Elliott Pushes Rezoning Issue First- #007
Empire Ranch parcel at corner of East Natoma and Golf Links designated for local neighborhood shopping area on chopping block as Elliott Homes now tries to rezone for up to 205 units.
Folsom, CA - After nearly four months of quiet inactivity on the political front, Elliott Homes, hoping to divide and conquer, has changed their tactic and has now decided to split the approval process into two parts. They want to first address the land use and the proposed rezoning issue from Retail/Light Commercial to Multi Family Residential, Medium Density with up to 205 units before bringing a specific project before the Architectural Review Commission to discuss any design architectural elements.
As of last week, Elliot has withdrawn the Mirabella Project and has submitted a new application for a General Plan Amendment and Specific Plan Amendment (to rezone from commercial to MMD multi-family, medium density with up to 205 units) deferring a request for a planned development permit, which would describe the specific project like they did with the Mirabella Condos.
What is MMD Multi-Family, medium density Zoning? MMD Multi-Family, medium density Zoning really means that if this somehow passes the Planning Commission and City Council gives formal approval, we could be faced with having to fight off a project with up to 205 UNITS in anything from condos, to duplexes, triplexes, or even larger apartment complexes. (Mirabella was only 154 units) Our best defense is to defeat the rezoning request NOW!
(NOTE: Please be aware that this is a Community Forum, written as a Blog, so as to allow as many people as possible to provide their own comments. To comment, please click on Post a Comment either here or at the bottom of this posting.
AUTOMATIC E-MAIL UPDATES: If you are not already getting automatic e-mail notifications regarding late breaking news on this website and want to, please click on this title or go to the upper right hand corner of this home page and register. Pass this information on to your friends and neighbors as the more knowledgable people we have expressing their objections to Folsom officials and Council Members, the better chance we have to keep the current retail/light commercial zoning in place and keep out three story condos from our beautiful neighborhoods.)
The Mirabella Condominium Project was originally proposed back in August 2005, and at that time the first step was to submit the plans to the Architectural Review Commission. A focused group of homeowners from Empire Ranch and The Parkway led a grass roots effort to strongly object to this proposal at the ARC meeting on August 25, 2005. The opposition was so strong that Elliot Homes was forced to seek a continuance with the ARC. This was the first time in over 15 years in dealing with the City of Folsom that Elliott Homes has had to request a continuance on a project.
Although the continuance has lasted 6 months, Elliott Homes continued to bring in truck load after truck load of fill dirt, grading and compacting the parcel in preparation for building the condos. Now that the Mirabella Project has been withdrawn from the City Planning Department, Elliott, with his own best interest in mind ($$$$), is attempting to push rezoning through the Planning Commission and get approval to be able to build up to 205 units.
According to Gail Furness de Pardo, Principal Planner with the Community Development Department, who can be reached for additional information at:
Phone # (916) 355-7248
Fax # (916) 355-7274
E-mail: gdepardo@folsom.ca.us
The new application from Elliott is for a "new" project that is exclusively a land use change request for the same site. At the present time, the Mirabella Project no longer exists on the City Planning books. Gail went on to explain the following:
If the property is redesignated from Retail/Light Commercial to Multi-Family Residential, Medium Density with up to 205 units, another application will be required in order to develop a residential project (i.e., a subsequent Planned Development Permit). During each application stage, staff will perform an environmental assessment. In the case of the General Plan Amendment and Specific Plan Amendment request, staff will have to assume the "worst case scenario" when assessing potential environmental impacts because a specific project will not be identified yet. For instance, in the case of school environmental impact studies, student generation numbers will be calculated assuming the maximum allowed density of 205 units.
The individual in charge of this overall project for the city of Folsom is Steve Banks, Associate Planner in the Folsom Planning Department and the main City Planner who works on all of Elliott Homes projects. Steve is also the main conduit of information for this project and he should be copied on every e-mail anyone sends to City Council members or Planning Commissioners expressing our objection to the rezoning. That way, he will have a good pulse on the thoughts and feelings of the local residents affected by the proposed rezoning issue. His contact information is as follows:
Steve Banks, Associate Planner
Phone: 916-355-7385
Fax: 916-355-7274
E-mail: sbanks@folsom.ca.us
Once the date is scheduled (could be as early as April 5th or April 19th) for the Planning Commission to publically hear the formal request from Elliott on rezoning, we need to attend that meeting in massive numbers. Our goal should be to have a minimum of 200 people attend and let their voices be heard by the Planning Commission and then heard again at the City Council meeting that will follow a few weeks later.
