It’s been fascinating to watch the high stakes poker game that’s
being played by Bonfante Gardens, the theme park’s bondholders,
Shapell Homes, Eagle Ridge residents and the Gilroy City
Council.
It’s been fascinating to watch the high stakes poker game that’s being played by Bonfante Gardens, the theme park’s bondholders, Shapell Homes, Eagle Ridge residents and the Gilroy City Council.
Everyone’s playing their cards carefully. The latest move was by Bonfante Gardens, which invited Eagle Ridge residents to visit the park for free on Sunday. The free day at the park, which some might suggest was a blatant bribe, was really a much more subtle move. After all, most Eagle Ridge homeowners can afford to spend a day at Bonfante Gardens whenever the mood strikes them. No, the invitation was a chance to show Eagle Ridge residents the gentle theme park aimed at small children and grandparents that they might lose as a neighbor if they don’t approve the land swap deal that would greatly ease the struggling theme park’s crushing debt burden.
Now it’s up to the city and Eagle Ridge residents to decide: Are bondholders and Bonfante Gardens bluffing? Is a foreclosure looming, and if so, what, if anything, would take Bonfante Gardens’ place on Hecker Pass Highway?
As for the city’s game, we’ll call again for Mayor Al Pinheiro to fold.
He’s trying to play the game on the city’s behalf as a member of City Council, and on Bonfante Garden’s behalf as a member of the theme park’s board of directors. His special knowledge of both parties’ hands means he can’t play fairly. He should immediately recuse himself from discussions and votes on any Bonfante Gardens-related matters that come before City Council. We’re disappointed thus far that the mayor has not acknowledged the clear conflict of interest and taken that step.
Meanwhile, Shapell has upped the ante by offering Eagle Ridge residents, many of whom have felt neglected by the housing developer, amenities they’ve long sought, such as a swimming pool. They’ve also delayed the homeowner’s association vote on the proposal, allowing time for a house-by-house survey of the development for the HOA’s board, appeasing many homeowners outraged by the HOA’s delegate system.
But that may not be enough for Shapell to win approval of the deal.
Some Eagle Ridge homeowners are holding out for increased lot sizes in the new development, better parking at the community swimming pool and additional access into the gated community.
There are two deal breakers, however, that should not be brought to the poker table. One is access into the new development from Hecker Pass Highway. The convoluted route that entry would follow and the increased traffic and safety issues it would cause for the scenic Hecker Pass Highway make it a deal breaker. Any new access should flow into Santa Teresa Boulevard and the best scenario would be the expensive but direct route provided by an extension of Third Street, for the safety of both Eagle Ridge residents and all Gilroyans.
The other deal breaker is city-funded patrols of Eagle Ridge. When the subdivision was approved, developers saved a substantial sum of money by putting in narrower-than-normal streets that do not meet city standards. They were allowed to fence the development and build a gatehouse for security within their private streets.
What they gave up was city traffic patrols. It would be patently unfair to ask all city taxpayers to fund patrols on private streets.
We look to our City Council representatives to keep the good of all Gilroy in mind as they play their hand in this high-stakes poker game by keeping these deal breakers off the poker table.
Meanwhile, we’re hoping that’s its Gilroyans who end up with all the chips once all the cards have been played.
