FREE THE ROYAL GORGE PLANS ON DONNER SUMMIT

It has now been 37 days since Royal Gorge LLC submitted plans, documents, and a voluminous "Water Supply Alternatives" tome to Placer County Planning, with a prior "gentleman's agreement" with the planning department that these submissions would be shielded from public view.  Not only does this make a mockery of any protestations by Royal Gorge LLC that they wanted to be open, transparent, and receptive of community input,  it involves Placer County in a wholesale violation (by county) of the California Public Records Act (CPRA).

These pressing questions follow:

What was the motivation for Royal Gorge LLC, whose principals are Kirk Syme, Todd and Mark Foster, and other unknown investors, to authorize their project director Mike Livak to inform the SLCWD board at both the October and November meetings that the water studies would be released to the board and the public at the same time as transmittal to Placer County, and then to deliver that study only to the county, with a notation on the document of simultaneous release to board and public, but instructions to the county to keep the document from release to water board and public, despite notations? Is there something damning, as well as damming in these studies?

Why did Royal Gorge LLC, on their Royalgorgefutures "What's New" page, posted at about the same time as the November 21 delivery to Placer County of a specific plan for Lake Camp, water studies, and other documents concerning their proposed development at Donner Summit and Serene Lakes, say they expected a submittal after the first of the year, when they had just made a very large submittal indeed?

Why did Placer County Planning ever agree to this arrangement, and why, with the knowledge that the exception for drafts etc. in the CPRA only applies to governmental work product, and certainly never to submissions by developers in furtherance of their permitting process, does Placer County now seek a retraction of Mike Livak's letter of December 13 prior to releasing the records? (this letter is on docs page of www.saveserenelakes.com)

Even if drafts were excepted (and these aren't), Placer County must demonstrate that the public interest in keeping them private outweighs the public interest in seeing them. How can the county establish that?

Do developers receive special treatment in Placer County, and if so, why? 

What is behind the stonewalling on Donner Summit?

Each day these plans are hidden from the public, more questions as to the reasons they're such hot potatoes comes up.  Check back often.