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2010 Archive

Calaveras plan late but costs contained
The Calaveras County General Plan is behind schedule, but it is not over budget... A variety of factors have delayed completion of the plan, including staff turnover in the Planning Department; additions in the General Plan to address agriculture, water and economic development; and the inclusion of 16 community plans, especially the one for Valley Springs, which has generated controversy and yielded two rival proposals. – Click here to read article – Stockton Record, November 15, 2010

Board gets update on land plan Tuesday
Extensive community outreach for the Calaveras County General Plan Update has taken thousands of hours of staff time, but thanks to consultant concessions the document remains within budget... An unexpectedly protracted battle over the Valley Springs Community Plan... “We essentially have three plans for Valley Springs. So that will continue to absorb staff time and resources.” – Click here to read article –Union Democrat, November 8, 2010

FEMA flood meeting brings wave of relief
Kathleen Schafer, FEMA’s regional engineer, put the minds of many residents at ease right at the start of the meeting.  “The vast majority of you in this room, I would suspect you will not be required to buy flood insurance,” Schafer said, speculating that as many as 90 percent of residents wouldn’t be affected.  – Click here to read article – Calaveras Enterprise, October 29, 2010

Click here for video of FEMA flood map meeting

Cost of flood coverage to rise
Buying flood insurance before Dec. 17 could save many Calaveras County residents hundreds, or even thousands of dollars. New Federal Emergency Management Agency maps will go into effect that date. Some 700 new miles of seasonal creeks and drainages are added — putting several homes in the flood plain for the first time. –Click here to read article –Union Democrat, October 26, 2010

Caltrans-funded VS plan finished
After two-and-a-half years, countless hours of public meetings and much controversy, the Caltrans-funded Valley Springs Community Plan update is complete. A triumphant procession of supporters heralded the completion of the proposed plan at Tuesday’s Calaveras County Board of Supervisors meeting, many calling it both one of the most rewarding and most challenging planning processes they had ever been involved with. –Click here to read article –Union Democrat, October 22, 2010 

- Click here for video of VSCP submittal to BOS
- Click here to access VSCP on CCOG website

CCOG plan for VS presented to board -- 12/26 plan moves forward
The plan to update the Valley Springs Community Plan drafted by the Calaveras Council of Governments has at last been submitted to the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors for consideration... The heated debate on how to relieve congestion at the intersection of Highways 12 and 26 in Valley Springs has cooled dramatically with the introduction of a new, minimal-impact solution. --Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, October 22, 2010

- Click here for video of SR 12/26 study session 
- Click here for SR 12/26 intersection alternative map

Enrollment doubts dog foothill Delta college campus
Chances of a San Joaquin Delta College campus near Valley Springs dimmed with the release Tuesday of a study estimating it would cost $6.8 million — three times what local supporters claim. –Click here to read article —Union Democrat, October 22, 2010

Valley Springs not in Delta College plans
Campus might not come until 2025
Opening a San Joaquin Delta College campus in Calaveras County near Valley Springs would cost $6.8 million - more than three times what supporters of the project have claimed... Businessman Tom Coe...argues the project could be built for $2 million. – Click here to read the article – Stockton Record, October 20, 2010

Caltrans Comment Letter on CCOG Valley Springs Community Plan
The California Department of Transportation (Department) appreciates the opportunity to review the Calaveras Council of Governments (CalaCOG) Valley Springs Community Plan...The Department finds that all deliverables have been provided to the Department’s satisfaction...CalaCOG is commended for fulfilling the conditions in its scope of work and meeting the milestones...–Click here to read report—DOT, October 14, 2010

New option for 12-26 intersection*
A new option for easing congestion at the intersection of Highways 12 and 26 in Valley Springs was initially met with skepticism – after two community meetings filled with railing against roundabouts, people seemed hardly able to believe they had been heard. –Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, September 27, 2010

Residents support Valley Springs intersection fix*
Valley Springs residents gave a rare united vote of support Thursday for a plan that would make minimal changes to the troublesome intersection of Highways 12 and 26. After rejecting earlier proposals to put in traffic signals or a roundabout, a collection of frequent foes endorsed... –Click here to read article—Union Democrat, September 27, 2010

*Click here for SR 12/26 intersection map ‘ALTERNATIVE 4 MINIMAL IMPROVEMENTS’

Delta College to put new foothill campus in plans
Hope arrived this week for those who want to see a San Joaquin Delta College satellite campus in Calaveras County. College trustees have postponed a vote on a district facilities plan ... –Click here to read article—Union Democrat, September 27, 2010

CCWD customers complain about bills for empty lots
Why am I being billed for water that I don’t use?  That’s a question Calaveras County Water District has been hearing for years from customers who own empty lots hooked up to — but not using — the district’s water or sewer system. –Click here to read article—Union Democrat, September 23, 2010

Final meeting held on draft VS plan
Despite the previous public meetings and outreach, the final meeting on the Calaveras Council of Governments’ draft Valley Springs Community Plan update still saw some confused citizens.  Staff presented highlights of the draft plan, took comments and answered questions... –Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, September 20, 2010

