Hello friends and neighbors,
I post today in response to a Press Release (page 3) submitted to the Brentwood Press, and possibly other media by the Yes on Measure L campaign.

Although Annette Beckstrand’s Press Release states that a “Judge orders change to Measure L rebuttal”, she was not in the judge’s chambers last Friday as was I, and she was not involved in the stipulated agreement between Bob Nunn and Brentwood Alliance Against Measure L. Therefore, she has inaccurately reported what transpired over the last week prompting me to explain.

On Thursday morning, September 5th, our five Rebuttal Argument signers were served with legal papers to appear in Martinez Court the very next day, Friday, 9/6 @ 10am. The reason: a challenge to one Ballot Argument Rebuttal statement we made about school funding in our official submission to the City of Brentwood City Clerk, Margaret Wimberly. You can imagine our shock and dismay in this action, but we sprang into action securing an exceptional election and ballot argument Attorney, Stuart Flashman of Oakland. Luckily he was available, and able to guide us in this unprecedented challenge.

Although our ballot argument was written in good faith, and to the best of our knowledge based on meetings with both school superintendents, our proponents chose to sue us over the language. We have formulated our Ballot Arguments based on the 9212 report, the Draft EIR as well as the information in their 193-page Initiative. Each side had many ballot arguments in our initial statements, and in our rebuttals; and we too thought many of their ballot statements were questionable, but we don’t have the money nor the legal team to make a case of it. We feel the next 60 days communicating the details of their 193-page Measure L will speak for themselves – this Project is a bad deal for Brentwood. Here are the two statements, both initial and defined that will now be printed in the Ballot pamphlet for your review:

“School funding is allocated based on student attendance, so homes without students do not create any ongoing revenue.”

Original Rebuttal Statement

“Brentwood’s state-mandated LCFF funding formula is based on school attendance. Homes without students won’t help with that.”

Revised Rebuttal Statement accepted by Bob Nunn

I offer the following additional information after consulting with our Attorney: If one wants to talk about “false and misleading,” the TBW Media press release is a prime example.

Contrary to the press release, there was no court hearing and Superior Court Judge Steven Austin made NO ruling on Bob Nunn’s allegation that the rebuttal argument submitted by Brentwood Alliance Against Measure L was false or misleading. Nunn had actually asked that a paragraph of the rebuttal argument be deleted entirely. Instead, at Judge Austin’s insistence, attorneys for Measure L’s supporters and opponents, working together, clarified the statement in the rebuttal argument and came up with a modified statement that was factually accurate and still reflected one of the many reasons that the Brentwood Alliance opposes the measure.

The two attorneys submitted a joint request that the judge have the Elections Office change the ballot argument accordingly, which he gladly signed.

While the developers who wrote Measure L claim it will provide millions of dollars to Brentwood schools, the fact is that under the state’s mandated school funding formula (the so-called “LCFF”), Brentwood schools will get exactly the same amount of funding regardless of whether the senior housing in the Brentwood project, proposed for land currently outside of the city’s urban limit line, gets built or not.

Thank you for your continued support in the No on Measure L campaign. A fresh shipment of 100 signs arrives today, and we will be filling all our orders in the queue bringing our total distribution to almost 300

Kathy

Many of you are rightfully questioning the Measure L’s developer claims that Antioch can move into the privately-owned, Ginochio dry-farmed and unincorporated grazing land we call SPA2. There are so many fronts we can depend on right now to keep that parcel undeveloped, including our own General Plan and it’s plans for the area.

