Of recent interest, within Amador County, is a battle between the Environmentalists and Economic growth. Dollar General has become the focus of an community action group calling itself the Pine Grove Alliance to cease developing a corner lot at the intersection of HWY 88 and Ridge Road. Using Environmental law an Asphalt Recycling plant, proposed building site near the old quarry just outside of Jackson CIty Limits on HWY 49, was successfully halted. Those in opposition hold that jobs, tax revenue and infrastructural improvements slated for in and around the proposed plant, out weight the small risk associated with the new facility. Retaining the original character of Pine Grove, an unincorporated town within Amador County, is another element within this ongoing contest between opposing interests. Of note has been the suspicion, never ceded with fact, of alleged unethical business practices by Dollar General. Prior efforts, apparently initiated by similar interests, including some of the same individuals involved in the current effort, were responsible for preventing a family owned and operated grocer, to be supplanted by IGA a larger corporate interest. As originally invested, Environmental laws have lead to a cleaner, safer and healthier environment. The savings in health care costs and in quality of life far outweigh potential profits or monetary benefits. Yet a continuing argument that returns for stifling new developments, is insignificant. A dwindling economy, high unemployment, local roads in need of repair (Amador County is 66th in the State for road quality) other infrastructural needs and services, lack sufficient funds; that new developments mean more jobs. The associated revenue from taxes (business, property, sales and income) would benefit more with little if any impact on the quality of life. With stories of Federal intrusion and State and Federal suffocation of new business ventures coming in from other states with what is perceived as overbearing environmental laws and regulations. The upcoming review of Amador Countys General Plan presents an opportunity for greater public input. : [email protected] AMADOR COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AGENCY PLANNING DEPARTMENT COUNTY ADMINISTRATION CENTER ● 810 COURT STREET JACKSON, CA 95642 -2132 NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING FOR THE AMADOR COUNTY DRAFT GENERAL PLAN NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the County’s comprehensive update of its General Plan is now available. The DEIR, as well as the Draft General Plan, may be viewed by interested parties and agencies during normal business hours at Amador County Planning Department, 810 Court Street, Jackson, CA; Main Branch (Jackson) of the Amador County Library located at 530 Sutter Street, Jackson, CA Ione Branch of the Amador County Library located at 25 Main Street, Ione, CA; Pine Grove Branch of the Amador County Library located at 19889 Pine Grove, CA; Ø Pioneer Branch of the Amador County Library located at 25070 Buckhorn Ridge Rd., Pioneer, CA; and Ø Plymouth Branch of the Amador County Library located at 9375 Main Street, Plymouth, CA. Both documents are also available on the County website at amadorgov.org . CDs and hard copies of the documents may also be purchased – please contact the Planning Department for details. The DEIR has been submitted to the State Clearinghouse for distribution to relevant responsible and trustee agencies for their review and comment during a 45 - day public review period, consistent with the time periods set forth in the CEQA Guidelines. The period for receiving comments commenced on October 31, 2014 and will end at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, December 15, 2014. Project Description: The project is the proposed 2030 Amador County General Plan, which will guide land use decisions within the unincorporated areas of the County. The 2030 General Plan is a comp rehensive update of the policies in the County current General Plan to reflect a new vision for future growth and development within the county and recent State law requirements. Potential Environmental Impacts: Implementation of the Draft General Plan i s anticipated to result in two types of significant environmental effects; those that can be mitigated, and those that would be significant and unavoidable. Potentially signifi cant and significant impacts that can be mitigated include: aesthetics, air qu ality, biological resources, cultural resources, geology, soils, mineral resources and paleontological resources, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, noise, and public services and utilities. If the County implements the mitigati on measures identified in the DEIR each of these potentially significant impacts would be reduced to a less than significant level. Significant and unavoidable impacts include: aestheti cs, agricultural and forestry resources, air quality, biological resou rces, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, noise, population and housing, public services and utilities, and transportation. These impacts will remain significant and unavoidable even if the County implem ents identified mitigation measures. These impacts are described in detail in the DEIR throughout Chapter 4, “Environmental Impact Analysis.” It should be noted that the project site is the whole of the unincorporated area of Amador County which contain s a number of sites enumerated under Section 65962.5 of the Government Code, as described in the DEIR, Section 4.8 Hazards and Hazardous Materials, including, but not limited to, lists of hazardous waste facilities, land designated as hazardous waste prope rty, and hazardous waste disposal sites. NOTICE OF JOINT PUBLIC MEETING: A joint public meeting of the Amador County Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission will be held to take public comment on the DEIR prepared for the adoption and implementation of the County’s proposed Draft General Plan. The Draft General Plan will consist of nine elements, or chapters, that together meet State requirements for a general plan. These elements are: 1) land use, 2) circulation, 3) economic development, 4) conse rvation, 5) open space, 6) noise, 7) governance, 8) safety, and 9) housing. The Draft General Plan will also include an introduction cha pter and a glossary. The Housing Element will not be considered in this EIR as it is proceeding on a separate timeline from the balance of the Draft General Plan Update. Therefore, the County will complete a separate environmental review process for th e Housing Element Update. The Draft General Plan represents the County’s policy for determining the appropriate physical development and character of Amador County, and establishes an overall future development capacity. The environmental impact analysis in the DEIR is based on the change between existing conditions and those associated with likely development i n accordanc e with the Draft General Plan by 2030. All interested persons are invited to attend this meeting to take public comment on the DEIR. (NOTE: If possible, a written c opy of any oral comments made is requested to facilitate documentation for the record.) P lease keep comments focused on the adequacy of the DEIR only at this time . Comments on the Draft General Plan will be taken during the public hearing process which will occur when the Final EIR is completed. All comments received during the 45 - day public c omment period will be considered and responded to in the Final EIR. If you are unable to attend th e meeting, you may submit your comment s in writing to the Amador County Planning Department at the address above, prior to 5:00 PM on Monday, December 15, 2014 (the close of the public comment period). NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN said joint meeting will be held: DATE: Tuesday, December 2, 2014 TIME: 9:00 a.m. PLACE: Board of Supervisors Chambers County Administration Center 810 Court Street Jackson, California If you have any questions or desire more information, please contact the Planning Department, 810 Court Street, Jackson, CA, (209) 223 - 6380. AMADOR COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT DATE OF NOTICE: October 31, 2014 NOTE: If you do not comment at the public hearing or hearings held on this project or submit written comments before the project is approved, and you later decide to challenge any aspect this proposed action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you raised at public hearings or have given in written correspondence delivered to the public entity conducting the hearing at, or prior to, the public hearing in which project approval will be considered.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 19:23:52 +0000
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