County Seeks Jamestown Mine Proposals

Jamestown, CA — Tuolumne County would like to see the Jamestown Mine site used to help spur the local economy.

The county acquired 300 acres of the site in 1996 and recently staff has heard several development proposals ranging from industrial to commercial to tourism.

Outside entities have been given 100 days to submit proposals to the county and a team of staff members will then evaluate the ideas based on set criteria. 50 percent of the final decision will be based on potential impact to the local economy, 30 percent on financial remuneration to the county (lease, rent, etc), and 20 percent will be based on the qualifications and strength of the proposal team.

The most publicized idea has been to construct a project called "Gold Rush Gardens," similar to Butchart Gardens in British Columbia. The Board heard a presentation about the proposal back in November of 2008.

The mine site consists of 670 acres, as a combined 370 acres are owned by two additional private citizens. The owners have urged the county to move forward with the Request for Proposals and would prefer to have their properties included in the overall development. The application allows for a cooperative approval process with the landowners.

Written by bjhansen@mlode.com.