>Union Democrat | Sonora News, Sports, & Weather, Angels Camp, Twain Harte, Jamestown

The planned extension of Greenhorn Creek Road, and city population projections, continue to be points of contention in discussions on the Angels Camp 2020 general plan, which is being developed by the city to plan for future growth.   

Planning Commission Chairman Gary Croletto and new City Councilman Craig Turco, at a Tuesday night meeting of the Planning Commission and City Council, argued that Greenhorn Creek Road, if extended south to Finnegan Lane or Highway 49, could be overwhelmed by heavy traffic regardless of its official designation.   

The 2020 General Plan designates it as a “collector” street, which is a downgrade from its designation as an “arterial” street in the 1995 General Plan.   

“It’s not what you call it as a planner in the General Plan, it’s how it’s used by the people,” Croletto said.   

“You build Greenhorn Creek Road as a collector, it then becomes a part of a regional transportation plan,” Turco said. “Who are we kidding here? We need to go in with our eyes wide open.”   

City consultant Amy Augustine explained the varying population growth percentage estimates used for transportation, water/wastewater and housing purposes and the state requirements behind them.   

Even during a lull in building permit applications these past three years, Planning Director David Hanham pointed out that the city exceeded the most conservative 1.2 percent estimate for growth.    

Most comments from council members and planning commissioners indicated a lean toward 2 to 2.5 percent as the range by which the city should be expected to grow through 2020.

Neither the boom of the first half of this decade, which saw a peak of 89 building permits approved in a year, nor the bust of a mere two permits approved in 2008 should be considered realistic, Hanham said.

He added that when averaged out, the city has seen a steady increase in permit approval during the past 20 years.

An additional matter was brought to the forefront during the joint council/planning commission workshop.

Larry Thompson of California Electric Steel questioned a “special planning” zoning designation that includes the company’s foundry that dates to 1864. While Thompson recognized the designation was created with preserving the foundry in mind, he told the council that keeping the parcel zoned industrial would bring greater peace of mind and reduced costs as the company plans for future expansion.

Officials showed enthusiasm for accommodating the foundry.

“I can’t think of Angels Camp without the foundry,” Councilman Jack Boeding said. “It’d be like Cheerios without the milk.”