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Neighbor warns Jackson Gate Road is too narrow for planned hotel access; requests Caltrans, county review
Summary
A property owner told supervisors that Jackson Gate Road is about 9 feet wide and lacks shoulders or drainage and said a planned hotel project that would use the road for access will create unacceptable safety and traffic impacts unless access and road improvements are revisited with Caltrans and the county.
A local landowner, Dwayne Vanhoozen, addressed the Board of Supervisors on May 13 to raise safety and traffic concerns about Jackson Gate Road and a proposed hotel project at the Highway 49/88 intersection. Vanhoozen presented maps and aerials during public comment and said he owns adjacent parcels and that a hotel development would rely on Jackson Gate Road for primary access if Caltrans does not approve use of Depot Road.
Vanhoozen told the board he had measured Jackson Gate Road and found it to be “just an inch and a half above 9 feet wide,” which he said is insufficient for large service vehicles (PG&E trucks, RVs) and emergency response vehicles. He said the road lacks shoulder, curb, gutter, drainage and sidewalk and that planning‑commission conditions requiring only an asphalt overlay (no curb/gutter/pipe drainage) are inadequate for the scale of commercial development he said will be served by the road. He described that the commercial acreage at the corner totals about 59 acres and compared it to Amador Ridge Shopping Center (44 acres) that was built with a larger entry pattern.
Why it matters: If Caltrans denies Depot Road access, vehicle trips for a hotel and nearby development could be forced exclusively onto Jackson Gate Road, which a nearby owner says is too narrow and lacks drainage/turning lanes. That raises potential safety, emergency access and traffic capacity issues.
What Vanhoozen told the board - Road geometry and condition: Vanhoozen said Jackson Gate Road measures about 9 feet wide at the section of concern and has “no shoulder, no curb, no gutter, no drainage, no sidewalk.” - Development context: He provided an aerial exhibit showing the hotel site and nearby commercial acreage totalling roughly 59 acres and said an escrow on a 21‑acre parcel next to his 5‑acre parcel could add thousands of daily trips if developed. - Interagency constraints: Vanhoozen said a Caltrans letter to the planning department stated access from Depot Road is “questionable” and that Caltrans required a traffic study; if Depot Road access is denied, all project access would go to Jackson Gate Road.
Board/staff responses - Planning staff and supervisors recommended Vanhoozen consult with the planning department and Caltrans and review project conditions in the file; staff noted some of the project elements (a height and use permit) did not include a full site plan in public hearings and that dedication/offers of right‑of‑way can be tied to specific development approvals. - Supervisors indicated timing for reconsideration of the hotel permit was limited (the appeal/reconsideration window has passed), and staff said the county can still examine options for requiring dedication as part of future permits or encroachment permits if appropriate.
Ending: Vanhoozen said he and the developer plan to meet and, if necessary, pursue Caltrans approvals together; he said he would return to the board if the interagency issues are not resolved.
