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C ali forn ia’s Olde st Ne w spaper
– E s t. 18 51
Volume 172 • Issue 93 | $1.00
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, August 14, 2023
Wedding bells may ring at Placerville’s Bell Tower
Odin Rascoe Staff writer
Mountain Democrat photo by Eric Jaramishian
A hotel and event center would go in off Bass Lake Road north of Old Country Club Drive in El Dorado Hills as part of the Town and Country Village development.
60-acre Bass Lake Hills project going into EIR phase Eric Jaramishian Staff writer Residents have until Aug. 17 to provide written comments before El Dorado County drafts an environmental impact report for the proposed Town and Country Village development project in El Dorado Hills. The EIR will evaluate impacts of the proposed development such as air quality, biological resources, water quality, noise and wildfire potential. The county issued a notice of preparation for drafting the EIR in mid-July. Located north of Highway 50 east of Bass Lake Road on 60.5 acres, the property consists of a project development area and a program study area. Proposed structures inside the project development area, which are the northernmost and southernmost parts of the land consisting of just over 30 acres, include two five-story hotels, a threestory event center with two restaurants and a 7.9acre portion of land with residential and employee mixed cottage housing of 112 units. The project would be annexed into the El Dorado Irrigation District for water via approval from the El Dorado Local Agency Formation Commission and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (EID gets its water from Folsom Lake.) Public and private sewer systems are also being n See bass lake hills, page A6
F
ollowing a 4-0 decision by the Placerville City Council Tuesday evening, the iconic Bell Tower may soon be a wedding destination. With concerns over parking, impacts on traffic and neighboring businesses and safety for pedestrians, city staff presented the council with a set of suggestions to better formalize rules for Bell Tower use. Closure of the street alongside the Bell Tower near Sourdough and Co. and from Placerville News Company to Placerville Hardware, known as “the triangle,” has been a contentious proposition; issues surrounding repeated closures of the triangle were high on the list of reasons given by the council for moving the Main Street Farmers Market earlier this year. However, staff and council members, with Mayor Michael Saragosa absent, agreed the landmark might still be utilized as a means to attract visitors to Main Street without closing the street. Some potential options, including live or prerecorded music, were put on the back burner to be considered in the future, but one idea — originally suggested by councilmember John Clerici — will allow a couple to tie the knot in the center of town. The Placerville Economic Advisory Committee recently laid out a proposal for potential rules a Bell Tower-bound betrothal would follow, which were included in the policy documentation the council voted on. Space limitations would keep the wedding necessarily small
Mountain Democrat photo by Odin Rasco
Placerville’s Bell Tower is now approved to serve as the site for small wedding ceremonies following a decision by the city council on Tuesday. The city will revisit the idea after a limited test-run of three wedding. with only five people allowed in the Bell Tower at once — the couple, an officiant and two witnesses — but others would be allowed to look on from the sidewalks. The weddings would need to be fast, with only an hour set aside for setup, ceremony and cleanup. Information on products and services available in Placerville
that would benefit a wedding or other Bell Tower events would be prepared and provided to the wedding party when making a reservation as a way to promote local business. A wedding would cost $500, as well as a $100 repair and cleanup deposit, with money n See Bell Tower, page A3
Lake Tahoe Summit examines path to preservation Miranda Jacobson Tahoe Daily Tribune
PLACE ADDRESS LABEL HERE
K
INGS BEACH — The 27th annual Lake
Tahoe Summit was held at the Kings Beach Recreation Area Wednesday, Aug. 9. The bi-partisan, bi-state coalition of local, state, federal, Tribal and environmental leaders gathered to discuss the importance of sustainable solutions to combat climate change and local community issues in Lake Tahoe. This year’s summit, “Protecting Lake Tahoe Sustainability and Stewardship in the Face of the Climate Crisis,” was hosted by U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, who was joined by many of his colleagues, including Speaker Emerita Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Sen. Jackie Rosen, among others. The
summit highlighted an urgent need to extend the authorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act through 2034 in order to allocate funds and approve projects that lead to the restoration and preservation of Lake Tahoe. It was noted by many speakers that as of late Lake Tahoe has experienced highs and lows in climate events. “From the embers of the Caldor Fire to the snowpack from historic winters, Lake Tahoe knows personally the extraordinary weather whiplash that can tear through our state, all made worse by the climate crisis,” said n See summit, page A3
Tahoe Daily Tribune photo by Miranda Jacobson
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi greets Generation Green students at the Lake Tahoe Summit Wednesday, Aug. 9.
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