Supervisors ask staff to explore ways to dedicate a portion of project revenues to El Dorado Hills roads

The board on June 23 directed County Counsel and the Chief Administrative Officer to identify methods to assure that if a proposed Costco in El Dorado Hills is approved and begins operations, a portion of project-generated revenue could be dedicated to local road improvements and maintenance for the 95762 area.

Supervisors Greg Ferrero and George Turnbu framed the request as an effort to ensure the neighborhoods that bear most of the traffic impacts receive a sustained portion of project revenues to address preexisting deficiencies (widening, intersection safety and maintenance). Ferrero said existing general-plan commitments and historical development left many roads underfunded and that the board should consider “getting ahead” of foreseeable traffic and safety issues.

Board direction: staff were asked to return before the planning commission’s consideration of the Costco project with an analysis of options that could include a dedicated account, adjustments to the county’s discretionary road-funding policy, project-specific revenue-partitioning, or other mechanisms. Supervisors also asked for a prioritized list of existing road deficiencies in El Dorado Hills and scenarios showing how potential revenues might be distributed, and asked staff to examine legal limits on local sales-tax ceilings and whether a geographically targeted sales tax is legally feasible.

Public and board context: the directive followed extensive public comment raising traffic and safety concerns, questions about timing and whether the county should require mitigation up-front from developers. The action does not approve or deny the Costco project itself; it merely asks staff and counsel to analyze options and return with recommendations before planning review.