Topos Ventures seeks general-plan amendment and permits to turn former Yosemite Gold Country site into 25-pad RV park in Coulterville

Steve Eacker, Mariposa County planning director, presented the Planning Advisory Committee with a package of applications from Topos Ventures for a general plan area plan amendment, a conditional use permit for a special‑occupancy park, and a major design review for the property at 10407 Highway 49 North (Assessor's Parcel 002‑220‑001), a parcel of about 3.49 acres.

The applicant, under contract as Topos Ventures, seeks to remove existing motel and ancillary structures, reconfigure the site and establish 25 RV pad sites designed as "park models" subject to State Housing and Community Development special‑occupancy park standards. The proposal includes two enclosed conditioned gathering buildings, a 240‑square‑foot bathhouse with showers, an 800‑square‑foot pavilion, a sauna with a cold plunge, viewing decks, landscaping and lighting plans that must meet the Coulterville town plan design standards, and space for 33 parking stalls. The applicant also proposes to reserve one mobile home for workforce housing and estimated on‑site staffing of two full‑time and several part‑time positions (estimates provided in the application packet).

Eacker summarized the review process and legal requirements: the town plan is part of the county's general plan, so changing land use on the parcel requires a general plan (area plan) amendment that would then be considered by the Board of Supervisors after review and recommendation from the Planning Commission. He said the county prepared an initial study under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and proposed a mitigated negative declaration because the initial study's findings and mitigation measures reduce potentially significant impacts to less‑than‑significant levels. The initial study and supporting studies were published through the state clearinghouse on March 24 and are open for public comment; staff said the CEQA comment period runs into April and the Planning Commission review is scheduled for April 4.

On water and sewer, the applicant described existing site connections to the Coulterville community water and sewer system and submitted a supply‑and‑demand engineering analysis. Eacker said the county consulted the service district and public‑works reviewers; according to staff and the district's information summarized in the packet, the district can serve the project's water and wastewater demand and the applicant must pay all development and reconnection costs. That engineering analysis estimated roughly 400 gallons per day for the proposed facility (staff and applicant cited conservative usage assumptions). Several residents disputed that estimate and said recent district studies and well construction had indicated limited capacity and potential rate impacts for district customers.

The CEQA initial study identifies mitigation measures and agency conditions addressing biological resources (e.g., preconstruction surveys and monitoring for nesting raptors), cultural resources (archaeological/tribal monitoring and stop‑work protocols if human remains are discovered), stormwater/NPDES requirements during construction, fire access and CalFire requirements, Dark Sky lighting standards and state special‑occupancy park permitting through the California Department of Housing and Community Development. If the Board approves land‑use entitlements, the applicant has a three‑year period to meet conditions of approval and obtain required permits; the county noted typical extension options.

Public comment at the meeting focused on water supply, sewer capacity, metering and rate impacts. A resident who identified herself as living next to the new well under construction said she remains concerned about the well's effect on her domestic well and the town's infrastructure; staff responded that the district's well project is a separate action and that CEQA review for the Topos proposal examines only impacts of this project. Supervisor Shannon Powell said she will press to get updated water‑system data and noted a state grant that recently funded a new Coulterville well and related infrastructure work. Powell and staff agreed to provide committee members with additional data and to include public comments in the staff report that will go to the Planning Commission and the Board.

The Planning Advisory Committee took no binding vote on the application. Staff asked the committee whether to forward the application and proposed mitigated negative declaration as a recommendation to the Planning Commission; committee members expressed mixed views and requested more data on water and sewer before decision by the Board. The applicant and its on‑site operator presented information about prior cleanup work and studies they commissioned, and the applicant said the property would be marketed for short‑term stays (under 30 days) and that transient occupancy tax (TOT) would apply.

Ending: The staff recommendation is to advance the application, initial study and proposed mitigated negative declaration to the Planning Commission for its April 4 hearing; public comments received during the CEQA comment period will be folded into the staff report for Planning Commission and Board review. If land‑use approvals are granted, the County will require compliance with identified conditions and mitigation measures before any grading or occupancy.