Planning commission grants 6-year extension for Kathy’s Valley subdivision, extending approval to 20230

The Mariposa County Planning Commission on April 4 voted to adopt a resolution approving a six‑year time extension for a major subdivision in Kathy’s Valley, extending the approval period to Sept. 24, 2030.

Planning Director Steve (last name not given) told the commission the item would not change the project’s approved design or conditions; the extension simply gives the applicant more time to satisfy conditions of approval and to record the final map.

Staff recommended approval, saying the application was filed before the original expiration date and that no changes to the project or its environmental findings were proposed. The planning director said the project remains subject to the previously adopted mitigated negative declaration and that, under CEQA guidelines (including section 15162), the extension does not require additional environmental review.

The approved extension applies to the major subdivision originally approved by the commission in February 2021. Staff’s presentation identified the project as a division of a roughly 114.94‑acre parcel into 27 lots (lot sizes shown in the record as ranging from about 2.5 acres to about 16.87 acres). The site address cited in the staff report is 2748 Highway 140 (APN 016‑110‑049) within the Kathy’s Valley Town Planning Area; the current land use is residential.

A nearby resident who spoke during public comment described the parcel’s relationship to existing development: “this property… is behind the, I guess it’s now a Valero gas station,” and said the neighborhood is starting to see new construction nearby, including two homes being built by a local contractor. The speaker said the applicant did not intend to delay the project longer than necessary and stressed local need for housing.

Staff said the time extension request was allowed under the project’s condition of approval (condition No. 26), and that the applicant asked for the full six years to meet those conditions and record the final map. The application was submitted before the approval’s expiration date; staff recommended the commission adopt a resolution granting the extension and making findings, including that no subsequent environmental review is required because the project remains unchanged.

The planning commission moved and seconded approval; the motion passed on a voice vote and was recorded by the chair as approved (motion and second not named in the audio). The action does not authorize any change to the subdivision map, phasing, or the conditions of approval — it only extends the deadline to record the map and meet the conditions.

What happens next

The extension takes the project approval’s expiration to Sept. 24, 2030, and the existing mitigated negative declaration and mitigation measures remain in force. Any future changes to the project that would increase environmental impacts would require additional environmental review.