DEAR EDITOR:
Do you know what Dividend Homes is proposing to do in our
treasured southwest foothills off of Santa Teresa Boulevard on the
Ernie Filice property?
DEAR EDITOR:
Do you know what Dividend Homes is proposing to do in our treasured southwest foothills off of Santa Teresa Boulevard on the Ernie Filice property? Have you heard about Mesa Ridge subdivision at Miller and Thomas Road? It is a development with 60 residential building allotments originally designated for 19 acres that has evolved into a SHRINK WRAPPED SARDINE CAN OF PRODUCTION HOMES squeezed in on a reduced parcel of 11 acres between the lovely hillside and the valley floor. This is not my vision of Gilroy; is it yours?
This project is densely packed. Almost 30 percent of the lots are sized below city minimum standards and the homes are two stories.
The project includes setbacks below city standards, minimum sidewalks and street widths and limited parking. There is no park, playground or even any passive open space for human and pet use. In addition there is no secondary emergency vehicle access being required in a “Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone” (Gilroy General Plan) and an earthquake “Fault Rupture Hazard Zone” (Santa Clara County Base Map). Does this sound like a place that you would like to live?
We are at the final hour, but it is not too late. We can still petition our councilmen to not approve this project because of pressure from the developer and owner who appear anxious for the big, quick buck. A more appropriate project can be designed. Ask the Councilmen to explore the alternatives. The remaining undeveloped western foothills are Gilroy’s gems. Help protect them. This special location deserves significantly fewer homes and a sensitive transition from the hillside.
After you read this, contact other concerned parties, call, fax, e-mail or speak to your Councilmen in person before the deciding vote is taken at the City Council meeting on Tuesday. Get contact information at www.ci.gilroy.ca.us (Go to City Council and click on their pictures) or call Rhonda Pellin, City Clerk at 846-0500. In addition, come to the public hearing at 7 p.m. and make your presence known and your voice heard. You may also call me with questions or comments at 408 782-5165.
I am the adjacent landowner and I did not know about Mesa Ridge until five days before it was scheduled for the Planning Commission on Nov. 6 with a recommendation of approval. I have since become aware of plenty of data in the past two months of investigation. I base my conclusions and opinions about the project on verified details.
Why was I intentionally left out of the pre-consultation (encouraged by CEQA for adjoining property owners), the noticing of the public hearing and the opportunity to review and comment on the environmental documentation and tentative map? The deeper we looked, the clearer the answer: THE MESA RIDGE SUBDIVISION CAN NOT WITHSTAND SCRUTINY AND EXPOSURE. What is it we are not to know? Zoning violations? Reductions in city standards? Variances? Fire life safety compromised? Unsubstantiated agreements? Additional urban services required (but not publicly exposed)? CEQA violations? Expedited processing? Take your pick.
It is not individual violations, variances and undisclosed issues that cause one to pause, it is the multiplicity of issues and the weight of the total that cannot be ignored.
Information has already been presented in many hours of written and oral testimony and deliberations at three Planning Commission Meetings before 10 different commissioners. At both the December and January meetings, on motions, a majority of commissioners refused to certify the flawed Environmental Impact Report as adequate and made subsequent recommendations for denial for the Mesa Ridge zoning, tentative map and architectural and site review with a planned unit development designation.
The commission has made its recommendations for denial. The new Council should give these recommendations their full consideration and support and avoid the political cronyism of Gilroy’s yesteryear.
Karen Christopher, Gilroy
Submitted Thursday, Jan. 15 to ed****@ga****.com
