SUMMIT AREA SEEKS REAL VOICE IN CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE

Kirk Syme, of Royal Gorge LLC, wrote a rather dispiriting August 20th "My Turn" piece, regarding their proposed development at Donner Summit, and community input.  In his column, Mr. Syme endeavored to describe a letter he recently received from local community and environmental groups.  It is disheartening that Mr. Syme apparently misunderstood that letter, and, rather than clarifying matters with the appropriate groups, sought to vent his frustrations in the press. 

Mister Syme described a type of facilitated dialogue that had been suggested by Mountain Area Preservation Foundation;  however he failed to mention that the same Mountain Area Preservation Foundation has signed the very letter he now complains about. The letter signed by the area groups does not reject dialogue, as Mr. Syme mistakenly asserted, but rather underscores the importance of maintaining open lines of communication, with continuing pursuit of opportunities for constructive dialogue.

Additional confusion is provided by Mr. Syme's failure to acknowledge that community groups, including Donner Summit Area Association (DSAA), have been grappling for years with the planning difficulties inherent in a small community that has 5 ski resorts, straddles two counties, two water districts, and one shared sewer district. As Royal Gorge LLC provided input for the public survey DSAA recently mailed, their assertions that planning at the Summit is somehow "johnny come lately" is puzzling at best. 

Additionally, Mr. Syme makes a reference to "the leading homeowners association on the Summit," which can only mean Serene Lakes Property Owners Association (SLPOA).  He states that SLPOA had established a legal fund before he and his associates even purchased Royal Gorge Land. This is incorrect, as SLPOA only recently has accepted any donations for legal purposes related to Royal Gorge LLC's proposed development. SLPOA had, in the past, directed resources to monitoring, and commenting on the CEQA process in Nevada County concerning Royal Gorge's former owner's plans to develop the fragile Van Norden Meadow. SLPOA has been a diligent and consistent steward in seeking to protect all of the beautiful Donner Summit area, not just their own Serene Lakes community.

Although Royal Gorge LLC has not yet submitted a development plan to Placer County,  they have submitted predevelopment documents, and they are in close communication with water boards and sewer districts regarding their needs. These early submittals and communications indicate a project that will overwhelm a fragile area, and exhaust limited resources. Further, Mister Syme's insistence that Royal Gorge LLC's plan proposes far fewer units than are permitted by the zoning and general plan obscures the reality that the areas in which they seek to build condominium, retail, and hotel complexes are currently only zoned for single family houses, forest, and open space. 

It is troubling that Mr. Syme and his company, Royal Gorge LLC, apparently are willing to turn their backs on all the hard work, and constructive input these varied environmental and community groups have directed at looking at the Summit as a whole, instead of a series of discrete problems. Let's hope Royal Gorge LLC comes to understand that these groups are made up of individuals, who are all working together to help guide development in an area they hold dear. Let's hope they don't continue to shut out those who have different views than theirs- a real dialogue involves listening to disparate voices, not attempting to silence them.

Joseph Gray is a Serene Lakes homeowner. He believes real, open discussion should be encouraged early in the planning process, in order to ensure the best outcome.