The tangled web of Bonfante Gardens bonds, debt, housing permits
and politics raises a host of important questions.
Two of them, fortunately, have straightforward answers.
The tangled web of Bonfante Gardens bonds, debt, housing permits and politics raises a host of important questions.
Two of them, fortunately, have straightforward answers.
Should Councilman Russ Valiquette, a Bonfante Gardens employee, participate in the debate or vote on any issues concerning the troubled horticulture theme park on Hecker Pass Highway? Of course not. He’s made the right decision in recusing himself.
Should Mayor Al Pinheiro, who sits on the Bonfante Gardens board of directors, also recuse himself? Yes he should, although he has said he sees no conflict and will not do so.
That may be the case, but when money and a significant change in the awarding of housing permits are involved, the mayor should understand that he cannot serve two masters.
His job is to do what’s best for Gilroy. In that capacity he must avoid even the appearance of impropriety. What’s best for Bonfante Gardens, which is his charge as a member of the park’s board of directors, is not necessarily what’s best for the city. There is an inherent conflict.
Making the assumption that what’s good for Bonfante Gardens is automatically what’s good for Gilroy is clearly a leap of faith the mayor should not be willing to make.
Don’t misunderstand. We love Bonfante Gardens. We want it to be wildly successful, a tourist attraction which brings visitors eager to spend their disposable income all over Gilroy. But not at any cost.
There are going to be times – and the question of how, or if, the park’s 33 acres adjacent to Eagle Ridge should be developed is a prime example – where the good of Gilroy and the good of Bonfante Gardens are not necessarily the same. We believe any development of the foothill acreage must be done with a complete study of environmental impacts. Planners need to study the traffic, noise, pollution and other impacts before anything happens and the public needs an opportunity to comment.
Even though the housing permits have already been awarded, any project is held to the highest standards. That’s not necessarily the best thing for cash-strapped Bonfante Gardens, which is in need of cash to pay down its staggering and late bond debt and tax bill.
A healthy Bonfante Gardens is good for Gilroy, no question. But respect for the processes in place for zoning and development is also in Gilroy’s best interest.
It’s of paramount importance that our elected leaders’ decisions on matters affecting Gilroy are not tainted by questions about whose interest they have put first.
