Support Property Rights for El Portal Administrative Site Homeowners, Yosemite National Park

This petition is in support of the property rights of homeowners in the El Portal Administrative Site. El Portal homeowners deserve the right to make necessary improvements to their homes. In order to do this, they must go through the park service project review process which has been historically slow, inconsistent, and vague.

For example: On April 14, 2009 El Portal homeowners, Erin (Echo) and Andrew (Boots) Davenport submitted a proposal to conduct a "green" demolition and reconstruction of their home at 5521 Foresta Rd. The existing home is not only an eyesore at the entrance to our town, but the outdated electrical systems and irreparable structural issues render it a safety concern to the children and other community members who recreate in the town center.

The proposed 2bed/2bath home has a smaller footprint than the existing building. While other project proposals in the Merced River Corridor have been approved and completed during this time, the Davenports have been told that their project has been stalled due to the Merced River Plan litigation. They have not been given an estimated date of resolution and Business and Revenue Management staff has been all but unresponsive to weekly emails and phone messages regarding the status of the Davenport proposal. This delay has not only been a financial drain, but has taken emotional tolls on community members who believe in the property rights of El Portal homeowners.

This petition requests that the park provide the following to the homeowners of El Portal:
1. A standardized list of necessary paperwork and information that the homeowner must provide to submit a project proposal
2. A clear timeline of how long the review process will take, the steps within this process, and a projected date of its conclusion
3. Attendance by a representative from the Business and Revenue Management Division at monthly El Portal Town Planning and Advisory Committee meetings to update the board members on the status of current and proposed projects
4. Clear, detailed, and timely responses to phone and email communication explaining the review process and the reasons for its delay
5. Consistent treatment of all project proposals, respecting precedents, until changes to the Merced River Plan or interim agreement are ratified - this would allow the Davenport project to receive the same scrutiny as the YI Planet X project and other new building and home improvement projects in the past year.

Cooperation between the El Portal community, Yosemite National Park, and Mariposa County depends on effective communication and a transparent permitting process. It is the right of homeowners to improve their investments and provide for the safety and well-being of their community.