A cluster-style development featuring 18 homes, including one designated for a moderate-income buyer, has been approved by El Dorado County supervisors.
The project, known as Panorama View Estates, is planned on 3.62 acres south of Panorama and Blanchard roads in the Diamond Springs-El Dorado area.
Despite reservations about approving homes with a one-car garage, Supervisor Jack Sweeney said, "This has the potential to be a nice development."
Owners of larger acreages in the semirural area southwest of Placerville, however, complained last week that a subdivision with lots ranging from 2,470 to 3,611 square feet was not in keeping with the character of their neighborhood.
Lisa Reyes said she was speaking on behalf of her parents who moved from the Bay Area to enjoy El Dorado County's rural lifestyle. From their deck, she said, they would look into the backyards of four of the proposed homes.
Reyes said lack of adequate parking within the planned subdivision was a major concern, as was the removal of oak trees required for the development.
But supervisors noted that the property has been zoned for high-density residential development for more than 20 years and it is next to a mobile home park. They argued that it would serve as a buffer between the larger acreages and more intensive uses.
The Sacramento Area Council of Governments has suggested developments of 20 units per acre to meet affordable housing needs, which could result in 72 units on a parcel this size, Sweeney said.
Applicant Suzanne Sparacio said she realized that El Dorado County was not used to cluster developments of this type. "But as you get into affordable housing needs, this is the only way the density works," she said.
Sparacio said she expects the houses to be priced slightly above the moderate range, but one will be designated for moderate-income homebuyers and sold for less than the market rate.
The houses could have been designed with two-car garages, she said, but because of the narrow lots, the garage would have dominated the front of the structure. A single-car garage, with space for another car in the driveway, allows for variation in the architectural styles, she said.
"We wanted a beautiful design, not a sterile design," Sparacio said.
The plan calls for a mix of craftsman, country and Tuscan themes. The development also will include a children's playground and open space, and oaks removed for construction will be replaced with new plantings within the subdivision.
Sparacio said the private street and community areas would be maintained by a homeowners association.
Area residents and supervisors asked who would enforce parking regulations. Supervisor Sweeney said he feared inadequate off-street parking would result in people parking in fire lanes or outside the subdivision on Panorama and Blanchard roads.
Sparacio said a company would be hired to enforce covenants, conditions and restrictions, and subdivision residents could anonymously report parking violations to the firm.
County Counsel Louis Green said the county also has the authority to enforce fire-lane restrictions on private property.
John McCoy, who participated in the county's affordable housing task force, said he moved to El Dorado County from the Bay Area and, like many residents near the proposed development, lives on acreage next to a subdivision with smaller lots. It hasn't been a problem, he said.
Given the county's need for affordable housing, McCoy said he considered Panorama View Estates "a view of the future."
Supervisor Ron Briggs was the only supervisor to oppose the development.
Call The Bee's Cathy Locke, (916) 608-7451.
