Every 5 years Nevada County is required to update the  housing element of it’s General Plan and one component of that is a vacant land inventory to show the county has enough zoning to accomodate the various income groups from moderate to low to very-low income housing.  Principal Planner on the project for the County, Tyler Barrington says when the state reviewed the county’s plan they found it lacking.
click here to listen to Tyler Barrington

In order to meet the state housing requirements the county is proposing to rezone 18 sites totaling approximately 149 acres scattered throughout three general ares  in the  Grass Valley sphere of influence, Penn Valley and Lake of the Pines.  Brent Dickinson who lives at Rosewood and Combie  near Lake of the Pines says he received a letter that his property borders two of those sites.
click here to listen to Brent Dickinson

Dickinson says at 16 units per acre that would put 360 plus housing units approximately 80 feet from his house.  He says he  called the South County Chamber of Commerce and was surprised that they knew nothing about it. He was aware that the Penn Valley Chamber of Commerce had already lodged a protest against the 4 sites proposed for rezoning in their area.  Dickinson says he wants to get more people in south county aware of what’s going on.
click here to listen to Brent Dickinson

Dickinson says  the county is zoning for just over 600 additional high density low income units on 5 separate locations in south county, all within about a half mile of Combie and Highway 49.
County Planner Tyler Barrington says comment period is closed on the draft EIR but the planning commission will continue to take comments up until the County Board of Supervisors takes action on the Housing Element Rezone Program.