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C ali forn ia’s Olde st Ne w spaper
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Volume 172 • Issue 81 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, July 17, 2023
Grand Jury finds building permit process ‘a maze’ Eric Jaramishian Staff writer The 2022-23 El Dorado County Grand Jury released its investigation into the Planning and Building Department’s permitting process and reported finding delays in issuing building permits. The report states it takes “an extended amount of time” for individuals to navigate planning and building processes and the department is inadequate in alerting homeowners of delays or if additional information was needed in building requests. “Following the permit application through the process is difficult because current county systems do not automatically document progress,” reads the report. “There is little to no assistance or communication from the county, leaving homeowners to navigate the complex and unfamiliar maze of the building permit process on their own.” According to the Grand Jury, the county is lacking an alert system to notify permit applicants if their requests are stalled and county staff does not follow up with the homeowner beyond sending a letter asking for additional information. The report claims the homeowner would subsequently be responsible for finding out who to contact and where in the process their request was stalled. Furthermore, the process requires multiple county agencies to approve specific parts of the building request, depending on the type of permit. The report states the agencies lacked proper coordination with each others, resulting in permitting delays. When a building permit is issued, inspections required by various departments have been “frustrating” for applicants who gave the Grand Jury examples of inspectors examining the same property and finding different issues or having incomplete information on arrival, requiring the homeowner to relay prior information to the inspectors to get them up to speed on previous inspections, the Grand Jury reported. Even though commercial contractors are assigned a planner, homeowners do not have assigned planners, the report states. It goes on to state the county’s permit tracking system is not automatically documenting the status of each permit. TRAKiT, the county’s software tool to automate management of project development, permitting and code compliance, is also thought to be contributing to the delays due to the software not n See Permits, page A2
Mountain Democrat photo by Isaac Streeter
Corey Pereira and girlfriend Leah Bertuccelli are back on the course at Cameron Park Country Club after a trip to the U.S. Open. Pereira took a six-month break from golfing professionally to help take care of Bertuccelli following her cancer diagnosis.
Pereira putts to U.S. Open first amid challenging year Isaac Streeter Staff writer
W
hen Cameron Park resident, Ponderosa High School graduate and professional golfer Corey Pereira walked onto the course of the 123rd U.S. Open June 15, it was not only his first U.S. Open but his first professional event of the year. “(I went) three or four months without touching a club,” 28-year-old Pereira said. “Taking a step back from golf helped me in a weird way.” Pereira, a former Delta Valley League MVP during his time at Ponderosa, 2012 Future
Collegian World Tour national champion and member of the University of Washington’s golf team went professional in 2017. He had been playing in the PGA’s development circuit, the Korn Ferry Tour and previously on the Canadian PGA Tour. In October he made the choice to step away after his girlfriend, Union Mine High School graduate and former University of Washington pole vaulter Leah Bertuccelli, was diagnosed with a rare form of soft tissue cancer. “(Rhabdomyosarcoma) is mostly found in children, for someone (26 years old) to have it is extra rare,” Bertucelli said. “No one really expects to be
diagnosed with cancer in their 20s — you take it and learn to live with it.” Time off allowed Pereira to care for Bertuccelli as she underwent chemotherapy radiation treatment at Stanford University. Bertuccelli’s condition improved steadily and after 35 rounds of radiation she was able to return home from Stanford March 29. A month later Pereira was back on the golf course chasing his dream of playing in a Major. “Leah and my coach convinced me at the last minute to do local n See Pereira, page A3
HistoriCorps restoration in the works at Robbs Hut Isaac Streeter Staff writer
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The historical Robbs Hut recreation rental and Robbs Peak
lookout in the Eldorado National Forest is getting some TLC. The restoration project is led by staff from the nonprofit HistoriCorps, which specializes in preserving historical buildings with the help of volunteers and Great Basin Institute Youth Conservation Corps. HistoriCorps has also been involved in the ongoing restoration of the Alder Ridge Lookout Cabin. Funding for this project is provided by the Great American Outdoors Act, according to U.S. Forest Service officials. North of Union Valley Reservoir in the Crystal Basin Recreation Area,
both Robbs lookout and hut were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937 and were named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 and 2015, respectively. “If the high mountains of California’s Eldorado National Forest call you, we highly recommend joining us this season to restore Robbs Peak Hut and Lookout,” HistoriCorps organizers state about the project on their website. The goals of the project are to replace the roof of the hut as well as complete maintenance and safety on the exterior and interior of the lookout to allow for both public
Robbs Hut’s deteriorated cedar shingle roof is being replaced as part of a HistoriCorps restoration project.
U.S. Forest Service photo by Jordan Serin
and administrative use of both structures. The first round of restoration work took
place July 9-14. The second round of work is scheduled July 16-21. For more information
about the project visit historicorps.org/ robbs-peak-hut-andlookout-ca.
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