Embezzlement and MISUSE OF FUNDS cited Bay Area ABAG – Land Use, Housing, and Environmental Quality

CA Controller Finds Lack of Finance Authority Oversight by Association of Bay Area Governments

SACRAMENTO—State Controller Betty T. Yee today announced the results of her team’s review of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), finding that a lack of internal controls in administration of an affiliated financing authority provided opportunities for potential misuse of funds.

Who is Association of Bay Area Governments ABAG and why do we care? ABAG deals with land use, housing, environmental quality, and economic development and is consulted and referenced extensively in Bay Area Sunnyvale California Environmental Quality Act CEQA Environmental Impact Reports EIR.

Initiated in February, the Controller’s review followed up on allegations that the director of the ABAG Finance Authority for Nonprofit Corporations (Authority), a joint powers agency charged with issuing debt for projects in member jurisdictions, had embezzled about $1.3 million in an elaborate scheme.

“Crucial internal control standards were not adequately followed at ABAG in its oversight of the Authority,” said Controller Yee, the state’s chief fiscal officer. “Local governments must protect public money by ensuring that those who authorize spending are not the same people who write the checks.”

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Peery Park Specific Plan Community Workshop January 21

The third community workshop for the Peery Park Specific Plan will be held Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at the Washington Park Community Room from 6:30-9 p.m.

This workshop will focus on traffic impacts, transportation demand management (TDM), and the general framework for the specific plan. The workshop will also include a group exercise following the presentation and Q&A.

CLICK HERE for more information.

New Home Builder Sunnyvale Environmental Issues? How to research

We received the following question and wanted to share our response with you. The same investigative process can be adapted to other new home building projects in neighboring Bay Area Cities:

We are looking to purchase a home at the new development by Summerhill homes at Las Palmas, and came across your blog when we were searching for environmental issues in new developments in Sunnyvale. Are you aware of any environmental issues with this location and any information that we should we aware of regarding soil/water contamination at this site? There used to be an auto dealership and orchards before that on this site, so we were wondering about any possible contamination. The address is 660 W El Camino Avenue, Sunnyvale, 94087.

Soil, water and environmental issues can investigated a few ways. The first step would be to visit the City of Sunnyvale Planning Department and request to view the files for the Summerhill Las Palmas project. Ask specifically about soils, water and any other required studies that were needed for submission in order to approve this development.

Landbank is another LinkedIn

Courtesy Holly Lofgren Oct 8, 2014

On Oct. 14, the Sunnyvale City Council will consider whether to rezone a 34 percent floor area ratio (FAR) site at Wolfe Road and Arques Avenue into an M-S 100 percent FAR site. This is TRIPLE the normal standard for this area.

The proposed site is 770,000 square feet and towers at 89 feet tall. The Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program required is only 30 percent and is on Wolfe Road, which is overloaded with commute traffic with more on the way.

While homes are 1,000 feet from the site (at LinkedIn they were 250 feet), this project will clog traffic in the area and a rezone could set a precedent for other developers to expect 100 percent FAR and the ability to do a similar TDM program when the environmental impact report (EIR) would show that the traffic impact was “significant but unavoidable.”

Sunnyvale Mandates CEQA EIR for Butcher’s Corner

Butchers Corner Project Illustration submitted to City of Sunnyvale

Sunnyvale city planners are requiring an environmental impact report EIR for a large development project proposed by De Anza Properties for Butcher’s Corner  located at the confluence of El Camino Real, East Fremont Avenue and South Wolfe Road.

The applicant, De Anza Properties has submitted plans for Forty-one townhome units and 115 apartment units with surface and underground parking is proposed for the El Camino Real and Wolfe Road site. The proposed townhouse buildings are three stories, while the other two proposed buildings are seven stories.

Sunnyvale City staff raised several design concerns, ranging from adequate parking to building setbacks. Staff also recommended the building height along El Camino and Wolfe should be reduced to about four stories.

CLICK HERE for San Jose Mercury News coverage by Alia Wilson dated 9/10/2014.

CLICK HERE for the Butcher’s Corner Architectural Plans submitted to the City of Sunnyvale, CA.