Skepticism about growth and questions about water and traffic were common concerns of the neighbors who attended an open house on the Valley Gardens Golf Course last week. The open house showed revised project plans of the proposed development of 142 relatively high-end, single family homes and 51 apartments on the golf course, which is scheduled to close at the end of the year.
Sandy Woodruff, owner of the Valley Gardens Golf Course, sent an invitation to the open house to neighbors around the property informing them the golf course will close “this year”, and that the developer of the project, Robson Homes, has had “many conversations with city staff, community leaders, traffic engineers (and) Scotts Valley school personnel” since project plans were shown at an earlier open house in January.
Jim Fullerton, a resident of Spring Lakes Mobile Home Park adjacent to the property said he is very unhappy about the loss of the open space, and, “We’re going to be stuck with all the traffic and the lack of water when Sandy Woodruff and this developer are long gone,” Fullerton said.
Fullerton said he couldn’t understand how there could be enough water for this project in light of notice he just received from the San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) saying the drought-related Stage 2 Water Restrictions will be continued, encouraging a 20 percent reduction of water use. Brian Lee, general manager of the SLVWD is quoted in that notice saying, “The 2012-16 drought also impacted groundwater levels for the already over-drafted aquifer the District draws water from.”
Mark Robson, principal of Robson Homes, LLC, said he expects to submit the formal project application, which will include a change of zoning, sometime “this year”, and expects the Environmental Impact Report to be completed sometime next year. Robson told skeptical neighbors that the golf course consumes a great deal of water, and with water efficient homes and the use of recycled water for landscaping, he tried to assure neighbors that the water issue “will be addressed,” and that he thought the project was feasible with regard to water supply.
The proposed plan for the 32-acre site includes 41 larger lots around the periphery of the project for big, approximately “3,000 square foot plus” single family homes , adjacent to Spring Valley Mobile Park and the existing homes on Lockwood Drive, for which Robson estimated sales prices will be “well north of $1 million.”
About 100, slightly smaller, 2,600-2,800 square foot, detached single family homes are planned in the interior of the project, each with a two car garage. Two, three-story apartment buildings with a total of 51 units, and two commercial buildings, one designated for a restaurant, are proposed close to the entrance to the property on Mount Hermon Drive.
“I’m just sad the golf course is going away,” said Tiffany Shay, a golfer who lives close to the golf course. Shay is in a golf league in San Jose and said she enjoys coming to Valley Gardens to play three or four times a year. “I’ve loved the fact it is so accessible- you can usually just walk on the course because it’s not so busy. It would make perfect sense for the city’s park and recreation department to buy it and keep it as a golf course,” Shay said.
Woodruff, owner of the golf course, said she also is sad the golf course is going to close, but business is “about one tenth of what it was ten years ago, and I just can’t keep losing money on it. For many years, I didn’t actually lose money, but that has changed,” Woodruff said. According to Woodruff, she understands the neighborhood’s reaction to growth, but the community, led by the city council, has to come together and decide, “What does the community want? If they don’t want houses, what is it they would like to see here?”
Robson explained he still has some “tweaking” to do on the site plan based on the input he received at the open house, including the interface between the new and existing homes. Robson said he fully intends to meet the city’s 15 percent affordable housing requirement, and has been in contact with the school district about the possibility of designating some units especially for teachers. Robson said he may try to meet the affordable housing requirement with “duets” or duplexes “sprinkled in” with the single family detached homes.
“Both in terms of the housing and the retail and restaurant- we think this development will provide some important community benefit,” Robson said.
