Last Modified: Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 9:19 p.m.
A highly anticipated court hearing scheduled for Friday could determine the fate of Saggio Hills, Healdsburg’s proposed luxury resort and residential development.
A group of Healdsburg residents is asking a Sonoma County judge to invalidate the environmental studies that were used by the City Council to approve construction of the five-star, 130-room resort and 70 high-end homes.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” said Warren Watkins, the retired Healdsburg math teacher whose group is challenging the project. “I’m confident about what we’re doing.”
Saggio Hills, described as the largest development project in Healdsburg’s history, is proposed on 258 acres of oak-studded hills at the north end of town, east of Healdsburg Avenue and north of the Parkland Farms subdivision.
Critics say it would alter Healdsburg’s small-town ambience, and its “mega mansions” would use up scarce resources, such as water.
Supporters, including a group that filed a “friend-of-the-court” brief backing the city, said Saggio Hills would provide benefits ranging from property, school and bed taxes to a 36-acre park, new fire station and 14-acre affordable housing site that developers are contributing.
The group, Healdsburg CARES (Community Alliance for Recreational and Environmental Solutions), is a coalition of more than 120 individuals with support from the Chamber of Commerce, North Sonoma County Council of Realtors and Healdsburg Youth Soccer League.
The brief expressed concern that the lawsuit has significantly slowed the project, and if successful, will lead to further delay.
It asks that Superior Court Judge Robert S. Boyd deny the opponent’s petition. The hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday,
Mel Amato, a Healdsburg engineer and a spokesman for the group, said the Saggio Hills developers, Sonoma Luxury Resort LLC, responded to the wishes of city officials and the community.
“I think what they proposed is quite balanced, addresses environmental concerns, green building and other aspects of development,” he said.
Attorneys for the developers say Saggio Hills will generate almost $97
million in fees and tax revenues for the city over the next 23 years and more than $26 million to local schools.
A large part of the property — 162 acres — would remain in open space.
Saggio Hills was approved in October after a marathon series of almost two dozen public hearings with the City Council and Planning Commission stretching for more than a year.
Within days of the council’s approval, Watkins’ group, Healdsburg Citizens for Sustainable Solutions, filed a lawsuit claiming environmental studies failed to address a number of critical issues, including the significance of the project’s greenhouse gas emissions, endangered fish species protections affecting water supply and ridgeline development.
The plaintiffs include Watkins’ attorney-wife, Janis, and Healdsburg resident Millie Bisset. Watkins said his group represents “a big contingency” concerned about Saggio Hills and has about 40 citizens on its e-mail list.
In court documents, Saggio Hills opponents said the city failed to consider greenhouse gas emissions from electricity, removal of oaks, construction, and emissions specific to the air miles traveled by tourists.
Developers and the city countered that they had calculated estimated emissions and also planned for measures to decrease greenhouse gases.
And they insist the city has sufficient water to support Saggio Hills and other planned developments, even under drought conditions.
City officials expressed confidence that the lengthy public hearing process addressed all relevant environmental impacts.
“It’s one of the most complex and studied development projects in Healdsburg that I’ve been involved in,” said City Attorney Mike Gogna. “I think the goals and requirements have been satisfied by the city.”
“We think we did a good job,” Councilman Gary Plass said Friday.
Watkins said he is willing to see a smaller Saggio Hills that leaves the resort, park and fire station intact, but reduces the number of resort residences significantly — from 70 to 27.
Developers said that will not pencil out.
“Eliminating two-thirds of the resort residences would render the economics of the project infeasible,” they said in court papers.
Plass expressed skepticism about Watkins’ assertion that he wants to reduce the number of luxury homes and not stop Saggio Hills completely.
“In my opinion, it’s nothing more than an attempt to kill the project,” Plass said of the lawsuit.
But Watkins said the city and he share the same goal: “We both want to be good stewards of the land. We want it to be as good as it can be.”
