Jeff Pelline's Sierra Foothills Report

As I reported the other day, a reporter for Channel 10 News in Sacramento was at the latest Nevada City Planning Commission hearing for the B&B wars in Nevada City. He was wearing a tie, no less.

Except for me and him, nobody from the journalism world that I could see was present. The Union’s report appeared 1 1/2 days later.

The Channel 10 segment aired on Monday night. The issue will go before the City Council as early as Oct. 13 — a new detail. The print version is below and the video is here. “It has opened a Pandora’s box of questions,” according to the report. No kidding!

Is this the kind of attention we want in the “flatlands” from a tourism perspective? No. Did the Sacramento TV station do a better job than The Union of discussing the issue? Yes.

How embarrassing for us locals on multiple fronts. We need to stop fighting each other and draw tourists to our small town. As for the caliber of our local journalism, well, you’ve heard it before. (Unlike The Union, the TV station interviewed the real estate agent of the previous homeowner, who alleged the city denied “multiple requests” to turn the house back into a B&B).

“NEVADA CITY, CA – The Nevada City Council is considering a new ordinance that would change the rules for bed and breakfast homes in Nevada City.

Some people are concerned that the proposed rule change was designed with only one house in mind, and that the new ordinance would go against a law that was approved by a vote of the people in 1994.

At the center of the debate is an historic home on Broad Street, near central Nevada City. The Aaron Sargeant House, constructed in 1856, has long been known as a bed and breakfast. That status changed in 2004 when a family bought the home and turned it into their private residence.

When the family tried to sell the home, however, they couldn’t find any takers, and it went into foreclosure this summer. The way in which that foreclosure came about, and what happens next with the Sargeant House, has brought on a myriad of questions and debate.

“The (city) council, as a whole, needs to decide what to do,” said Nevada City Mayor Robert Bergman. Bergman is waiting to see how things play out with his councilmembers, who are considering an ordinance that would allow houses like the Sargeant home to go back to being bed and breakfasts.

That’s what the previous owners wanted to do before they lost it in foreclosure, according to their Realtor Scott Hicks.

The family declined a request for an interview. Hicks, however, said Nevada City officials denied multiple requests to turn the house back into a bed and breakfast, as the family fielded offers from people who wanted to operate the property as a B&B.

Under current city law, that transformation from private residence to bed and breakfast would violate Measure G, which was approved by voters in Nevada City in 1994. The ordinance keeps future B&Bs from opening, and prevents homes that lost their B&B status, like the Sargeant House, from reverting back.

Bergman said there is some question as to how Measure G is impacted by Measure B, which was approved in the mid-1980s. The mayor said Measure B allowed B&Bs to open up anywhere in town. The combination of the two measures on the books in Nevada City has created confusion.

According to Bergman, the city attorney determined the presence of the two measures together essentially nullifies both of them.

Even so, the city is considering an ordinance that would go against Measure G, and allow B&Bs to reopen after being a private residence. One of the reasons for that is the interest of City Treasurer Andy Howard in the issue.

“I requested it,” said Howard, when asked what his involvement was with the new ordinance being drafted for consideration by city council. If the ordinance passes, he said he wants to buy and reopen the Sargeant House as a bed and breakfast.

That’s something the city flat-out stopped the previous owners from doing.

“I think the best thing for the town would be for it to reopen,” said Howard. “It was a great source of vitality for this town; it is a draw unto itself.”

“Of course it has the specter of favoritism in it,” said Bergman in regard to the involvement of a city official in the process. “But from everything I know, that is absolutely not true.”

Bergman has a bigger concern: is the city changing a measure that was passed by the people just because of this one property? If that’s the case, Bergman already knows how he would vote. “I don’t support it,” he said.

The mayor will have to wait and see whether the rest of the council agrees with him. The measure is on the agenda for discussion and a vote on Oct. 13 at City Hall in Nevada City.”

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I sometimes listen to Rush Limbaugh when I drive up Hwy. 20 to Lake Tahoe — until the KNCO radio signal dies. I think Rush is part of the “problem,” not the “solution.” In fact, I never paid much attention to him. But he has a following in our county, so it’s an intellectual exercise to figure out why. I notice, for example, that many of Rush’s terms — “drive by media” or the “ruling class” — wind up in the local right-wing blogs. It helps me “connect the dots.”

