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| Steve Kinsey, Marin Supervisor, MTC president, Tam Chair, and West Marin Power broker wants to control the San Quentin Sanitary District to push for Manhattan style development near San Quentin. |
Zero Transparency As Kinsey Pushes Vision Of Q Development
Critical RVSD Meeting:
On county’s bid to wrest control of sewer facilities at San Quentin from Ross Valley Sanitary District.
Wednesday February 18, 5:30 pm,
Central Marin Police Authority meeting room next to Hall Middle School in Larkspur, CA.
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| Frank Egger, former Fairfax Mayor and Ross Valley Sanitary District Chairperson wants to protect Marin from Kinsey's madness of building a mini-Manhattan on San Quentin. |
In the letter copied below (end of post), the former chair of RVSD, Frank Egger pleads with Larkspur Councilwoman Catherine Way to help maintain Larkspur ‘s “Planning Sphere of Influence” control over the fate of the San Quentin Prison property. If Supervisor Steve Kinsey has his way, he would rebuild San Quentin to:
“Policy BE-1.5: Allow building heights of a minimum of two stories to a maximum of five stories. Building heights would be greatest at the village core and generally decrease going away from it.
Policy BE-1.6: Develop the site at densities adequate to support transit, cultural and educational opportunities, employment, and affordability. Establish a base number of 2,100 residential units in a transit village. The number of residential units may increase or decrease depending on how well the specific plan will ensure that project impacts do not exceed specified baseline levels occurring at the time a project is considered.
Policy BE-1.7: Provide for appropriate levels of commercial development complementary to the European-style, walkable community theme and targeting resident- and visitor-serving retail and office space in a mixed-use design format that will complement and support the reuse of the site.(San Quentin Reuse Vision Plan, 2003)”
Below is the letter from former RVSD Chairman Frank Egger to Larkspur Councilwoman Catherine Way alerting her to Kinsey’s continued assault on local control and pleading for Larkspur Council’s help:
Dear Catherine,
As a member of the RVSD for the past 4 years I have worked to repair the strained relationships between the Ross Valley Sanitary District & her sister agencies. In the past RVSD had litigated Larkspur over their regulatory authority at the former sewer treatment plant site in Larkspur Landing. As president of RVSD, I made sure RVSD addressed Larkspur's concerns, kept them in the loop and applied for all necessary Larkspur permits and approvals.
There are changes afoot at the Ross Valley Sanitary District that will adversely impact Larkspur, San Quentin and the Ross Valley forever. Supervisor Steve Kinsey continues his quest the have the Marin County Board of Supervisors designate the SQ Peninsula a Priority Development Area to allow 2000-3000 new living units. I believe that the public has been kept in the dark about these changes which we will be deciding this coming Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m., the next meeting of the RVSD Board at Central Marin Police Authority headquarters.
The SQ Peninsula is in the Planning Sphere of Influence & more than likely the urban growth boundary of both the City of Larkspur & the RVSD. That is about to change with the signing of a so-called settlement agreement of the lawsuit between RVSD, the CA Dept of Corrections & Rehabilitation, Central Marin Sanitation Agency & the County of Marin. The process leading up to the "settlement" is rife with conflicts of interest & I have filed complaints with the appropriate state & federal enforcement agencies.
The lawsuit arose after the CDCR went looking for a cheaper way to have its wastewater collected, pumped over to San Rafael & treated at CMSA. CMSA cut the state a deal knocking over a million dollars off their sewerage costs. RVSD sued, the case was moved to Sonoma County. CMSA & Marin County filed a motion in Sonoma County Superior Court asking the court to throw out RVSD's lawsuit. Not only did the Court deny CMSA & Marin County's motion, the Court specifically said there are triable issues the Court will decide. In other words, RVSD won the first round.
RVSD president Tom Gaffney then met with Supervisor Katie Rice to find a way to short circuit the lawsuit. He announces he is bringing in Supervisor Rice as an unbiased 3rd party to mediate a "settlement". A series of secret meetings were held which resulted in a proposed settlement. The City of Larkspur and Ross Valley residents have been kept out of the loop. Last Tues night the CMSA Commission met in closed session, approved the settlement agreement and reported out. RVSD directors & CMSA commissioners Pam Meigs and I could not attend the closed session meeting so I cannot report to you what the settlement is.
Issues are RVSD's ownership of certain assets worth millions of dollars, sewer system approval authority for certain projects in and around the Larkspur Landing area to Pt San Quentin Village and the approval of the County's long desired PDA in Larkspur's Planning Sphere of Influence. The inmate population at San Quentin State Prison is at its lowest level since the early 80's. Between Realignment and Prop 47, the state prison system's population continues to drop and closure of SQ May not be that far out.
