Attorney for Rocklin developer expresses concern about Loomis trees

Attorneys for the Rocklin Crossings project showed a great amount of concern for Loomis residents at the last Loomis Town Council meeting.An attorney for the Rocklin Crossings Walmart project, which was approved by the Rocklin City Council at their Nov. 25 meeting, spoke at the Loomis council meeting on the proposed Homewood development agreement.The law firm also again sent a last-minute, seven-page letter to the town, which arrived at 4:46 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9. The late arrival did not leave council any time to review it before meeting that night.Attorney Sabrina Teller, representing Rocklin Crossings, LLC (Donahue Schriber), the owner and developer of the project, spoke at the Loomis council meeting expressing concern over the Loomis tree canopy and whether or not the proposed Homewood tree planting would affect it. She also said the people of Loomis needed to know the actual value of wetlands on the Homewood property on the corner of Sierra College Boulevard and Brace Road.Loomis Town Manager Perry Beck, in a later interview, said that if Rocklin is that concerned about Loomis trees, "we invite them to help us monetarily to increase the tree canopy."Rocklin's points may become moot as the Homewood development agreement has been pulled from the council agenda "indefinitely" and may not resurface, according to Beck."We're not even sure we need a development agreement. We need to decide if that is the best tool to use," Beck said.Beck said that Homewood owner Hamid Noorani was in agreement with pulling the development agreement off of future council agendas.Beck said Noorani has received approval and could proceed with the project without a development agreement.In other business, the council voted not to hear an appeal of the planning commission approval of the Najadian subdivision on Berg Lane. The project was approved with five old homes left on a one-acre lot as part of an eight-lot development. The project was approved for seven lots with the five existing homes on a remainder lot.The appeal, filed by Councilman Miguel Ucovich, claimed the road was inadequate and that five homes on a lot violated the current Rural Residential zoning, which would allow eight homes total in the subdivision.Mayor Walt Scherer, who lives near the property, recused himself from the proceedings, leaving four council members to decide on whether to hear the appeal or not. A tie vote would count as an affirmation of the planning commission decision.Council members Russ Kelley and Rhonda Morillas voted not to hear the appeal. Ucovich also voted not to hear his own appeal after he discovered the subdivision road would be wider than 20 feet. New council member Gary Liss was the only member who voted to hear the appeal.