Chief County Planner to Attend Ramona Planning Group Meeting Thursday

The Chief of the Department of Planning and Land Use, Devin Muto, will attend Thursday night's meeting of the Ramona Community Planning Group to discuss the county's newly approved .

The update to the document that outlines development guidelines for unincorporated areas was approved by the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday.

"He'll explain the approved plan to us," Jim Piva, chairman of the planning group said. "There's so much in it." Piva and other planning group members declined to comment on the plan's approval Wednesday until they've had a chance to review it.

The planning group also wants to discuss with Muto some specific Ramona properties relative to the plan.

The update to the plan took more than 10 years, after input from planning groups, property owners and other stakeholders.

Other business to come before the planning group Thursday will include a vote to affirm the group's appeal of the county Planning Commission's approval of . Hidden Valley is a longterm residential care facility for brain injured people. The company owns four facilities in Ramona.

A Department of Planning and Land Use spokesman said the planning group filed an appeal with the department on Friday to meet the deadline and they must affirm their appeal with a vote at the next available meeting.

On Monday, a group calling itself Highland Valley Alliance also submitted an appeal, along with a $500 filing fee. Piva said the alliance is a group of neighbors of Hidden Valley's Stone Mountain property on Highland Valley Road.

meets at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday each month in the community room at