County reports progress but remaining safety conditions stall full compliance for Kirkwood "Hideout" event venue

Amador County planning and fire staff told the Board of Supervisors on May 13 that the Hideout at Kirkwood — an event venue approved with a conditional use permit in 2023 — has satisfied most permit conditions but still has unresolved life‑safety items.

Planning director Chuck Wade told the board 45 of 50 conditions were satisfied as of the May meeting; the remaining items include a stream crossing that must be rebuilt to support fire apparatus, finalization of an evacuation/notification step that requires contacting one adjacent property owner, and an outstanding encroachment/permission from Caltrans for access from Highway 88. Wade said the stream crossing cannot be completed until the ground is dry enough to obtain a stream alteration agreement and install a concrete crossing designed to support a 75,000‑pound fire truck.

Why it matters: Board members and public commenters warned the county could face liability if the venue operates without all CEQA‑related mitigations and conditions in place. Citizen speaker Catherine Evans said the county had allowed the venue to operate while conditions remained incomplete and asked whether county counsel had assessed liability under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Planning staff and the venue operator said much of the remaining work is weather‑dependent and constrained by outside agencies’ schedules.

What county staff and the venue said - Planning staff: Chuck Wade said the remaining technical items are the stream crossing and the Caltrans encroachment; he proposed bringing a further compliance update in the fall if necessary. Wade also noted staff will amend one condition that incorrectly assigned evacuation planning to CAL FIRE instead of the local fire agency (AFPD). - Fire staff: AFPD prevention staff reported they successfully drove an engine into the facility last fall after minor roadway widening; the engine used was the type‑1 front-line engine, and staff said a wildland engine would have fewer issues accessing the site. - Venue operator Josh Hoover: Hoover said winter conditions (snow) have delayed site work; he said the venue maintains on‑site staffing when rented and that emergency notification protocols (texts, emails, phone calls) will be used for adjacent property owners and guests. He told the board the venue is “on-site 24/7” for operations and that testing/drills will be completed as snow melts.

Public concerns and next steps - Several public commenters, including Catherine Evans and property owner John Munn, urged the board to confirm the county’s legal exposure and to require the outstanding mitigations be satisfied before full use. Evans asked the board to consult county counsel about potential liability under CEQA if an incident occurred while conditions remained incomplete. - Planning staff recommended scheduling another compliance check in the fall and said staff will continue to pursue Caltrans and Fish & Wildlife approvals; the board agreed to direct staff to return with another status update in the fall.

Ending: County staff will continue interagency coordination with AFPD, Caltrans and wildlife regulators to complete the remaining items and will return to the board for additional review in the fall if required.