San Ramon City Council's Hidden Agenda

Summary of Facts on the Proposed Rezoning of San Ramon Golf Courses

April 26, 2006

* San Ramon Mayor Abram Wilson has said, "Commercial Recreation for the golf courses was decided by the General Plan Committee of citizens." That is a lie! It has been confirmed with five members of that Committee, that Rezoning the golf courses was N E V E R discussed, and never proposed by the citizens on that Committee!

* The Planning Commission requested the Minutes of those meetings to confirm discussion of the golf courses changing from Parks to Commercial Recreation (CR). The minutes showed NO discussion of changing the golf courses to CR. If this really was discussed, then why is it so invisible, and how did it get changed in the General Plan?

* Over 450 San Ramon residents signed Petitions that were given to the Mayor, City Council, and Planning Commission saying NO to rezoning the golf courses from Parks to Commercial Recreation. And, NO to the increased building intensity from .10 FAR to .35 FAR (a 250% increase in building intensity) along with many Commercial Development land uses not even related to golf courses.

* The Mayor, City Council and Planning Commission totally ignored the 450 San Ramon Residents who signed the Petitions to keep the golf courses zoned as Parks. They also ignored the many emails, letters, speakers and over 230 residents at the Planning Commission Meetings. Who are our Elected Officials working for? Are there some hidden motives behind our elected officials?

* Did you know the Planning Commission's Proposed Golf Course - Overlay (.10 FAR) in the Proposed Zoning Ordinance is actually "governed by the Primary Zone of the Commercial Recreation definition in the General Plan 2020." This directly contradicts the purpose of the overlay to keep it protected as a golf course!

* The Commercial Recreation/Golf Course Overlay is NOT effective for protecting our golf courses from development. Once this is voted and approved, it gives the owners NEW entitlements under the law.

* We believe the only way to protect the golf course land as open space and, to keep it zoned as "Parks" undevelopable land) is to bring an Initiative before the voters this November.

* The City Council has only two Public Hearings left before they vote on May 23, 2006 to make it law:

May 9, 2006 at 7 p.m. - Alcosta Community Center

May 23, 2006 at 7 p.m. - Alcosta Community Center

Corrections - To What City Staff Has Said

* The General Plan 2020 and, the Proposed Zoning Ordinance both allow for golf courses to remain as a "Parks" designation, and would be consistent with each other as required by law.

* Our City Staff and Officials say they cannot do a General Plan Amendment to keep the golf courses zoned as "Parks." They have just REFUSED to do one.

* The City is in fact currently proposing TEN General Plan Amendments GPA's; ( mostly to DOUBLE the building density and, number of units allowable per acre in multiple projects; change Open Space and Parks to Residential outside the Urban Growth Boundary; increase the building density to .70 FAR up to Maximum of 1.35 FAR (very similar to the City of Concord); and, give unprecedented authority to the Zoning Administrator without accountability to the people), all in opposition to the voter approved General Plan 2020.

* Golf Courses cannot be counted against the City's required Parkland numbers according to the General Plan. As a result, the City cannot use this argument to disallow golf courses to be designated as Parks.

* Golf Courses are privately owned sites and, "do not have to be land that is owned or leased by the City" according to the General Plan. City staff have miss-quoted the General Plan and, said, "golf courses cannot be zoned as Parks, because they would have to be land that is owned or leased by the City." This is NOT TRUE.

What is going on with our San Ramon Elected Officials? Why are they doing this? Who in their right mind would want to increase the building intensity on golf courses? Is it incompetence or something more sinister? What is their hidden agenda?

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

San Ramon Council's Email Addresses and Phone Numbers

San Ramon Golf Courses - Summary 4/19/06

Questions to the City Staff and Planning Commissioners – Still Unanswered

1. How did the Golf Courses get changed from Parks to Commercial Recreation (CR) in the General Plan?

Answer: City staff: "The General Plan Review Commissioners implemented CR with increased building intensity to .35 FAR for the golf courses."

2. Three General Plan Review Commissioners stated they never even discussed CR for the golf courses. They are not even familiar with the Commercial Recreation designation. "Where did it come from?"

Answer: The Planning Commission requested the "Minutes of the Land Use Committee" (part of the General Plan Review Commission) and, there was NO discussion of the golf courses being changed to Commercial Recreation.

Question to San Ramon Planning Staff: Then, as a result of the above, when did the golf courses get changed to Commercial Recreation .35 FAR in the General Plan?

Answer: City staff: "It happened in 1995 when Club sport was changed to Commercial Recreation."

3. When in 1995 did the golf courses get changed in the General Plan to Commercial Recreation? And, who changed them? Why were the surrounding homeowners not notified?

