Proposed Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update

San Ramon Golf Courses Proposed to be Rezoned

First Meeting With City Council To Be Held

Tuesday, April 25, 2006
(Time and Location to be Announced

(Review of (3) Planning Commission Meetings):

The City of San Ramon has proposed for the 250 acres of the only remaining Open Space; (Royal Vista Golf Course and Canyon Lakes Golf Course) to be rezoned from Parks (.10 FAR which allows for little, or no expansive land development) to COMMERCIAL RECREATION (.35 FAR which allows for extensive commercial development on golf course land with an increase of 250% building intensity). It is zoned as Parks in the current Zoning Ordinance, and there is a provision in the Proposed Zoning Ordinance under Special Purpose Zones, to allow it to remain as Parks!

The City claims that the "Zoning Code" has to be, "put in line with the voter approved General Plan 2020." The City Staff and the City Council claims the citizens on the General Plan Review Committee changed the golf courses from Parks to Commercial Recreation. This is not true! Nowhere in any of the minutes is there any discussion of either of the golf courses! This was confirmed at the Planning Public Hearing on Feb. 21, 2006 in which the Planning Commissioners themselves found no evidence of the Golf Courses rezoned in any of the meetings' minutes.

Now, the City claims that the golf courses were changed to Commercial Recreation in 1995 with Resolution # 95-114, with a General Plan Amendment No. 95-003 to update the General Plan. The citizens have requested the minutes of these meetings. These minutes show absolutely NO discussion of the golf courses being changed to Commercial Recreation! If it really was changed, why is it so invisible? Why is it so difficult to get a straight answer from our San Ramon City Officials?

A source informed us that, on March 14, 2006 another record request was made to the City Clerk for all documentation, maps etc.. relating to the golf courses being changed to Commercial Recreation in 1995 as mentioned by City Planning Staff. Rene of the City Clerks Office, called our source on March 23rd, and stated, "the request has now gone to the planning department and they will not be able to get these documents to the citizens until April 7, 2006." The April 7 date is well beyond the 10 days allowable as required by law for providing a request for public records. In fact, it is a full 25 days after the REQUEST was made. And, it falls on April 7, 2006, the same date the Planning Commission is scheduled for taking the final vote on this topic! By then, it will be too late! Is the City delaying this information on purpose? Are they to be trusted? Why are we, the San Ramon citizens, being denied our rights to this information in a timely manner? Are they trying to ramrod this proposal through?

Public Legal Notification

The Planning Commission (PC) is required to hold three legally noticed (proper public notification) Public Hearings before going to Council. Two (PC) Public Hearings were "legally noticed" in the paper with an 1/8 page ad; although, the third Public Hearing on March 7th was not placed in the paper. The City claims, "it was a continued meeting" and did not have to place an ad in the paper to notify the public. How can it be the third Public Hearing, if it is just a continuance of another meeting and the public is NOT NOTIFIED? Additionally, two earlier "Public Meetings" with the Planning Commissioners held in January 2006 pertaining to the Golf Course Rezoning, were not given any notification to the public. This was also confirmed by city staff that no notification had gone out for these two meetings. Again, the City refuses to follow Government Code to notify it's own citizens that are being affected by these proposed changes!

The City of San Ramon Mayor and City Council have refused multiple requests to use the newspaper as a tool to notify the citizens of their proposed Citywide zoning changes! In addition, the Mayor and City Council refuse to mail out notification cards to the hundreds of property owners who live on, and around the golf course properties, notifying them of these proposed zoning (land use) changes for the golf courses. The City has stated, "we mailed notification to the actual owners of the golf courses." However, no notification went out to any San Ramon Citzens that would be affected. How is this action or lack of action serving the San Ramon Citizens? Why do our City officials continue to refuse to notify us? Why are they proposing further restrictions in the Notification process to the Citizens? (See: Proposed Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update (on the City's website) – go to the end of the document to see more details).

On February 21, 2006, a group of over 230 citizens held the City accountable by having their own attorney stand before the Planning Commission and claim, "these proceedings are Illegal due to non-notification to the public." In addition, the first two Public Hearings in January were also held Illegally due to Non-Notification to the Public! As a result, "The Negative Declaration Period" ended before anyone even knew it existed! How is this legal? How can we trust our City Officials if they are not being honest in their actions? They say one thing, and do the complete opposite! They are very contradictory in their words and actions!

The Planning Department City staff recommended a "Golf Course Overlay at a .10 FAR" to the Planning Commission against the strong urging of hundreds of citizens to make a General Plan Amendment (which is the strictest possible protection.)

The Golf Course Overlay can be easily removed, especially with the NEW "proposed Zoning Administrator's Authority" and, the proposed, "newly reduced City Notification Requirements" to the public! (Again, see the back of the Proposed Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update – on the City’s website!)

The Mayor and City Council continue to urge the Citizens of San Ramon to trust them to make the right decisions! How can we do this when there is SO MUCH dishonesty! Maybe it's time to talk about... RECALL!