On Monday, Rush was chiding U.S. Senator Harry Reid for being a sexist. (Pot meet kettle).

For background, Reid got himself in hot water — justifiably so — for referring to New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand as “the hottest member,” as Politico reported.

Reid spokesman Jim Manley, reached by Politico, said, “What can I say, she made The Hilll’s ‘Most Beautiful list. Of course he also went on to praise her skill and tenacity and described her as an effective member of the New York delegation as well.”

So I did some research and, sure enough, TheHill.com has a feature “The Hill’s 50 Most Beautiful People.”

I do wonder if a person’s attractiveness is a factor in their popularity: Ann Coulter, Sarah Palin and Christine O’Donnell come to mind, among women. After all, television changed politics since Nixon’s famous “Checker’s speech.” Emotion counts.

I’m reminded of “Dixon Cruickshank’s” comment on Russ Steele’s blog about Krista Branch, an American Idol contestant, who sang “I am America,” a Tea Party theme song: “Damn — song’s hot — she’s hot, really, really good song.”

The “50 most beautiful people 2010″ from TheHill.com is here. The list includes men and women.

One of them, pictured here, is Doug Thornell. “Perfectly coiffed and chiseled, Democratic heartthrob Doug Thornell says a four-month stint in Latin America helped him find sanity amid the crazed world of politics,” it reads.

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The Sierra Fund is presenting the first-ever public conference on how to address the ongoing human health, environmental and cultural impacts of over a century of mining in the Sierra Nevada.

On November 8 and 9 in Nevada City, the Community Summit will focus on the positive actions that Sierra residents, businesses, leaders, government agencies, and tribes can take to protect their health, and clean up their communities and the environment.

More details are here.

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I received this email on Monday from Bill Clinton. (Gee, last week I got one from Carly Fiorina). It reads:

“Dear Jeff,

In just 36 days, Californians head to the polls to make critical choices about the direction of their great state. And you have the opportunity to elect the kind of proven leadership that California needs in these challenging times. I want you to join me in supporting Jerry Brown for governor and Gavin Newsom for lieutenant governor — two candidates whose creative ideas, proven ability to make progress and passionate commitment to our children’s future will bring back the California dream.

Green jobs and cleantech entered the national dialogue only recently, but Jerry Brown was getting things done for a greener economy 30 years ago. As Governor, he helped California become the world leader in wind energy — and he created 1.9 million jobs. Today, he knows how building the greentech sector is essential for both lasting job creation and for protecting California’s environment. Simply put, Jerry Brown has the independent thinking, knowledge, and experience to get California working again.

Gavin Newsom is a leader for a new generation, and he represents the best of the spirit of California. He’s been called our country’s greenest mayor, and for good reason: no city has more LEED-certified buildings or has a better solar incentive program. Gavin has worked on stopping poverty in its tracks by giving college savings accounts to kindergartners, an ambitious project that gives children hope for the future. His JobsNow program has put 4,000 families in San Francisco back to work — exactly the kind of experience needed in Sacramento now.

California has always been on the cutting edge: in politics, in technology, in achieving the kind of dreams that make this country great. We have a tremendous opportunity in Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom, two leaders who realize the promise of their state and will get it back on track. Please join me in helping these candidates win in November.

Sincerely,

Bill Clinton”

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I noticed some new, handsome signs at the Towers Casino & Card Room at 115 Bank St. on the way from dropping my son off at school on Monday, so I inquired about its status.

Sure enough, the card room, relocated from E. Main, is going to have a “soft opening” starting this Friday. A grand opening is planned later in the month.

The Casino and Card Room should provide a welcome economic boost, with an estimated 30 people — full and part time — working there as dealers, bartenders and the like.

Card games are expected to include poker, blackjack and Paigow. It looks like an upscale enterprise, better than the one at E. Main St.

I’m not a big card player, but I did teach my son to play poker this summer at Lake Tahoe, because he wanted to learn. We still play “old maid” more often than not.

