Form Letters to BOS and Planning Department

UPDATED EMAIL ADDRESSES and contact info for the Board of Supervisors and the EDC Planning Commission:

Board of Supervisors
District 1 – John Hidahl  bosone@edcgov.us  530-621-5650
District 2 – George Turnboo bostwo@edcgov.us  530-621-5651
District 3 – Wendy Thomas bosthree@edcgov.us 530-621-5652
District 4 – Lori Parlin bosfour@edcgov.us 530-621-6513
District 5 – Brooke Laine bosfive@edcgov.us  530-621-6577


Planning Commissioners
District 1 John Vegna jvegna@edcgov.us
District 2 Kris Payne kpayne@edcgov.us
District 3 Lexi Boeger lexi.boeger@edcgov.us
District 4 Andrew Nevis andy.nevis@edcgov.us
District 5 Daniel Harkin daniel.harkin@edcgov.us

Planning Director
Karen Garner Karen.L.Garner@edcgov.us 530-621-5315

 

The EDC Planning Commission has voted to REJECT the CEDHSP housing plan with a REZONE proposed by Parker Development. We need to remind our Board of Supervisors of that and that you agree with the Planning Commission, and as our ELECTED representatives, you want the BOS to REPRESENT our community wishes! 

We have generated some sample letters which you are free to use any or all of for ideas to send to our supervisors. THE PLANNING COMMISSION SAID THAT THE VOLUME OF LETTERS THEY RECEIVED HELPED THEM MAKE THE DECISION THEY DID – TO DENY THE PROJECT UNANIMOUSLY! 

HERE IS WHAT ONE RESIDENT WROTE TO JOHN HIDAHL, but you are welcome to use this or anything from the other letters below:

Dear Supervisor Hidahl,

I voted for you to fill the District One Supervisor position. Your advocacy of “slow growth” encapsulates my position on development

And then, along came the Parker organization’s Central El Dorado Hills Specific Plan (CEDHSP). A development proposal that wildly exceeds anyone’s definition of reasonable development: an insult to the community. It ignores zoning regulations, building codes, and infrastructure requirements.

The Planning Commission reviewed Parker’s plan thoroughly and rejected it for too many reasons to mention here. They did a stellar job.

My concern is that our “slow growth” Supervisor remains uncommitted. The candidate, on the campaign trail, opposed the kind of development that Parker’s people are trying to sell, yet he has not condemned the project—despite overwhelming public opposition! Don’t constituent opinions and concerns matter?

I have to ask myself why. My imagination runs wild, and the conclusions are far from flattering.  

You can end the speculation. Just announce your opposition to the CEHDSP in any iteration. Please do it today.  

REGARDING THE next step – the Board of Supervisors will be voting soon whether they will let this illegal and unwanted project to go forward. We must keep the pressure on the Board via continued emails letting them know your opinions on this project!

IF YOU WISH TO CONTACT THE EL DORADO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS individually:

El Dorado County Board of Supervisors

John Hidahl, District 1              bosone@edcgov.us

George Turnboo, District 2       bostwo@edcgov.us

Wendy Thomas, District 3        bosthree@edcgov.us

Lori Parlin, District 4                  bosfour@edcgov.us

Sue Novasel, District 5              bosfive@edcgov.us

SAMPLE LETTERS TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:

LETTER #1

EDC Supervisors:

I was pleased to learn that the Planning Commission has rejected Parker’s CEDHSP. They did an outstanding job identifying the many flaws in the proposal and the catastrophic impact it would have had on the El Dorado Hills community. 

It was refreshing to learn that a group of primarily new commissioners will be shepherds of statute-compliant growth in El Dorado County. Taxpaying citizens deserve competent civil servants in positions of import. 

I am also aware that the BOS has a track record of approving development projects which have not passed Planning Commission scrutiny. I wish to clarify that any attempt to pursue that course of action with the CEDHSP will meet with extreme resistance.

I ask that you follow the lead of your commissioners and let the Parker organization go back to the drawing board. Eventually, they may come up with an acceptable project. They have made little effort in that direction, but the ball is now in their court.  