<p>A highly anticipated court hearing scheduled for Friday could determine the fate of Saggio Hills, Healdsburg’s proposed luxury resort and residential development.</p><p>A group of Healdsburg residents is asking a Sonoma County judge to invalidate the environmental studies that were used by the City Council to approve construction of the five-star, 130-room resort and 70 high-end homes.</p><p>“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” said Warren Watkins, the retired Healdsburg math teacher whose group is challenging the project. “I’m confident about what we’re doing.”</p><p>Saggio Hills, described as the largest development project in Healdsburg’s history, is proposed on 258 acres of oak-studded hills at the north end of town, east of Healdsburg Avenue and north of the Parkland Farms subdivision.</p><p>Critics say it would alter Healdsburg’s small-town ambience, and its “mega mansions” would use up scarce resources, such as water.</p><p>Supporters, including a group that filed a “friend-of-the-court” brief backing the city, said Saggio Hills would provide benefits ranging from property, school and bed taxes to a 36-acre park, new fire station and 14-acre affordable housing site that developers are contributing.</p><p>The group, Healdsburg CARES (Community Alliance for Recreational and Environmental Solutions), is a coalition of more than 120 individuals with support from the Chamber of Commerce, North Sonoma County Council of Realtors and Healdsburg Youth Soccer League.</p><p>The brief expressed concern that the lawsuit has significantly slowed the project, and if successful, will lead to further delay.</p><p>It asks that Superior Court Judge Robert S. Boyd deny the opponent’s petition. The hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, </p><p>Mel Amato, a Healdsburg engineer and a spokesman for the group, said the Saggio Hills developers, Sonoma Luxury Resort LLC, responded to the wishes of city officials and the community.</p><p>“I think what they proposed is quite balanced, addresses environmental concerns, green building and other aspects of development,” he said.</p><p>Attorneys for the developers say Saggio Hills will generate almost $97<TH>million in fees and tax revenues for the city over the next 23 years and more than $26 million to local schools.</p><p>A large part of the property — 162 acres — would remain in open space.</p><p>Saggio Hills was approved in October after a marathon series of almost two dozen public hearings with the City Council and Planning Commission stretching for more than a year.</p><p>Within days of the council’s approval, Watkins’ group, Healdsburg Citizens for Sustainable Solutions, filed a lawsuit claiming environmental studies failed to address a number of critical issues, including the significance of the project’s greenhouse gas emissions, endangered fish species protections affecting water supply and ridgeline development.</p><p>The plaintiffs include Watkins’ attorney-wife, Janis, and Healdsburg resident Millie Bisset. Watkins said his group represents “a big contingency” concerned about Saggio Hills and has about 40 citizens on its e-mail list.</p><p>In court documents, Saggio Hills opponents said the city failed to consider greenhouse gas emissions from electricity, removal of oaks, construction, and emissions specific to the air miles traveled by tourists.</p><p>Developers and the city countered that they had calculated estimated emissions and also planned for measures to decrease greenhouse gases.</p><p>And they insist the city has sufficient water to support Saggio Hills and other planned developments, even under drought conditions.</p><p>City officials expressed confidence that the lengthy public hearing process addressed all relevant environmental impacts.</p><p>“It’s one of the most complex and studied development projects in Healdsburg that I’ve been involved in,” said City Attorney Mike Gogna. “I think the goals and requirements have been satisfied by the city.”</p><p>“We think we did a good job,” Councilman Gary Plass said Friday.</p><p>Watkins said he is willing to see a smaller Saggio Hills that leaves the resort, park and fire station intact, but reduces the number of resort residences significantly — from 70 to 27.</p><p>Developers said that will not pencil out.</p><p>“Eliminating two-thirds of the resort residences would render the economics of the project infeasible,” they said in court papers.</p><p>Plass expressed skepticism about Watkins’ assertion that he wants to reduce the number of luxury homes and not stop Saggio Hills completely.</p><p>“In my opinion, it’s nothing more than an attempt to kill the project,” Plass said of the lawsuit.</p><p>But Watkins said the city and he share the same goal: “We both want to be good stewards of the land. We want it to be as good as it can be.”</p>