By Noel Stack, McNaughton News Service

The Bass Lake Hills Specific Plan is back on track, almost.

The El Dorado County Department of Transportation came before the board Tuesday, Oct. 21 with a proposed action plan related to the Public Facilities Financial Plan for the Bass Lake Hills Specific Plan.

Under the action plan, the developers must get input from outside agencies and obtain a cost estimate for proposed infrastructure. County staff will then review that information, hold a public meeting and then rewrite the PFFP with the additional information and take it before the board for approval.

Finding the plan acceptable, with a minor stipulation, the board approved it. The supervisors, however, requested that the developers pay for the cost estimate review, totaling about $5,000, rather than take it out of the Road Fund and later get reimbursed.

The estimates, explained Matt Boyer, Director of Transportation, won't change drastically but the study must still be done.

Supervisor Helen Baumann, District 2, said she and the rest of the board understood the need for the study but would just prefer to have the cost paid up font. Boyer agreed.

In July, the board asked that the county and developer take a second look at the PFFP because the supervisors felt that affected landowners and outside agencies did not have adequate time to review the plan.

In addition to the board's request in July, Boyer said, DOT also found some areas of the PFFP that may need revision pertaining to the sports park, park and ride facility, and the Buckeye Union School District fees.

"We felt it was better to go out an solicit public input before we make a presentation to you," said Boyer, adding that the board meeting would not become the public meeting.

"If you're not pleased with the content ... we'd be more than happy to take it back again and make revisions again.

Boyer did not have a date set for when he could report back to the board.

"We certainly understand the importance of this matter to the board," said Boyer. "We will work as expeditiously as possible."

Extracted/transcribed by Bass Lake Action Committee