Sunday, May 28, 2006

State Mandated Requirements for the City of San Ramon

San Ramon Golf Course and Canyon Lakes Golf Course
(Land Uses Governed by Commercial Recreation (CR) Primary Zone)




Existing Park (P)
Zone


Cultural Institution Day Care, General Park/Rec Facility
Utilities, Major/Minor
Riding Academies
Government Offices
Eating/Drinking Establishments
Limited Warehouse/Storage
Horticulture Unlimited
Accessory Uses
Carnivals
Rezone to Commercial Recreation (CR) Zone

Recycling Facility *
Emergency Shelter *
Homeless Shelter *
Transitional Housing * (1)
Public Safety Facility * (2)
Cogeneration Facility *
Wireless Telecommunications Facility *
ATM
Office Accessory
Outdoor Retail Sales/Activities
Accessory Retail/Services
Movie Theater
Performing Arts Theater
Dance Studio
Martial Arts Studio
Roller Skating Facility
Sports Assembly Facility
Entertainment Facility
Specialized Education School (3)
Training School (3)
Library
Museum
Art Gallery
Golf Course
Fitness/Health Facility
Conference/Convention Facility
Commercial Recreation Outdoor
Commercial Recreation Indoor
Religious Assembly
Proposed CR/Golf Course Overlay Zone

Golf Course
Park/Recreation Facility
Accessory Retail
Accessory Office

  • * State Mandated Requirements for the City of San Ramon may include: (See * above)
  • * City may choose to use Eminent Domain because there is "No place left to put these."
1 Transitional Housing Two year Housing for Troubled Teens; Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation; Temporary Housing for Convicted Cons Released from Prison.

2 Public Safety Facility With the elimination of businesses as part of the Crow Canyon Specific Plan, (proposed for 735 Low Income/High Density Affordable Housing Units); the City will need a place for all of those listed under Commercial Recreation (CR) Land Use Zone. (This is the Primary Zone and, it defines the land uses for the golf courses over the golf course Overlay). In addition, the City is currently establishing their own Police Department and, will no longer contract with the Sheriff'’s Department of the Contra Costa County in the future, and will need a larger space to house the Police Department.

3 Specialized Education School And Training School Laborer's Training Camp to be eliminated and planned for Housing on the West Side (behind Albertson's). Where will the Training Camp be moved to?

Our City of San Ramon Officials have established these increased Land Uses and are rezoning the San Ramon Golf Course and Canyon Lakes Golf Course to be the future dumping ground for all of the above CR land uses that, "have no place left to go," or the City will use Eminent Domain to meet, "State Mandated requirements."

In the event, the owner of the golf course property or the City choose to modify the golf course with a land use not allowed by the Golf Course Overlay, although, allowed by the Commercial Recreation Zone, it would require only ONE meeting with the Planning Commission and, ONE meeting with the City Council. In addition, Notification to surrounding homeowners would be at the discretion of the Zoning Administrator, Phil Wong, Director of Planning.

CC:

Abram Wilson, Mayor

Carol Rowley, Vice Mayor

Jim Livingstone, Councilmember

Dave Hudson, Councilmember

Scott Perkins, Councilmember


May 26, 2006

City Council Final Vote: June 13, 2006

(Information compiled from the March 7, 2006 Staff Report to the Planning Commission; and the May 23, 2006 City Council Staff Report.)

Friday, May 12, 2006

Golf Courses Changed To Commercial Recreation - OH Really!

San Ramon Golf Course Results/Facts Regarding:

How was the San Ramon Golf Course and the Canyon Lakes Golf Course Changed to Commercial Recreation in the General Plan in 1995 without the Knowledge or Notification to Surrounding Homeowners?

* Requested from City Clerk 3/14/06: Resolution No.95-114 approving GPA 95-003 to update the General Plan, (dated October 24, 1995); All City documents used to change the golf courses from Park to Commercial Recreation;

* NO discussion at all, in either the Planning Commission and/or the City Council (Minutes of their Meetings) to change the golf courses from (P) Park to CR (Commercial Recreation) in 1995;

* Resolution NO. 20-95: "Planning Commission Recommending the City Council Adopt the Negative Declaration for Update of General Plan” (Attachment 1) – Left blank. No Vote taken. No signature by Phil Wong (Never Officially Passed, Approved, or Adopted in '95);

* Resolution NO. 21-95: "Planning Commission Recommending the City Council Approve General Plan Amendment No. 95-003 to Update General Plan" (Attachment 2) – Left blank. No Vote taken. No signature by Phil Wong (Never Passed, Approved, Adopted in 95;

Requested from City Clerk 4/21/06: A list of who the City Notified for the change of the golf courses from Parks to Commercial Recreation? And, a copy of 1/8 page Ad for Notification in the paper?

