Advisory Committee submits final draft
vision for county’s General Plan
 

Reported  by Susan Manning

T

he General Plan Advisory Committee began meeting in the summer of 2006 and held its last meeting in April of 2008.  A General Plan is required by State Law and must address seven mandatory "elements".  These elements are land use, circulation (traffic), housing, conservation, open space, noise and safety.   
     Amador County's General Plan Advisory Committee consisted of representatives from five groups:  the Amador County Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, the Association of Realtors, The Farm Bureau, The Commission on Aging and Foothill Conservancy, as well as one representative from all five supervisorial districts was chosen and all groups and districts each had an alternate member as well. 
     The committee developed a draft vision statement to guide the update of the plan which challenged us to look forward to the year 2030.  The vision is as follows:  "We, the citizens of Amador County, envision the County in the year 2030 as a place known for it's high quality of life, historic resources, healthy natural environment, sustainable local economy, scenic resources and vistas, and services that meet our people's needs." 
     This group met for a total of 27 times and although the group focuses were quite diverse, several issues were agreed upon. These issues of agreement included pushing growth into existing towns and cities rather than sprawl; protecting local water; the desire to protect agricultural land and wildlife habitat; slowing growth in the unincorporated areas; protection of open space and property rights; establishing local & regional service centers to serve communities; to encourage less travel & fuel consumption & to enhance a sense of community.
     A public survey on land use alternatives is available from the county in hard copy and on line and all those interested are urged to submit their input. Basically, three land use alternatives were proposed with varying types of development in different areas of the county. Not one of these three must be chosen, but rather choices within each may be made by responders. These were due by May 1, 2008.  A work shop will also be held for public comment and their "tentative" dates are - June 5th and June 11th with 2 workshops being held each day.
      A personal note from the author:
      It was my pleasure to serve as the representative for the Chamber of Commerce with such dedicated residents of Amador County.  It was clear that GPAC members and the general public who came for comment had a united goal to keep Amador County a beautiful place in which to work and live.
     As a business person in the Martell Sierra West Business Park, I was disappointed to hear criticism of the park.  Usage and traffic is heavy and patrons of the Feed Barn seem to really enjoy having the new businesses available.  Sometimes I think that perhaps people who criticize have not been here long enough to know this site was industrial and a logging operation and then a pile of debris for a number of years.  I also found it ironic that many people who just moved here wanted no- to-very low growth - sort of like saying they had found paradise and didn't want to let anyone else in.  I certainly understand this because many of us realize how fortunate we are to live in this beautiful county, but I think the secret is great planning in our growth to keep it beautiful.

Susan Manning is the owner of The Feed Barn in the Martell Shopping Center and a Director of the Chamber of Commerce.