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Greenbelt Alliance In the News
May 10, 2007
Seeno subdivision
gets green light from Pittsburg planners
Laurie Phillips
PITTSBURG -- Almost five years after it first
voted to approve a Seeno subdivision at the southern end of the city, Pittsburg's
Planning Commission on Tuesday recommended allowing the developer to build a
hillside neighborhood with the highest number of large lots in the city -- this
time factoring in the findings of a thorough environmental review.
When it first went before the commission in fall 2002, Albert Seeno III's Sky
Ranch II project generated substantial controversy when the city moved toward
approving it without requiring full environmental studies.
Seeno officials then pledged that all environmental impacts were adequately addressed
and mitigated to acceptable levels through an alternative review known as a mitigated
negative declaration. Opponents -- including environmentalists, unions and opponents
of City Council incumbents -- didn't want the project approved without full studies.
Seeno withdrew his application for the subdivision before it reached the City
Council and officially renewed the application process months later, in late
2002.
This week -- after about two years were spent on a complete environmental review
-- the Planning Commission recommended entitlements for the approximately 167-acre
neighborhood, located just south of the city limits and the Highlands Ranch subdivision.
Those include pre-zoning of the property, approval of a proposed vesting tentative
map filed in 2004, architectural approval of the house plans and approval by
the Contra Costa County Local Agency Formation Commission to allow Pittsburg
to annex the land into the city.
The project also includes construction of the Buchanan Road bypass within the
limits of the site.
As many as 415 homes could be built in Sky Ranch, most on lots of at least 8,000
square feet. About 10 percent of the homes would be set aside for moderate-income
earners; the rest would be sold at market rate.
During Tuesday's meeting, City Engineer Joe Sbranti and City Manager Marc Grisham
noted that the complex project carries substantial conditions of approval, including
payment of about $3 million in local transportation fees, $7 million in regional
transportation fees and fees to build a park in the subdivision.
Sbranti and City Councilman Salvatore Evola -- who answered commissioners' questions
about the project on behalf of employer Discovery Builders Inc. -- pointed out
that the developer was not required to include an affordable-housing component
but will.
Sky Ranch reaches the City Council on May 21. Even if the body approves it, the
project must still clear hurdles that include annexation and agreements about
water infrastructure.
On Tuesday, discussion about the subdivision included a mix of sentiment
expressing concern about building in the hills and excitement that the
city would be offering
high-end housing.
"The Planning Commission should act as a trustee of the beautiful rounded
hills pictured on our city logo," Pittsburg resident June Forsyth told the
commission, likening development there to "pimples on a pumpkin."
Others, including resident Dennis Linsley and Christina Wong of Greenbelt
Alliance, urged the commission to hold off on granting its approval until
hillside development
standards were in place.
The city's planning director, Melissa Ayres, said that whatever hillside
standards are reached could not be retroactively applied to the project.
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers members told the commission
that they were excited about the jobs the project would create. With a full
environmental
review having been completed, they now support Sky Ranch.
"It's the kind of project that our members in this city like to see," Dale
Peterson said.
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