Always also wondered why she is so vehemently opposed to the Lund Ranch II compromise decision that was debated and ultimately approved on 1/5/16, knowing most of the history and facts involved in the project.
Well, consider this, borrowing comments from @rrt, a resident of Birdland, from his post today (1/29/16) in the Town Square forum, "Why not a referendum?"comments string:
"he reason that Kottinger Ranch (where Karla Brown lives) and Grey Eagle people [Allen Roberts, in particular] are supporting this is they want support from the Sycamore Heights [and Bridle Creek] neighborhood[s] for when the Oak Grove development comes back [Oak Grove is the previous housing development proposed at the very top of Hearst Drive, where the Kottinger Ranch subdivision ends.] They also want a precedent saying that "a road is a structure" so they can claim the same. Although the council has previously said that since they did not feel that Measure PP was clear on whether a road is a structure, they would analyze each development on its own when it comes to determining the impacts of a road.
I am sure the Kottinger Ranch people [including resident Karla Brown] are concerned that if this project goes through and the determination is made that a road is not a structure that the Oak Grove development will come back with 50 or so homes where the homes are [proposed to be built] on relatively flat pieces of land, but the roads look like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, going up and down. One has to look at the roads in the Lund Ranch II plan and see that the houses are in a bowl, and not the top of a ridge that is visible from offsite, and the road which may or may not be built on over 25% slope is actually going down into the bowl and not up the hill so it will not be visible from offsite. Quite the opposite from [the topography of] Oak Grove.
Note Councilmember Karla Brown is prominently listed as a "Save Pleasanton Hillsides" supporter on their website. Web Link
Note Councilmember Karla Brown is also prominently listed as a "Pleasanton Voters" supporter on their website: Web Link "Pleasanton Voters" claims to be "a nonpartisan grass-roots organization of Pleasanton residents interested in educating Pleasanton voters. We offer information from a resident's point of view, without any bias from building developers, land speculators and special interest groups."
Ask yourself, isn't "Save Pleasanton Hillsides," whom "Pleasanton Voters" supports, a special interest group?
Ask yourself, how many supporters listed for "Save Pleasanton Hillsides" live in Sycamore Heights, Bridle Creek, and Kottinger Ranch?
Ask yourself why Councilmember Karla Brown continues to disagree with former allies and former City Councilmembers Steve Brozosky and Kay Ayala, all of whom together originated and supported Measure PP.
Ask yourself, does Councilmember Karla Brown vehemently support "a road is a structure" because she wants to protect Pleasanton's hillsides and ridges from having homes built on them, or, rather, because if the current referendum effort fails, the neighborhood she lives in, Kottinger Ranch, built on hillsides and ridges, will be subject to possibly more traffic going up the hill on Hearst through her neighborhood because of new homes being built there at the very top, on flat portions of the Oak Grove property, and if that's the real reason she's objecting to the Mayor's and City Councils' 1/5/16 compromise decision, since she will:
a.) most assuredly have to recuse herself from any debate or vote on a new Oak Grove housing project proposal due to a conflict of interest, since she lives in what would be the affected area/neighborhood, as Councilmember Jerry Pentin found himself being forced to do after objections voiced by residents of Sycamore Heights and Bridle Creek, who claimed because he lived close to the Lund Ranch II project he would not be impartial, and;
b.) not be able to singlehandedly prevent a project from being developed there if this referendum fails.
Ask yourself if Councilmember Karla Brown's true intentions are to, ironically, also prevent more traffic in her neighborhood, ala CNot In My Backyard," too, just like the folks in Sycamore Heights and Bridle Creek.
Ask yourself, if all the traffic from Lund Ranch II was forced to go through Ventana Hills and Mission Hills, as originally promoted/supported by the developer, Greenbriar, and by residents of Sycamore Heights and Bridle Creek, think Sycamore Heights and Bridle Creek residents would be pursuing a referendum or, moreover, lobbying/supporting that "a road is a structure"?
Ask yourself if protecting 177 acres of hillsides and ridges in the Lund Ranch II development by accepting the compromise decision re: traffic is best for all Pleasanton neighborhoods.
Ask the Pleasanton Weekly to ask Councilmember Karla Brown about these hypotheses that have been raised, and whether any of them are accurate. I, for one, would like to hear her answers.
In the meantime, please take these possibilities into consideration if you haven't yet signed the referendum petition, or have signed it and are considering rescinding your signature, which you have the right to do.
