Representing San Ramon’s Best Interest

BY: Jim Gibbon

I agree with the letter from Phil O’Loane to the Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County about the proposed New Farms development in Tassajara Valley. He expresses the opinion of 72% of the voters of San Ramon as expressed in the last November election.

Our current City Council has decided not to express any opinion on our behalf. In fact their attitude is to sit on their hands. They will do nothing to represent our interest in preservation of the valley as a rural area that is not to be developed as just another urban development project. To be preserved for our children’s future.

This proposed New Farms development will be fought out at the county level for the next two to three years. It will determine if our Urban Limit Line in the county and our Urban Growth Line in our cities will mean anything in the future.

The proper place for growth in the future San Ramon is in the inner city core where infrastructures already exist and the cost to the city and residents will be less than growing in green rural areas on the outskirts of the city. The inner city should grow ‘organically’ as needed and not as a master plan that overhauls the existing building and street design. San Ramon is an established community and any growth should begin with that fact at its base.

Destroying existing established businesses, changing street locations, and adding another 4,500 people to the inner city of San Ramon without new schools and services is not good for anyone. It will cause more problems than it will help the city be or become viable. Unbraided growth for its on sake is not go for anyone who lives here.

We need to replace this City Council next November with people who understand how to represent our best interest, not theirs. If you know someone who you think can do that and is interested in serving on the council let us know. We need three good residents of San Ramon to run in November. They can count on 72% of the San Ramon voters to vote for them and a lot of support from us all. Now is the time to step up and be counted. This opportunity come only once for most of us.

Let me know what you think and who you think would be a good candidate to represent our best interest. San Ramon is about to change for the better or worse. Who represents our best interest will determine which future we will have.

Thank you,

Jim Gibbon AIA, LEED AP
j.c.gibbon@comcast.net

SROG
SAN RAMON for OPEN GOVERNMENT
SAN RAMON, CALIFORNIA

New Farm Notice to CCC Board of Supervisors

Board of Supervisors
Contra Costa County
c/o John Oborne
Department of Conservation and Development
651 Pine Street, 4th Floor, North Wing
Martinez, CA 94553-1290

Re: New Farm Application

Dear Supervisors:

I am writing as a resident of San Ramon to personally express my opposition to the proposed New Farm Development in the Tassajara Valley. I was first introduced to the New Farm project during my tenure on the San Ramon Planning Commission and became further informed on the project as one of the Co-Chairs of the successful “No on Measure W” campaign in San Ramon.

I find it outrageous that no one on San Ramon’s City Council has yet to come out to express an opinion on this subject much less oppose it. While the city leaders have not commented, the voters spoke as recently as last November on this subject. They made it abundantly clear, by an overwhelming 72% majority, that they are opposed to any expansion or weakening of the Urban Limit Line in San Ramon.

New Farm is a blatantly illegal attempt to destroy voter-approved Urban Limit Lines in Contra Costa County and flies in the face of reasonable growth management policies that have been a hallmark of our county for 20 years.

It is an illegal application that attempts to thinly disguise a Major subdivision and claim it is something else by merely calling it something else. It is growth inducing by bringing urban sewer and water to an area currently, and appropriately, dependent on wells for water and septic systems for sewage. If you bring Urban Services to an area, it is an Urban Area. That seems pretty simple to the average voter. These urban services would no doubt be used by the developers as a major selling point for this sub-division.

New Farm would set a very bad precedent in regards to weakening or even destroying voter-approved Urban Limit Lines. The developers are essentially thumbing their nose at the concept. Their cynical contorting of the zoning regulations in an effort to bring urban services to a rural area is at best devious logic.

This project would accelerate land speculation and put further pressure on what is considered by the county itself to be some of the most important agricultural lands in the area. It is incompatible and inconsistent with local and county general plans and puts significant pressure on wildlife corridors that connect San Ramon’s open space with rural and open space further to the east. It clearly violates Measure C, J and L.

We did not approve, at great time and effort, Urban Limit Lines to then have developers turn around and act as if they don’t exist. Please take your obligation to follow the will of the voters seriously and dismiss this project for what it is; a major urban sub-division outside of the Urban Limit Line. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,


Phil O’Loane

County Places Road Block to Tassajara Valley

The Contra Costa Times reported that Contra Costa County is putting up a road block at the moment, in regards to San Ramon expanding the sphere of influence to Tassajara Valley.

San Ramon's environmental impact report has sent "red flags" to the Contra Costa County's Local Agency Formation Commission, the agency which oversees annexations. The report states, "no new development is being contemplated" but, the San Ramon General Plan refers to possible "future development of the area."

