Gov’t at work
Wednesday, February 8, 2022
NEWSBOY contents
Brooktrails post-meeting brief
Follow-up: Ridgewood housing
Book Review
Looking ahead: city council
Good afternoon, reader. In this email you will find very brief post-meeting coverage of last night’s Brooktrails meeting and follow up from county supervisors re: the motel to apartments project on Ridgewood.
Brooktrails
This is a barebones briefing, it was a short meeting tonight:
Brooktrails Fire Department is undertaking fuel reduction work in the greenbelt with help from CalFire.
A mid-financial year report on the district’s finances was formally received by directors.
Remote meetings continue, as per Assembly Bill 361, directors consider this question monthly.
A community-supported-agriculture style business wants to serve Brooktrails. The speaker was unable to connect verbally with the system and the info was relayed in the chatroom available to Internet users–NEWSBOY always phones in and missed any details on this pleasant development.
Motel to apartments
Motel to apartments decision continued to April 5
County supervisors decided Tuesday to proceed with more review of a use permit for a project that would remodel an empty motel into new apartments.
The project on Church of Golden Rule property at the Ridgewood summit previously won a use permit only to have the decision appealed.
Planning Department Assistant Director Julia Krog spoke for the county.
“Staff has consulted with county counsel’s office and has determined that additional analysis is necessary to address concerns raised in appeal which may include additional analysis pursuant to CEQA,” said Krog.
Cody Bartholomew, the applicant, said his group was was hopeful the matter returns to supervisors in April.
An April deadline is important if the project is to begin this spring.
“We understand to make the project a lot more robust and defensible it needs more time,” said Bartholomew. “As frustrating as that is, we support and understand that.”
Mendocino County recommended revocation of the use permit, documents posted with the meeting agenda stated.
Joe Cooper, the man who filed the appeal, did not speak, but lawyer Shanda Beltran did comment on his behalf.
“We were going to speak in favor of staff’s position as it appears the applicant is also in favor of staff position,” Beltran said.
But would concerns about noise be for future residents or construction work, the supervisors wondered.
“It is a residential project located directly next to a highway,” said Beltran.
Supervisor Ted Williams said he would be okay with rejecting Cooper’s appeal and approving the project.
The project is in the 3rd District about six miles south of Willits.
Supervisor John Haschak made a motion to continue the project with more review by the planning and building department.
Supervisors voted unanimously to approve Haschak’s motion.
Klog said the county was already working on more review.
To summarize what Klog said, the county will look to the General Plan for noise concerns, consider seismic regulations and other CEQA concerns.
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