HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 4.B Late Document 03 01/25/2010From: Anthony Mills [acmills1@msn.com]
Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2010 8:41 AM
To: -City Clerk
Subject: Fw` East Washington Place -Agenda Item 4B
Dear Ms. Cooper,
Could you add my email below to the council package for the January 25, 2010 meeting -Item 46?
Thank you..
----- Original Message -----
From: Anthony Mills
To: mike4pet(a~aol.com ; mthealy a(~,sbcglobal.net ;David Glass ; david(cr~davidrabbitt.com ;Pam Torliatt ;Teresa Barrett ;
Tiffany Renee
Cc: citymgr a(~,ci.petaluma.ca.us
Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2010 8:35 AM
Subject: East Washington Place -Agenda Item 4B
Dear Mayor Torliatt and City Council,
Please consider my comments below regarding the East Washington Place project (Agenda Item 4.B.).
I have been in favor of this project from its inception and was looking forward to the completion of the center in 2011.
However, since the filing of a lawsuit by the applicant, I have reconsidered my support. The claims in the lawsuit are
absurd. I can only speculate that it is a business strategy intended to intimidate the council into acquiescing approval of
the EIR and subsequent maps. The filing came as a great surprise given that the item did not go before the Petaluma
City Council for the first time until January 4, 2010, and there was direction to bring it back at the next council meeting. I
know that the project has not progressed as planned and the applicants are frustrated. However, that is the nature of
major development and its inherent risks, and does not justify the tactic of pursuing an erroneous lawsuit. Unfortunately,
now the project has become even more controversial and the relationship between the applicant and the city is
adversarial.
Regardless of the motive behind the lawsuit, it is very important that the seven of you are united in your condemnation
and defiance of this action. The issue is no longer about the processing of an application. It has now become a challenge
to the lawfully established and accepted procedure for reviewing and approving major development in Petaluma. The
lawsuit is not against four city council members - it is against the entire city. It is your responsibility as our elected
representatives to collectively defend and fight for the position of the city and its residents in this court case despite what
your personal views may be. Petaluma is not comprised of timid or desperate citizens who can be bullied into submission
and coerced to abandon or alter their adopted systems of government by lawsuits. It is your duty to reflect the strength of
this community, and make it known that we will not be intimidated by underhanded legal proceedings. Most importantly, it
would be unethical and inexcusable for any of you to, or appear to, support or encourage the plaintiff in this lawsuit
against the city while holding office as a city council person.
I urge you to take the position that there will be no further processing of the application as long as the Regency Center
Corporation maintains this lawsuit. The city must not set a precedent that will persuade applicants to use lawsuits as a
means to negotiate conditions. of approval. Hopefully, it will be impressed upon the Regency Center Corporation that the
sooner they drop this action and resume working with the city in a manner that is cooperative and respectful of its policies,
the sooner both parties can benefit from the completion and operation of the facility, and the sooner citizens like me can
renew our support.
Therefore, I am asking you tq adopt the recommendation of the City Manager to delay action on this item as described in
his memo,. and do.so unanimously.
Thank you very much
Anthony Mills