Answer: The City ignored these questions, and refused to give answers:

As a result, some citizens filled out a "Request for a Public Record" form at the City Clerk's office, and were charged $29.30 for the following documents that were delayed beyond the normal ten days. The law allows for an additional 14 days under unusual circumstances (Gov. Code 6253 (c). The City of San Ramon then delayed an additional 15 days to April 6, 2006 (which extended it beyond the date the Planning Commission took their final vote to approve the Golf Course Overlay on April 4, 2006). The Planning Commission was urged to wait for these answers before taking a final vote. They ignored these requests and proceeded to approve what the City staff has recommended as RZ18 – Commercial Recreation (.35 FAR)-Golf Course Overlay (.10 FAR) for the San Ramon Golf Course and parts of the Canyon Lakes Golf Course.

Documents Requested on 3/14/06 to City Clerk/Planning Dept.: The 1995 General Plan Update is: "Resolution No. 95-114 – Documents per this resolution. GPA 95-003, all documents relating to the change from Parks (P) to Commercial Recreation (CR) for the Royal Vista Golf Course and Canyon Lakes Golf Course."

Answer: In the Planning Commission Staff Report dated September 19, 1995 a General Plan Amendment GPA 95-003 was recommended for approval. Page 8 of 28 reads as follows:

"Economics of Land Use" is an entirely new section, and is included in recognition of the increasingly important relationship between the local economy and land use decisions.

4. The creation of a new Commercial Recreation (CR) land use

Designation, to be applied to the two golf courses in the City

(Canyon Lakes and Royal Vista), and the Club Sport facility

and its adjoining tennis courts at the current terminus of

Bollinger Canyon Road in Canyon Lakes.


Why wasn't there a Public Hearing Notice mailed to the surrounding homeowners? Why wasn't the Public Hearing Notice (1/8 page ad placed in the paper) no earlier than ten days prior to the Public Hearing Date? Why were the affected citizens left out of this process? Did the City Planning Staff have to notice three public hearings for the Planning Commission and three for the Council?

Question to Planning Staff: Where is the copy of the (1/8 page Newspaper Ad) placed for the Public Hearing Notice? Where is the list of who the Public Hearing Notice was mailed to? And, when were these notices mailed or placed in the paper?

Answer from Planning Staff: "You didn’t specifically ask for the list of who the Public Hearing Notice was mailed to." "You need to fill out another Public Record Request Form to specifically ask for that." 4/13/06

Our request above stated, "all documents relating to the change from Parks to Commercial Recreation." Why were these not provided by the City? Another delay tactic?

We believe the City did not properly notify the surrounding homeowners of the two golf courses, and/or notice the Public Hearings properly in the newspaper with an 1/8 page ad. The citizens were cut out of this process back in 1995 with that General Plan Update. This was done in error. And, as a result, the City implemented Commercial Recreation in the General Plan in 1995 without the knowledge or notification of the citizens who lived on, and around the golf courses who are the affected property owners.

Now, the City states, "we must make the Proposed Zoning Ordinance consistent with the voter approved General Plan 2020." This change to (Commercial Recreation .35 FAR) from (Parks .10 FAR) for the golf courses was never proposed by the citizens of the General Plan Review Committee. It was proposed "under the radar" and implemented by the urging of City staff without proper Public Hearing Notification to the Citizens.

In addition, the City states that the reason they are changing the golf courses to Commercial Recreation is because they don’t want the golf course acreage to be counted towards their Parkland numbers. And, as a result, they anticipate acquiring more parkland from developers. This makes no sense, because the General Plan 2020 (approved by the Voters) already states that the golf courses cannot be counted towards required Parkland as shown below:

The current General Plan 2020 reads as follows:

Section 6.5I-1 Establish and maintain a standard of 6.5 acres of

Public parks per 1,000 residents, and public

Facilities to be within one-half mile of all homes

With only usable acreage considered in meeting

This standard.

It is the City's intent to meet this criterion with

Functional acreage only. Private recreation

Facilities (such as golf courses and homeowners'

Association amenities including mini parks, tot-lots,

And picnic areas) shall NOT BE SUBSTITUTED

FOR REQUIRED PARKLAND.

Now is the time for our San Ramon elected City Officials to recognize their errors and, to stand up and do the right thing! Otherwise, it is time for a Recall.

Planning Commission Approves Golf Course Rezoning

Planning Commission Voted to Approve Commercial/Recreation .35 FAR Zone for Golf Courses with a Golf Course Overlay at a .10 FAR. This was the City Staff's recommendation and Commissioners refused to do a General Plan Amendment requested by hundreds of citizens. Now it goes to City Council for final approval. This may be at the next scheduled City Council meeting on April 11 at 7:00 pm. It is not clear at this time if it will be on April 11 agenda or the next scheduled meeting that would occur on April 25 at 7:00 pm. It might be wise to attend both because information from the city staff is not flowing promptly.

The documentation from city staff showing when the golf courses were changed to Commercial/Recreation is non-existent in discussion. Sources indicate that they are waiting for documentation from city staff for this information. However, this is taking excessively long from city staff and will be available at the earliest Friday, April 7th.

Stay Tuned

City Council may decide to place this in the agenda at the last minute.

San Ramon Late Notice

Tonight is the final vote for the Planning Commission on the golf courses!
April 4th, 7pm.
City Council Chambers

Getting the correct information from the city is like pulling teeth.

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!