Ledger-Dispatch

By Debbie Dunn (ddunn@volcano.net)=20

The Amador County Planning Commission's = Dec. 9=20 meeting lasted several hours as commissioners made their way = through an=20 agenda packed with 12 items.

Photo by: Debbie = Dunn
A dozen=20 agenda items kept 40 public members, planning staff and commissioners in = chambers until 11:30 last Tuesday evening.

Two items that were no = strangers to commissioners regarded farm labor housing and directional = signs for=20 the wineries in Shenandoah Valley. Jamie Lubenko said the Amador = Vintners=20 Association had pursued internal consensus and county approval for a = variance=20 and use permit on signage for well over a year now. Success was achieved = on a=20 unanimous vote with one last open item concerning prescriptive right of=20 way.

Helen Vance, property owner of one of the sign locations, = stood in=20 the association's path. "I don't want to advertise for the wineries and = I don't=20 want the sign on my property," she told commissioners. "If you move the = sign=20 further down the road, then they'll all come up my driveway looking to = buy wine.=20 Some already come up the drive and I want it = stopped."

Prescriptive right=20 of way was defined as that which serves to benefit the general public or = what=20 the county has previously utilized for public use. Public Works Director = Larry=20 Peterson vowed to look into relocating the sign to satisfy both the = property=20 owner and vintners association.

The Amador County Wineries = Association,=20 represented by Jerry Wright, was also successful in obtaining a use = permit for=20 signage at the northeast corner of Shenandoah Road and Shenandoah School = Road.=20 Owner and operator of Terre Rouge winery, Jane O'Riordan, voiced a = concern that=20 the proposed sign was misrepresentative, as it directed the public to a = "bistro"=20 when the only food available on location was prepackaged. Additionally,=20 O'Riordan reminded the commission and warned fellow vintners that the = original=20 agreement was to simply direct the public, not = advertise.

Temporary farm=20 labor quarters applied for by Ken and Jeannie Deaver took another step = toward=20 resolution, as well. The commission unanimously awarded a use permit to = locate a=20 mobile home on the south side of Shenandoah School Road.

The = Deavers'=20 attorney, Robert Biegler, reinforced his clients' position. "We are not = changing=20 our position that a use permit should (not) be required," Biegler said. = He also=20 added two more requests that, if it's determined that use permits are = not=20 required, all fees should be waived and a request to provide the = building=20 department with clarification on the moving of the existing mobile home = to its=20 new location.

Deputy County Counsel Greg Gillott advised the = commission=20 that the use permit issue was the only one needing action. Eliminating = the use=20 permit requirement altogether was already being addressed independently. = The=20 fees issue was not within the commission's authority. Lastly, Gillott = said that=20 advising the building department on county code compliance was a = separate=20 process.

The tentative subdivision map for the East Ridge = Business Park,=20 located on the north side of Ridge Road near Sutter Hill, was accepted. = The=20 commission also approved the project's mitigated negative declaration = with=20 significant input from Peterson. The Local Agency Formation Commission = will=20 consider annexation of this property into Sutter Creek's city = limits.

Debbie Dunn
Ledger Dispatch Contributor=20