Back on Feb. 14, 2003, the California Department of Transportation gave the city of Sutter Creek 187.01 acres of ranch land immediately northwest of Sutter Ione Road located on both sides of the bypass. Then-Mayor Brent Parsons signed the agreement with the understanding that Sutter Creek was accepting the property for public purposes.

On April 1, 2006, Caltrans and the city entered into a cooperative agreement that stated "that there is to be no recreational use or public access on the proposed mitigation site. It is anticipated that an eventual parkway trail may be developed along the outside perimeter of the proposed mitigation site" on all 187 acres. The site is for the preservation of the red-legged frog, the development of engineered wetlands, the development of oak tree plantations, and the enhancement and use of native plants.

The Dec. 10, 2007 planning commission meeting introduced the conservation easement agreement between Sutter Creek and the Amador Land Trust. It allows only "Native American tribes" to use the property and says they must be consulted whenever the city wants to grub, cut a tree branch, do maintenance work, etc.

Caltrans' gift of the 187 acres was done only to provide them a place to mitigate for the property they took for the bypass. For this privilege, Caltrans gave the city $50,949 to go into an endowment account to last into perpetuity for their mitigation. No annual costs have been presented to indicate what the costs of experts to administer the mitigation would be. No cost for the administration of the land trust. No cost for the Native Americans and no indication if they would be interested in overseeing the project.

The cost over the interest received on the endowment would undoubtedly be more than it would pay in annual interest and the additional funds will have to come out of the city general fund. For all of this, Sutter Creek taxpayers get nothing but a hiking trail and a headache for perpetuity.

There is an area on the property, north of the bypass, that is out of range of the viewshed and can be accessed from old Highway 49.

To reduce costs, the city needs to eliminate the Amador Land Trust, then sit down with Caltrans and renegotiate most of the many mitigation requirement placed on Sutter Creek. Let the area become a normal city park with Little League fields, a dog park, basketball courts, picnic areas, etc. for the use of all Amador County residents. That's something residents can tell council members themselves when they discuss the issue at their Feb. 4 meeting.