Comments on the Draft Valley Springs Community Plan
On behalf of the Friends of the Lower Calaveras River (FLCR), which is a community organization with more than 400 members throughout San Joaquin and Calaveras Counties...FLCR strongly supports the Council of Government’s (“CCOG”) proposed Valley Springs Community Plan. CCOG’c plan was the result of a data driven, democratic process... –Click here to read report—FLCR, September 17, 2010

Rival plans for area's future go to county
The Valley Springs Community Plan Citizens Committee has submitted its revised draft... The county now has two competing Valley Springs Community Plan proposals to ponder during the countywide General Plan update process. –Click here to read article—The Valley Springs News, September 11, 2010

Calaveras dissolves half of subdivision
Lots restored as developer flops
In a rare procedure, the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors reversed part of a subdivision Tuesday, creating a single lot near Lake Tulloch where there had been 38 home lots ranging from a half-acre to over 2 acres. –Click here to read article—The Stockton Record, September 8, 2010

The mother of all traffic congestion
If there were only one good argument to make for any community to draft a viable plan for its future I would think it would be the sign-cluttered intersection of Highways 12 and 26 in Valley Springs.  It’s an intersection heatedly debated by townsfolk and government officials right now, the one some tenderly refer to as the heart of Valley Springs.  – Click here to read full editorial – Calaveras Enterprise Opinion, August 24, 2010

Lode development no more -- 253 homes were proposed for shore of Tulloch
Thursday's meeting of the Calaveras County Planning Commission was over in eight minutes.  And that included a unanimous vote to deny a developer's application to build 253 homes on the shore of Tulloch Reservoir near Copperopolis. Call it a sign of the times. – Click here to read full article – Stockton Record, August 20, 2010

Cosgrove Creek project in Valley Springs progresses
Clearing the vegetation from Cosgrove Creek could start as soon as Sept. 13, as long as Cal Fire crews aren't called away to a blaze.  But that's just the first small step in protecting homes from the flooding that has plagued the Valley Springs area for years...  – Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, August 16, 2010

Valley Springs has long night of community planning
Some dedicated Valley Springs residents, along with their county supervisors, might have been a little tired Thursday morning.  They stuck it out for a meeting about the Valley Springs Community Plan update produced by Calaveras County Supervisor Gary Tofanelli’s committee.  The meeting piggybacked onto...—Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, August 16, 2010

New plans mulled for VS intersection
Solution will be a mesh of ideas
After a long day of meetings, the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors was talking about casserole.  No, not for dinner – for traffic congestion relief.  Matt Boyer of Dokken Engineering, the contractor planning the congestion relief project for the intersection of Highways 12 and 26 in Valley Springs, said Tuesday that the right choice for the town might ultimately not be one project, but a “casserole” of smaller alterations. –Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, August 13, 2010

Compromise on highway intersection may spare historic Valley Springs
Turn lanes could ease jams without roundabout, signal
The heart of historic Valley Springs would remain largely untouched, and traffic improvements would be kept to the minimum necessary to reduce congestion, under a new proposal that emerged Tuesday for fixing the intersection of Highways 12 and 26. –Click here to read article—Stockton Record, August 11, 2010

Board hears noise policy
Fines could reach $500 for decibel-level violations
Neighbors may soon have to tone down their late-night, high-volume parties.  On Tuesday, the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors heard a revised draft of a noise abatement policy the Sheriff’s Office has been developing. –Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, August 13, 2010

Calaveras noise rules will come with teeth
Calaveras County sheriff's deputies may soon be armed with sound meters when they investigate reports of rowdy parties, roaring motorboats or noisy neighborhood target practice. The county Board of Supervisors gave its informal blessing Tuesday to a plan to develop a noise ordinance with measurable standards so that law officers can enforce the rules and prosecutors can make the charges stick. –Click here to read article—Stockton Record, August 12, 2010

County leaders to put kibosh on noise?
Pumping up the volume too loud at a party or taking noisy target practice could soon earn a costly citation in Calaveras County. Years after the idea was first broached, a 17-page draft noise ordinance will go before the county Board of Supervisors for possible adoption Tuesday. –Click here to read article—Union Democrat, August 9, 2010

Voters weigh in on CCWD assessment district
Some western Calaveras County residents will soon have water service when a special assessment district is put into place.  With the water table lower by as much as a foot to a foot and a half annually through the years, wells have been running dry...—Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, June 30, 2010

Public weighs in on New Hogan facelift
The Army Corps of Engineers is updating the New Hogan Reservoir master plan. “Hearing from the public is very important...We want to know how recreation changed. What would people like to see? It's their park. It's where people come to recreate and relax.” –Click here to read article—Calaveras Enterprise, June 28, 2010

Reduce sprawl, save energy
Vision California*, the state's first major planning document in almost 30 years, was released Wednesday. New development in California needs to be designed from the start to conserve electricity and water, decrease driving time, improve air quality and promote a sustainable lifestyle, according to a landmark study of the state's future growth.  –Click here to read article—San Francisco Chronicle, June 24, 2010

