiated when a couple of previous development projects cut down several trees but did not end up developing plots.

“This puts the developers on alert,” Hanham said. “Here are some guidelines to preserve the heritage trees, the oak trees.”

Heritage trees are classified as those with a diameter of 24 inches or more of madrone, manzanita, ponderosa pine, incense cedar, California buckeye, Western redbud and arroyo willow.

Hanham said staff reviewed aerials of the city.

“Out to the north and south, that’s where the swath of trees are,” Hanham said. “The intent was, when those areas develop, that there was a way to save those trees.”

During public comment, several citizens said they feared an unintended consequence on business attraction.

“It’s kind of a deterrent for somebody coming into town with a tree ordinance that burdensome,” said Angels Camp resident Tad Folendorf. “We’ve spent six years and tens of thousands of dollars on it, and I’m still not sure we need an ordinance.”

Councilman Wes Kulm said he would support the adoption of the ordinance in recognition of staff time that was invested. He also said that the weight of the ordinance balanced itself out.

“On the one hand, you’re saying saving the trees is an undue burden, but once the tree is there on the lot, the developer recognizes, ‘Well I have a premium lot situation here and I’m going to price it at a higher market,’” he said.

He suggested the council refer the document back to the planning commission to address two unclear points in the document – individual landowners’ ability to cut down a certain amount of trees for personal use as wood and the possibility of city reimbursement of a portion of arborists’ fees.

Zone expansion

In an effort to enable expansion, the council also approved adding a business attraction and expansion zone to the city’s municipal code. The zone is designed to accommodate business parks, small-scale industrial parks and education parks.

And the city may be getting a new park, thanks to the inquiries of a citizens interested in an open space for dogs and their owners.

“I think it would be a great amenity for the city,” Kulm said. “The only thing I’m concerned about – wherever it’s located, it’s probably not going to be ideal for everyone in the community.”

The council directed staff to look into potential locations of a park and explore costs, as well as the possibility of community participation in funding and oversight.

In other city news:

• Upon the recommendation of the Calaveras Local Agency Formation Commission, the council directed the Angels Camp Fire Department to explore the option of an agreement involving fire services and cost sharing with the Altaville-Melones Fire Protec-tion District.

• The council approved the preliminary engineer’s re-port for the Greenhorn Creek Landscape and Lighting District. The report does not include suggestions on wetland mitigation or use of the LLD surplus, items that have caused an ongoing legal case against the city. The report suggests levying a $297-per-parcel annual fee to property owners.