Thank You. 

LETTER #2

EDC Supervisors:

At first, we watched the Planning Commission’s CEDHSP hearing with trepidation. Towards the end of the meeting, it became more evident that such a poorly conceived project was unacceptable to the commission. For the first time, El Dorado County regulators required a Parker project to meet current statutory and zoning requirements. It was about time. We were ecstatic with the decision.

Past Planning Commissions have given Parker Development Carte Blanche to build as they please. The bar was so low that this project’s documents ignored CEQA guidelines and included decades-old studies and other flawed reports.

Given the Planning Commission’s decision and the poor quality of the project supporting documents, we see no reason for the BOS to waste any more time on the CEDHSP. Parker Development should go back to square one. They should devise a project acceptable to the community and within current zoning, statutory, and building code guidelines.

BOS approval of the CEDHSP would breach your constituent’s trust. Public ire would be palpable. Please do not take that action.

Thank you.

LETTER #3

EDC Supervisors:

We were pleased to watch the Planning Commission conduct a voter-friendly hearing on the CEDHSP and reject it because of the many flaws. It is about time El Dorado County said NO to Parker!

Past commissions have rubber-stamped outlandish Parker proposals repeatedly. If they own a property, they should be able to build what they want, AS LONG AS IT IS WITHIN ZONING AND STATUTORY GUIDELINES AND MEETS EXISTING BUILDING CODES. The Parker people continue to color outside the lines at the expense of everyone else: ENOUGH!

The CEDHSP was poorly conceived, and after nine years of preparation, they failed to present anything close to acceptable supporting documentation. There is no reason for the BOS to spend time on this flawed debacle.

Please DO NOT consider approving this project.

Thank you.

LETTER #4

EDC Supervisors:

I ask that you please vote in line with the County Planning Department and REJECT the rezoning of the golf course property. 

I will not echo all the reasons why this is a bad proposal, you should be well aware of that by now. 

What I will point our is the elephant in the room. Some of the members of the BOS (and the public knows which ones) have accepted very large sums of money from Parker Development (some hidden as Chamber of Commerce contributions) as campaign contributions. I will remind you that you were elected to represent the PEOPLE of this county and NOT the company that paid for your fancy election signs. Show us that Parker has not bought your vote! 92+% of the voters in District 1 said “NO!” to this project! Show us that Parker cannot buy the votes they need to destroy our community and vote NO!

Thank you!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION YOU COULD INCLUDE: 

On March 8, 2022, Attorney Marsha A. Burch sent a letter to Gina Hamilton of the Planning and Building Department on behalf of the Open Space El Dorado Hills group. In her letter, she pointed out numerous flaws in Parker’s CEDHSP. The plan does not meet CEQA requirements; it does not address deficiencies identified in past DEIR submissions and forces the county to deal with inconsistencies with the general plan. The responsibility of the developer.

The CEDHSP also proposes a breach of the Serrano CC&Rs, a DRE-approved contract between the Parker Organization and over 4500 Serrano homeowners.

The DEIR must be rejected and sent back to the developer. They must continue to revise their plan until it falls within the existing zoning, building, and CEQA guidelines. EHD residents expect nothing less. Parker came back with insignificant changes and presented it to the El Dorado Planning Commission and they flatly rejected it. 

The Parker organization has met with opposition from the public since the plan’s introduction. In 2015 the El Dorado Hills CSD put Measure “E” on the ballot, asking voters for their level of support for the project. Over 91% of YOUR CONSTITUENTS – those who voted in that special election, REJECTED the plan! 

A little over two years ago, the El Dorado County Planning Commission held a public meeting at the District Church in El Dorado Hills. The meeting goal was to allow Parker Development to present its CEDHSP to the public. Over 500 residents attended. 

After that presentation, the public was allowed to respond. Attendees were permitted three minutes each to voice their opinions. The responses lasted for more than two and one-half hours. Not one respondent spoke in favor of the Parker plan! Kirk Bone’s face got redder and redder as the comments progressed. I thought he was going to have a coronary on the spot.