NOTE: Although Elliott did submit their new plan last week to City Staff, it is not complete. An Economic Impact Study still needs to be submitted and City Staff has requested an additional requirement in the form of an Updated Traffic Analysis to take into account the maximum density of 205 multi-family units. Depending on when these additional reports are submitted, the scheduled date for the Planning Commission Meeting could be pushed out beyond April 5th or April 19th.
While there may be a few people in the community who would like to see three story condos on this parcel, most of us local residents want no part of it. We are holding strong to the belief that we deserve to have what was originally disclosured (zoned retail/light commercial) to us when we purchased our homes in Empire Ranch and The Parkway. Don't allow the City to change the rules (just because Elliott sees a way to make more money) after we all based our decision in part based on having a local neighborhood shopping area within easy walking distance. We 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 specialty retailers, cafes, boutiques and other 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. It would not need to compete with the new Raley's Center nor the Bel-Air Center, but rather be a unique collection of shops and restaurants or cafes catering to upscale communities. 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 high school aged children.
What can we do right now to make a difference? Yes, we CAN make a difference. Tune into this site on a regular basis or sign up for automatic e-mail updates at: Automatic E-mail Updates for all the latest information and keep your calendar open for possible meeting dates. The other thing that we all can do right now is to call, write, and e-mail each and every member of the Planning Commission and City Council. If we can have hundreds and hundreds of people calling, writing, and e-mailing these folks, starting now, and letting them know how strongly we feel against this rezoning attempt, we CAN defeat it! Like Nike says, "Just Do It". As I mentioned earlier, always copy Steve Banks, so he can have a good pulse on the community involvement.
Thank you again for your help and assistance. 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
East Natoma and Golf Links Drive- North West Corner
Do we give up on a friendly neighborhood shopping and dining area and accept...
205 high density three story condos or apartments in prestigious Empire Ranch and The Parkway?
Do we give up on a friendly neighborhood shopping and dining area and accept...
205 high density three story condos or apartments in prestigious Empire Ranch and The Parkway?
Folsom, CA - After nearly four months of quiet inactivity on the political front, Elliott Homes, hoping to divide and conquer, has changed their tactic and has now decided to split the approval process into two parts. They want to first address the land use and the proposed rezoning issue from Retail/Light Commercial to Multi Family Residential, Medium Density with up to 205 units before bringing a specific project before the Architectural Review Commission to discuss any design architectural elements.
As of last week, Elliot has withdrawn the Mirabella Project and has submitted a new application for a General Plan Amendment and Specific Plan Amendment (to rezone from commercial to MMD multi-family, medium density with up to 205 units) deferring a request for a planned development permit, which would describe the specific project like they did with the Mirabella Condos.
What is MMD Multi-Family, medium density Zoning? MMD Multi-Family, medium density Zoning really means that if this somehow passes the Planning Commission and City Council gives formal approval, we could be faced with having to fight off a project with up to 205 UNITS in anything from condos, to duplexes, triplexes, or even larger apartment complexes. (Mirabella was only 154 units) Our best defense is to defeat the rezoning request NOW!
(NOTE: Please be aware that this is a Community Forum, written as a Blog, so as to allow as many people as possible to provide their own comments. To comment, please click on Post a Comment either here or at the bottom of this posting.
AUTOMATIC E-MAIL UPDATES: If you are not already getting automatic e-mail notifications regarding late breaking news on this website and want to, please click on this title or go to the upper right hand corner of this home page and register. Pass this information on to your friends and neighbors as the more knowledgable people we have expressing their objections to Folsom officials and Council Members, the better chance we have to keep the current retail/light commercial zoning in place and keep out three story condos from our beautiful neighborhoods.)