1. Last year, Save Mount Diablo, and a team of dedicated Antioch residents and volunteers, including me, helped gather 10,000 signatures of Antioch Voters to qualify the Let Antioch Voters Decide Initiative for the ballot. This Initiative, in part, scales back development in and around Sand Creek Focus Area/Antioch Kaiser, and makes Antioch’s southern Urban Limit Line permanent, indefinitely. After qualifying the Initiative for the ballot, the Antioch City Council decided to adopt the Initiative instead of sending it to the ballot — therefore, the Antioch City Council backed its voters will! A judge has now ordered that this Initiative has to go to the election on November 3, 2020; however, this ruling is under appeal by the City of Antioch — they think they were in the right by adopting it. 10,000 or more Antioch voters are not going to do a 180 one year later — they are united with us AND Save Mount Diablo has vowed to get this Initiative passed, establishing Antioch’s southern Urban Limit Line with no sunset date;
2. Antioch’s Urban Limit Line is in force until 12/31/2020 anyway;
3. There is a Memo of Understanding (MOU) between Antioch and Brentwood in force until 10/31/2022 that so states neither City will ask for sphere of influence nor annexation of this parcel;
4. The Antioch General Plan so states they will NOT PURSUE any development of land outside their Urban Limit Line; and
5. Brentwood’s own Urban Limit Line is in force until 2026!

Hold the line Brentwood — these developers can’t build this monstrosity if we don’t move our ULL! If Brentwood does decide to expand at a later date, our own General Plan calls for Ranchette Estates (1 home to 1 acre) and very low density housing (1-3 homes per acre), CERTAINLY NOT 2,400!

Here is the General Plan language:

The vast majority of lands outside of the city limits are intended to remain as agricultural lands. However, some lands immediately adjacent to the city limits, which may be suitable for annexation in the future, are identified as Special Planning Areas, and include expanded descriptions of suitable future land uses within these areas.

Brentwood General Plan

SPA 2 is located to the west of the city limits, north of Balfour Road. SPA 2 is located outside of the existing Urban Limit Line (ULL). SPA 2 should include a significant area of protected open space, with open space protection prioritized for hillsides, sensitive natural habitat, and areas of exceptional scenic beauty. Residential uses may include Ranchette Estate and Very Low Density Residential. An increase in the overall residential density within SPA 2 may be allowed in order to accommodate the development of age-restricted housing units. Limited areas of local-serving General Commercial may also be allowed within SPA 2.

Brentwood General Plan

The 9212 Report said that since the “increase in overall density” in the above paragraph was not defined, they could not evaluate Measure L’s compliance with the General Plan. Unfortunately, this clause allowed for this developer to quadruple the size of this development because they’re building age-restricted housing, certainly not the intent. We have to stop their plan.

How can a developer think this is at all beneficial to Brentwood by completely saturating our western border, causing traffic and congestion, construction for 20+ years, expanding our fire & emergency service territory for which we already can’t cover, and the list goes on. The Deer Valley corridor was never intended for this type of build-out, even in Antioch which we have scaled back significantly. Lest we forget their will be a new East Bay Regional Park to the west, 3,163 acres in total after the purchase of 76 acres formerly Roddy Ranch.

The residents of Brentwood can and will help dictate how our City will grow according to the original intent of our General Plan. Do you honestly believe that the so called “improvements” will improve Brentwood? If housing could solve Brentwood’s problems, we would have no problems having grown like 1500% over the past 4 decades.

Kat

Good day friends and fellow Brentwoodians. Writing an update to this weeks No on Measure L campaign.

We continue to get information out to our town on our No on Measure L campaign, why we are so opposed to this Measure and that this Measure will be voted on in a Special Election November 5, 2019. The Farmer’s Market as well as an outstanding individual effort by our Summerset 3 partner, Linda Cicala, we’ve gathered another 370 opposition signatures in 2 weeks – yes, 370! Also, the first 200 lawn signs flew off the shelves in about 2 weeks, with another 100 on the way. Order your lawn sign by visiting our website, then Request a Lawn sign – we deliver!

We were interviewed on KRON 4 News Wednesday, 9/4. Even though I was filmed for about 10 minutes, only a few snippets of our important message ended up in the story; such is the nature of TV coverage. Thank you to my “TV extras” for their support and holding our No on Measure L signs in the background!

