Ledger-Dispatch

By Bethany A. Monk (bmonk@ledger-dispatch.com) =

Amador County Planning Director Susan = Grijalva=20 addressed the board of supervisors regarding the sea/land storage=20 container issue during Tuesday's meeting.

Photo by: Bethany A.=20 Monk
In a debate where aesthetics faced off = with=20 the not so pretty pragmatics of storage cargo, county supervisors voted = Tuesday=20 to amend the sea/land storage container ordinance to clean up Amador = County's=20 image.

The board voted 4-0 - District 1 Supervisor Richard = Escamilla was=20 not present at the meeting - in favor of a motion that will allow only = one=20 sea-land container for R1, R2 and R2A properties per six acres of land. = Before=20 the board's final vote, supervisors and members of the public chimed in = on the=20 topic that has, for some time, caused contention among residents. = Residents who=20 spoke during the item's public comment session asked supervisors to = consider=20 issues like lot size, container appearance and occupancy items when = deciding=20 features of the amended ordinance.

"In my opinion, they're not = very=20 pretty," District 4 Supervisor Louis Boitano said during the meeting. = "They're=20 unsightly.

"My concern is for the residential areas," he added. = "Maybe we=20 should do a resolution to allow billboard signs - they're just as=20 ugly."

This "ugly" issue is nothing new to the county.

On = May 16,=20 2006, the Title 19 zoning code was amended to include regulations = encouraging=20 appropriate locations, uses and "visual quality" of sea/land containers = within=20 Amador County, according to a staff report on the item. "Since the = adoption of=20 the ordinance, existing and proposed situations surfaced, which = demonstrated a=20 need to review and/or possibly amend the sea/land storage container=20 ordinance."

At the May 22, 2007 board of supervisors meeting, the = board=20 adopted a "resolution of intention" to begin reviewing and possible = amending the=20 sea/land county code regulations, the staff report said. Planning staff, = the=20 Land Use and Development Committee and the planning commission then = joined=20 forces to draft a proposal for board review and possible=20 approval.

"Whatever ordinance does pass," District 3 Supervisor = Ted=20 Novelli said prior to the board's vote, "I think the containers should = be=20 required to be painted solid, neutral colors or match (nearby)=20 buildings."

Bethany A. = Monk