A developer criticized Mendocino County supervisors' decision to delay action on a controversial 10-pump service station/convenience store along the Highway 101 freeway at Redwood Valley but the decision buoyed critics' hopes.
“In my opinion, a delay is better than allowing the gas station,” said Dolly Riley, president of the Redwood Valley Municipal Advisory Council, which has led the opposition to the multi-million project.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to hold off until a “date uncertain” from acting on Faizan Corporation’s appeal of the County Planning Commission's denial of a required use permit.
Haji Alam, president of the Ukiah-based company, ripped the County’s delay, however. He contended that opponents hold a grudge against him and that he and his company are unfairly targeted.
“The board action will cost my company tens of thousands of dollars more,” complained Alam. He said the property is located along a freeway and is “zoned for the intense use we are proposing.”
On Wednesday, Alam repeated an earlier warning that he may sell the property to local tribal interests, who would not be subject to the same restrictions he faces. “If that happens, the county gets nothing in the way of new revenue or services,” said Alam.
The stalemate follows months of debate over a project that has stirred fierce community debate, threats of possible litigation, and calls for one board member to recuse himself from the decision-making because of earlier public comments critical of associated traffic studies. Mendocino Coast Supervisor Ted Williams has ignored the recusal demands and participated in Tuesday’s discussion, which again focused on disputed traffic studies.
Williams and other county supervisors unanimously agreed Tuesday to continue the use permit issue to a “date uncertain.”
In the meantime, County planning officials and Caltrans representatives will review revised traffic studies submitted by Alam and incorporate them into a broader look, which Supervisors said Tuesday is needed. Board members voted to keep the issue at their level instead of referring it to the County Planning Commission for re-review.
The board's decision “takes the project almost back to the starting line,” said county Planning Director Julia Krog.
Krog said the applicant will have to bear the burden of additional administrative expenses, which are expected to cost tens of thousands of dollars more.
Developer Alam said he is “very upset” with the board's decision, noting that the Redwood Valley project proposal is not new. “It won county approval in 2016, but the Covid epidemic delayed it. We were told we had to re-apply and start the process anew, which we have done,” he said.
Riley of the Redwood Valley Municipal Advisory Council said residents oppose the project because they fear the 24-hour, 10-pump operation is too large for rural Redwood Valley, and lighting, noise, and increased traffic volume will disrupt the lives of surrounding property owners.
Riley said revised traffic studies done by a Santa Rosa consulting firm on Alam’s behalf were inadequate. She supported supervisors’ move to have a broader look provided by County and State officials.
“I believe they want to be safe from a lawsuit in their decision,” said Riley.
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