The Saratoga Metropolis Council on March 5 gave its ultimate stamp of approval to a controversial new coverage that eliminates computerized notification of Saratoga residents when new housing developments are deliberate for his or her neighborhood.
The council’s 4-1 vote got here regardless of a last-minute plea from an legal professional representing a area people group to do in any other case.
“We strongly urge the city council to reinstate discretionary review processes to ensure neighboring landowners retain their constitutional due process rights,” learn a letter from housing rights legal professional Sabrina Venskus.
The coverage modifications have been a part of the March 5 consent calendar, a set of routine gadgets that the council approves in a single movement. The council was ready to do exactly that, however Saratoga resident Michael Burry, representing the nonprofit Residents for Accountable and Equitable Growth, referred to as for the council to open up the merchandise for a full dialogue. The nonprofit is made up of a handful of Saratoga residents whose mission is to “ensure the responsible and equitable implementation” of sure housing legal guidelines.
Burry, together with Venskus and the neighborhood group she represents, mentioned the brand new insurance policies violate due course of rights for individuals neighboring the positioning of latest housing developments, and don’t adjust to the California Environmental High quality Act, or CEQA.
“Placing this on the consent calendar is inappropriate; it is disrespectful to the hundreds of residents who have expressed concerns about transparency, safety and public involvement,” Burry mentioned. “We urge you to pull this item, allow for full public discussion tonight and give residents a chance to weigh in before you make a decision that will change the future of our community.”
Metropolis legal professional Richard Taylor mentioned he didn’t see any due course of concerns, and that there had already been “extensive public comment” on the difficulty.
“This is something that is very common throughout California, throughout jurisdictions,” Taylor mentioned of the modifications to housing coverage.
These modifications have been the topic of metropolis council and planning fee discussions in latest months following implementation of the town’s housing aspect, a plan for all housing to be in-built Saratoga by 2031. These insurance policies set goal design requirements for brand spanking new housing developments and implement a brand new strategy of approving initiatives that meet sure standards, together with something bigger than 250 sq. toes.
Referred to as ministerial assessment, the method permits for these initiatives – in the event that they meet the town’s established requirements – to right away obtain approval with out enter from the planning fee. The planning fee authorised the brand new insurance policies in a 4-3 vote in January, and the town council did so in an 4-1 vote, with council member Yan Zhao dissenting. Zhao was once more the lone dissenting vote on March 5.
