By Cris Alarcon, InEDC Writer. May 24, 2026
Residents in the rural communities surrounded by Pollock Pines and Somerset are mobilizing against a rumored institutional development proposal tied to a sprawling 147-acre property at 5110 Sly Park Road, directly across from the entrance to Jenkinson Lake and the Sly Park Recreation Area.
The grassroots push, led in part by local resident Kelsey Salva through a Change.org petition, is calling for “full transparency” from county officials regarding any proposed conversion of the property into what opponents describe as either a youth rehabilitation facility or a correctional-style wildfire “fire camp.”
Former El Dorado County Supervisor Ray Nutting has publicly joined the effort encouraging residents to sign the petition and monitor county planning activity tied to the parcel.
At the center of the controversy is a large privately owned ranch property consisting of two adjacent parcels totaling approximately 147.75 acres. The land remains zoned RA-20 — Rural Agricultural with a 20-acre minimum lot size — a designation residents argue was intended to preserve the area’s low-density rural character.
Community members fear the introduction of an institutional facility could permanently alter the environmental and residential nature of the Sly Park corridor.
“The community is organizing early because once a project gains momentum through the county process, it becomes much harder to stop,”
one organizer wrote in the online petition.
The property includes a renovated farmhouse, guest house, large barn and workshop structures, private well infrastructure, a seasonal pond and natural spring water features. Real estate marketing materials reportedly highlighted the land’s “development versatility,” including the possibility of subdivision into smaller parcels, a detail many residents believe triggered alarm throughout the neighborhood.
Opposition efforts are currently aimed at the El Dorado County Planning Commission, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors and the county’s Environmental Management Department.
Residents argue that any high-occupancy institutional project near Jenkinson Lake would create multiple public safety and environmental concerns, including increased wildfire evacuation risks along Sly Park Road, heavier traffic near recreational areas and potential strain on private groundwater resources.
The location itself has become a major focal point in the dispute.
The property’s secondary access sits across from the heavily traveled entrance to Sly Park Recreation Area and Jenkinson Lake, both popular destinations for camping, boating and swimming. Nearby is the Sly Park Conservation and Environmental Education Center, an outdoor science and environmental education campus serving schoolchildren from throughout the Sacramento region.
As of late May 2026, no formal application, conditional use permit, rezoning request or Planning Commission hearing tied specifically to 5110 Sly Park Road appears on publicly posted county agendas.
According to county development procedures, any proposal involving institutional use, rezoning or major land-use modification would first move through staff review before being scheduled for public hearings before the Planning Commission. Depending on the scope of the proposal, the matter could later advance to the Board of Supervisors for final approval or appeal consideration.
The property falls within District 2, represented by George Turnboo.
Residents seeking updates can monitor official county agenda portals through the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors and the El Dorado County Legistar Calendar for future filings or hearing notices related to Sly Park Road developments.
At present, the controversy remains largely fueled by community concern and preemptive organizing rather than a formally submitted public project. Still, opposition groups say they intend to remain vigilant.
“Our rural communities exist because people chose open space, environmental protection and low-density living,” one petition supporter wrote online. “We deserve transparency before any institutional project changes that forever.”
