Residents, planning coalition press Calaveras Planning Commission to complete open space plan ahead of state deadlines

Calaveras County Planning Commission — Several residents and members of the Calaveras Planning Coalition urged the Calaveras County Planning Commission on Oct. 19 to finish and strengthen the county’s open space element, citing upcoming statutory requirements and the need for clear implementation steps.

At the meeting, Planning Manager Gina Caffin said staff is “currently preparing a draft of our open space and conservation elements for our general plan” and that the county will schedule public hearings before the commission and the Board of Supervisors to take comment on the draft.

The request for an accelerated and more detailed open space plan came from multiple speakers during the general public comment period. Linda Deason, who identified herself as a resident of District 2, said the open space plan should be clarified by identifying the specific general-plan provisions that comprise the county’s open space plan and by providing “a preliminary schedule for completing open space plan implementation measures.”

Why it matters: Speakers repeatedly cited Government Code section 65565.5, which sets content requirements for open space elements, and urged the commission to ensure Calaveras’s plan addresses equitable access to open space, climate resilience and related co-benefits. Commenters said completing the plan now would also position the county to meet wildlife habitat connectivity requirements referenced by participants and to compete for state open-space grants.

Public commenters assembled by the Calaveras Planning Coalition pressed for concrete changes. Tom Infasino, who identified himself as a facilitator for the Calaveras Planning Coalition, urged the commission to adopt “an order, pacing, timeline, and/or calendar for open space plan implementation measures” so the county can prioritize tasks, estimate costs and seek funding. “If you give your implementation effort a pace,” Infasino said, “you will know if you need to increase staff or funding to catch up.”

Other speakers recommended specific additions to the open space element. Joyce Tekel asked the commission to include standard items she said remain missing or incomplete in the county’s planning documents: a list or map of parcels subject to conservation easement, a map or description of priority land for long-term conservation, objectives for reducing flood and wildfire risk, and an evacuation-routes map. Brenda McHenry urged the commission to convert subjective development standards into objective measures to comply with the Housing Accountability Act and recent case law.

Speakers also recommended a landscape-level approach: inventory existing conditions for wildlife, agriculture, timber and minerals; identify future conditions that the plan should achieve; and adopt goals, policies and implementation measures sufficient to reach those outcomes. Several commenters said completing the plan with clear implementation steps will help Calaveras compete with neighboring foothill counties for state open-space funds.

Discussion vs. action: The meeting record shows these items were presented as public comment and recommendations to staff and the commission. No formal policy change or adoption of the open space element occurred at this meeting. Staff stated they are preparing drafts and will schedule future hearings, but no dates or final actions were recorded.

Next steps: Caffin told commissioners the planning department is drafting the open space and conservation elements and will return with public hearings; she said commissioners should expect at least two hearings before the matter moves to the Board of Supervisors. Commenters asked for an implementation timeline to be included in the draft so the county can better compete for state funding and meet statutory deadlines.