The proponents continue to pound home all this money that the City will get after the entire 20 year buildout of their monstrosity – we say but at what cost? If building homes could fix our problems, Brentwood would have no problems. Are roads less crowded because of “improvements”? Has fire & emergency funding kept up? Have schools become less crowded? Have we secured enough local good jobs to get our workforce off Highway 4 & Vasco (BTW have they even commuted those roads lately)? Is there more open space? Of course not.

They talk about jobs, construction jobs and some vague reference to 200 jobs @ Kaiser and John Muir. We already have 2,700 single-family homes and 5,300 multi-unit homes in our buildout plan, how about those construction jobs. We just lost the outpatient surgery center at John Muir, and their remodel article stated they will add 25-30 jobs, I believe that is a net loss, right? Then, a nurse I know at Kaiser says where are they getting these jobs numbers – they are almost at capacity and recently, it took a retiree in Summerset three weeks to get an appointment at Kaiser! They must think by adding 1,920 over 55 homes with a conservative 3,840 seniors, by some calculation that equals 200 healthcare jobs? Nope.

There is a meeting we all need to attend this week: The East Contra Costa County Fire Protection District meeting, Wednesday, 9/11 @ 6:30pm, City Council Chambers, 150 City Park Way. On the agenda will be the 2nd attempt by Blackhawk Nunn/GBN Partners to get our fire district to sign an MOU, basically exchanging millions and millions of dollars for the fire district’s support of Measure L. Earth to ECCFPD – fire & emergency services is NOT the only concern we have with the Vineyards at Deer Creek, and I don’t like that my fire district has decided to broker a deal with this particular Measure/ development on behalf of ALL of its service territory – 249 square miles of City and County residents and businesses. Let’s attend to let them know that. By the way, the developers keep “forgetting” to mention that part of the commercial development in their plan is assisted living facilities which seem to be conveniently left out of the conversation, further straining services. That definitely needs to be addressed. Also some of the densities in their development are 30 units to an acre; to keep mentioning “overall density” is again being disingenuous to say the least.

Have a wonderful Sunday, and coming week. Weather is feeling like fall and thank goodness, FOOTBALL IS BACK, YAHOO! Thanks for you support, and get those sign orders in for delivery late next week!

Kathy

ECCFPD Board of Directors Meeting

Wednesday, September 11, 2019
6:30 pm at City of Brentwood – City Hall
150 City Park Way. Brentwood, CA 94513 

This meeting is live streamed during the meeting time, and the recording is available to view here afterward.

View the Video

• Agenda
• September 11 2019 Board of Directors Regular Meeting Agenda Packet.pdf

Here’s direct links to the items related to Measure L.

7.d. Authorization to Execute a Memorandum of Understanding with GBN Partners, LLC Regarding Fire Protection Services for Vineyards at Deer Creek Project

• SR re Vineyard at Deer Creek MOU and Measure L Findings.pdf
• Resolution Authorizing MOU with GBN.pdf
• Blackhawk Nunn Fire MOU.pdf

7.e. Adoption of Resolution Making Findings Relating to the Impacts of City of Brentwood Measure L and of the Memorandum of Understanding Between the District and GBN Partners, LLC on Fire Protection and Emergency Response Services

• Resolution re Measure L Fire Impact Findings.pdf

Good Friday, friends and neighbors, posting an update on this weeks’ No on Measure L campaign activities.

This weeks’ milestone was getting our signed Ballot Arguments and Rebuttals to the City Clerk for inclusion in your voter pamphlets; these voter materials are expected to be in your mailbox the first week of October. Remember, Measure L is NOT the small paragraph you’ll see on the ballot when you vote – it’s 193 pages long! In order to understand exactly what this development will do, and the alarming control it will have over this parcel and area, you can read it in its entirety on the City of Brentwood website: https://www.brentwoodca.gov/gov/admin/clerk/measure_l.asp

Don’t forget our review and comments of the Draft Environmental Impact Report on this monstrosity of a development The Vineyards @ Deer Creek/Measure L are due to Erik Nolthenius, Planning Manager, by TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3. The paper 2-volume set of 3″ binders are available on the 3rd floor of City Hall, or at the link above.

