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.
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.
Speak Out
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3 comments:
Why is the City on this fast track toward changing the Golf Courses in the first place?
It appears at each step of the way City staff and the City Council have taken steps to hide something or have a hidden agenda. If they are not hiding something or have a hidden agenda, then that leaves only one answer to what is going on. Someone is not doing their job(s) properly; they are inept at handling city affairs.
There should be something in the minutes reflecting the change of the Golf Courses to Commercial Recreation. There is nothing.
Votes that have been reported can not be verified in the minutes that votes were taken.
I can't believe that not a single homeowner was ever notified of the change in the rezoning of the Golf Courses. Why would this be the case? How can you not notify the surrounding San Ramon homeowners for this important change to the zoning?
It seems as though City Staff and the City Council are making things up as they go along.
Now is the time to get it right, not five or ten years down the road when the Land Use Attorneys come in and say that our clients want to partition off a section of the Golf Courses and develop into homes.
By changing to Commercial Recreation, larger chucks of property can be sectioned off by the Golf Course owners to do what ever they want because of the increase in the FAR rating.
All of this leads to more questions than any answers the City Council has given out. Mayor, Abram Wilson and some of the Council Members have belittled and tried to say that the Golf Course group doesn't know what they are talking about. The Mayor has said that the citizens of San Ramon need to trust the city council. Well, as our late President Ronald Reagan once said, "Trust, but Verify!" Mr. Mayor and City Council, don't forget, you work for us. Show us the proof.
Concerned San Ramon Resident
George H.
You're right on George.
A couple of other points that might be of interest to you:
• San Ramon Golf Course's back nine is already partitioned into several parcels. This step would not be necessary.
• CR zoning in the new ordinance indicate our golf courses are being set up as a dumping ground for exogenous mandates placed on the City by Courts and State Laws. As I understand it, there will be fines from the State if the City does not provide "Homeless Housing", "Transitional Shelters" for felons, etc. Surprise George, you find these as permitted uses in the CR zone in the new ordinance. This puts them smack dab in the middle of our golf courses. I also understand that the courts mandate the City provide relocation sites for those displaced by Eminent Domain. Thus, it's not surprising that the new CR zoning includes restaurants, recreation facilities like skating rink (The Golden Skate) and cardroom (The Outpost), etc. Heck, if we can stand Transitional Housing on the golf courses, we certainly will come to love legitimate businesses in our backyards. These external pressures are already on our City Officials, George; ergo, your five-year estimate before bull-dozing seems quite optimistic.
Because of the politically imposed "Urban Growth Boundary", they can only develop within City limits. The lowest tax return per acre is golf course zoned as Park. The Mayor has said that he is going to run the City as a business! Thus, apparently he's driven by his bottom line, i.e., to create the most tax dollars for the City's bureaucratic ambitions as possible.
We must STOP! THEM now. They are ignoring US!
Another Concerned San Ramon Resident
I have been following this Golf Course zoning switcheroo by a bad city gov that needs to be voted out.
If there is a voter initiative that needs to be circulated please notify me on this web site how to get it signed etc.for nov 07 ballot.The golf Course needs PARKS zoning for protection.
San Ramon Resident
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