Our group of residents formed the Open Space El Dorado Hills group, a revision of the Parks Not Parker effort. Our OpenSpaceEDH.org  website provides supporters with information about the CEDHSP and includes a petition against it. Residents who oppose the plan may sign the petition, which generates emails to county supervisors and planning commissioners informing those officials of our opposition. We have amassed over 5300 signatures to date. 

It must be evident to every commissioner that the voters of El Dorado Hills DO NOT WANT the CEDHSP plan to proceed.

Any property owner may build on land they own, as long as they do so within zoning and building limitations. However, we should NOT allow anyone to buy land zoned open space and then permit them to pressure the county to change the zoning, allowing multi-story apartment buildings and condos where open fields and oak trees once existed. There also must be limits to the number of homes a developer can put in an already crowded area.

The Parker organization ignores public opposition. Their representatives continue to exert pressure on our supervisors and our county officials charged with managing development and growth in El Dorado County. 

The CEDHSP will turn El Dorado Hills into Rancho Cordova East. We ask that you REJECT their Rezoning request and retain the county General Plan zoning.

PLEASE, STOP THE REZONE.

You must be aware that over 5,300 citizens of El Dorado Hills have signed a petition to HALT the unnecessary growth of El Dorado Hills just to please the pocketbooks of Parker Development.  

You must also be aware of the Jan. 13th, 2020 meeting at District Church in EDH, where over 500 local folks got together to unanimously voice their opinions CLEARLY to the planning board and some of the supervisors, and people from Parker Development. Then, on June 9th, 2022, the Planning Commission unanimously voted to deny the project outright – stating it violates the General Plan

You must also be aware of an ADVISORY Vote in 2015 that went to ballot where over 91% of those voting, voted AGAINST THE REZONE.

You must be aware that the property in question is at the gateway entrance to El Dorado Hills and represents WHY PEOPLE MOVED HERE in the first place!! To get away from the congested urban areas of Sacramento and also Silicon Valley. They moved here for the quality of life, the relaxing environment with trees and green hills.

You must be aware that they are currently building over 10,000 new homes in Folsom just a couple miles down the road. The conversation about providing “affordable housing” within El Dorado Hills is ridiculous because nothing in El Dorado Hills will be less than Folsom – which is less than five miles away. (Think – would Beverly Hills build some low-income housing in the middle of their town? No, but there are communities nearby that ARE less expensive.)

You must be aware that it is currently zoned as “Open Space Recreation” and should remain so in the heart of El Dorado Hills. If they want to build a small nine-hole golf course, or put in bike paths, a par course, some sports fields, tennis courts, trails, or even a community theater or multi-use center. Currently, there isn’t any CULTURAL contribution to the people in EDH.  Parker Development has deliberately left our very own EDH CSD (Community Services District – that handles maintenance of the parks and recreation for EDH) OUT of the planning negotiations on this project, despite multiple requests!!

You must be aware that our one local high school is already impacted and we already need to send students to schools in Shingle Springs and Rescue. There are many areas of the community that are VERY upset about this. In addition, the area they are looking to build is very close to the school, so those “new” people would get priority on schools and the school boundaries would have to be trimmed back even farther!! Rolling Hills Middle school is massively overcrowded according to a letter recently sent out by the principal. (Where would any new kids go to school???)

You must be aware that they are offering a small park next to the freeway where all the exhaust from the freeway is as a way to appease the citizens if they should lose the open space.

You must be aware that the traffic between El Dorado Hills Blvd and Silva Valley Parkway off Harvard next to the High School and Rolling Hills Middle School is already WAY overpacked with traffic at certain hours of the day and there literally is no adequate parking on the campuses or in front of them. Some kids are having to park one quarter mile away as it is!!

You must be aware that there are already tons of empty lots scattered throughout El Dorado Hills that are already marked for future residential buildings – and there are numerous active construction sites currently already in the community.

You must be aware that we are in the third year of one of the worst droughts in California history! Building 1,000 more homes – you think that will force us into rationing? Why not let the current projected homes be built, then see how the water rationing goes in a couple of years!? Let’s not BLINDLY go forward without knowing the resources will be available. This is already happening in many cities in California including wealthy cities like Los Gatos – rationing water…while continuing to build numerous new homes!