Thank you for your generous donations which have allowed us to buy not one, but two orders of 100 lawn signs! The first day we announced we had signed, we had 70 requests; on Wednesday, we had 38 requests overnight! Your support is amazing, and we are excited to see how many of you understand this is a bad deal to “buy” from this developer: adding another 590 acres of houses and buildings to the fire and emergency service area and worsening already dire response times, increasing traffic congestion, further overcrowding of our schools, adding thousands of housing before we have viable jobs here, and causing irreversible environmental damage – you don’t bulldoze 590 acres to “save” agricultural land and open space, or cause calamity for 20 years to make “improvements”. Both Antioch’s 10,000 voters from 2005 & 2018 and Brentwood’s voters from 2005, 2006, AND 2010 will continue and are united in holding our Urban Limit Lines, period.

Check out the article in this weeks’ Brentwood Press – it points out two things we’ve been driving home: 1) Liberty High School Superintendent Eric Volta says completing the loop of American Avenue will not help the 2 schools or the area as it does NOT reduce the sheer number of cars arriving and leaving those schools on a daily basis (oh and remember, developers will want to put houses on that side too); and 2) the letter sent to the City by the CHP stating their concerns the project could contribute to traffic accidents, impair their ability to respond to emergencies and impede the safe movement of goods, services and people. You can find their full letter on our website.

We had a presentation to explain Measure L’s components and why we are so opposed to it to a wonderful organization, the Sons in Retirement at the Nines Restaurant – thank you Curtis Manning for the invitation! We will be scheduling another Community Meeting in the next 2 weeks – stay tuned for that location.

The Alliance will be at the Farmer’s Market tomorrow, Saturday August 31 from 9am-11am; come on down to learn more about the intricacies of this dangerous Measure, get a Vote No on Measure L lawn sign, and/or make a contribution to our campaign. We are strong, and will continue to fight for our quality of life over profits.

Thanks! Kat

The first batch of No ON L! yard signs are almost here. They should arrive Monday. These are free for the asking, but if you can donate to our campaign to help pay for yard signs, mailers, flyers, buttons, ads, and whatever else we might need we would appreciate it!

Let the developers and the City Council know that enough is enough. We are tired of being asked to move the ULL for more houses. The 8000 additional homes and apartments anticipated for the build-out are more than enough (see City Planning Department reference below). Putting up signs and donating to the campaign will help them get the message.

This first batch will go quick, so if you want one, hurry over to Request-a-Yard-Sign to get your request in!

To make an online contribution, please visit this page: Donor Box Opposition to Measure L

To pay by check, please visit this page: Help Fund the Opposition

I’ll be at the Farmer’s Market tomorrow, Saturday, August 24 from 9 am-11 am to provide more information and accept any donations, corner of Oak and First Streets.

According to Erik Nolthenius, Planning Manager, the General Plan (adopted in 2014) assumes approximately 10,000 new housing units in the city limits through buildout (anticipated to occur in 2035). This includes approximately 4,700 single-family units and 5,300 multi-family units.

Over the last few years, since the General Plan was adopted, approximately 2,000 new units have been built (all single-family). This leaves approximately 2,700 single-family units and 5,300 multi-family units through buildout.

Thank you for your support in holding our Urban Limit Line, our defense against houses we don’t need, traffic, congestion, noise, poor air quality, and just plain degraded quality of life in Brentwood. NO ON MEASURE L NOVEMBER 5, 2019!

Thanks!
Kathy

Good morning friends and neighbors,

Here is my Sunday update on the opposition to The Vineyards @ Deer Creek Initiative, now Brentwood’s November 5, 2019 Special Election Measure L.

Jovita, Rod and I secured another 33 opposition signatures at the Farmer’s Market yesterday, bringing our opposition totals to well over 1,000.

