Zoning Hearings Planning Commission Recap

San Ramon Planning Commission Public Hearings
Feb 7th and Feb 21, 2006

Hundreds of Citizens voiced opinions to protect the golf courses with the strictest possible protection against future development with a General Plan Amendment with special designation for Golf Courses .10 FAR (as recommended by Planning Director, Phil Wong.)

Citizens Oppose -– Overlay Option for Commercial Recreation(CR) / Golf Course(GC). This is only a temporary Band-aid with NO REAL PROTECTION for the Golf Course.

Citizens have strongly opposed the City's recommendation to rezone the golf course to Commercial Recreation .35 FAR and have made this VERY CLEAR.

As it stands, the Commission has totally ignored the Requests of the San Ramon Citizens and, is Recommending an Overlay for CR and GC.

Hundreds of San Ramon Citizens Have Signed Petitions

250 Signatures on Petition for San Ramon Golf Course; 100 Signatures on Petition for Canyon Lakes; 100 Signatures on (4x6 cards); and multiples of letters, emails, and speakers urging the Commission to vote to allow a General Plan Amendment, only to fall on DEAF EARS.

Although, the Planning Commission and City Council had no problem voting to approve a General Plan Amendment to rezone the Open Space for the developer, Davidon, to build 55 Homes on the ridge at Old Ranch Road, again in OPPOSITION TO THE VOICE OF THE CITIZENS!

Past Planning Commission voting records show: NO to Citizens and YES to Developers!
Hold our Planning Commission and City Council Accountable.

Our elected Officials (City Council), and Planning Commission, (Appointed by the Council) - need to be REPLACED if they REFUSE TO HEAR THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE!

We have asked the Mayor; City Attorney; City Manager; Planning Commission; and Planning Director to see the Consultant's Presentation of the Comprehensive Draft Zoning Ordinance since January 17, 2006, and have been denied our RIGHTS!

The Consultant's Presentation was shown on January 3, 2006, the first Public Hearing that was held Illegally due to Non-Notification to the Public by the City of San Ramon

The next Public Hearing on January 17, 2006, was also confirmed to be held illegally, again due to the City failing to follow State Government Code for Notification to the Public!

No one has seen the presentation of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update, because the City refuses to show it to the Public. Why is the City being unfair and unreasonable? The Planning Commission saw it, why canÂ’t the Public?

Now, it's going to be too late! The City has delayed the showing of this presentation and, the last Planning Commission Public Hearing is March 7, 2006, 7:00 p.m. Senior Center where they will take their vote, and make their recommendation to Council!

Tell The San Ramon Planning Commissioners NO to Rezoning
planning@sanramon.ca.gov
Mike Digeronimo
Donna Kerger
Jeff Rhoton
Bob Patrino
Dennis Viers

Read the latest at sanramontalk.blogspot.com on Eminent Domain, and the City'’s proposal to rezone the San Ramon Royal Vista and Canyon Lakes Golf Courses to Commercial Development with a 250% increase in building intensity! Share your comments and knowledge with our fellow citizens! Get the Word Out!

Pass the word about sanramontalk.blogspot.com. Tell your friends and neighbors.

Eminent Domain - A Loaded Gun

EMINENT DOMAIN - San Ramon Residents Protect Your Rights

Our elected City Council members, Dave Hudson and Jim Livingstone, have proposed to Re-establish the City's Authority to use Eminent Domain in the City of San Ramon over the next 12 years. A proposed Fourth Amendment to the Redevelopment Plan for the City of San Ramon will allow the City to take property away from private citizens and businesses for private and public purposes with potentially increasing taxes. The Redevelopment Agency is the City Council.

Today, Eminent Domain is being proposed for:

• Crow Canyon Specific Plan (Beta Court)
• Public/Private Proposed Redevelopment Activities
• Implementation of Affordable Housing Projects Citywide
• Alcosta Redevelopment Area

Deadline to file your statement of objections is March 14, 2006 at 6:00 p.m.
Send to Pat Edwards, City Clerk, regarding the City's proposed use of Eminent Domain.

2222 Camino Ramon, San Ramon
Email: CityClerk@sanramon.ca.gov
Come to the Joint Public Hearing: March 14, 2006 at 6 p.m.
City Council Chambers, 2222 Camino Ramon, San Ramon 94583

Eminent Domain is a loaded gun; where will it be pointed next?