The Mirabella Condominium Project was originally proposed back in August 2005, and at that time the first step was to submit the plans to the Architectural Review Commission. A focused group of homeowners from Empire Ranch and The Parkway led a grass roots effort to strongly object to this proposal at the ARC meeting on August 25, 2005. The opposition was so strong that Elliot Homes was forced to seek a continuance with the ARC. This was the first time in over 15 years in dealing with the City of Folsom that Elliott Homes has had to request a continuance on a project.
Although the continuance has lasted 6 months, Elliott Homes continued to bring in truck load after truck load of fill dirt, grading and compacting the parcel in preparation for building the condos. Now that the Mirabella Project has been withdrawn from the City Planning Department, Elliott, with his own best interest in mind ($$$$), is attempting to push rezoning through the Planning Commission and get approval to be able to build up to 205 units.
According to Gail Furness de Pardo, Principal Planner with the Community Development Department, who can be reached for additional information at:
Phone # (916) 355-7248
Fax # (916) 355-7274
E-mail: gdepardo@folsom.ca.us
The new application from Elliott is for a "new" project that is exclusively a land use change request for the same site. At the present time, the Mirabella Project no longer exists on the City Planning books. Gail went on to explain the following:
If the property is redesignated from Retail/Light Commercial to Multi-Family Residential, Medium Density with up to 205 units, another application will be required in order to develop a residential project (i.e., a subsequent Planned Development Permit). During each application stage, staff will perform an environmental assessment. In the case of the General Plan Amendment and Specific Plan Amendment request, staff will have to assume the "worst case scenario" when assessing potential environmental impacts because a specific project will not be identified yet. For instance, in the case of school environmental impact studies, student generation numbers will be calculated assuming the maximum allowed density of 205 units.
The individual in charge of this overall project for the city of Folsom is Steve Banks, Associate Planner in the Folsom Planning Department and the main City Planner who works on all of Elliott Homes projects. Steve is also the main conduit of information for this project and he should be copied on every e-mail anyone sends to City Council members or Planning Commissioners expressing our objection to the rezoning. That way, he will have a good pulse on the thoughts and feelings of the local residents affected by the proposed rezoning issue. His contact information is as follows:
Steve Banks, Associate Planner
Phone: 916-355-7385
Fax: 916-355-7274
E-mail: sbanks@folsom.ca.us
Once the date is scheduled (could be as early as April 5th or April 19th) for the Planning Commission to publically hear the formal request from Elliott on rezoning, we need to attend that meeting in massive numbers. Our goal should be to have a minimum of 200 people attend and let their voices be heard by the Planning Commission and then heard again at the City Council meeting that will follow a few weeks later.
NOTE: Although Elliott did submit their new plan last week to City Staff, it is not complete. An Economic Impact Study still needs to be submitted and City Staff has requested an additional requirement in the form of an Updated Traffic Analysis to take into account the maximum density of 205 multi-family units. Depending on when these additional reports are submitted, the scheduled date for the Planning Commission Meeting could be pushed out beyond April 5th or April 19th.
While there may be a few people in the community who would like to see three story condos on this parcel, most of us local residents want no part of it. We are holding strong to the belief that we deserve to have what was originally disclosured (zoned retail/light commercial) to us when we purchased our homes in Empire Ranch and The Parkway. Don't allow the City to change the rules (just because Elliott sees a way to make more money) after we all based our decision in part based on having a local neighborhood shopping area within easy walking distance. We 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 specialty retailers, cafes, boutiques and other 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. It would not need to compete with the new Raley's Center nor the Bel-Air Center, but rather be a unique collection of shops and restaurants or cafes catering to upscale communities. 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 high school aged children.
What can we do right now to make a difference? Yes, we CAN make a difference. Tune into this site on a regular basis or sign up for automatic e-mail updates at: Automatic E-mail Updates for all the latest information and keep your calendar open for possible meeting dates. The other thing that we all can do right now is to call, write, and e-mail each and every member of the Planning Commission and City Council. If we can have hundreds and hundreds of people calling, writing, and e-mailing these folks, starting now, and letting them know how strongly we feel against this rezoning attempt, we CAN defeat it! Like Nike says, "Just Do It". As I mentioned earlier, always copy Steve Banks, so he can have a good pulse on the community involvement.
Thank you again for your help and assistance. 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
Labels: Mirabella_Condominiums
posted by Patrick Warholic @ 18:35
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