Ponte Vista Newsletter for May, 2007

Perhaps I am actually living in a dream world. Perhaps we all are living in that same dream world.

Bob Bisno authored an article titled; "The Truth About Affordability" in the May 2007 Ponte Vista at San Pedro newsletter.

In that article, the following sentence was made, and I am quoting if from the actual newsletter;

"As a part of our environmental review process, we provided a detailed breakdown of the number, size, and type and estimated price rang for the project's 2,300 units."

Now can anyone please tell me where I can read this breakdown on my own?

I haven't been able to read that breakdown, anywhere in the DEIR. There has never been a full disclosure or discussion with all the members of the CAC during any of their meetings, including the ones with the Planning Department where Bob and his staff had ample opportunity to assist the CAC members with that information.

If that information was produces and made available to the public during the last several months, perhaps we all could have learned much more of what Bob was planning. The CAC probably would have benefited greatly having that information, so they could have made different choices for their concepts of the project.

It is also notable that the article was delivered after Bob had stated that he will have a new proposal forthcoming, so I suspect the price ranges and the rest of the breakdown will change.

I don't think there is any reason, at this time, to discuss the qualifying incomes for purchasing units at Ponte Vista because they may change with Bob's new proposal. There will be plenty of time to discuss that after June 18.

Also contained in the article was this statement; "(based on current costs and the current project composition.)" This article was written before Bob announced his change of plans and composition of the development.

The newsletter also contains photos of three groups that were beneficiaries of contributions from the Bisno Development Co. I am sorry that R Neighborhoods Are 1 do not have the funds to contribute to worthy groups. We try to "buy" your signatures using only common sense, politeness, good information, and trying our best to make OUR community the best it can be. Thank you to over 8,200 folks who have accepted our "contributions", for your signatures on the R1 petitions.

The newsletter also carries a list of members of two advisory boards for the Ponte Vista development. There may be a list of prominent folks on the steering committee that will be posted on the R1 Web site, but that is not for me to determine.

There are two names listed that I want to single our for thank yous. Carol Rugnetta and Mary Jo Walker both spoke to the CAC or wrote in the Daily Breeze that they favored a compromise to Bob's 2,300-unit plan. These are the only two members who have been willing to state publicly their wish for something other than 2,300 units. It is a shame to think other members of the advisory boards might have wanted fewer numbers of units, but were not willing to share that information with the CAC or the community. Now it seems that there will actually be fewer total units at Ponte Vista. I guess we'll just have to wait to see if the other members use any of the excuses listed on a prior post, for why they chose not to speak out earlier. Just consider how long we all have been going at this and how we are all still so far apart.

It didn't have to be this way.

There is a great picture of Ramona Hurtado smiling and holding her great-granddaughter Violet, on the back page of the newsletter. As a supporter of Bob Bisno, she probably entrusts the future of her wide-eyed great-granddaughter's community, into the hands of Robert H. Bisno.
The question is, do you trust the future of OUR community with Bob Bisno as the developer of Ponte Vista?