Project Description
The Mountain Springs Community Plan (Community Plan) is located in the central region of Tuolumne County, within an area identified for new development, as established by the Tuolumne County 1996 General Plan to accommodate a portion of the County’s anticipated growth over the next twenty years. The Community Plan is well suited for new residential growth because of the close proximity to the City of Sonora which is the commercial hub of the County, the existing road access, and the relative ease with which it can be served by extension of existing public utility lines. Mountain Springs is located closer to hospital, medical, shopping and other services in Sonora than any of the other 17 existing communities identified in the County General Plan. The close proximity to these core services provides both ease of access and reduces the number of car miles typically needed to travel from other communities. The elevation of the Mountain Springs Community is very desirable for living and year round recreation because it is substantially above the fog and below the snow. The Mountain Springs Community Plan location is illustrated in Figure 1-1, and 1-2.
The configuration of the 1,063 acres of the Mountain Springs Community Plan is exhibited on portions of the Sonora and Standard 7.5 minute United States Geological Survey (USGS) quadrangle maps. The Community Plan occupies portions of Sections 13, 18, 19 and 24, Township 1 North, Range 14 East, and Mount Diablo Base Meridian. The irregular shaped Community Plan area is generally bounded by Lime Kiln Road with General Plan designations for estate, homestead and rural residential (parcels greater than 2, 3, and 5 acres) on the northeast, agriculture-rangeland, estate residential land and Sullivan Creek to the north west, rural residential and agriculture on the west. Rangeland intermixed with 40 acre large lot residential also abuts the Community Plan to the south and east. Curtis Creek forms a small portion of the Community Plan southeastern boundary. See County General Plan Figure 1-5 and Open Space and Surrounding Land Uses in Figure 2-2.
The proposed Community Plan is the result of 18 years of land acquisition and planning. A central focus of the proposed community is the existing Mountain Springs Golf course which opened in 1990 and has provided many years of recreational opportunities for a broad range of county residents and organizations. The Community Plan is not covered by any Williamson Act Agricultural Contracts and is carefully planned to address the planning principals of the 1996 County General Plan. The Community Plan provides for the phased development of the 1,063 acre Community and contains a variety of land uses that include substantial open space, parks and recreation, a variety of housing options, a Village Center with residential office, commercial, hotel lodging and related amenities and services.
The current Community plan has been substantially revised from previous submitted plans to reduce the number of homes and balance the input received from meetings with diverse community groups, interested individuals, public officials, as well as community surveys and public open houses.
