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Board approves Valleydale apartment project with traffic and parking conditions
Summary
The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors approved a 56‑unit Valleydale apartment complex after a lengthy public hearing, adding conditions to address on‑street parking, traffic cut‑throughs and access maintenance.
Tuolumne County supervisors voted 3–2 March 18 to approve the Valleydale housing project — a proposed 56‑unit apartment complex on Peaceful Valley Road — while adding conditions that require removal of on‑street parking on Peaceful Valley, a fence along the project’s northern boundary by State Route 108, traffic‑calming measures to deter cut‑through trips through Indian Rock Center and a maintenance plan for the easement that currently provides access through the Indian Rock property.
The project had sought a general‑plan amendment, zone change and site‑development permit for the four‑building development. Supporters cited local workforce housing needs and proximity to transit and services; opponents said the site is the wrong location and raised safety, traffic, lighting and neighborhood‑character concerns. The Planning Commission recommended approval by a 4–3 vote.
County planners and the applicants presented a mitigated negative declaration and said mitigation measures would reduce environmental impacts to less than significant. Staff and the applicant said the design uses multiple lower‑rise buildings oriented to fit the hillside, includes community amenities and specifies tenant eligibility processes tied to state low‑income housing tax credit program rules.
Public commenters were divided. Neighbors said the project will increase traffic and parked vehicles on narrow local roads, that the Indian Rock easement already carries cut‑through traffic, and that the project will change the character and quiet of the neighborhood. Representatives from Amador Tuolumne Community Action (ATCA) and other advocates said the county needs affordable and workforce housing and urged supervisors to preserve approval paths for such projects.
Supervisors said they weighed public safety and housing needs. The board added conditions intended to preserve emergency access and reduce cut‑through traffic: removal of parking along the project frontage on Peaceful Valley Road; a photometric plan and compliance with East Sonora and hillside design guidelines; a requirement that the applicant submit a traffic‑calming plan for Indian Rock Center for review and approval by county fire and public works; and a maintenance agreement for the Indian Rock public easement to address wear from increased use. The board’s approval directs staff to document the conditions and return for any required ministerial actions.
The board record shows the action passed on a 3–2 vote. The decision draws promises of appeals and calls for follow‑up from residents who say the conditions do not fully resolve their access and parking concerns. The county planning division will publish the conditions and the procedural steps for final permits and building permits.
The board’s action was the meeting’s longest item and drew dozens of public commenters from Sonora, Pinecrest and other neighborhoods. The county will post the project conditions and the schedule for any remaining ministerial permits online.