Stay tuned and check back often for updates at sanramontalk.blogspot.com

Stop Development on SR Golf Courses

STOP DEVELOPMENT ON OUR GOLF COURSES

Are you aware, the City of San Ramon is trying to change the zoning code of the San Ramon Golf Course and Canyon Lakes Golf Course to:
COMMERCIAL RECREATION – which will allow for 250% more building intensity, and allow for multiple uses for development on our golf course land.

PLEASE HELP STOP THIS, AND VOICE YOUR CONCERN

Last and Final Planning Commission Meeting
March 7, 2006, at 7:00 p.m.
Senior Center, 9300 Alcosta Blvd
Submit written opposition to the golf course rezoning in advance to:

Pat Edwards, City Clerk
2222 Camino Ramon, or Email: Cityclerk@sanramon.ca.gov
(Ask for a green, "Public Information Record" form; attach your written statements requesting that they be read during the meeting if you are unable to attend, or if you simply choose not to speak.)

Our website will continue to post information as we receive it at sanramontalk.blogspot.com

Zoning Ordinance Planning Commission Meeting 2/21/06

GOLF COURSE REZONING

Excellent insight and comments on San Ramon Golf Course Rezoning Issue by a San Ramon Reader, re-published in this new posting.

As a resident of San Ramon, I sat through the planning commission meeting last night.

Two things became apparent on the Golf Courses Rezoning Issue: (1) the planning staff options 1 (to change the General Plan) and 4 (to build an Overlay in the Ordinances) were the only two options that were seriously considered; and, (2) there was a major split between Residents who were nearly unanimously in favor of Option 1 and the Commissioners who , until the very end, were likewise unanimously in favor of Option 4.

An important exception occurred at the end of the meeting after both Commissioners and Residents had made their comments, including input from the Planning Staff. Commission Chair, DiGeronimo, stated that he could support a General Plan amendment (a modified Option 1) that would make a Special Purpose Zone for Golf Courses with an FAR of 0.1, that is, if the City Council so instructed the Commission to do so.

This looks like a viable solution to this observer. It seems to solve many of the issues facing the Planners and Residents. The residents would get "maximum protection" for their golf courses and the City would resolve the GP and Golf Courses Zoning inconsistency that, we are told, has existed since 1995. It also would help settle some convoluted linkage issues facing the city, like park-acreage vs resident ratios for new developments. Linkages are not easily understood by Residents; thus, they worry us. We know that we are ignorant on these matters, but they are being brought up by the Commissioners and Planning staff as to why one option facing the City is better than another. Many of us don't feel that we have had time even to begin to understand these linkages, nor to discover who the linkage players are. We are time-limited in understanding these linkages, especially since we were not given fair notice of these rezonings.

Thus, in this resident's mind, the Chair's suggestion to give us an even better Option 1 would be the best and quickest way out of this dilemma between our representatives and ourselves. We appreciate that it would require extra effort on the City's part, but it's in the best interest of the City, in our opinion, to resolve this issue ASAP.

San Ramon eMail contact srcommunity@gmail.com

San Ramon Royal Vista Golf Course Zoning Changes Proposed

San Ramon 2020 General Plan Obscured - Glasses Required

SUMMARY OVERVIEW COMPREHENSIVE ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE WITH GENERAL PLAN 2020

Beautiful San Ramon Royal Vista Golf Course


Canyon Lakes Country Club With Spectacular Vistas of Mt. Diablo and the San Ramon Valley

The San Ramon Golf Course and the Canyon Lakes Golf Course are slated to be re-zoned from P (Parkland) to CR (Commercial Recreation) with an increase in the building intensity from .10 FAR (Floor area ratio) to .35 FAR. For example, the San Ramon Golf Course is 129 acres multiplied by the .35 would allow for 45 acres of development. The land uses are varied and include: Waterslide, Arcade, Bowling Alley, Co-Generation Plant, Homeless Shelter, Transitional Housing, Recycling Center and a multitude of other land uses.

The City of San Ramon Planning Commission is in the midst of putting together the final proposal for the City wide zoning changes. Below is a direct link to the draft zoning ordinance proposed changes.

www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/zoning/ZO2005Draft/zocoverpage.html

The City claims that these changes are required and need to be consistent with the General Plan 2020 document that was voted on, and approved in March 2002 by the citizens. It was a special election on the ballot as (Measure P). This measure was approved by only 5,600 approximate voters during an off-year election, (out of 46,000 residents in 2002).

