A Carl's Jr. fast food restaurant proposal will likely steer clear of a money obstacle that could have thwarted its arrival in Martell.

During time spent by the applicant in getting plans in order to submit to Amador County, the county adjusted its traffic-mitigation fee schedule, upward. Consultant Frank Oley told county Administrative Committee members Monday the new fee schedule would price Amador County out of the bargain if Carl's Jr. continued to be evaluated on the same criteria as are used for a McDonald's.

"In 2008, Carl's came in asking, 'What would the fees be?'" said Roger Stuart, senior project engineer with the county Public Works Department. "At the time, it was determined that on a square-foot basis, the traffic-mitigation fee would be approximately $144,000, based on 161 vehicle trips per square foot (of restaurant space). Since that time, mitigation fees have increased."

Stuart said Carl's under the new schedule faced expense of $266,000 - "a huge jump."

Mitigation-fee formulas reflect data gathered in large Eastern cities in the 1980s and adjusted to attempt to account for regional conditions, Stuart said.

"Mr. Oley has volunteered to have a traffic study done," Stuart said.

Oley said consultant engineers studied vehicle traffic at a Martell McDonald's and at a Sonora Carl's Jr. during the same time period on the same day. Findings were that the Martell McDonald's had more than 2,000 visitors' vehicles during the period, while the Sonora Carl's Jr. had around 1,100 vehicles visiting, Stuart said. Numerous other related statistics were presented.

Oley said he wanted the numbers to illustrate a simple contention - that Carl's would not cause anywhere near the vehicle trips of a McDonald's, and so deserved some consideration instead of being lumped together with McDonald's. Committee member Brian Oneto, District 5 county supervisor, turned the statistics over for several minutes with Stuart and Oley and acknowledged they seemed to have a point.

County planning director Susan Grijalva noted that relief would consist in a re-categorizing of Carl's Jr. in terms of vehicle-trip category and not in an exception made to the county's new fee schedule.

The matter will be ultimately decided by the county Board of Supervisors Tuesday, Dec. 8.