Press Banner

1. Yes, we should all call it Affordable Housing, not Low Income Housing, I agree.
2. Affordable housing is usually a desirable thing for any community.
3. South County Housing is not permitted by law to reserve units for specific groups or locals.
4. All projects, whether affordable or market rate or mixed rate housing, must be held to the same environmental standards, however, or the environment is not protected at all. Just call every project affordable and rape the land.
5. This site is designated water supply watershed, 10 acre minimum parcel size by the General Plan.
6. The on-site new public water system that is proposed for this site is located within the SLVWD. It is unlawful under the county's own ordinances. The county passed this to keep more water companies from springing up where there was already infrastructure and where aquifers were stressed or overused.
7. The large storm water detention pond proposed for the southeast corner of the site is only 40 feet from the proposed drainfields, not the minimum 100 ft. required by county ordinance. FORTY FEET. Will the sewage effluent leak into the ponds, or the storm drainage into the drainfields? Iit probably depends on the time of year.
8. The drainfields proposed for this site are to be dosed at 0.8 gal/sq. ft./day of drainfield interior surface. County Ordinance requires 0.36 gal/sq. ft./day. In my opinion, the proposed drainfields are WAY TOO SMALL. This is enough drainfield for maybe 10 homes if the soils were decent.
9. It is my opinion that the percolation testing has been inadequate in the number of holes and the way it has been reported. I found no records that the county completely witnessed the testing from start to finish.
10. It is my opinion that the most likely daily flow from such a project calculates out to over 15,600 gals./day, not the 12,000 gallons/day proposed. The drainfields must be larger.... but where? Much of the site has shallow bedrock, springs, and poor percolation.
11. A regular subdivision of this magnitude would require over 55 net acres of land ("Net" does not include road right of ways, easements, water and sewage treatment plants, detention ponds, etc.) This site is 14.8 acres.
12. The drainfield as proposed will in my opinion cause the removal or death of the oak woodland located in the southeast corner of the site that is supposed to be protected by the county under state law. SCH promised to protect that area during the design charettes.
13. SCH proposes to wipe out 7 small wetland areas and in turn trade a large storm water detention pond, which will receive the urban runoff from the streets, yards, and driveways of the project. I am pretty sure that the wildlife that depends on these wetlands will notice the difference in water quality.
14. SCH has now squished the development and water system and sewage system and storm water system onto the southern parcel, leaving most of the northern parcel open. What is this for, resale?... or Phase II of the development.
15. If this project had adequate sewage disposal infrastructure, a public water supply, and adequate storm drainage, then I would not be complaining.
16. The storm drainage that is to be directed through the Felton Grove neighborhood (100 year flood plain) without adequate improvements and without any sort of legal easement is a ticking time bomb, with the potential to increase flooding markedly from what already happens.
17. The SCH drainage report affirms this inadequacy.
18. The site is probably the site of Isaac Graham's steam engine powered sawmill and distillery, a part of the original Roaring Camp, and it is the entrance to the historic Zayante Rancho. Its history has been glossed over by the county as of little importance. This site is recorded on the rancho map as an area or rolling hills and meadows, and not a forest. It is also likely that the site was a native american camping area, being a large meadow with springs next to the confluence of two large streams famous for their past value as fisheries.
19. If the SCH project Zayante Oaks goes ahead, in my opinion, the price that will be paid by the environment will be large: sewage running down Graham Hill Road and to the SL River or Zayante Creek, pollution of the Santa Cruz City Water intake just downstream, polluted storm water, increased flood potential for Felton Grove, possible aquifer overdraft by the on site well, potential chemical discharge from the on site drinking water treatment plant, and destruction of a protected oak woodland environment.
20. Does anyone but me think it is ironic that the project is named "Zayante Oaks", when it is likely that after the project is built, there will be little or no oak woodland environment left?

Votes: +7

Response to Glen Lyons misleading letter:

Glen Lyons is the partner of Valley Women’s Club President Nancy Gerdt. Gerdt along with another Valley Women’s Club President – Michele Mosher – formed a subcommittee to push for government/taxpayer subsidized housing projects in the San Lorenzo Valley. (Note – affordable no longer applies to this development due to the ridiculous amount spent to date).

The government/taxpayer subsidized housing advocacy group was anointed by the County RDA Redevelopment Agency and Supervisor Mark Stone to work with South County Housing Corporation in selling the project to the Felton community. And as you can see, Lyons is doing just that.

Lyons has twisted Mariza Leff’s words. She expressed her disagreement with that type of housing, not with people of any specific income level.

Felton is made up of a diverse community of income levels. And most of us get by without demanding a handout. The bulk of applications will not go to locals first anyway, SCH admitted that publicly. They will canvas their existing applications from other areas in the county first. They will also make sure the applications help form the “right racial makeup” for Felton. As if they know what that should be! The housing project is meant to benefit South County Housing Corporation and the naughty nonprofits who have formed subcommittees to advocate for them.

Lyons has the density wrong as well. The density is 55 units on 4.5 acres. Tom Burns, county Planning Director confirmed this recently with the explanation that certain slopes and areas required to handle water and septic issues are subtracted. Also, remember there are 2 parcels which added together make up 14.5 acres. Not one of 15 as Lyons incorrectly suggests. The houses will be clustered on 4.5 acres of the 7 acre parcel. Changes his density calculations, doesn’t it?

To suggest that a housing project of 55 housing units impacts traffic less than 1% is idiotic. We suspect Lyons knows that as well. This from the group that says not to worry about water consumption because seniors don’t bathe as often as the rest of us. Sheesh!

Study after study has shown that the South County Housing Corporation projects in Watsonville, Aptos, and Soquel have all had a negative effect on the surrounding neighborhoods in terms of quality of life, traffic, crime, graffiti, lower home values. Those people are right now organizing to counter these negative housing projects.

I encourage people to look very closely at this housing project. The facts bear out what the community and local unpaid experts are saying. This project is not suitable for the Felton meadow. Environmental, water, septic, archaeological, historical, biotic, traffic, transportation and job constraints indicate clearly that this project should be stopped now.

Area residents would be wise to consider a recall of Supervisor Stone. And Valley Women’s Club should have its funding pulled. All of it.
Votes: +6

Lyons also neglects to tell you that those plans "submitted to the county" have now been rejected (temporarily) by the county. Votes: +5

It's about darn time we expose these people and groups who are dishonest. They have gone way too far with this housing development. They have exposed themselves as phony when it comes to the environment. What about the bugs and water and river and trees they claim to care about? This is an environmental disaster. We should be fighting to protect this land, not destroy it. Votes: +5

Glen Lyons said in a public meeting at Felton Firehouse that quote, "Felton is URBAN!". I was there and it's recorded for posterity on tape. Lyon's statement compelled SLVCORE.org to run a "Felton Is Rural" Photo Contest. Hey guys! Let's do that contest again.

We'll send the results to our neighbor Glen. Votes: +4