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Ione council approves 5-year extension for Castle Oaks development agreement
Summary
The council voted to approve a five-year extension to the Castle Oaks development agreement; the developer said buildout is near, while some residents criticized past amendments and raised concerns about access, unpaid fees and lack of promised public amenities.
The Ione City Council on March 18 approved a five-year extension to the development agreement for the Castle Oaks project, allowing developers Castle Oaks Partners LLC and Spyglass View Village LLC additional time to complete remaining portions of the project.
Staff recommended the extension under the contract provision that allows a time extension if the developer demonstrates diligent progress; staff said only unfinished areas are the commercial parcel and Village 10 and that the developers have met the criteria for a time extension. Tom Sweatt, representing Castle Oaks Partners and Spyglass View Village LLC, told the council the residential buildout is nearly complete and that infrastructure work on the remaining residential village could start in the fall.
Several residents spoke in opposition to another extension and cited past amendments and other concerns. A resident who identified himself during public comment raised unpaid fees and said the project had removed acreage from the industrial park and altered earlier commitments. "They don't have any egress and ingress in the 10, which they're supposed to," the commenter said, urging the council to think twice before approving another extension.
Another speaker argued that the city had made poor deals in the past by deferring developer payments, while a different commenter urged the council not to continue extensions indefinitely. Council discussion included remarks that developers have contributed land and funds for city infrastructure in prior agreements, and one council member moved to approve the five-year extension; another council member seconded the motion and the council approved it by voice vote.
Staff will execute an operating memorandum to memorialize the extension and return the formal resolution and contract documents to the council as required by the approval.
