Planning commission backs Coulterville RV park conversion, forwards general‑plan amendment to board

The Mariposa County Planning Commission on April 4 voted unanimously to recommend that the Board of Supervisors approve a set of actions necessary to convert the former Yosemite Gold Country Inn and campground site in Coulterville into a special‑occupancy park under the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) rules.

Staff presented the applications — general plan area plan amendment (Application No. 2024‑100), conditional use permit (2024‑101) and major design review (2024‑102) — and described the site at 10407 Highway 49 North (Assessor’s Parcel No. 002‑220‑001), a roughly 3.49‑acre parcel. The applicant, Topos Ventures, proposes to demolish the existing motel structures and redevelop the property with 25 RV pad sites with full hookups (50‑amp electrical pedestals, potable water and sewer cleanouts), supporting buildings for check‑in and guest services, a bathhouse and communal structures, on‑site employee housing in a single mobile home and on‑site staff. The applicant’s representative (Topos Ventures) said the pads would be continuously occupied and not offered as transient nightly rentals.

Staff and the applicant told commissioners that the change would require reclassifying about one‑third of the parcel from single‑family residential to highway service commercial in the Coulterville Town Plan so the entire parcel would be commercial and the use could be permitted as a special‑occupancy park. Staff said the Coulterville Planning Advisory Committee recommended approval on March 26 and that the planning commission’s action would be a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors, which is the final authority for a general plan amendment and resulting zoning change. The board hearing was scheduled to consider the item on May 6.

Environmental review

Staff said the project is the subject of a CEQA initial study and a mitigated negative declaration (MND) that circulated at the State Clearinghouse; the MND includes mitigation measures that would apply to the project if the board approves. Two written comment letters were received before the staff report — one from Danielle Bradshaw and one from the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). DTSC’s comment prompted a staff note that demolition work must follow DTSC protocols if hazardous building materials (lead, asbestos) or contaminated soils are present.

Water and sewer capacity

Members of the public and the Coulterville planning advisory committee raised questions about the local community services district’s water and sewer capacity and a separate district project to drill a second well. Planning staff said the project site previously was served by the Coulterville Municipal Services District and that district staff and public works reviewed the water‑and‑sewer demand analysis included with the initial study. Russ Marks of Mariposa County Public Works told the commission the Coulterville sewer plant “does not have an issue. And, actually, this project the sewer plant is operating in, like, in, Colteville is below capacity, and this system is on a line that it has little use.” Marks said reconnecting the site would improve use of the line and the district did not identify an operational capacity problem specific to this application.

Public comment and applicant presentation

Representatives of Topos Ventures described their experience operating outdoor hospitality sites and said they planned on operating the project through an operator called Off‑site. The Topos representative said the company favored adaptive reuse over clearing raw land and that the redevelopment would resolve existing code compliance issues on the site by demolishing dilapidated structures.

Ken Melton, a frequent public commenter on code matters, urged the commission to use the California technical term “park trailer” rather than the colloquial “park model,” saying the county’s code should use the state definition to avoid future conflicts. Staff agreed to clarify the terminology in code language for board consideration.

Commission action

A commissioner moved to adopt a resolution adopting the mitigated negative declaration and recommending approval of the general plan amendment (2024‑100), conditional use permit (2024‑101) and major design review (2024‑102) with the findings, conditions, mitigation measures and a mitigation monitoring program. A second followed; the commission voted unanimously to forward the recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.

Next steps

Because the action requires a general plan amendment and associated zoning change, the Planning Commission’s vote was a recommendation. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider the item for final action on May 6. If the board approves, the applicant must obtain an HCD special‑occupancy park permit and satisfy district requirements for water and sewer lateral reconnections, as well as DTSC and building‑division requirements for demolition and reuse.