Developers seek benefit-district to fund Highway 49/Jackson Gate improvements; supervisors take no action

Ron Reagan, representing RTR Investments, asked the Amador County Board of Supervisors to authorize formation of a reimbursement benefit district and a joint-powers authority (JPA) to fund road, sewer and water frontage improvements around State Highway 49 and Jackson Gate Road.

Reagan told the board the proposal would let the original developer front infrastructure work and recover those costs from future projects that “piggyback” on the improvements. "What it's doing is it's providing a fair mechanism to recover all the infrastructure costs for future development," Reagan said.

The request built on approvals already secured for a mixed-use project identified in the record as Martel Plaza, including a 96-room hotel, restaurant and retail areas. Reagan's presentation said Caltrans had reviewed intersection improvements and that the project team had submitted a traffic study and work with the Amador Water Agency on water-line upgrades.

But adjacent property owners and other stakeholders urged caution. Jason Kazad, who said he owns adjacent land and previously paid about $85,000 to upsized a water main to meet fire-flow requirements, said he opposed a district that could ask small future projects to contribute to large…