*Click here to read ‘Vision California – Charting Our Future’

Supervisor: New VS plan best represents constituents
District 1 Supervisor Gary Tofanelli was pleased with the outcome of Tuesday’s vote on a new Valley Springs Community Plan...—Click here to read article—The Valley Springs News, June 4, 2010

Valley Springs plan adopted despite objections
Calaveras County’s Board of Supervisors closed a final chapter in the multi-year debate over the future of development in Valley Springs with the approval of a community map [editorial note: should read “maps”, plural] to be included in the county’s long-range planning process. –Click here to read article—The Union Democrat, June 2, 2010

Supervisors to revisit contentious community plan
Discussion and possible action on a new Valley Springs Community Plan is on the Board of Supervisors agenda for Tuesday’s meeting...MyValleySprings.com...has pulled out of Tofanelli’s meetings and is critical of the supervisor’s approach on the issue. –Click here to read article—The Valley Springs News, May 28, 2010

Hot button issues on board agenda
Controversy is likely to ring out at Tuesday’s Calaveras County Board of Supervisors meeting as the board considers what to do about the Valley Springs community plan and fees for sludge disposal. –Click here for article—Calaveras Enterprise, May 28, 2010

Calaveras hopes someday to create an independent parks district
Voters would likely have to OK a $3 a month tax
SAN ANDREAS - Calaveras County will someday have an independent, standalone parks district if a majority of the county's Board of Supervisors has its way. –Click here for article—Stockton Record, May 20, 2010

False statements on plan update
MyValleySprings.com would like to offer clarification on some Valley Springs Community Plan update statements made at the 5/4 Board of Supervisors meeting and in recent newspapers. –Click here for letter—The Valley Springs News, May 14, 2010

Divisive Valley Springs plan on life support
Vote put off while supervisor works to resolve conflict
SAN ANDREAS - Like certain fictional residents of Transylvania, the Valley Springs Community Plan is neither dead nor alive. The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to leave it that way...—Click here to read article—Stockton Record, May 5, 2010

General plan update gets mixed marks
Land use policy in Calaveras County will guide future development to community centers and the county’s western low-lying areas, under a set of general plan update principles approved Tuesday by the Board of Supervisors. –Click here to read article—The Union Democrat, April 21, 2010

‘ON THE RECORD’ Videos Online!!
MyValleySprings.com now gives you the ability to watch planning and public meetings from the comfort of your own home! If you’ve missed public forums or community plan meetings, you may now view them online...— Click here for flyer —The Valley Springs News, April 9, 2010

Board to consider noisy issues at study session
Calaveras County residents clamoring for a law to quiet down everything from raucous boaters to determined motorcyclists to persistent roosters might want to check out Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors study session.  – Click here to read article – Calaveras Enterprise, April 2, 2010

Calaveras community ready for planned changes
Property rights concerns worry residents
VALLEY SPRINGS - Many Calaveras County residents say they want well-planned growth, but some still have jitters about letting government plan for it.  – Click here to read article – Stockton Record, March 23, 2010

VS residents cautious about 12-26 changes
Many of the participants at last week's workshop on proposed changes at the Highways 12-26 intersection wanted to wait to find a solution to relieving congestion in downtown Valley Springs. –Click here to read the entire article – Calaveras Enterprise, March 23, 2010

Discussion begins on 12/26 intersection improvements
Two alternatives to improve traffic flow at the State Route 12/26 intersection in downtown Valley Springs were unveiled Monday evening, but both had their drawbacks. – Click here to read the entire article – The Valley Springs News, March 17, 2010. NOTE: To view the 12/26 meeting video, click our webpage ‘On the Record’

Frog gets third bid for critical habitat
VALLEY SPRINGS - The federal government Tuesday made its third attempt to designate critical habitat for the California red-legged frog. The 1.6 million acres proposed represent the result of a decade of legal battles and scientific study. – Click here to read the entire article— Stockton Record, March 17, 2010

Delta College: We need bodies
Population data needed for campus in Valley Springs
VALLEY SPRINGS - Bodies are needed before buildings to open a satellite campus in Valley Springs, a San Joaquin Delta College official said last week.-- Click here to read the entire article – Stockton Record, March 15, 2010. NOTE: To view the Delta College forum video, click our webpage ‘On the Record’

Rancho Calaveras out of Valley Springs plan
VALLEY SPRINGS - Rancho Calaveras may be home to most of the population in Valley Springs, but the 6,000-acre housing tract won't be included in plans for the town's future. – Click here to read the entire article – Stockton Record, February 24, 2010

Calaveras hearing to shed light on call for illumination ordinance
The heavy snowfall that knocked out power to Merita Callaway's neighborhood Dec. 7 reminded her why she's spent the past seven-plus years urging her colleagues on the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors to adopt a dark-sky ordinance ... Calaveras hearing to shed light on call for illumination ordinance_SR_1-4-10