Public to have say on golf course zoning
The San Ramon Planning Commission will take public testimony on a General Plan amendment that would change the zoning designation of the Canyon Lakes Golf Course and San Ramon Golf Course from commercial recreation to golf course.
A comprehensive zoning ordinance update was passed by the City Council last month establishing land uses around the city that complied with the city’s General Plan 2020. Among the changes was the designation of city golf courses as commercial recreation, instead of parks.
Opponents of the golf course portion of the ordinance — consisting mostly of residents near San Ramon’s Royal Vista Golf Course — spoke throughout the public hearing process, saying that the commercial recreation designation could open the door for a variety of land uses other than golf course.
“Hopefully they do the right thing,” said Paul Desmarais, a golf course resident.
A compromise motion recommended by the Planning Commission and adopted by the City Council narrowed the uses of the golf course land. However, the council asked city planners to create a general plan amendment in order to ensure the land stays golf course land.
“If we’re going to keep it a golf course, we might as well designate it a golf course,” Councilman Jim Livingstone said following the public hearing in May. “We need to create a land use that can even be called golf course, just as long as it looks like, feels like and sounds like a golf course.”
Opponents to the commercial recreation distinction gave the city a notice of intent that they wish to circulate a petition to create a General Plan amendment to change golf course land back to parks.
“But, if they really truly want to make it correct, ideally it should be designated under parks,” Desmarais said. “The point is, a lot of people don’t know how it got changed in the first place.”
In addition, the petition adds language stating that future golf course rezoning can be approved only by a citywide election and exempting golf courses from being classified as city parkland.
“It is the intent of the people of San Ramon to put strict limits on the uses of the golf courses and limit the ability of city government to change the uses,” the petition states.
Designating city golf course land as “golf course” would require a landowner to go have to apply for a General Plan Amendment to change the land use from anything other than golf course use — a point that opponents of the previous change argued for strenuously.
A new golf course zone would only allow for the land to be used for golf course use, accessory retail and services, accessory office and park and recreation facilities of two acres or less. A parks distinction would allow for 20 types of park-related land uses.
The Royal Vista Golf Course has been working on a renovation to improve the existing course, owners say.
The amendment also would change a 3.4 acre portion of Bishop Ranch 1 from administrative office, in anticipation of a City/Civic Center someday being built on the parcel.
The commission will be the first for new members Harry Sachs and Phil O’Loane. Both previously served on the city’s Economic Development Advisory Committee.
For more information, contact the city Planning Department at (925) 973-2560 or visit the city’s Web site at http://www.ci.san- ramon.ca.us/plan/default.htm.