The Golf Course Initiative was written and prepared by the people of San Ramon to go before the voters in the November 07 Election to give the people the choice to protect these 250 acres from future development.
The "Save Our Golf Courses as Parks/Open Spaces Initiative" is to take the control from the City and, give it back to the people! If the people of San Ramon vote to protect the two golf courses from future development, and keep them zoned as Parks, then the only way the City can change that in the future, is with another vote by the people. This is the most permanent way to protect this land.
Actual Wording Of The Golf Course Initiative Follows:
INITIATIVE MEASURE TO BE SUBMITTED DIRECTLY TO THE VOTERS
The City Attorney of the City of San Ramon, California has prepared the following title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure:
INITIATIVE AMENDING CITY OF SAN RAMON GENERAL PLAN TO CHANGE LAND USE CLASSIFICATION OF GOLF COURSES FROM "COMMERCIAL RECREATION" TO "PARKS".
This initiative amends Section 4.4 of the City of San Ramon General Plan by deleting golf courses from the "commercial recreation" land use classification and by adding all golf courses to the "parks" classification. Additionally, the initiative adds language to the parks classification stating (a) that any future rezoning of golf courses shall be approved only by majority vote at a Citywide general election and (b) that golf courses would be excluded from the City's acres/population parkland quotas.
3 Petition for Submission to Voters of Proposed Amendment to the General Plan of the City of San Ramon
To the City Council of the City of San Ramon,
We, the undersigned, registered, qualified voters residing in the City of San Ramon, hereby propose an amendment to the San Ramon General Plan relating to zoning San Ramon's golf courses and petition you to submit the same to the voters of San Ramon for their adoption or rejection at the earliest possible regular general election. The proposed General Plan Amendment, Title, and Text of the measure read as follows:
SECTION 1. Title
This measure shall be known and may be cited as: Save Our Golf Courses as Open Spaces Initiative.
SECTION 2. Findings and Declarations
The people of the City of San Ramon find and declare as follows:
(a) Many golf courses are being lost to "infilling" in suburban areas. This occurs in cities like San Ramon where there are Urban Growth Boundaries which don't allow cities to develop outwardly.
(b) San Ramon's golf courses have been zoned Park since their inceptions. Recently, the zoning designation was duly changed by the City Council to Commercial Recreation (CR). CR, as defined in the City's Zoning Ordinance, is a very broad designation which includes, amongst many other potential uses, cogeneration facility, transitional housing, and scrap and dismantling yard.
(c) There is little open space left in San Ramon. Unless our golf courses remain zoned Park, most assuredly they will be developed to their legal "highest and best use". Profits would be too great to expect otherwise. These open spaces would be lost forever.
(d) Therefore, we the people of San Ramon to preserve our open spaces, to maintain the character of our neighborhoods and quality of our lives, to avoid overcrowding of our schools, traffic congestion, noise and air pollution, wish to have our golf courses remain zoned Park.
SECTION 3. Purpose and Intent
In enacting this measure, it is the intent of the people of San Ramon to put strict limits on uses of the golf courses and limit the ability of City government to change their uses. The people's underlying purpose is to maintain golf courses as open spaces with only two permitted uses: parks and/or golf courses. To this end, the citizens want rezoning of golf courses to be reserved for themselves by requiring approval by majority vote in a Citywide general election.
SECTION 4. SAN RAMON GENERAL PLAN 2020, Section 4.4 GENERAL PLAN DIAGRAM AND USE CLASSIFICATIONS, Sub-Section CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM, Non-Residential is amended to read:
- Commercial Recreation. Golf courses, s Sports and fitness clubs, horse stables, and amusement parks at intensities of up to 0.35 FAR.
- Parks. Public and private recreation sites and facilities at intensities of up to 0.10 FAR, including all golf courses. Future rezoning of golf courses shall be approved only by majority vote in a Citywide general election. Golf courses will be excluded from the City's acres/population parkland quotas.
4 Notice of Intent to Circulate Petition: Notice is hereby given by the persons whose names appear hearon of their intention to circulate a petition within the City of San Ramon, California for the purpose of qualifying a measure to amend the City's General Plan relating to zoning of the City's golf courses. A statement of the reasons for the proposed action as contemplated in the petition is as follows:(Include Section 3 here).
To help expedite the City's tasks, the petitioners propose that the ballot title and summary state: SAVE OUR GOLF COURSES AS OPEN SPACES. INITIATIVE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT. Amends San Ramon's General Plan to return San Ramon's golf courses to their original zoning of Park. Any future golf course rezoning would be subject to majority approval of the people of San Ramon in a Citywide general election. Golf course acreage would not count toward the City's parkland quotas.
The undersigned, all registered voters in San Ramon, have filed this Notice of Intent with the San Ramon City Clerk on June 14, 2006 specifically to obtain the City Attorney's ballot title and summary so that they can begin gathering necessary signatures to qualify the measure for the earliest possible regular general election. Signed by Ray M. Howard Jr., Thomas Perillo, and Janis Desmarais
Permission to publish this golf course initiative on San Ramon Talk was granted by:
Save Our Golf Courses as Open Spaces Campaign
A Key Feature of The People's Initiative
Once the "Save Our Golf Courses As Open Spaces" goes to the people for a vote to protect these two golf courses as Parks or Open Spaces, then, the City officials will not be able to change it again in the future, without another vote of the people. With the General Plan Amendment "GPA" for golf course zone, the City could change it again anytime in the future with another GPA (without the vote of the people).
