Tri Dam Rejects Application for Massive Vista del Lago Project and Files Suit Against Calaveras County
The TriDam Authority and a group of property owners on Lake Tulloch have law suits against Calaveras County which had approved a permit to allow the construction of the Villa del Lago town house project. Read the Calaveras Enterprise Article Read Union Democrat Story
The Lake Tulloch Alliance praised the action of Tri Dam and private citizens for launching the first legal actions to protect the lake from intrusive, in appropriate development.
The Tri Dam Authority had rejected the application by the Vista del Lago developers in a staff report.. The report concluded:
Recommendation: Reject the proposed project as inconsistent with the overall public good and with shoreline management plan’s restrictions on the construction of private facilities more than 40 feet from shore.
The complete Tri Dam Report is available by clicking here. The Lake Tulloch Alliance joined with local homeonwners, realtors, business leaders and Supervisor Russ Thomas to oppose the project. This action by Tri Dam now sets a precident that the day of lake short development that has destroyed or damaged key sections of the lake are over. This is an important decision by Tri Dam.
Projects like this poorly conceived development are over. It is just too bad the Board of Supervisors of Calaveras County doesn't get it and would even think about approving such a ridiculous project.
The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors had gone back on its promise to enforce the Lake Shore Management Plan it committed to support in exchange for an agreement by the Tri Dam Authority to lift a moratorium on the placement of docks on Lake Tulloch. In 2003, the Board agreed to enforce the plan which would end construction over the surface of the lake among lake among several provisions that would preserve the lake.
On August 12th the Board voted by a 3-2 vote to approve a proposal to build 30 town houses over the surface of Lake Tulloch. The project will remove hundreds of thousands of square feet of the lake from public use and allow a private developer to control areas of the lake that are, under law, prohbited to be developed. The Board overruled the decision by its own planning commission that had rejected the project. Paul Stein, the former Supervisor that signed the letter committing county support of the Lake Shore Management Plan, spoke at the hearing reminding the board of the commitment it had made to the agency.
The TriDam Authority is licensed by the United States Government through the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to operate the lake. FERC recently approved a new multi-decade license for the agency to continue to operate the lake. The license includes strong provisions protecting the environmental integrity and public use of the lake. Tri Dam Manager Steve Felte told the Supervisors that the project was unacceptable since it was inconsistent with the agency's license and the Shore Line Management Plan.
Supervisors Russ Thomas, Copperopolis, and Steve Wilensky voted against approval of the project.
"The Board of Supervisors of Calaveras County is guilty of total incompetence and is irresponsible in its conduct." declared Jack Cox, Steering Committee Member of the Lake Tulloch Alliance. "Since the mid 1990's the board has refused to protect the lake except for one issue. They have allowed developers to run rampant and to rip off the public and destory the natural resources that make the lake a wonderful place to live and visit."
"We are gratified to have had the strong support of local realtors including those from GMAC, Century 21, Coldwell Banker Lake Tulloch and others along with Castle and Cook, and other business people. These people have provided real leadership!" noted Cox. "These business people joined with citizens and our elective representative to support proper public policy and three Supervisors simply rejected good planning, their own committment, and the will of the public."
The Lake Tulloch Alliance strongly supports Tri Dam's shoreline management plan and their opposition to this project. It will be vitally important for local citizens to support Tri Dam and its sole effort to protect the lake. "It really is sad that the public cannot trust elected officials to do the right thing and for them to again rip off the public." concluded Cox.
What you can do?
You can support Tri Dam Lake Shore Management Plan. Please send an email to Steve Felte, Manager of Tri Dam at sjf@tridamproject.com. Make your position clear that you support the agency and reject the county. To learn more check out these stories.
Sonora Union Democrat - http://www.uniondemocrat.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=27302
Mother Lode.Com - http://www.mymotherlode.com/News/article/kvml/1218655778
Stockton Record - http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/A_NEWS/808130324/-1/A_COMM02