You must know the applicant already has the approval to build out any of the 135 units in Serrano rather than exchange it trying to confuse the community, knowing that it encompasses “Asbestos Ridge” which is a less than ideal area to build, or have a public park for that matter. They are trying to push through an ILLEGAL “Density Transfer” past the HOA  of Serrano, to make it look like they are leaving open space with this project.

You must also be aware that the EDC Planning Commission reviewed the project extensively as did the EDHAPAC committee and both UNANIMOUSLY voted AGAINST THIS PROJECT! It goes AGAINST OUR GENERAL PLAN established years ago.

Finally, you must know that the temperature in El Dorado Hills can get up to 105 degrees and even 108 degrees in the summer. Everyone knows that trees and green grass help with pollution and lowering the temperature. Building roads and 1,000 homes and bringing in 1,000+ more cars certainly will result in even higher temperatures for our community, this is a proven fact. 

KNOWING THIS, why would anyone approve a project that would destroy the beauty of El Dorado Hills and that is projected to lose money at inception and into perpetuity?  There are other alternatives that would be much more appealing to the residents and to El Dorado Hills proper and could provide revenue to the County that it needs.

We kindly request that you please vote NO REZONE on this in order to preserve the original protections for this prime quality “Open Space Recreation” in the heart of El Dorado Hills for our current and future generations of El Dorado County kids.

Thank You for Your Thoughtful Consideration,

The calendar of RELEVANT events is here.

18 Replies to “Form Letters to BOS and Planning Department”

  1. I am extremely opposed to rezoning the EDH golf course for anything but community use. The space should remain open for community and recreational uses. It was zoned for recreation and should stay that way!
    There are so many possibilities for the space that would enhance and benefit the entire community and perhaps bring tourist or recreational dollars in to the area (soccer, event space (weddings?), scaled down golf practice facility (Top Golf?), open space, hiking trails, dog park).
    I would be open to hearing an option that could incorporate a scaled down multi-tenant residential build out ONLY nearest to Highway 50 that allows for the rest of the property to remain open for recreational uses. I really miss the driving range which is one of the reasons we moved here in 2004. Shutting down the golf course is one thing; golf courses can be expensive to operate. However, shutting down the driving range made no sense (that probably was profitable). Converting to some residential profit center for Parker is not acceptable.
    Please do not be swayed by the profit hog Parker and his cronies!!!
    Thank you for your consideration.

    1. Thank you Christine. There are so many of us that agree with you. I see you signed the petition which means John Hidahl has heard from you. Now the ball is in the hands of the 5 Supervisors in the County.

  2. I totally agree with Christine Hammond. How dare they try to put apartments where someone paid a premium for a golf course view. Plus, traffic on Serrano Parkway is already super noisy! My house backs up to Serrano Parkway and I’m already trying to lessen the traffic noise. Additionally, school impaction, traffic on EHD Blvd and the decline of home values are all problems.

      1. Jim, I put this on next door but maybe you could put up heat and spread the word. This is 100% reliable.

        I wanted to add a bit of interesting news. I learned from reliable source that Parker treats CSD with disdain and does not work with them at any level in good faith.

        I also was told that it seems John Hidahl is working hard to make this project economically feasible and viable for the county so that it can move forward.

        This is from a person or persons working directly with Parker and Mr Hidahl but on our side. This is all the more reason to withhold your vote for Mr. Hidahl in the March primary so we can ensure there will be an alternative candidate come November. It’s political accountability. If he opposes the rezone, throw your vote behind him if you wish. If he votes in favor, it’s a big NO for those against the rezone.

        1. Thanks Mark. No offense, but I won’t personally spread the word because at this point it is third hand and we all know what happens if you pass information from unverified sources. I will, however, leave your comment for all to see.

  3. We kindly request that you please vote NO REZONE on this in order to preserve the original protections for this prime quality “Open Space Recreation” in the heart of El Dorado Hills for our current and future generations of El Dorado County kids.

