Representing San Ramon’s Best Interest

BY: Jim Gibbon

I agree with the letter from Phil O’Loane to the Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County about the proposed New Farms development in Tassajara Valley. He expresses the opinion of 72% of the voters of San Ramon as expressed in the last November election.

Our current City Council has decided not to express any opinion on our behalf. In fact their attitude is to sit on their hands. They will do nothing to represent our interest in preservation of the valley as a rural area that is not to be developed as just another urban development project. To be preserved for our children’s future.

This proposed New Farms development will be fought out at the county level for the next two to three years. It will determine if our Urban Limit Line in the county and our Urban Growth Line in our cities will mean anything in the future.

The proper place for growth in the future San Ramon is in the inner city core where infrastructures already exist and the cost to the city and residents will be less than growing in green rural areas on the outskirts of the city. The inner city should grow ‘organically’ as needed and not as a master plan that overhauls the existing building and street design. San Ramon is an established community and any growth should begin with that fact at its base.

Destroying existing established businesses, changing street locations, and adding another 4,500 people to the inner city of San Ramon without new schools and services is not good for anyone. It will cause more problems than it will help the city be or become viable. Unbraided growth for its on sake is not go for anyone who lives here.

We need to replace this City Council next November with people who understand how to represent our best interest, not theirs. If you know someone who you think can do that and is interested in serving on the council let us know. We need three good residents of San Ramon to run in November. They can count on 72% of the San Ramon voters to vote for them and a lot of support from us all. Now is the time to step up and be counted. This opportunity come only once for most of us.

Let me know what you think and who you think would be a good candidate to represent our best interest. San Ramon is about to change for the better or worse. Who represents our best interest will determine which future we will have.

Thank you,

Jim Gibbon AIA, LEED AP
j.c.gibbon@comcast.net

SROG
SAN RAMON for OPEN GOVERNMENT
SAN RAMON, CALIFORNIA