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The long-planned Wolf Creek Village senior cohousing project in Grass Valley — stalled by the credit crunch — is expected to get underway next week, according to project participants.

It will bring construction jobs to the area, as well as affordable senior housing — needed with our aging demographics.

The first phase is Wolf Creek Lodge, designed for active adults who are more than 50 years old. Construction is expected to last as long as 18 months.

The second phase is Wolf Creek Commons, which will have 32 town homes. The housing project is on 7.9 acres of forested creek frontage and includes green-built housing.

Cohousing communities are small-scale neighborhoods that provide a balance between personal privacy and living with people who know and care about each other.

Grey Construction of Auburn and McCamant & Durrett Architects of Nevada City and Berkeley are involved in the project.

The background is here.

The groundbreaking ceremony was back in March 2008. The credit crunch that swept the nation had stalled the project, but it is now on sound financial footing.

Congratulations to all in getting the project underway!

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The debate about whether to build a Wal-Mart-Costco-like supercenter “up the hill” in Auburn goes to the Placer County supervisors tomorrow.

If it goes forward, the project will impact our area (Can you hear that economic sucking sound?)

“Developer Jim Conkey and supporters of the project will square off against opponents who — under the name Alliance for the Protection of the Auburn Community Environment (APACE) — launched an appeal soon after the Placer County Planning Commission vote in July to OK the project,” as the Auburn Journal reports.

The group argues the environmental impact report for the development is inadequate. It also worries about the traffic impact.

Tom Dwelle, president of Auburn-based Nella Oil, is one of the people opposed to the project. He runs the “Flyer” gas stations that would compete with nine Costco pumps.

I remember Tom well: He’s was the one who put John Doolittle signs in his gas stations in Grass Valley, stirring up a debate.

“Tom Dwelle’s comments are very self-serving because he doesn’t want the competition,” the developer told the Journal. “Placer County and Caltrans are good with the studies.”

Now Tom, a very conservative businessman, is on the side of the environmentalists!

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PG&E has reported leaks on gas pipelines at a rate of more than six times that of other large pipelines in the nation, according to the L.A. Times.

The investigation — which is here — comes after the explosion of a PG&E gas pipeline in San Bruno on Sept. 9, killing at least four people and destroying 37 homes.

“Federal regulators have stressed that the number of transmission line leaks reported nationally in populated areas has declined more than 30 percent in recent years. But PG&E reports show an opposite trend, with average yearly leaks climbing some 40 percent, from 4.7 to 6.7,” according to the Times.

“Assuming the numbers are a reasonable representation of the situation, obviously I and this commission would find them deeply disturbing,” Michael Peevey, president of the California Public Utilities Commission told The Times. “They may indicate a more systemic problem at PG&E.”

PG&E executives “questioned the comparability of federal data because other utilities may differ in their surveying techniques and interpretation of reporting requirements,” according to The Times. It also attributed its “recent leak rates to a more rigorous reporting standard it adopted last year after consultations with federal regulators.”

Earlier this month PG&E released a list of the top 100 riskiest pipelines, and eight Central Valley lines were on the list. One was in Roseville and another was in Yuba City.

• “PG&E is conducting an engineering review of 531 feet of pipe through the suburban area near N. Walton Ave. and Bridge St. in Yuba City for the potential for damage by third parties. Based on this review, PG&E will determine whether any repair or replacement action is warranted,” according to a map released by PG&E.

•”PG&E is conducting an engineering review of 1,371 feet of pipe through the suburban area near N. Walton Ave. and Bridge St. in Yuba City for the potential for damage by third parties. Based on this review, PG&E will determine whether aaction is warranted.”

•”An engineering review of this 765 foot pipe segment near Hwy 65 and Washington Blvd. in Roseville has been conducted to assess risk for potential third party damage. One third party dig-in occurred nearby; however, that portion of the pipeline has since been sleeved. Most of the area has been fully developed and with completion of the Blue Oaks overpass, the risk of third party damage has been reduced and no further action is warranted.”

The list changes often, according to PG&E. The map is here.

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