    Thank You for Your Thoughtful Consideration,

  4. Eldo Hills already has over crowded schools & too much traffic. Have lived here 26 years & have seen the population explode the past few years. Keep our open green space for public enjoyment. A park with walking/biking trails would be wonderful.

  5. We moved here in 2019 from the overcrowded insane building growth in Sunnyvale, with its accompanying traffic, noise, and frustrations. We moved here to get away from a monopolistic family owned building corporation who had the city council in their pocket. 2 blocks from our home with scant public notice a mega traffic center was proposed, and passed. We protested and it was too late to change. Over packed council meetings made zero difference. Moving here and finding the SAME THING has been very depressing to say the least. I say shame on the past and present council members who thought killing open space is a great idea. I say shame on families who work together with their lawyers to beat the system and buy up land with the deceitful intent to change zoning when the wind blows their way. This is a beautiful community. We moved here because of its beauty. Let’s keep it so, by preserving open space.

  6. Hopefully we can stop this rezone and get something of benefit to the community for future generations. So many have voiced this in many different and more articulate ways but it seems the Parker Machine refuses to negotiate a reasonable solution with CSD and the EDH residents. We can only keep vigilant with thanks to those who keep donating their time and efforts to keep us aware of the situation!! Every time we think it is done back around it appears..will keep my sign up “NO REZONE” forever it seems.

    Thank you all who keep working on this effort to stop the Rezone of that Open Space in the Heart of EDH.

  7. Limited water supply – overcrowded schools – congested roads – anyone of those should stop you from becoming Parkered.
    Beyond that, you MUST care about the beauty and openness of El Dorado Hills and do all you can do to preserve the very nature of this place.
    DON’T let this place disappear under a pile of senseless constructon.

  8. Please do not destroy our community Hold the developer to his commitment. He will have to live with destroying a beautiful village. Worse we will have to live in a broken promise. Please do the right thing. Reject all elements of this destructive rezone plan. We are depending on you to save this beautiful place. Thank you

  9. We moved here 34 years ago from San Jose because of the over crowded schools and too much traffic. Needless to say we have seen the population explode the past few years. Now Folsom is building 10,000 homes on the South side of 50 just down the hill from us.

    I am extremely opposed to rezoning the EDH golf course for anything but community use. The space should remain open for community and recreational uses. It was zoned for recreation and should stay that way!

    We kindly request that you please vote NO REZONE on this in order to preserve the original protections for this prime quality “Open Space Recreation” in the heart of El Dorado Hills for our current and future generations of El Dorado County kids.

    It was zoned for recreation and should stay that way!

  10. Yes, I am interested also in having this plan to build around Rasmussen stopped. There is enough development in the area already. Just look at Silver Springs and Green Valley Road. Lots of lovely natural areas and space disappearing, making it crowded and a traffic nightmare happening in our own formerly peaceful abode.

  11. New housing in El Dorado Hills should absolutely NOT be allowed! I have lived in El Dorado Hills for over 42 years and have personally witnessed the destruction of so many beautiful open spaces, the golf course and driving range which were the reasons we’d moved to El Dorado Hills in the first place. El Dorado Hills was known as the bedroom community of Sacramento. The promise to residents that fast food restaurants and apartments would never be built in El Dorado Hills evaporated. The promise of the protected land for wildlife on the west side of El Dorado Hills Blvd. that meets with Francisco Blvd. was abolished. The wildlife was destroyed and was replaced with a community of houses. Wildlife was forced to leave their habitat and has since disappeared. The beautiful open land where Fairchild Village was built was once so beautiful where horses roamed. Too much valuable open land has been eliminated. We live off of El Dorado Hills Blvd. where traffic noise has greatly increased over the past 30 years. Loud sirens from fire trucks and ambulances has increased so much that it is unnerving due to the increased population influx in El Dorado Hills. We cannot afford more housing, apartments, traffic, airbpollution and increase of vehicles in our community. We do not have enough water resources especially when our Governor has allowed dumping of our water down the Delta in to the ocean to save the fish! El Dorado Hills has become very fast paced and overcrowded. We cannot afford more vehicles on the roads and more people impacting our schools, community and environment.

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