Calaveras County Board Final Decision on Massive Town House Project on Lake Tulloch August 12th

The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors indicated it would over turn the decision of the County Planning Commission decision not approve a plan to build a 30 town house development over the surface of Lake Tulloch at their meeting on July 22. The Board by a 3-2 vote voiced its support of construction above the lake thereby reducing the total surface area of the lake. The Lake Tulloch Alliance and other groups and individuals have worked for years to end this practice. Copperopolis Supervisor Russ Thomas voiced his opposition as the project is now designed.

The Board of Supervisors will finalize their decision on the project at a board meeting August 12 at the County Building in San Andreas. The LTA urges citizens to attend the hearing.  If you are interested in joining an effort to support Tri Dam’s position opposing any more construction above the surface of the lake please email us by clicking on this link. 

The LTA held a special meeting at the Saddle Creek with days of the board's action. About 50 residents, realtors, and business people took part proclaiming their strong opposition to the project. However, attendees also pledged their support if the project was not built over the surface of the lake and abided by the Lake Shore Management Plan. The project developers were present for the meeting.

           Over the objection of the Tri Dam Authority and Copperopolis Supervisor Russ Thomas’ objection,  three board members voted to allow over-lake construction despite a legal commitment by the County in September 2003 to end that practice. 

           Steve Felte, General Manager of the Tri Dam Authority, told the Supervisors that the agency was opposed to any future construction over the surface of the Lake Tulloch.  The new Lake Tulloch Management Plan with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission specifically bars the practice. Some parcels in Poker Flat do contained specific entitlements to extend the construction of homes into the lake but Tri Dam has consistently opposed any construction in the lake including an application in 1990’s for such practice in Conner Estates.  

          Most of the three Supervisors said they supported the Villa del Lago application because it was recommended by the Planning Staff. Stephanie Marino, the current Director of the Community Development Agency, personally shepherded the application through the process working directly with the developer.  Marino contended in opening comments that it was 70.02 acre project when in fact the project only has 3.9 acres of actual above water land. She dismissed every point by the community representatives against the project.  Her own agency had told the developer on September 28, 2006 that the project was inconsistent with the current General Plan. Marino has resigned her position following a scathing report by the County Ground Jury citing mismanagement of her agency. 

            Melinda Hoff of GMAC Realty , Jack Cox,  Lake Tulloch Alliance steering committee member, and other area homeowners voicing the community’s strong opposition to the project.  The speakers noted that the property owner has no entitlement to build in the lake since the property has no such designation. They also told the Supervisors that Board approval of the project would set a precedent that would allow other homeowners to construct over the lake. 

Planning Commission Rejects Villa del Lago Application:

The Calaveras County Planning Commission rejected the application to demolish the Lake Tulloch Resort and replace it with a 32 home development project with a 3-2 vote The massive project would have built homes above the lake surface on 90 pylons inserted in land under the lake removing many acres from public use of the lake surface. The county planning staff had not required a environmental impact report and attempted to get approval for the project through a negative declaration.

READ THE LTA STATEMENT AT THE HEARING

Many local residents showed up at the hearing to oppose the project including many local realtors, business owners, and citizens. Efforts to end bad development practices on the lake started in 1997 and it is remarkable to see the broad support this effort now has across the Lake Tulloch Basin. 

The owners of the Lake Tulloch Resort had decided to close the resort and convert it into 32 lakefront townhouses: the Villa del Lago and proposed to extend their development over the surface of the lake. They had tried to make the case they had such a right but were ultimately rejected by governing agencies and local citizens too.

The resort is on more than 70 acres and can now house more than 200 guests. The owner’s initial plans called for a series massive structure that would change the shoreline of the lake. The most damaging part of the conversion proposal was the admission by Bernadette Abramson, the company’s president that the owners want to build over the lake surface. 

Abramson contends that Calaveras County approved such over-lake development in 2006. That is simply is not true. A similar project was rejected by the Calaveras County Planning Commission in 2006. Read the county staff report by clicking here. Developer Merle Holman has vowed to press ahead and get county approval of his 20 unit townhouse project that would consume 300,000 plus square feet of the lake's surface.  See Marina Villas Story.  

Abramson, like Holman, apparently contends her project is grandfathered under original plans for the lake which is disputed in both county records and according to the original developers of the Lake Tulloch Resort and Poker Flat. There was no prior approval of any over-the-lake construction other than in specific deeds in Poker Flat. Construction over the lake surface also does not comply with the new Lake Tulloch Management Plan which is part of the license awarded to the Tri Dam Authority by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 

Approval of Abramson's plans would have also set a precident for homeowners and other land owners to build structures on their private land under the lake surface.

Approval any proposals to build over or in the lake require the approval of the Tri Dam Authority and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.