Tuesday's meeting of the Ione Planning Commission was devoted to a public hearing on the "preferred" land use plan for the city's update of its existing 1982 Ione General Plan.

"This is a very critical point in our general plan update," stressed City Planner Christopher Jordan.

The bulk of the presentation, by PMC, the city's planning consultant, was given by general plan project manager Daniel Hamilton, who began by telling the commissioners that the current general plan "doesn't contain policies and programs needed to guide the city's future."

Three public workshops have been held and 230 responses to a questionnaire have been submitted by residents about the land use planning alternatives being considered by planners and the city. Input from the workshops has been used to create Alternative 4, an amalgam of its three predecessor alternatives. Staff picked and chose among parts of the previous three alternatives, in hopes of reaching a plan mutually acceptable to all concerned.

Jordan outlined a number of the staff's main considerations.

"Some downtown commercial could become residential and downtown expanded to include Jackson Street," he said. "We recommend that the west half of Q Ranch be open space and the east half (be) rural residential. Commercial development on Highway 88 could limit commercial development and redevelopment in the city."

Jordan also stated that the California Downtown Association had recommended focusing on the downtown that already exists.

A public hearing followed the staff presentation, during which a number of residents expressed opinions and concerns.

Ione resident Jack Brotherton suggested moving city hall and the post office from their present locations on Main Street, freeing up their centrally located buildings to become retail. "It's worth considering," Brotherton said, "to expand the city limits to include all the mining interests - to increase our tax base from these facilities."

Brotherton ended with a proposal to encourage creation of live-work construction in light industrial areas, perhaps for woodworkers, painters and such, prompting Commissioner Joe Wylie to say that the commissioners could profit from such outside-the-box thinking.

Q Ranch was represented by Matt Toma of Toma Associates, who told the commissioners that the property covered roughly 400 acres, nearly half in the flood plain, the other half requested to be rural residential.

"Is what you're asking pretty much in line with what staff is recommending?" Wylie asked.

"Yes," Toma answered simply, "though we would like to include all of what is not in the 100-year flood plain."

Some controversy arose over Q Ranch.

"Fifty acres of Q Ranch was on the state map as prime agricultural land," said Dan Port, a rancher living 3 miles outside of the city near the proposed development. "When my neighbor plows, the dust goes right on Q Ranch. When he sprays, it goes right on Q Ranch."

Ione resident Gary Thomas, a former mayor and recently elected Amador Water Agency director, expressed his reservations about locating high density residential units on acreage out Highway 124 to the northeast of downtown. "It's a beautiful piece of property," Thomas said.

"We have to have a designated number of acres as high density," explained City Manager Kim Kerr. "We have to put that designation on 15 acres in the housing element, though we are going to have 15 units per acre, not 20."

Commissioners and planning staff were in general accord on the details offered in Alternative 4. Wylie did express concern over the staff recommendation that some commercially zoned parcels, in the area at the west end of Main Street near the car wash, be changed to residential. "Personally," Wylie said, "I'm very opposed to taking zoning away."

Commissioners resisted the recommendation from planning staff to consider approval of the suggested Alternative 4. "What would you on staff say to a delay until next week or on the next chance to get together to decide on this complex matter?" Wylie asked.

"I would recommend that you re-open the public hearing at the next meeting," Jordan replied. "Also, that you make some requests (from staff)."

"It would be helpful to clarify the Caltrans access issue on the southern high density parcel," Wylie said. "Also, we would like another choice for high density."

Those issues are expected to be considered at the next meeting, plus discussion of possible development in the triangle area south of the city, the route for the Ione Western Roadway Improvement Strategy and changes downtown. Staff is hoping to send a final recommendation to the city council by Jan. 5. Following Jordan's recommendation, the next meeting and public hearing is Monday, Dec. 15.