Land Use and Zoning -- Myths, Misconceptions and Misrepresentations
The 2004 El Dorado County General Plan establishes a Land Use Designation for each parcel of land in the county. State law requires the County's Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Maps to be consistent with the adopted General Plan. This research paper addresses the relationship between General Plan Land Use Designations and the Zoning Ordinance, the type of changes in the recent Targeted General Plan Amendment and Zoning Ordinance Update (TGPA/ZOU), and the myths, misconceptions and misrepresentations by opponents of the General Plan.
Land Use Planning: Focus on Rural Regions and Rural Centers
The 2004 General Plan does not anticipate extensive commercial use or large residential subdivisions within roughly 15,000 acres designated as Rural Centers, or more than 1,000,000 acres of land in the Rural Regions of the county. Historical land use alternatives to rural subdivisions, such as agriculture, timber and mineral resource extraction, are impacted by more stringent regulations and public land management policy changes related to timber harvesting and grazing allotments. As a result, rural landowners must look to alternative sources of income to maintain economic viability of rural lands. The recent Targeted General Plan Amendment and Zoning Ordinance Update (TGPA-ZOU) includes strategies to expand the county's rural economy. These issues are discussed at greater length in the report below.
Land Use Planning: Rural Centers and Rural Regions, November 8, 2015
Letter to BOS re: Rural Centers and Rural Region Paper November 9, 2015
Land Use Planning: Focus on Community Regions
A major component of the General Plan strategy to "keep us rural" continues the historic pattern of growth by directing about 75% of future commercial and residential development into Community Regions along the Highway 50 corridor. Located from the western county line to the City of Placerville, these Community Regions are served by major roads, sewer and water infrastructure. How much and what type of growth is planned for these areas? What is the remaining inventory of land, and is it sufficient to accommodate the planned growth? These issues and many others are addressed in this report.
Water Rights Research Paper: Keeping Our Water, January 30, 2015
This in-depth analysis focuses on the history of the fight for water rights, the adequacy of the water supply available over the General Plan horizon (through 2035) and the plan to secure rights to additional water supplies for the future. It answers important questions and addresses misconceptions about the availability and sufficiency of water:
- Does El Dorado County have enough water to supply current and possible future needs?
- What happens if we don't secure water rights for the future?
- And the rhetorical cry of “Protect our water from developers”.
Keeping Our Water: Area of Origin Rights, January 30, 2015
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