On the address list of who was notified by the City of the Public Hearings for the General Plan Update in 1995, it shows various governmental agencies from Richmond to Martinez and, NOT A SINGLE resident of San Ramon was notified or homeowner surrounding the golf course properties was notified.

Illegal Action By San Ramon City Staff

This is illegal action by our City Staff. Under the law, they are required to follow legal notification guidelines under Government Code 65091. In addition, there is NO copy of the 1/8 page AD that was supposed to be placed in the paper; No discussion in any of the Minutes of the Meetings; Incomplete Resolutions that were left blank, not voted on and approved, along with the signature line left blank (missing signature by Phil Wong). This was all accomplished fraudulently by the City, and passed through under the Radar and, was virtually INVISIBLE to the citizens of San Ramon. The City failed to legally notify the citizens of San Ramon and, the surrounding property owners of these changes for our golf courses in the General Plan Update in 95. See the proof in these City documents!

Map Insert For the General Plan Update in 1995:

The Golf Courses were changed on the map. They were taken out of the Parks designation (which falls under Community Facilities and Open Space) and, put into the Commercial Recreation designation (under OFFICE, COMMERCIAL, AND INDUSTRIAL), without any knowledge or discussion in the Planning Commission and City Council Minutes; No notification to surrounding homeowners of these Public Hearings; Missing signatures and NO vote taken on two of the above-mentioned Resolutions approving this General Plan Update in 1995, that changed our golf courses to a Commercial Recreation designation. As a result, this was done if ERROR and, we REQUEST our City Officials make this right and, CORRECT THESE ERRORS!

Our golf courses DO NOT belong in an Office, Commercial and Industrial land use designation? Who proposed this? And, why? No one has owned up to this, and we demand an explanation from our City Officials.

* Does our City have the Authority to push this through WITHOUT the knowledge or notification of our Citizens? NO

* Is this Fraudulent Action by our City Officials? YES.

New land use ENTITLEMENTS will be GIVEN to the GOLF COURSE OWNERS by our CITY OFFICIALS when they VOTE this through on May 23, 2006.

STOP San Ramon City Council NOW!


The 1995 update to the General Plan (processed illegally) placed San Ramon Golf Club and Canyon Lakes Golf Club within a Commercial Recreation land use category by mistake. This was done in error and, without any knowledge or notification by our City Officials to the residents of San Ramon. This needs to be corrected before May 23, 2006 (the next City Council Meeting) at 7 p.m. at the Alcosta Community Center. Email our City Officials IMMEDIATELY.

San Ramon City Council
Mayor H. Abram Wilson
Vice Mayor Carol J. Rowley
Councilmember David E. Hudson
Councilmember Jim Livingstone
Councilmember Scott Perkins

San Ramon City Council
Email Addresses - Phone Numbers


This appears to be more than a simple error by a Consulting Firm. Who directed the Consulting Firm to make this change? We request an explanation and, a correction to change our golf courses back to a Parks designation. And, to address the number of errors that have been made.

This Commercial Recreation land use designation (for the San Ramon golf courses) was carried forward when the General Plan was updated in 1995, and ultimately approved by voters in 2002. At the March 5, 2002 Election, (a very low turnout of voters approved the General Plan 2020 (under Measure P at this off-year election). Results as follows:

Out of 55,000 residents, 5,722 voted, Yes 1,686 voted, No

Only 7,408 voters showed up to vote at this Off-Year Election of the 55,000 residents of San Ramon in 2002. This is NOT a fair representation of the City vote. When our City Officials say the General Plan 2020 was approved by 77% of the vote. Be aware that this means only 77% of who showed up to VOTE! Having it held during an Off-Year Election was VERY detrimental in getting a fair, or higher voter turnout. It is usually anticipated to have a low turnout during an off-year election.

The Mayor has stated, "the reason we need to change the golf courses from Parks to Commercial Recreation is to keep it consistent with the General Plan 2020, and, because Commercial Recreation was recommended for the golf courses by a group of San Ramon Citizens who made up the General Plan Review Committee." This is not true.

The Commercial Recreation land use designation WAS NOT recommended by the citizens who made up the General Plan Review Committee. In fact, some of those folks indicate that it "was never even discussed for the golf courses." And, the minutes of those meetings were pulled by the Planning Commission for review and, confirmed that no mention of the golf courses changing to Commercial Recreation was shown.

What is the REAL reason our San Ramon City Officials keep insisting the San Ramon Golf Course and the Canyon Lakes Golf Course must change to Commercial Recreation?

Why has the San Ramon Bridges Golf Course not been included in this rezoning proposal? City staff has indicated the Bridges golf course is part of the Dougherty Valley Specific Plan and, does not allow for this at this time, even though it is located within the City of San Ramon, and is no longer under the jurisdiction of the County.

HOLD OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS! THEY NEED TO PROVIDE THE BURDEN OF PROOF TO THE CITIZENS OF SAN RAMON.

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