Two Story Tria Condo Project Voted Down by Folsom Architectural Review Commission
Folsom, CA
On Thursday, October 25, 07:30 A.M. the Folsom Architectural Review Commission unanimously voted to reject the plans for the Tria Condominium Project with a motion the stated that the project did not fit in with the surrounding single family neighborhoods. Thus, their recommendation not to proceed with the project as it is now designed will go to the Planning Commission and to City Council.
Prior to the vote, the applicant was asked if they wanted to request a continuance and come back with another design that would perhaps fit in better with the surrounding neighborhoods. After a brief consultation with other members of her staff, Camille H. Courtney, President of Rancho Cortina Properties and Pacific West Homes told the commissioners that they did not want to request a continuance. (Essentially indicating that they would take their chances on the vote.)
Now that this project has been voted down by the ARC, it appears that Rancho Cortina Properties and Pacific West Homes are now banking on still being able to convince the Planning Commission to rezone to multi-family, and then convince City Council to approve the project in spite of the unanimous negative vote by the ARC. The ARC members present who all voted to deny this project are: George Econome, Robin Kaplan, Toby Magarian - Chair, Evangeline Scott - Vice Chair, Mary Sundermier, and Chad VanderVeen.
NOTE: The Planning Commission meeting was pushed out to Wednesday, December 05, 2007 at 6:30 P.M. and the City Council Meeting vote to Tuesday, January 8, 2008, at 6:30 P.M..
This is a true example of a grass roots effort by many individual property owners to make their voices heard in a public forum where it counts. Everyone who signed petitions against this project (581 of us and counting) was instrumental in getting our point across. We also had approximately 20 citizens attend the ARC meeting, of which seven of us took the opportunity to speak the allotted 3 minutes to state our individual opinions against the project. Other than the applicant, there was not one voice supporting this project.
While this is an important step in the right direction, we must not relax. There are still two very important votes that need to be taken before this project can be put to bed for good. The next meeting is the Planning Commission Meeting on Wednesday, December 05, 2007 at 6:30 P.M. Since this is an evening meeting, we need to rally the troops and get even more people to attend, as this is the meeting where the issue of housing density and the request for re-zoning will be addressed.
I have already had calls from people offering to distribute a notice door to door announcing the meeting with a call to action to attend. If you are available to help, please contact me by e-mail at pwarholic@calhomenet.com, and provide me with your key contact information so I can help coordinate the distribution. As we get closer to the Planning Commission meeting in December, I will be putting together the flyer and will post it on this website to make it available for downloading and distribution door to door. Thank you.
Mention was also made at the meeting to state that the correct size of this parcel of land is 10.3 acres. All of the existing neighborhoods in Empire Ranch have a maximum housing density of 4 to 5 homes per acre. In order for any project of residential units to be acceptable and compatible with the surrounding neighborhoods, the maximum number of housing units should be in the range of 40 to 50, which has been our position from the beginning. It is important for us to stay focused and insist on this condition if the Planning Commission chooses to rezone from the existing Retail/Light Commercial to Multi-Family. We should also point out that if any rezoning is done at all, our first choice would be to simply rezone to single family detached residential, like all the other surrounding neighborhoods. Of course, a nice community park would always be acceptable as well, if Mr. Elliott felt so inclined.
Later in the afternoon of October 25th, the Traffic Safety Committee voted 5 to 1 in favor of the applicants plan for addressing traffic safety issues IF the project is ultimately approved. Unfortunately, only one committee member voted NO on the project, thus supporting our position, and that that was Tony Powers, Citizens Rep, as he tried to make a case for keeping the current zoning and us having our neighborhood shopping area as was originally planned. The five members who approved the traffic safety issues were Don Butler, School District Rep; John Haberek, Folsom FD Rep; Patrick Maxfield, Citizens Rep; Mark Rackovan, Folsom Traffic Engineer; and Bryan Sather, Folsom PD Rep.
Thank you everyone for your support. Keep up the fight, gather more petition signatures, and definitely plan on attending the Planning Commission meeting on December 5th to make your voices heard loudly and clearly.
On Thursday, October 25, 07:30 A.M. the Folsom Architectural Review Commission unanimously voted to reject the plans for the Tria Condominium Project with a motion the stated that the project did not fit in with the surrounding single family neighborhoods. Thus, their recommendation not to proceed with the project as it is now designed will go to the Planning Commission and to City Council.
