Mark Twain Medical Clinic back to drawing board

   After a lengthy public comment period, it was decided by Angels Camp Mayor Elaine Morris, and Councilmembers Lynch and Kelly, to send the Dogtown Road medical center project back to the Planning Department drawing boards.

   Listening to Dave Hanham state that if you can't make a left turn onto Hwy 49 from Dogtown Rd, that you can always turn into the McDonalds parking lot and make a U-turn through the lot and come back out on the other end, people were shocked.

   Then Hanham stated that it was going to send all heavy truck traffic down narrow Gardner Lane
and out onto Murphys Grade Rd. for SAFTEY reasons???

   He even tried to threaten that they would approve hundreds of LOW income housing in that area and wouldn't the existing residents be upset with that to shut them up.

   The residents, one after another, stood up and respectfully presented their case for the safety of their children and the creation of other safety hazards.

   Then Councilmembers Kulm and Sobon made their statements that "what difference does it make if a few of you are upset". They supported it.  They thought they had Councilmember Lynch in their pockets; but Surprise, surprise, surprise!!

   Lynch correctly criticized the staff and their incomplete report, the three day quickie traffic study and he, Kelly and Morris sent it back to the Planning Department and Commission to be re-written.

     We believe that if this doesn't make people see that we need a new Planning Director and City Administrator, nothing will.  We also need good people like those who spoke to join the City Council. 

    A SPECIAL credit goes to Karen Boyd, who spoke eloquently and sounded more like a responsible City Councilperson that either Kulm or Sobon.