Despite questions from the public and the planning commission about how the number of Joshua trees on a parcel of land on Sage and Golden Bee could fall by more than 500 tree between two census counts six years apart, the Yucca Valley Planning Commission, led by vice chair Steve Whitten, bulldozed over the concerns and approved the revised landscape plan for the Sage Estates subdivision. Managing editor Tami Roleff has more…
A native plant survey done in 2009 showed 859 Joshua trees on the new housing development at Sage and Golden Bee, with 517 yuccas. Developer Bill Shack presented a landscape plan to the planning commission in December 2014 identifying 790 Joshua trees that were likely to survive relocation, with a minimum of 525 that were to be relocated back on the site. In February, a new native plant survey was conducted, which found only 298 Joshua trees, of which only 210 were likely to survive transplantation. When questioned about the large discrepancy in the numbers of trees, Shack said the surveys were done by different biologists who counted the trees differently, and that many trees had died due to the drought. The town’s development code requires a landscape plan which indicates exactly where plants will be placed, but Shack asked for permission to relocate the Joshua trees as desired. While some commissioners considered requiring another count of the trees, Vice Chair Steve Whitten did not. “It’s a waste of this applicant’s time and this commission’s time.” And with that, the commission voted 3-1, with Charles McHenry voting no, and Chair Vickie Bridenstine absent, to accept the revised native plants plan.
