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Amador General Plan Update: Influence |
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Friday, 27 March 2009 |
 Amador County – Amador County’s General Plan Update meeting this week touched on the Spheres Of Influence of the five municipalities in the county, with discussion Tuesday and Wednesday highlighting the importance of the issue. Amador County Planner Susan Grijalva said all five cities are expected to submit requests for Sphere Of Influence amendments, and all five are working on revising or implementing their General Plan. Amador County Transportation Commission’s Charles Field said “we don’t control those spheres, the city doesn’t control those spheres, LAFCO does.” Supervisor John Plasse said the county does “control the land.” Grijalva said cities will “General Plan” the land use in areas not in their spheres, but cities do not control sphere land. But “it does give indication for annexation of those areas.” Drawing-board housing and commercial developments abound throughout Amador County, with all pending those individual General Plan Updates, as well as the county General Plan Update. Barbara Sinnott of the School Facilities Task Force said “it’s always complicated when you add layers” to government. She said ACTC’s U-Plan looks like an urban planning model. Sinnott said “it looks like there is never going to be a junior high or high school built in the Upcountry.” She said sewer is now the driving force in everything. She said “elementary school enrollment Upcountry is plummeting,” and with septic system constraints, she did “not see a sewer system being built up there.” Sinnott said it was believed to be practical to build west of Highway 49, but she thought it would be “impractical to think the county will grow that way.” Supervisor Ted Novelli said “25 years ago, Pine Grove and Pioneer primary schools shared a principal, and I think they are doing it again.” Tim Smith, researcher for Howard Properties, said he thought since the Spheres Of Influence were used as a negative, to deny development, it should also be used as a positive, to help approve projects. Field said ACTC’s U-Plan software predicted that Amador County’s total population would be 51,000 people by the year 2025. Story by Jim Reece
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