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Board overturns planning commission and approves Jackson Gate hotel height appeal, strikes a Caltrans condition
Summary
The board voted 5‑0 on March 11 to overturn a planning commission denial and approve a use permit appeal allowing the Jackson Gate Hotel to proceed with a requested height variance; staff recommended and the board removed a Depot Road condition tied to the project’s Caltrans requirements.
The Amador County Board of Supervisors voted 5‑0 on March 11 to grant an appeal of the planning commission’s denial of a use permit (UP2410‑3) for the proposed Jackson Gate Hotel and related commercial development, including a request for up to a 60‑foot building height in a C‑2 commercial zone. Staff recommended removing condition 13 (a requirement tied to Depot Road) if the board approved the appeal; the board struck that condition and approved the project appeal.
The hearing attracted extensive testimony. Developer representative Sean Reagan (RTR Investments / Jackson Gate Hospitality) said the proposal is a 96‑room, dual‑brand hotel (La Quinta / Hawthorn Suites prototype), with conference capacity, indoor pool, expanded pond/stormwater controls and EV and solar elements. Reagan said the hotel would produce about 60 permanent jobs, short‑term construction employment, and an estimated $500,000–$750,000 in direct annual tax and visitor spending benefits to the county. He said the final exterior theme and materials would be developed with local input and that the brand had agreed to adapt facades to reflect Gold Country character.
Opposition focused on aviation safety and scenic scale. David Wardall, Eagle’s Nest Airport manager, urged the board to deny the variance, calling the location near the runway “a catastrophe that is looking for a place to occur” and warning that a populated hotel on the flight path would transform an aircraft accident into a larger disaster. Wardall described the airport’s instrument approach and the limited options for pilots in a last‑second emergency, and asked the board to avoid approving a sizable occupancy increase at the runway end.
Foothill Conservancy representatives and some neighbors also asked for stronger design commitments and expressed concern about a building that “would loom over” the intersection; they asked that any height exception be conditioned on review and final design that reflected local character. Supporters — including several local businesses, a nearby property owner and representatives of the hospitality brand — said the site is a major crossroads with higher traffic volumes and that a higher‑quality branded hotel would meet currently unmet lodging demand and support local tourism, training academies and wine‑tour operators.
Board action: after questions and extended public comment, the board approved the categorical CEQA exemption staff identified and voted to grant the applicant’s appeal of the planning commission decision, with the board striking condition 13 per staff recommendation. Supervisors also asked the applicant to return design concepts for local review; staff and the developer agreed to provide conceptual facades and continue outreach with the Foothill Conservancy and other stakeholders.
The decision allows the developer to proceed to the next permit steps (final design, traffic and drainage permitting and building permits). The board and staff said they will continue to monitor entitlements, Caltrans conditions and fire and airport safety technical reviews as those permits move forward.
