Published: July 3, 2008
By HOYT ELKINS
The Union Democrat
The recently-formed Calaveras County Taxpayers Association has asked county supervisors to speed up the review process of the controversial Ridge at Trinitas golf course development near Burson.
CCTA is the second organization to endorse the project since developer Mike Nemee hosted a Valley Springs Area Business Association mixer at the golf course last month. First to voice approval after tours conducted during the business association event was the Calaveras County Deputy Sheriff's Association.
Both organizations touted the economic benefits of the development to the county tax base.
"Trinitas is one of the largest ag producers in the west end of the county," said Al Segalla, president of the taxpayers group. "This project has a wonderful balance of ag, open space, oak tree preservation, wetlands and wildlife habitat enhancement, plus water conservation and reclamation."
In remarks to county supervisors earlier this week, Segalla said he had reviewed letters of support for the project written by "neighbors of the development."
"Some of these letters are shocking in that they indicate a massive fraudulent campaign is under way to kill this project," Segalla declared.
He added that the project owners appear to have consistently followed the requests of the county and followed the rules from when the project was a private golf course "to the present more significant public agri-tourist project."
Project critics say that it was begun without proper environmental review and continued after county officials told Nemee to stop. What originally had been called an 18-hole private golf course over 95 acres, grew into a public golf course development with a proposed 30-unit lodge, a clubhouse and plans for 13 new custom homes on 2-acre lots.
Lew Mayhew, spokesman for Keep it Rural Calaveras, a group spearheading opposition to the project, responded to the CCTA endorsement saying "statements about the project's history and apparent violations of county, state and federal laws are solidly supported by documents in the public record."
"We don't have to argue about it, just assess it fairly," Mayhew said. "An impartial DEIR (Draft Environmental Impact Report) will evaluate the past and future impacts and recommend mitigations for unauthorized construction. Then the county taxpayers can understand the full costs and consequences of the proposed project."
A DEIR is being prepared and is expected to be made public later this month. Nemee is paying for the report.
An unexpected, but welcome, change in tone by KIRC. "We don't have to argue about it, just assess it fairly"...that sure sounds like a reasonable approach. BTW, Nemee is REQUIRED to pay for the report by the County...standard for most project applicants...didn't want the article to leave the wrong impression.
