Latest News Articles From The San Ramon Tribune

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

San Ramon For Open Government Files Suit to Protect Public/Citizens

San Ramon for Open GovernmentSAN RAMON FOR OPEN GOVERNMENT FILES SUIT OVER MASSIVE CITY CENTER PROJECT TO PROTECT PUBLIC/CITIZENS

GROUP CHALLENGES CITY CENTER MIXED USE PROJECT TRAFFIC, DENSITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PROJECT AT ISSUE

San Ramon CA. - San Ramon for Open Government, a group of San Ramon residents, filed a lawsuit today to prevent the San Ramon City Center Mixed Use Project from moving forward. Spokesman Jim Gibbon warns that the project could create a traffic tsunami and cost taxpayers million of dollars. The lawsuit was filed challenging the adequacy of the Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) and for violating the voter approved San Ramon General Plan.

On November 6, 2007 the project was approved by the Planning Commission and the SEIR was certified. Subsequently, two appeals to the project were filed, including one by Gibbon representing San Ramon for Open Government. On December 11, 2007 the appeals were heard by the city council and denied, the SEIR was re-certified and the project approved.

Gibbon says the City Council is attempting to change the intent of the voter approved 2020 General Plan. It specifically states the City Center is to be primarily ‘a cohesive mix of civic, compatible retail, and open space uses with an arts and entertainment focus. Intended as a vital core for San Ramon, the City Center will be a people place first and include a performing arts center, library, and small scale retail establishments, such as restaurants and cafes, bookstores, gift shops, etc.’ “What this council created is a massive urbanized commercial center with high rise office buildings, no cultural venues and no open space in blatant disregard to the voter approved General Plan,” states Gibbon. Gibbon added that the project is primarily structured to economically accommodate the Sunset Development Company.

According to the SEIR, the project will also generate a minimum of 30,000 additional vehicle trips a day, creating an unacceptable increase in traffic density along already congested Bollinger Canyon Road, Norris Canyon Road and Alcosta Boulevard. Many residents expressed concern that Bollinger Canyon Road will become a traffic morass of unparalleled proportions, with commuters spilling into residential neighborhoods in search of routes around Bollinger Canyon Road.

Other unavoidable environmental impacts generated by this project according to the lawsuit are a significant degradation in air quality, increased noise impacts and the glare generated by illuminating the City Center at night.

Gibbon believes the City Council is ignoring the wishes of San Ramon residents by revising the voter approved General Plan and moving forward with this project. Consequently, he is not ruling out a referendum on the project in an effort to allow San Ramon voters to make the final decision on the project. “The City Center Mixed Use Development is the biggest issue facing San Ramon since incorporation of the city. Why shouldn’t they have an opportunity to vote on the project?” says Gibbon.

Contact: Jim Gibbon
www.SROG.org
(925) 828-8563
(925) 226-5680

Go to SROG press release. Save and print press release PDF file.

Monday, January 14, 2008

I Got A Ticket For Having A Garage Sale!

Crazy World We Live In: Especially in San Ramon

Are you thinking about having an impromptu garage sale to get rid of your unwanted items. Well, think again. If the San Ramon City Council has its way, the impromptu garage sale will be a thing of the past or dare we say, a fine coming down your way if you do not register your garage sale with the city first. Yes, you could be breaking the law if you want to have a garage sale when your neighbor down the street has one, and you think, no big deal if we have ours too.

Council Members Scot Perkins and Carol Rowley are all for more laws on the books restricting freedoms. They sandwich their arguments for having a city wide garage sale registration program with saying things like, "added value," "additional advertising vehicle for sales," and "help reduce reliance on posters and signs."

The Contra Costa Times article states in the article: San Ramon garage sales could become regulated that, "The proposed garage sale restrictions -- which include limiting when and where residents can post signs and permitting garage sales to last no more than two days at a time -- are needed to discourage chronic garage sale impresarios, San Ramon officials said."

"There's the education element, there's the enforcement element and there's the added value to the resident," said San Ramon Councilman Scott Perkins. "I believe having a registration requirement serves residents by adding an additional advertising vehicle for their sales."

Such a feature might also help reduce residents' reliance on posters and signs to draw people to their events, said Councilwoman Carol Rowley.

Maybe San Ramon Needs More Laws on the Books.

Here are some ideas for the City Council to consider:

1. Garage doors must be kept closed at all times.

2. No basketball hoops in plain view of the street.

3. No parked cars on the streets in residential neighborhoods after 8:00 PM.

4. No commercial vehicles parked in driveways overnight.

5. No recreational vehicles parked in the street, even if relatives come to visit in their motor homes.

6. No blue, pink, black, orange, green, white, yellow, or red color houses with trims that are not color coordinated, or whatever color you don't like. (City needs to have everyone's house color go to the city architectural review committee for approval when repainting.)

7. The City needs to implement a snoop committee to report back to the architectural review committee, which reports back to the City Council. To make it easier on everyone; the snoop committee, the architectural review committee, and the City Council can be the same five members.

Wow, maybe the City Council thinks we live in the San Ramon Homeowners Association and needs to restrict even more of our freedoms.

I hope the City Council doesn't read this, because they just might think those are some great ideas for additional laws on the books.

And, while we're at it, you can say goodbye to having an entire homeowners association garage sale too. That would be way too many garage sales for one area at a time.

San Ramon Tribune
Editor

Monday, January 7, 2008

City Council Agendas and Meeting Locations

Stay Up To Date With the City Meetings
Place your email request with the City to have the agenda emailed to you when the agendas are published. Subscribe to the City Of San Ramon current City Council Meeting, Planning Commission Meetings, and Parks & Community Services Commission Meeting agendas. Emails will be sent out at least 72 hours in advance.

Note: Next meeting is:

Read the Next Meeting Agenda January 8, 2008 with this San Ramon City link.

January 8, 2008

Note Change of Location
San Ramon Community Center
12501 Alcosta Boulevard

CLOSED SESSION AT 6:00 P.M.
REGULAR MEETING - 7:00 P.M.

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