The City of Larkspur and residents of the Ross Valley must have full knowledge of what is happening & the Marin County Board of Supervisors, CMSA Commissioners and Ross Valley Sanitary District Directors should not act without full public disclosure of the details of the settlement and the cost to RVSD ratepayers in surrendering valuable infrastructure and equipment paid and financed by the RVSD though taxes and grants.
RVSD has spent $200,000 litigating & defending itself from the lawsuits. CMSA & the County of Marin reportedly have spent $100,000. With the majority of legal expenses already paid, perhaps it's time to let the judge decide.
I realize you meet at 6:30 Wed eve but if at all possible, please attend the 5:30 RVSD meeting right down the street & speak at open time before RVSD goes into closed session to give final approval to the settlement CMSA approved last Tues. Ask that the RVSD board not act and instead present the Larkspur City Council and residents of Ross Valley with the proposed settlement to allow full public disclosure prior to voting.
Thank you, Frank Egger
As a member of the RVSD for the past 4 years I have worked to repair the strained relationships between the Ross Valley Sanitary District & her sister agencies. In the past RVSD had litigated Larkspur over their regulatory authority at the former sewer treatment plant site in Larkspur Landing. As president of RVSD, I made sure RVSD addressed Larkspur's concerns, kept them in the loop and applied for all necessary Larkspur permits and approvals.
There are changes afoot at the Ross Valley Sanitary District that will adversely impact Larkspur, San Quentin and the Ross Valley forever. Supervisor Steve Kinsey continues his quest the have the Marin County Board of Supervisors designate the SQ Peninsula a Priority Development Area to allow 2000-3000 new living units. I believe that the public has been kept in the dark about these changes which we will be deciding this coming Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m., the next meeting of the RVSD Board at Central Marin Police Authority headquarters.
The SQ Peninsula is in the Planning Sphere of Influence & more than likely the urban growth boundary of both the City of Larkspur & the RVSD. That is about to change with the signing of a so-called settlement agreement of the lawsuit between RVSD, the CA Dept of Corrections & Rehabilitation, Central Marin Sanitation Agency & the County of Marin. The process leading up to the "settlement" is rife with conflicts of interest & I have filed complaints with the appropriate state & federal enforcement agencies.
The lawsuit arose after the CDCR went looking for a cheaper way to have its wastewater collected, pumped over to San Rafael & treated at CMSA. CMSA cut the state a deal knocking over a million dollars off their sewerage costs. RVSD sued, the case was moved to Sonoma County. CMSA & Marin County filed a motion in Sonoma County Superior Court asking the court to throw out RVSD's lawsuit. Not only did the Court deny CMSA & Marin County's motion, the Court specifically said there are triable issues the Court will decide. In other words, RVSD won the first round.
RVSD president Tom Gaffney then met with Supervisor Katie Rice to find a way to short circuit the lawsuit. He announces he is bringing in Supervisor Rice as an unbiased 3rd party to mediate a "settlement". A series of secret meetings were held which resulted in a proposed settlement. The City of Larkspur and Ross Valley residents have been kept out of the loop. Last Tues night the CMSA Commission met in closed session, approved the settlement agreement and reported out. RVSD directors & CMSA commissioners Pam Meigs and I could not attend the closed session meeting so I cannot report to you what the settlement is.
Issues are RVSD's ownership of certain assets worth millions of dollars, sewer system approval authority for certain projects in and around the Larkspur Landing area to Pt San Quentin Village and the approval of the County's long desired PDA in Larkspur's Planning Sphere of Influence. The inmate population at San Quentin State Prison is at its lowest level since the early 80's. Between Realignment and Prop 47, the state prison system's population continues to drop and closure of SQ May not be that far out.
The City of Larkspur and residents of the Ross Valley must have full knowledge of what is happening & the Marin County Board of Supervisors, CMSA Commissioners and Ross Valley Sanitary District Directors should not act without full public disclosure of the details of the settlement and the cost to RVSD ratepayers in surrendering valuable infrastructure and equipment paid and financed by the RVSD though taxes and grants.
RVSD has spent $200,000 litigating & defending itself from the lawsuits. CMSA & the County of Marin reportedly have spent $100,000. With the majority of legal expenses already paid, perhaps it's time to let the judge decide.
I realize you meet at 6:30 Wed eve but if at all possible, please attend the 5:30 RVSD meeting right down the street & speak at open time before RVSD goes into closed session to give final approval to the settlement CMSA approved last Tues. Ask that the RVSD board not act and instead present the Larkspur City Council and residents of Ross Valley with the proposed settlement to allow full public disclosure prior to voting.
Thank you, Frank Egger
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