District approves letter

The Browns Valley Irrigation District board unanimously approved a revised "will serve" letter Thursday night to be presented to developers of the Spring Valley development project which could bring 10,000 new residents to the Yuba foothills.

The "will serve" letter is a nod to developers Axel Karlshoej and Gerry N. Kamilos that the irrigation district "has available sufficient raw water supplies for the project," read board President Robert Bordsen.

Approval of the draft "just starts a very long process" of bringing the project to fruition, said the district's attorney, Joshua Horowitz.

Karlshoej and Kamilos have requested 4,000 acre-feet of water annually for the Spring Valley Specific Plan, which will cover approximately 2,500 acres between Highway 20, Marysville Road and Fruitvale Road.

One acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons. The water would most likely come from the Yuba River, the BVID board said, as it is the closet water source and has never been short of water, even during drought years.

The letter's content was approved, but the board declined a motion that a funding agreement, which mentions a $25,000 deposit to the district from the Spring Valley developers for incurred costs, be attached to the letter.

The board will send the funding agreement to be examined by the Browns Valley Irrigation District executive committee - which includes two board members and the irrigation district's general manager - to work out details at a later date.

The board said it intends to tie the two documents together, and the letter will not be sent until the funding agreement also is approved.

About 10 members of the public attended the meeting, with four commenting on a lack of specifics they wanted to see in the letter.

An amendment was made to the letter after BVID Director Bill Lowe requested that Horowitz add a line specifying the project was approved by Yuba County voters in 1993.

The letter also specifies that, "in order to extend water service to the project of the amount and for the purposes requested, the Spring Valley Group will need to install or arrange for the installation of substantial on- and off-site improvements in accordance with the district rules and regulations and county requirements."

Appeal-Democrat reporter Kymm Mann can be reached at 749-4708. You may e-mail her at kmann@appeal-democrat.com.