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• Mt°G°k tr 9V�t'6�s Subject: FW:Johnson Drive EDZ Workshop fAL I�MI EMA1L i'r,JVided to the City Council rater Distribution of Packet From: Matt Sullivan �`Z, Sent:Tuesday,April 12, 2016 11:13 AM Date Subject:Johnson Drive EDZ Workshop Dear Mayor, Councilmembers, and Commissioners, There are so many problems with the Johnson Drive EDZ project that I almost don't know where to start. The shocking inconsistency of this proposal to our General Plan polices for sustainable development Massive traffic and air quality impacts and the resulting quality of life degradation in surrounding neighborhoods • Lack of funding for and disregard of key traffic mitigations on the freeways • A severely flawed economic and fiscal study—the subject of a separate email I sent to you last week— that minimizes the likely negative impacts to our existing and small businesses • The fact that the developer refuses to pay a third of the infrastructure costs and expects a taxpayer subsidy of$5 million to build the project—unprecedented in the city • An approval process that undermines public participation and precludes our constitutional rights to overturn project approvals by voter referendum—another precedent With all these problems, why is the city still moving full speed ahead with this project? What I have heard is that the new tax revenue from the project will help pay for desired capital improvement projects such as a new library and City Hall or additional park features on the Bernal Property. But even if you believe the best-case projections of the fiscal study—which I don't-the new revenue will be less than one percent of the combined annual operating and capital improvement budgets. The revenue from the Costco alone will be less than one- half of one percent. This is hardly the cash-cow it's portrayed to be and will not come close to paying the hundreds of millions of dollars required for these projects. And this doesn't account for the taxpayer subsidies which will reduce this revenue further and which we still don't know the details. My recommendation is that you direct staff to implement Option 1: Stop work on the EDZ now. If you decide to go with Option 3, you should NOT certify the EIR nor complete the zoning changes now, but place the existing citizens' initiative on the ballot for the November election. Moving forward with the zoning now is the key strategy the city is using to limit public oversight of this project and should wait until after a public vote. Also, you should not place a Council sponsored competing initiative on the ballot as a cynical attempt to confuse the voters—as a previous Council did with Measure QQ. Over the past couple of years, this Council has pursued a path supporting developers and the Chamber of Commerce but one at odds with the desires of the public. The 2500 unit East Side proposal which you had to drop due to overwhelming public opposition, Lund Ranch II where you violated Measure PP and are now facing a voter referendum, and now this project. The public has lost faith that the Council will represent their best interests and have therefore taken a proactive approach of an initiative measure to stop the big-box component of this project. While it's true that you have the power to approve this while ignoring the will of the people, the people will hold the ultimate power come November when many of you will be up for reelection. Thank you. Matt Sullivan 1