Saratoga News

COMMENTARY

By Paul Jacobs

The more I hear and read the rhetoric used by the proponents of the SONIC Initiative, Measure G, the more troubled I am by the distortions of fact, the hypocrisy, and the outright lies. Here are just a few of the falsehoods that are being used to promote this law:

Lie No. 1: Your neighborhood is endangered by commercial development.

In fact, in the past year the City Council has unanimously rejected two proposed commercial developments in the city. In the case of one, the Kosich property, we made it clear that the property shall remain residential, and that Saratoga Avenue should remain residential.

Since the new council was elected in June 1994, there has been no expansion whatsoever of commercial zoning in the city. In fact, there is actually less commercial property in the city now than there was two years ago! Two former commercial sites are now under residential development.

Lie No. 2: Your neighborhood is threatened by increased density.

In reality, most development in the city in recent years has been on standard-size lots. This is true of Kerwin Ranch, the Saratoga Nursery property and the development at Cumberland and Cox, as well as numerous others.

Only one development with greater density is under way, the Greenbrier project on Saratoga Avenue. Incredibly, some of the SONIC proponents are citing this development as evidence of the need for their ordinance. What they don't tell you, and what is so hypocritical, is that many of the SONIC backers, including the two councilmembers who were voted out of office last year, supported the project. The Planning Commission, which I was on when the project first came through, rejected it, 6-1, as too dense.

Now these hypocrites are claiming that we need their initiative to prevent this from happening again. The truth is that the City Council was overwhelmed by public pressure to permit it, for the neighbors were adamant that they would have nothing less. Some of the same people who are now promoting SONIC, on the basis that neighborhoods should get what they want, strongly urged the project for that reason. "What the neighbors want, they should get." Now they decry it.

Lie No. 3: The Planning Commission and City Council ignore what neighborhoods want.

In fact, we listen carefully to neighborhoods, and try to accommodate them. Several months ago, for instance, the council had a town meeting to solicit input from the community about the parks, in particular, Kevin Moran and Azule. After much public input, the council decided to create citizens' groups of neighbors and other interested parties to plan for the completion of our park system.

Recently, a subcommittee of the council and planning commission sat across a table from Saratoga Woods homeowners and the owner of the Kosich property and discussed possible alternatives for residential development there. As a result of that, the owner went away with instructions to reduce the density of the proposed development.

Proponents of SONIC say that we "regularly vote against wishes of the neighbors." But five or 10 people don't necessarily represent an entire neighborhood; even if they do, that doesn't necessarily make them right.

Whatever the merits of a law, it should be promoted through facts and truth, not lies and hypocrisy. Why are these lies being told? Because the proponents don't want you to know that the real target of this initiative is prevention of expansion of senior housing at Odd Fellows. Take the time to find out the truth. Don't be victimized by people promoting their own self-centered agenda.

Paul Jacobs is mayor of Saratoga.