Group sues to stop Saggio

<p>A Healdsburg citizens' group has filed a lawsuit challenging the environmental study for Saggio Hills, setting up a new obstacle for the proposed luxury resort hotel and residential development.</p><p>Just a day after the Healdsburg City Council voted final approval for Saggio Hills, opponents sued in Sonoma County court seeking to send the project back to the drawing board.</p><p>The lawsuit filed Wednesday by Healdsburg Citizens for Sustainable Solutions names the city of Healdsburg and the City Council as defendants for allegedly failing to adequately address a number of environmental concerns in approving the 130-room resort and 70 multimillion-dollar homes.</p><p>City officials dispute that, saying the exhaustive review process that stretched over the past year resulted in a number of improvements to the Saggio Hills plan along with detailed environmental analyses.</p><p>"It's a sad thing. We had a very good public process," Councilman Gary Plass said Thursday when notified of the lawsuit. "This is going to do nothing but potentially stall the project and cost the community millions of dollars -- not just in government money, but construction jobs -- something the community really needs."</p><p>Healdsburg residents Janis Watkins and Millie Bisset are the only individuals identified by name in court documents as being parties to the legal action against the city. Their lawsuit contends the city failed to adequately analyze the project's impact on water supply and greenhouse gas emissions.</p><p>The suit also claims the city overlooked the impact the ridge-top development would have for those using the nearby Healdsburg Ridge open space preserve.</p><p>"Citizens (for Sustainable Solutions) wish to have adequate environmental review for this large of a project and believe this was not done," said Rachel Mansfield-How-lett, attorney for the group.</p><p>She said her clients want a smaller alternative project considered because they believe the city brushed aside a proposal for fewer homes.</p><p>City Attorney Mike Gogna said Thursday "it's my opinion that the City Council, city staff and the community have worked incredibly hard to make this the best project it could be and still be a feasible project. We will do the best job we can of defending the council action."</p><p>The lawsuit comes as little surprise. Warren Watkins, the retired math teacher and environmentalist who heads up HCSS, had openly discussed the possibility of suing, beginning months ago. He is married to Janis Watkins, whose name is on the lawsuit as a plaintiff.</p><p>The City Council met at least twice this year in closed session to discuss the potential threat of court action.</p><p>Privately, city officials acknowledged the public review process was drawn out partly to ensure the environmental process was "bulletproof," essentially not vulnerable to a successful legal challenge.</p><p>Warren Watkins could not be reached for a comment Thursday, but last week at a City Council meeting he told The Press Democrat about his plans for a lawsuit and why it matters.</p><p>"This is a line in the sand. It will send a message to future developers (that) they can't change the character of Healdsburg easily in the wrong direction."</p><p>Watkins has complained that Saggio Hills will alter Healdsburg's small-town ambience and that its "mega-mansions" will gobble up scarce resources, especially water.</p><p>Public comment initially seemed divided on Saggio Hills, but as it made its way through council hearings, opposition appeared to diminish.</p><p>The City Council attempted to address the chorus of citizen concerns, such as ensuring there is sufficient affordable housing included in the plan, that traffic won't go through the adjacent Parkland Farms subdivision and that a high standard of environmentally friendly construction methods will be used.</p><p>"The process has shown more than adequate review of the project and all the issues associated with it," Councilman Mike McGuire said Thursday.</p><p>"The city will do what it takes to defend the environmental report," he said.</p><p>The lawsuit does not name Sonoma Luxury Resort, the developers of Saggio Hills, but the city required in its development agreement that the company would be responsible for the cost of defending legal action against the project.</p><p>Tony Korman, one of the principals of Sonoma Luxury Resort, declined to comment Thursday, but previously said his company would actively fight a lawsuit, adding "we have bent over backward in this thing to address any concern, any comment."</p><p>The project still needs to get annexation approval from the county's Local Agency Formation Commission. Developers planned to break ground in mid-2009.</p><p>The lawsuit seeks a court order preventing any construction or pre-construction activities on the 259 acres that comprise Saggio Hills. But before a judge considers the lawsuit, both sides will be required to have a mediation session.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 521-5214 or clark.mason@</p><p>pressdemocrat.com.</p>