City Of Sonora Continues Lowe’s E.I.R.

Sonora, CA — City Administrator Greg Applegate states that the Environmental Impact Report for the proposed Lowe´s Home Improvement project should be completed by June or early July.

At that time the E.I.R. would be presented to the Planning Commission for review. Public comment would then follow prior to certification of the document. If the Planning Commission discovers a problem in the E.I.R., the document would then be returned to the City Council.

Applegates stresses that the Lowe´s project will not be forced to see the inside of a courtroom again.

Given the sensitivity of such projects Applegate admitted that the city, California Gold Development Corporation and Lowe´s would probably embark on an E.I.R. at the outset of such a project if the three parties were starting from scratch.

Applegate has estimated that the city and the county are each losing $500,000-$600,000 in tax income for every year Lowe´s fails to become a reality on Old Wards Ferry Rd. across from the Crossroads Shopping Center.

Written by Bill Johnson