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Volume 170 • Issue 25 | 75¢
mtdemocrat.com
Monday, March 1, 2021
Street dining extended n Unused structures must
come down
Andrew Vonderschmitt Staff writer
Courtesy graphic
A rendering shows what the new bridge to Mosquito would look like, spanning ridge-top to ridge-top some 400 feet above the historical Mosquito Road Bridge currently connecting Placerville with Mosquito and Swansboro.
Funds for new bridge to Mosquito lined up Old Mosquito Road Bridge will remain in place for pedestrians, cyclists Thomas Frey Staff writer El Dorado County Deputy Director of Engineering Matt
Smeltzer was all smiles last week as the Board of Supervisors authorized the county director of transportation or designee to approve and
sign the $70 million project agreement with the California Department of Transportation to build a new bridge to Mosquito.
Democrat file photo by Pat Dollins
The one-lane Mosquito Road Bridge — built in 1867 — gets about three weeks of maintenance at a cost of about $75,000 each summer.
The project to replace the 153-year-old Mosquito Road Bridge has been years in the making. It was awarded funding in 2011 to start the environmental and engineering work. After years of study, design, community meetings, public outreach, environmental clearance and utility coordination, the project was approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2017. Once the bridge project was approved the county Department of Transportation sought funding. On Feb. 3 DOT staff announced funding had been secured. The n
Outdoor dining was originally approved in downtown Placerville in June 2020 with eateries erecting makeshift dining areas in parking stalls along Main Street immediately in front of their establishments. Now, some residents and business owners are calling for restaurants that offer indoor dining despite COVID-19 restrictions and do not use their outdoor dining structures to take them down. Given the county remains in the Purple Tier as the coronavirus pandemic wanes on, city staff made a request of the Placerville City Council, pending any changes of the status of El Dorado County in the state’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy, to extend the allowance for outdoor dining through May. Mayor Dennis Thomas at last week’s City Council meeting asked for clarification that participating establishments provide proof that the city would be covered by businesses’ insurance policies since patrons dine on city property when in parking stall seating areas. Placerville resident and business owner Tony Windle applauded the program to keep downtown restaurants viable, stating that, “The restaurants are a beacon for tourists and for our locals” and that they attract foot traffic essential to the Main Street economic outlook. He also made a request that if a restaurant has a tent on the street to, “Try to make it look really nice,” and commended some restaurants’ efforts. Another downtown business owner, Ruth Michelson, asked that if a restaurant leaves a shelter on the street without using it that it be removed. Other callers, referring to restaurants that allow indoor dining while their outdoor eating areas and tents remain empty, asked that the tents and eating areas come down. Callers also proposed that structures near crosswalks be transparent or removed for public safety concerns. Council member Micheal Saragosa said comments from the public provided good feedback to staff in enforcing compliance of the use permits but that the issues raised did not necessarily need to be written into the resolution extending outdoor dining. Development Services Director Pierre
See Bridge, page A3
n
See Dining, page A6
City staff unveils new website, 311 program Andrew Vonderschmitt Staff writer Placerville City Manager Cleve Morris presented the new city website that has been in the works for roughly two years to City Council Tuesday night. The site went live at 1 p.m. Feb. 23. Morris noted there are still some functions and items in the works but the site is fully functional. The site boasts a new look with recently developed functionality and features. Visitors are welcomed with drone and ground footage of Placerville cityscapes and events on the homepage. Morris thanked Paul Cockrell of Placerville Art Gallery for the footage and stated that this feature can be changed and updated as more
city footage is obtained. Some of the new functions include more user-friendly access to city council agendas, staff reports, city committee and commission meeting times and agendas and other pertinent information. Morris also pointed to the updated functionality of the “How do I?” section of the site that includes links to contact pages, permitting processes and code violation information. Morris then turned the presentation over to City Engineer Rebecca Neves, who unveiled the new 311 program integrated into the website. Neves walked the council through the various functions of the “Report a Concern” 311 program. City staff, working with Evogov 311, has n
See Website, page A2
Screenshot
The city of Placerville’s new website has improved features, including a 311 service request reporting system.
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