Our big news this week is that the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council & Local 152 out of Oakland and Martinez are supporting our NO ON L position! Yes, a building trades organization and Union. This is huge!

We are currently designing lawn signs, door hangers and flyers that we will need help distributing – stay tuned for when those are available for you, most likely the end of next week.

Then, alarmingly, the East Contra County Fire Protection District Board of Directors has sprung a special meeting on us for tomorrow, Monday, August 19 @ 5pm, Brentwood City Council Chambers to adopt a Memo of Understanding with Blackhawk Nunn/GBN Partners, developers of the Vineyards @ Deer Creek, to support their development! For our Fire Protection District to enter into an agreement promising “something of value” to a single private concern and to hold a special meeting using our public funds seems improper and borderline illegal.

Isn’t it still irresponsible of our FPD to advocate adding service territory when money is not available to staff our fire stations in exchange for GBN buying them an emergency vehicle ($750k) which can’t be staffed and promising increased property tax revenue will be forthcoming for which they have no control? All the phrases in this agreement are will work on and in cooperation with – it as just as it sounds, no concrete, tangible things.

The agreement goes on to say “GBN agrees to participate with other new development on a fair share basis, and other sources of funding, in the development, design and construction of a new fire station, if such a station is determined to be necessary” – if it’s necessary? The 9212 Report already said a fire station WOULD BE NECESSARY at build-out of their massive housing development. Response times to west Brentwood are currently running at 10:55 minutes!

PLEASE ATTEND IF YOU CAN to voice your strong concern for this type of agreement, and restate our alarming fire/emergency service levels of response times of almost 11 minutes to west Brentwood already, and shuttered fire stations. Here’s the link to the Special Meeting Agenda and the MOU: https://www.eccfpd.org/…/August+19+2019+SPECIAL+Board+Meeti…

Have a wonderful day, and stay strong – say No to lack of fire/EMS services, No to more traffic, No to 20 years of construction on our western border, No to urban sprawl – NO ON MEASURE L, a losing proposition for Brentwood

Kathy

It’s On Brentwood: We are now the official Opposition to Measure L!

Good morning all!

Yesterday, the County Elections Office assigned the initiative on Brentwood’s Special Election set for November 5, 2019 as MEASURE L. This is the measure that seeks to bust through our Urban Limit Line for yet more housing we don’t need. First and foremost, fire & emergency services and jobs, jobs, jobs!

Join me at the Farmer’s Market tomorrow, Saturday, 8/17 from 9am-11am to learn why we are so opposed to this Measure, sign our opposition list – now up to over 1,000 – and contribute to the opposition campaign if you can. Let’s show big money developers that this is bad for public safety, bad for traffic, bad for the environment and bad for Brentwood – No on Measure L! It’s GO TIME! See you there!

Kathy

Happy Monday friends and neighbors.

Quick weekend update on the effort to defeat the Brentwood ballot measure on November 5, 2019 – yes, it’s a special election just around the corner! We secured another 26 opposition signatures and one campaign donation on Saturday morning; thank you Jovita and Sinziana for your help at the Information Table, and thank you Sheila for contributing! Here are some items coming up this week, and please watch for our newsletter tomorrow:

1. City Council Meeting, Tuesday, 8/13 @ 7pm, City Council Chambers. Come out and talk to the Council during the public comments section in the beginning of the meeting. You can express your thoughts on any topic tomorrow night. Then, you may want to stay for the agenda items which include a discussion on the ECC Fire Protection District Strategic Plan & a medical services committee recommendation; as well as a report on the Amphitheater feasibility study, the one planned by the John Marsh home off Vineyards Parkway.
2. EB Regional Parks meeting, Wednesday, 8/14 @ 7pm, Brentwood Community Center. A 2nd meeting to discuss the details of completing an awesome 3-mile trail from Vineyards Parkway/Marsh Creek Road all the way to Round Valley Regional Park. This is a great plan for bicyclists and hikers alike! Dan & I went to the first one, guided path ideas, shade structures, path surface requests, etc. Get out to convey what you want to see in that trail, flyer attached.
3. Assignment of the Ballot Measure letter, Thursday, 8/15. The County Elections Office will randomly assign the letter that will be associated with the Vineyards @ Deer Creek initiative for our November 5 Special Election. We will be ready to roll with printing our materials once that letter is assigned, such as lawn signs, flyers, door hangers, etc. We will need your help to distribute those items. Thank you!

