GILROY
– An anonymous and disgruntled group of Eagle Ridge homeowners
is underground no more.
The Homeowners of Eagle Ridge, which for weeks has been
campaigning by e-mail against a rush real estate deal that could
save neighboring Bonfante Gardens Theme Park, has announced who
they are. And at Thursday night’s homeowners association meeting,
they got much of what they’ve been asking for.
GILROY – An anonymous and disgruntled group of Eagle Ridge homeowners is underground no more.
The Homeowners of Eagle Ridge, which for weeks has been campaigning by e-mail against a rush real estate deal that could save neighboring Bonfante Gardens Theme Park, has announced who they are. And at Thursday night’s homeowners association meeting, they got much of what they’ve been asking for.
The Eagle Ridge board of directors has agreed to delay two critical votes related to the multimillion dollar deal between Bonfante Gardens and Shapell Industries, the developer of Eagle Ridge.
The delays will allow the board to take a house-by-house poll to determine whether homeowners want to annex a 33-acre Bonfante Gardens parcel into the gated westside community. It will also give Shapell Industries time to put its development plans for that parcel in writing, so the handful of delegates who must approve the deal know what they are voting on.
“I’d say it was a very successful meeting,” said Annete Diresta, a Homeowner of Eagle Ridge core member. “The board was very responsive, they seemed more willing to represent homeowners and I think we’re finally getting on the same page.”
Eagle Ridge homeowners will vote April 25 to select half a dozen delegates who will approve or deny the Bonfante-Shapell deal. That vote was originally slated for March 30.
On May 2, those delegates will approve or deny the land deal, a vote which was to take place April 25.
The original dates triggered a maelstrom of concern in the gated golf community, especially with the members of Homeowners of Eagle Ridge, who felt residents were being rushed to make a decision.
“I think this puts the delegates a little more on the spot,” said John Lang, an Eagle Ridge board member. “And certainly if the homeowners’ vote (the opinion poll) comes out negative, then I doubt Shapell won’t even take the plan forward for a vote.”
To reduce its $70 million debt to $14 million, Bonfante Gardens is trying to sell 33 acres of mostly unused park land to Shapell Industries, the developer of Eagle Ridge.
Shapell wants to build up to 120 luxury homes on the 33 acres, along with certain long-sought amenities such as a swimming pool and tennis courts.
Eagle Ridge homeowners have come out neither in support or against the actual land deal. However, many became incensed after learning they would not get to vote on a matter of such major significance. Instead of a homeowner-by-homeowner voting system, Eagle Ridge bylaws call for a delegate voting system.
Complicating matters is that one of the six delegates could have 62 percent of the vote.
Now that resident opinions will be more clearly voiced, the Homeowners of Eagle Ridge group says it will hold off on forcing a change in the association’s bylaws.
“One of the goals of the group is to change the current voting system,” said James Fay, a Homeowner of Eagle Ridge core member. “But given the timing of things, the question right now becomes how to get fairness into the current system.”
The other goal of many homeowners is to get a third access road into Eagle Ridge, if the Shapell deal goes through. Thus far, Shapell has balked at the costly notion of creating a third access.
Many homeowners want the access to be from Hecker Pass and cross over Uvas Creek. Shapell says that would cost $6 million to $8 million to design and construct, making the land deal with Bonfante Gardens less profitable.
Bonfante Gardens would like Eagle Ridge homeowners to accept the Shapell deal since it will ensure at least one more operating season for the horticultural theme park. If the deal falls through, the park’s creditors could foreclose on Bonfante Gardens and begin exploring two dozen different development options.
Some of the options include land uses such as temporary new and used car sales.
Fay, who is a candidate for one of the delegate seats, says he is not worried about the future of the park. His priority is ensuring the equity in his and his neighbors’ homes.
“It’s not clear to me another home builder who would put in an access couldn’t build in that space,” Fay said. “To me, a deal with some developer other than Shapell would not change the economics of the deal for Bonfante Gardens.”
Diresta has also thrown her hat into the ring for a delegate seat.
Both have promised to cast their delegate votes in line with the home-by-home opinion poll that will be taken in April.
