DONNER SUMMIT MUSINGS- ON A WINTER'S DAY

The weather is grim, although grim in a good way.  Serious dumps of snow, and the worries about whether a  particular family member (I'm a mother- just humor me) left to go down the mountain before it was total white-out, are (somewhat) balanced by the hopes that we'll have a good snow and water year. Still, it's January, and a certain post-holiday, but not post-holiday bills malaise can set in. And worries about the future of Donner Summit- after the November/December shenanigans of Royal Gorge LLC, and the aiding and abetting by Placer County Planning (and as point of fact I respect most members of that department), regarding public access to public records--not a good way to end the year, and certainly not one to inspire confidence that when the day is done Royal Gorge LLC is truly committed to real public input, as opposed to the fake window dressing kind....

But here we are with a big hello to 2008,a few weeks in, hope you're a good year, and what will this year bring in terms of the progression of Royal Gorge LLC's proposals for development on Donner Summit?

Will it be a repeat of 2007, where Royal Gorge LLC initially blindsided a community with claims that they would build the leanest, greenest, public accessible, environment- respecting "Conservation" community that the Sierra had ever seen?  Remember, at the same time they were telling us that, they released a publication with hand built covers (recycling those pine cones, no doubt) to prospective investors, describing a community the polar opposite of that shilled to locals- a community of exclusion and privilege, where cross country ski lodges and ridge top restaurants would be "members only". True public access, and luring dollars out of investors' pockets apparently make strange bedfellows, just like politicians, I guess.

Will we have our emotions manipulated, as first Royal Gorge LLC promised to preserve the historic Van Norden Meadow (aka Summit Valley), then turned around a few short months later and proposed damming the same meadow to water their ungainly sprawling development? How will we know which is the "real" Royal Gorge LLC- the one who promises to cherish such an environmental gem as Van Norden Meadow, an ecotone which nurtures and provides passage for wildlife, or the one who sees it as simply a way to back themselves out of a difficult situation when they realize that a dam would be handy, as all of the water that runs down these mountains in snowmelt isn't available to service development?

There's an old Danny Kaye movie, called "The Court Jester", which is, as well as a period piece that lets you play, "spot the location (mostly Palos Verdes Peninsula)", side-splittingly funny in the bargain.  The most hysterical part comes when, for silly and byzantine plot development, the decision comes to knight Danny's character in a rapid, fast forward manner. It's inspired madness- but lately, I've come to fear that Royal Gorge LLC, either because their investors are fussing, or the large midwest bank holding $17 million dollars in debt from them is getting antsy, is going to try to "fast forward" their development plans in Placer County, no matter what is pushed under the rug.  What's funny in a 50's movie could have serious and irremediable consequences now- uninspired madness, if you will.

So, musings on such a winter's day?  Well, let's hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.  Because if Royal Gorge LLC tries to rush their plans through, on the strength of what we've seen in those documents it took over a month to get released, I think we'd better prepare for the worst.