A busy week in Brentwood! Please help keep all your friends and folk abreast of the Special Election, and other happenings in town.

Thanks!
Kat

Hello friends and neighbors, 

In light of recent posts, I wanted to get out a message about housing in Brentwood. Yesterday, I went over the entire City’s Residential Housing Projects list, and I’ve also looked back at my numbers from 3/21/19, the date I validated the numbers used on the Alliance for a Better Brentwood website with Debbie Hall, City Planner. In March, the housing numbers for pending, approved and under construction in Brentwood was 3,868. Oh, and you betcha I’m counting the 2,000 or so housing units in PA-1 below Home Depot and on both sides of the Bypass – those are planned and adopted by the 12 members of the PA-1 Committee for that area, and adopted by our City Council on 11/13/18. Total housing in March, 5,868. To go back to 2017, the numbers were 1,839 SF units occupied; 446 SF units under construction 2,521 SF units not yet built; 476 MF units not yet built.

Fast forward to today, and our battle to hold the Urban Limit Line for housing we don’t need. As of yesterday, housing either approved or under construction, 2,402; add applications pending and you get 2,733. Apartments/multi-family approved or under construction, 166; add apps pending, 870. Total, 3603 + PA-1 housing units forecast = 5,603.

Erik Nolthenius is getting me the numbers on Trilogy in the next day or two, but it is almost completely built out. Whatever phase housing starts are in, you still count all of the housing units available and planned when trying to assess housing needs. The Association of Bay Area Governments has only dictated that Brentwood provide 760 housing units through October 31, 2022.

Whomever are buying new homes in Brentwood, as well as all the resale homes, are adding to the impacts on City services, roads, commutes, etc. I’m not knocking our population and resident growth, just pointing out there is enough housing opportunity in Brentwood now and in the future, and that’s just what’s on the books right now. What we don’t have is adequate fire/emergency services, good jobs, infrastructure, schools, retail, you name it. We need to concentrate on improving these things inside our City limits first and foremost.

Now, let’s go over the over 55 active adult housing. We have 3,113 over 55 active adult housing units in Brentwood. Add in approved and under construction, Brentwood CC (Blackhawk), Brentwood Country Club (Blackhawk), Pioneer Square/Barcelona Trilogy (Shea) and Cowell Ranch (Blackhawk) in the works, another 299. We also have Merrill Gardens, a 123-unit assisted living facility ready to break ground by Summerset 1. Nearby, Antioch’s 1,177 housing unit project, The Ranch has plans for Antioch’s first ever, large-scale over 55 housing development; add in the Albers Ranch project of common market, over 55 and possible assisted living facility in the Sand Creek Focus Area, another 301 units. You see where I’m going here? Do you see any Blackhawk trends? Blackhawk also has their project in the Antioch Sand Creek Focus Area around Kaiser, The Vineyards @ Sand Creek-337 under construction, looks like a total of 641 more approved. Interesting the developers keep calling their developments “The Vineyards” and “The Ranch” – another trend in the snow job of paving over land almost designated as such.

I will announce any corrections to this post when Brentwood’s Planning Manager and Planners respond to my inquiries. Trying to be as factual as possible in light of a ballot initiative asking us to move our ULL for 2,400 housing units, and along with that, authorizing the law to circumvent all the City processes used to plan for our future as the mood strikes them. Thanks for the opportunity to post the opposition message.

Kathy