Elliott Representatives meet with 44 Homeowners in Hazel McFarland Park - 006

Contrary to rumors, this is not a done deal. If we get enough people attending the appropriate city meetings and contacting the commissioners and city council members to express your opinions this can be defeated.

On Thursday evening at 6:30 P.M., September 22, 2005, 44 people gathered at Hazel McFarland Park to meet with representatives of Elliott Homes to view the latest changes to their proposed Mirabella condominiums project. The meeting was facilitated by Eric King, Folsom City Councilman and Empire Ranch resident. Price Walker, Project Coordinator for Elliott Homes, along with their architect, showed residents how the orientation of the back row of buildings was changed so as to have the two story end units backing up to the homes along Smith Way, instead of the three story units as originally planned.

This however, did nothing to mitigate the overall unwelcome nature of the project on this site and vocal Empire Ranch and Parkway homeowners made that point quite strongly. The general consensus soon became clear that if the residents were to somehow lose the coming rezoning fight with the Planning Commissioners and City Council, then the worst case they would want to see in this location would be 45 to 50 single story luxury condos, with steep pitched roofs, multiple roof lines and dormers, complete with club house, a pool, and a picnic area. The residents were quite clear that a complex of 154 condos in three story buildings, or even 100 units in all two story buildings, simply did not fit in with the existing communities of single family homes in Empire Ranch and The Parkway.

It was further pointed out by one resident that Parker Development has several sites just around the corner along Silberhorn where they previously tried to get the property rezoned to multi-family several years ago but were turned down after strong opposition from local residents. The point was made that if Elliott happened to be successful in getting this project approved targeting affordable housing for first time home buyers, then Parker would immediately dust off his plans and follow suit. Just imagine the headaches that would cause with traffic congestion along Silberhorn, Golf Links, and East Natoma streets, to say nothing about the reduced property values of the existing single family homes in the adjoining neighborhoods.

Keep up the opposition and good work. Our efforts are starting to gain traction and a number of people are coming forward to not only deliver flyers and collect signatures for our petition, but are also designing and printing new flyers as well. Jim Mc Ellis has done an outstanding job designing and printing our latest "Call To Action flyer shown immediately below.

If anyone else has appropriate ideas, flyers, or copies of letters to City Officials regarding this subject, please send me an e-mail and attach a Word document. We will then publish it in a subsequent posting just like we have done with Jim's flyer that follows.

Thank you for your assistance and support. It's a good life here in Empire Ranch and the Parkway. Lets all help to keep it that way. Make it a good day.

Best regards,
Patrick Warholic
Realtor, and Home Marketing Consultant

Contact Patrick
Website: California Home Network
The Internet Home Marketing Center

Call to Action for Empire Ranch and Parkway Residents: Make Your Voice Heard on the Proposed Rezoning For This Parcel

For those who may be hearing about this project for the first time, in summary Elliott Homes has requested that the City of Folsom rezone the property on the corner of Golf Links and East Natoma (across from Empire Oaks Elementary School) from Light Commercial/Retail to Medium Density Multi Family.

Here is what you need to know:

1.) Proposed Multi-Family ReZoning:

Elliot homes has proposed rezoning the property on the corner of Golf Links and East Natoma to allow construction of 154 two/three story Condominiums in middle of Empire Ranch and the Parkway. Their stated goal is to provide more affordable housing in Folsom, targeting pricing in the $350K range for first time home buyers. While their goal is admirable, this development DOES NOT FIT in the middle of Empire Ranch and the Parkway. Our concerns are as follows:

a.) Extreme Housing Density - 154 units on such a small parcel is too much!
b.) Overcrowded Schools - school boundaries are already a hotly contested issue, imagine adding another 154 two, three, or four bedroom homes directly across the street from Empire Oaks Elementary!
c.) Major Traffic Congestion - this is the busiest intersection in the community!
d.) Privacy Issues for Parkway Residents living on Smith Way - the condos will tower between 34 and 44 feet above the ground level of homes on Smith Way.
e.) Inadequate off-street parking and insufficient common areas - the current plan has minimal off-street parking and no clubhouse or community pool.
f.) Potential negative impact on property appreciation to surrounding areas


2.) Current Zoning:

The current Empire Ranch Master Plan specifies that the property on the corner of East Natoma and Golf Links be used for Retail / Light Commercial. Most local residents envisioned the development of a quality community retail center that would become a part of the fabric of our community. We were hoping to create a warm, welcoming place that we could stroll to for a unique social experience and pleasurable shopping.

With proper development, it could become a town square, where people stop for coffee, chat with friends, and meander through a mixture of interesting stores that offer a unique community atmosphere. The shopping center would likely attract a mix of mom-and-pop retailers, cafes, boutiques and specialty stores. It would be an ideal location for a Day Care Center, Gourmet Coffee Shop, Specialty Meat Market, Florist, Doctors Office, just to name a few. Lets face it; we already have a sea of houses in Empire Ranch and the Parkway. A community retail center would add to the diversity of our community and could also generate jobs for the community and our children.

3.) City of Folsom Steps in the Proposed ReZoning Process:

Step 1 - Folsom Architectural Review Committee. The ARC is responsible for maintaining consistency in the esthetics of the community while remaining flexible and open-minded to change. As residents of Empire Ranch and the Parkway, we need to work with the ARC to downsize this project. If condos are built on the corner, we would like no more than 50 single story Luxury Condos. The proposal must also address traffic and off-street parking issues and include amenities like a clubhouse and swimming pool. The next meeting of the ARC will likely occur on Oct. 13th or 27th 2005. February 9, 2006 [7:30 am] (Earliest Date)

Step 2 - Folsom Planning Commission. The Commission is focused primarily on the use or development of land. They are required to review and make recommendations to the City Council regarding proposals to change any parts of the Zoning Ordinance. Our goal remains the same as described in Step 1. Once the plan from Elliott is in final format and ready to go to the City Council for a vote, the community needs to decide whether we will accept rezoning or oppose it.

Step 3 - Folsom City Council Hearing. The City Council listens to recommendations from the ARC, Planning Commission, Developers and local citizens and decides whether or not to rezone the property.

4.) What you need to do:

As residents of Empire Ranch and the Parkway, it's important that you discuss this proposal with your neighbors and voice concerns with the Folsom ARC, Planning Commission and City Council.

a.) Stay Informed we have created this community website and blog, for discussion and to announce meeting dates and locations. Please bookmark this site and visit it several times a week, if not daily, for all the latest news.

b.) Get Involved attend as many meetings as possible (Community, ARC, Planning Commission and City Council). Once again, we will publish all meeting dates at this website.

c.) Periodically, we could use some help distributing these new, "Call to Action" flyers throughout the community. If you would like to volunteer, call Patrick Warholic (916) 608-3948 or Jim Mc Ellis (916) 608-3947. Both Patrick and Jim have a supply of these new "Call to Action" flyers printed on bright yellow paper just waiting to be distributed.

d.) Sign the Petition and get as many Folsom residents as possible to also sign - Download it from this website.

Sincerely,
Jim Mc Ellis
Realtor, Coldwell Banker