Prior to the vote, the applicant was asked if they wanted to request a continuance and come back with another design that would perhaps fit in better with the surrounding neighborhoods. After a brief consultation with other members of her staff, Camille H. Courtney, President of Rancho Cortina Properties and Pacific West Homes told the commissioners that they did not want to request a continuance. (Essentially indicating that they would take their chances on the vote.)
Now that this project has been voted down by the ARC, it appears that Rancho Cortina Properties and Pacific West Homes are now banking on still being able to convince the Planning Commission to rezone to multi-family, and then convince City Council to approve the project in spite of the unanimous negative vote by the ARC. The ARC members present who all voted to deny this project are: George Econome, Robin Kaplan, Toby Magarian - Chair, Evangeline Scott - Vice Chair, Mary Sundermier, and Chad VanderVeen.
NOTE: The Planning Commission meeting was pushed out to Wednesday, December 05, 2007 at 6:30 P.M. and the City Council Meeting vote to Tuesday, January 8, 2008, at 6:30 P.M..
This is a true example of a grass roots effort by many individual property owners to make their voices heard in a public forum where it counts. Everyone who signed petitions against this project (581 of us and counting) was instrumental in getting our point across. We also had approximately 20 citizens attend the ARC meeting, of which seven of us took the opportunity to speak the allotted 3 minutes to state our individual opinions against the project. Other than the applicant, there was not one voice supporting this project.
While this is an important step in the right direction, we must not relax. There are still two very important votes that need to be taken before this project can be put to bed for good. The next meeting is the Planning Commission Meeting on Wednesday, December 05, 2007 at 6:30 P.M. Since this is an evening meeting, we need to rally the troops and get even more people to attend, as this is the meeting where the issue of housing density and the request for re-zoning will be addressed.
I have already had calls from people offering to distribute a notice door to door announcing the meeting with a call to action to attend. If you are available to help, please contact me by e-mail at pwarholic@calhomenet.com, and provide me with your key contact information so I can help coordinate the distribution. As we get closer to the Planning Commission meeting in December, I will be putting together the flyer and will post it on this website to make it available for downloading and distribution door to door. Thank you.
Mention was also made at the meeting to state that the correct size of this parcel of land is 10.3 acres. All of the existing neighborhoods in Empire Ranch have a maximum housing density of 4 to 5 homes per acre. In order for any project of residential units to be acceptable and compatible with the surrounding neighborhoods, the maximum number of housing units should be in the range of 40 to 50, which has been our position from the beginning. It is important for us to stay focused and insist on this condition if the Planning Commission chooses to rezone from the existing Retail/Light Commercial to Multi-Family. We should also point out that if any rezoning is done at all, our first choice would be to simply rezone to single family detached residential, like all the other surrounding neighborhoods. Of course, a nice community park would always be acceptable as well, if Mr. Elliott felt so inclined.
Later in the afternoon of October 25th, the Traffic Safety Committee voted 5 to 1 in favor of the applicants plan for addressing traffic safety issues IF the project is ultimately approved. Unfortunately, only one committee member voted NO on the project, thus supporting our position, and that that was Tony Powers, Citizens Rep, as he tried to make a case for keeping the current zoning and us having our neighborhood shopping area as was originally planned. The five members who approved the traffic safety issues were Don Butler, School District Rep; John Haberek, Folsom FD Rep; Patrick Maxfield, Citizens Rep; Mark Rackovan, Folsom Traffic Engineer; and Bryan Sather, Folsom PD Rep.
Thank you everyone for your support. Keep up the fight, gather more petition signatures, and definitely plan on attending the Planning Commission meeting on December 5th to make your voices heard loudly and clearly.
(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 "Add Your Thoughts" "Post a Comment" 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 knowledgeable people we have expressing their objections to Folsom officials and Council Members, the better chance we have to keep out two and three story condos from our beautiful neighborhoods.)
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
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 knowledgeable people we have expressing their objections to Folsom officials and Council Members, the better chance we have to keep out two and three story condos from our beautiful neighborhoods.)
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
Website: House Payment Free
Contact Patrick for information on to pay off your mortgage in 8 to 11 years without refinancing nor changing your budget or lifestyle.
The Internet Home Marketing Center
Website: House Payment Free
Contact Patrick for information on to pay off your mortgage in 8 to 11 years without refinancing nor changing your budget or lifestyle.
Labels: Tria_Condominiums
