The documents include the environmental impact report for the Ellis development, a project put forward by The Surland Cos. and planned for the northwest corner of Linne and Corral Hollow roads on land now outside Tracy city limits. The report details the possible effects Ellis could have on the city’s services, surrounding neighborhoods and traffic patterns, among other potential consequences.
The public has 45 days to review and submit comments about the project. Those critiques must be addressed in the final EIR, which would be published before the City Council could approve the development, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act.
Also available for public perusal is the newest version of a developer agreement being negotiated between the city and Surland.
Through the agreement, the city hopes to get 16 acres of land and $10 million with which to start building an aquatics park or swimming center. Surland, in turn, would be promised building rights within the Ellis boundaries over 25 years and guarantees of water and sewage capacity.
Surland and the city of Tracy are wading through environmental reviews regarding Ellis for a second time. A similar developer agreement that would have granted the city $10 million and 16 acres for a swim center was approved 5-0 by the council in December 2008.
But Tracy lawyer Mark Connolly brought a suit against the developer agreement and environmental report in January 2009 on behalf of Tracy Region Alliance for a Quality Community, and in February 2011, San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Lesley Holland ruled in Connolly’s favor, invalidating the project and agreement.
The city and Surland moved to overturn the ruling in November, and the case is before an appellate court.
Surland CEO Les Serpa has said the new round of environmental reviews is meant to address the objections outlined by Holland and move the project forward quickly and with minimal expense.
Connolly has said it makes no sense for the city and Surland to respond to Holland’s concerns while simultaneously challenging his ruling.
All documents for the 2012 version of the Ellis EIR and its accompanying developer agreement can be viewed on the city of Tracy website.
Written comments can be hand-delivered or mailed to City Hall, 333 Civic Center Plaza, Tracy, CA 95376.
• Contact Jon Mendelson at 830-4231 or jmendelson@tracypress.com.
Do you recall TRAQA (a special interest group who I think owns a cattle farm in Alameda County and I think wrote Measure A) ran for city council and said she was going to "take this to the people?
Don't you think it was a flat out lie based on not just cronyism, but nepotism?
After big brother went to Washington, how could she keep her campaign promise to "Take it to the people", because when big brother left Lt. Gov of California, did not they pull the plug on the Tracy courthouse?
In my opinion, I think you've been lied to, blatantly.
And I think the Tracy Press knew it all along, but does not say squat.
It would seem to me they are not "responding" to the judge, but "challenging" the judge's decision.
By now, we've all heard that Measure A was flawed from the beginmoing. The world does not revolve around Measure A. Get over it.
It is actually being followed to the judge's interpretation.
So, it was NEVER had anything to do with what the voters wanted. The truth be told, it actually has to do with what people who do not live in Tracy - want.
You may not want to realize, but it has long since been removed from the voters.