Additionally, the environment impact report was found lacking in many areas including: "potentially significant environmental effects, conversion of agricultural land, loss of open space, effects on utilities and impacts on public services," was stated by Local Agency Formation Commission's executive director, Lou Ann Texeira, in her letter to the city.

Danville leaders are also concerned because the San Ramon environmental impact report did not take into account the traffic and other environmental impacts that would directly affect Danville.

Note: The current county's voter-approved urban limit line in the Tassajara Valley bars any development until at least 2026. But, having San Ramon's sphere of influence extended into the Tassajara Valley could bring development to that area as soon as 2010.

Tassajara Valley Could Be Next For San Ramon

San Ramon, CA

Interesting story from the Danville Weekly News

San Ramon eyes Tassajara Valley
City wants 4,900 rural acres under its sphere of influence

The Danville Town Council expressed concern at its study session Tuesday morning that San Ramon wants to include the Tassajara Valley in its sphere of influence.

Read the entire story at www.DanvilleWeekly.com website.

Also, isn't it interesting how Tassajara Valley sphere of influence has been recently "quietly" talked about again? The Danville Weekly is the first to report about it. Here is another quite insightful article titled: San Ramon Makes Move For Future Growth

Below is the official notice from the City of San Ramon.

NOTICE OF INTENT AND PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF A NEGATIVE DECLARATION.

PROJECT: City of San Ramon Sphere of Influence Amendment- Tassajara Valley Planning Subarea

LOCATION: Approximately 4,900 acres East and Northeast of the City of San Ramon within the Tassajara Valley generally bisected by the Camino Tassajara Roadway to the Contra Costa /Alameda County Line.

APPLICANT: City of San Ramon

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT: The purpose of this Initial Study/Negative Declaration (IS/ND) is to analyze the environmental impacts associated with amending the Sphere of Influence for the City of San Ramon to include the Eastside Specific Plan Area, also referred to as the Tassajara Valley Planning Subarea in the City's General Plan (the project). This IS/ND is intended to inform City of San Ramon decision-makers, other responsible agencies, and the general public of the proposed project and its environmental consequences. This IS/ND is also intended to provide the CEQA-required environmental documentation for all requisite City and Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) actions. No new development is contemplated by, nor would any such development be permitted as a result of, the Sphere of Influence Amendment. The Sphere of Influence Amendment would enable the City to cooperatively join the County and area landowners in initiating the Eastside Specific Plan planning process.

ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING: The Tassajara Valley Planning Subarea is the easternmost planning subarea of the City of San Ramon. This subarea is within the City's Planning Area but outside of its Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) and Sphere of Influence. Currently, much of the land in the planning subarea is dedicated to agricultural uses, such as spring pasture and livestock grazing, with a few orchards, small horse ranches, and rural residential uses such as five-acre ranchettes. The majority of existing land is in private ownership and development is clustered along Camino Tassajara and side roads.

DECLARATION

Based on the Initial Study dated February 4, 2008, the Planning Services staff has determined:

_X_ This project does not have the potential to degrade the quality of the environment, nor to substantially reduce, threaten or eliminate plant, fish or animal communities, or important examples of the major periods of California history or prehistory.
_X_ This project will not have a detrimental effect upon either short-term or long-term environmental goals.
_X_ This project will not have impacts which are individually limited, nor cumulatively considerable.
_X_ This project will not have environmental impacts which will cause substantial adverse effect upon human beings, either directly or indirectly.
_X_ This project will not adversely impact wildlife resources.

The aforementioned findings are not contingent upon any mitigation measures.

The Initial Study and Negative Declaration are available for public review on the City of San Ramon Website at www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us. Public copies are also available for review at the City of San Ramon Planning Division during regular businesses hours (Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), at the address below. Additional public copies of the proposed negative declaration are also on file at the San Ramon Senior Center, San Ramon Community Center, Dougherty Station Community Center, San Ramon Library, Dougherty Station Library, and with the City Clerk.

The public is hereby invited to submit written comments regarding the environmental findings and Negative Declaration determination. Such comments may be submitted prior to the close of the posting period.

Posting Period: February 4, 2008 to February 25, 2008

A public hearing before the City Council to consider the Negative Declaration is scheduled for March 11, 2008, at 7:00 p.m., in the City Council Chamber, 2222 Camino Ramon, San Ramon, California, 94583.

Contact Person: Lauren Barr, Senior Planner (925) 973-2560
City of San Ramon, Planning Services Division
2226 Camino Ramon
San Ramon, CA 94583

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