The housing market has been plunging and foreclosures are rampant, so it might seem to be a strange time for any Tuolumne County property owner to propose a huge new development project.  It would seem even more questionable to push for 700 dwelling units on one of the worst sites in the region for intensive development.

  The Sinclair Ranch is located near Chinese Camp adjacent to the Red Hills.  Shallow serpentine soils make most Red Hills areas unfit for septic systems.  Those same soils prove to be ideal for certain rare plants and wildlife.  At least three special-status plant species may be found growing on the ranch property and each could be harmed by road construction, grading, and conversion of the ranch into 242 residential lots, 250 multi-family units, 225 units of senior housing, and commercial development.

  While senior or multi-family housing would fill a need if built near existing urban areas in the County, the Red Hills is not a good site for many reasons.  Six Bit Gulch, which flows across the proposed project site, contains the Red Hill roach -- a tiny rare fish that has been found only within the Red Hills area. 

  When CSERC staff recently viewed the property, water was pooled all across the flatter portion of the site due to saturated soils and underlying rock so close to the surface.  The resulting vernal pools add to the other ecological values that are all at risk from development.    The site is far from stores, medical care, or county services such as sheriff’s deputies or fire crews.  Add in the scenic impacts to millions of visitors who drive through the area on the way to Yosemite Park, and the problems mount even higher.  Placing up to 2,000 new residents on a site without water, sewer, or public services appears to be yet another development scheme that is neither beneficial for county residents nor for the ecosystem of the area.