San Ramon Government Officials Fail To Legally Inform Public Of Public Hearings

The City of San Ramon originally scheduled three Public Hearings with the Planning Commission before a vote is taken, and, then brought before the City Council for final approval. The original dates were January 3, 2006; January 17, 2006 and February 7, 2006.

These Public Hearings are required by law prior to the Planning Commission proposing these changes to the City Council for final approval. These Hearings allow citizens to voice their concerns or opposition to these proposals at this time.

The Public Hearing Notice shows a Negative Declaration Period (your opportunity to challenge) from December 16, 2005 to January 23, 2006.

The City has failed to follow the State Government Code for the legal notification requirements for the first and second Public Hearings. Under Government Code 65091(3), the City is required to place a Public Hearing Notice (1/8 page Ad in the local paper) at least ten days prior to the hearing for changes that affect more than 1,000 people.

The City Clerk, Pat Edwards and the Planning Division Manager, Debbie Chamberlain admitted that the City failed to legally notify the public for the first two Public Hearings for the approval of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update. At the February 7th Public Hearing, City Attorney, Byron Athan admitted it was due to human error for the non-compliance for January 3rd. On February 10th we discovered that the City has also failed to legally notify residents of the January 17th Public Hearing as well.

Proposed Zoning Changes Cover All Of San Ramon

This update affects all of the land in the City of San Ramon and is a huge document online at the City's website. There are many other changes in the zoning code that may affect you.

Public Notice was not provided by the City, as a result, you have not had an opportunity to participate in the first two Public Hearings. The Planning Committee continued the Public Hearing for one additional meeting on February 21, 2006, (time and 7:00 PM, location to be announced) to voice your concerns before it goes to the City Council.

As a result of the City's illegal activity, the Planning Commission needs to reestablish a new Negative Declaration Period along with an extension to the Public hearing to allow the public to look at and understand the changes and modifications in this document.

We have been asking the Planning Commission to give us more time to decipher this information, and comment before a vote is taken, but we need more people to do the same.

The first meeting of January 3rd included the Consultant's power point presentation to the Planning Commission regarding their proposed recommendations and changes to the City's zoning code. We have requested they include this presentation at the February 21st Public Hearing because no one saw the presentation at the January 3rd Public Hearing.

We also feel that it is vital for the City to give the public the capability to cross-reference the Proposed Zoning Ordinance changes document to the General Plan 2020. This capability is not yet available on the City'’s web site and, must be provided so that the citizens of San Ramon can attempt to understand these changes.

We need speakers to stand before the Planning Commission on February 21st to ask for more time to review these documents and proposals. We must hold the City accountable for failing to follow legal notification guidelines to notify the residents of San Ramon, of these proposed zoning ordinance and land use changes.

The residents that live on, and around the San Ramon Golf Course, (formerly known as the Royal Vista Golf Course) never received notification from the City either. It was a stroke of luck that we came across it on January 18, 2006. The San Ramon Golf Course Neighborhood united and, at the February 7th Public Hearing we had 36 speakers with a total of 230 residents from our neighborhood speak out on the rezoning issues. There was not a single speaker for the Canyon Lakes Golf Course.

We have set up this Blog website sanramontalk.blogspot.com (A web log (or "blog") is similar to an online journal), as an open forum for the residents of San Ramon.

We could use your help and assistance. We need speakers to address your concerns with the process and the proposed zoning changes at the February 21st Public Hearing and support our request for more time. These changes affect all of the residence of San Ramon.

Summary Statement

Note: This could take away the last open space in South San Ramon and turn the San Ramon Vista Golf Course into anything from a co-generation plant to low income high density affordable housing. Impacts overall infrastructure with increased traffic, over-crowding of schools, negative impacts on the environment, air quality, population density over-crowding, impacts to migratory animals, and totally goes against the San Ramon 2020 General Plan of Neighborhood Preservation.


San Ramon eMail contact srcommunity@gmail.com

San Ramon Community Talk

San Ramon, California Community Talk

This website is a public forum area for citizens wanting to comment on city activities. Stay informed with what the local city government politics of San Ramon is up to. Voice your opinions and concerns, share information with community neighbors, and speak out with your freedom of speech rights.

Comments can be left anonymously or with your name.

San Ramon e-mail blog contact srcommunity@gmail.com