Veterans Cemetery coming to Irvine

NEW -> Contingent Buyer Assistance Program
San Ramon City take action to reverse Cemetery.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/con...on-city-council-takes-action-oppose-tassajara

SAN RAMON -- Facing a crowd of 400 people and amid a flurry of impassioned speeches, the City Council on Tuesday took a stand against a plan to build a large cemetery in Tassajara Valley.

The council voted 4-0, with Councilman Dave Hudson abstaining, to send a letter to Contra Costa County to oppose building the $35 million Creekside Memorial Cemetery -- with some 100,000 to 150,000 plots and a 50-year capacity. It also would house a chapel and indoor and outdoor mausoleums with extensive landscaping on 221 acres at 7000 Camino Tassajara.

The project was proposed about nine years ago, but since then many homes have been built nearby in Dougherty Valley. The cemetery would be about 2,300 feet from homes on Windemere Parkway.

"What's happened is that thousands of people have moved within a stone's thrown of where this development is proposed," said Councilman Phil O'Loane. "I don't think this passes muster from an environmental standpoint. I don't think it makes sense from a cultural standpoint to a lot of folks. I honor the dead as much as anyone ... but this is an idea whose time has come and gone."

More than 30 people spoke, none in support.

They expressed worries that the cemetery would destroy the area's picturesque landscape, deplete its already scarce water resources, clog its already traffic-ridden streets, lower property values and regularly expose children to the specter of death at too-young an age.

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"In the Asian culture, we don't mix the living and the dead," said Crystal Lu, a San Ramon resident, adding that she and her husband moved to the area for its good schools and natural landscape to raise their children. "But if this cemetery would be built, it would be forcing the idea and image of death down our children's throats. It would be the last thing that my husband and I would want to see.

"And in talking to my neighbors, be it Chinese, Indian or Caucasian, I was not surprised to see that my concerns were echoed by all of them," she said.

Others, such as student Andi Mo, argued that there's plenty of burial capacity in surrounding Bay Area cemeteries, especially with cremation becoming a more popular option.

Holly Newman, who lives next to where the cemetery would be built in unincorporated Contra Costa County, was among a chorus of voices who urged the council to withdraw the city's support of a 2005 resolution to support the idea of a cemetery in Tassajara Valley.

A Tri-Valley task force was created at the time to explore the idea after former San Ramon Councilman Curt Kinney needed to find a place to bury his daughter, who died suddenly on her wedding day.

It led to Danville, Dublin and Pleasanton passing resolutions similar to San Ramon's, though Livermore rejected the idea.

City Attorney Bob Saxe said that because the resolution was passed by a city council so long ago, an action to withdraw support for it wasn't necessary. A letter to the county to express the current council's opposition would suffice, he said.

Councilman Scott Perkins said his biggest concern was how the cemetery would impact water resources in the area. As proposed, the cemetery would use as much as 45 acre feet of water per year, but only 27 acre feet of water is currently available.

"To me, that would have an unacceptable impact on the Tri-Valley wells in existing ranches, farms and residences out there," he said. "They are suffering right now through a drought of historic dimensions. And even in good year, this project could drain that aquifer to an extent that would make the current wells unusable."

He urged those who felt passionately about fighting the project to direct their energies to the county's planning and supervisors boards, which ultimately will make the final decision, though no meeting date has been set on the issue.

"Coming here and telling us that we should pass a resolution against this is a flea on an elephant," he said. "If you really want to take action, you and your neighbors need to participate on whatever happens on the county level. That is where the decision will be made."

Contact Joyce Tsai at 925-847-2123. Follow her at Twitter.com/joycetsainews.
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Irvinecommuter said:
That's a regular cemetery...the one at GP is going to be a Veterans Memorial...very different politically.
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yes very much so.  However, they will build homes around GP before the cemetery so there will be some push back then. 
 
got a response from the mayor.  Unfortunately, it does not really say much.

Mr. <Name>

With the Christmas Season around the corner, I wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

You sent me your email on December 7th expressing your concerns about the proposed Veterans' Cemetery at the OC Great Park

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with me regarding the State Veterans Cemetery.  I instructed my city staff to folow up with you on the status and the future prospects of the cemetery.  I  understand that you have been in contact with City staff as a result, and the information was provided to you.

City staff remains available if you further questions, as do I.

Best wishes,

Steven

Steven Choi, Ph.D.
Mayor
City of Irvine
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yaliu07 said:
got a response from the mayor.  Unfortunately, it does not really say much.

Mr. <Name>

With the Christmas Season around the corner, I wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

You sent me your email on December 7th expressing your concerns about the proposed Veterans' Cemetery at the OC Great Park

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with me regarding the State Veterans Cemetery.  I instructed my city staff to folow up with you on the status and the future prospects of the cemetery.  I  understand that you have been in contact with City staff as a result, and the finromation was provided to you.

City staff remains available if you further questions, as do I.

Best wishes,

Steven

Steven Choi, Ph.D.
Mayor
City of Irvine
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finromation, finromation, we need finromation.
 
"and the finromation was provided to you."

Obviously it's some code word that Mayor Choi uses.
 
jmoney74 said:
"and the finromation was provided to you."

Obviously it's some code word that Mayor Choi uses.
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It probably means the opposite of information.

So, when you go back and say you didnt receive the information, they'll say they only promised "finromation."
 
actually, that's my bad.  That's my typo mistake. 

the email is posted in wechat.  I type the email to TalkIrvine.  That's my typo mistake.  it should be "and that information was provided to you".  I will try to correct in my previous post.
 
Cemetery canceled?  In the latest map from 5P it shows where the cemetery will be as Future Neighborhoods.  Hmmmmmmmmm.  Do they know something?  Big name developers always start their projects well before any official city approvals as they already got the approval before the approval so to speak.

map.jpg



 
test said:
Cemetery canceled?  In the latest map from 5P it shows where the cemetery will be as Future Neighborhoods.  Hmmmmmmmmm.  Do they know something?  Big name developers always start their projects well before any official city approvals as they already got the approval before the approval so to speak.
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My guess is 5P does not like cemetery either.

Latest news is calvet's 500K money is here.  Calvet will hold meeting 01/28 to discuss.

this is in chinese. 
http://site-8304-7039.weitie.co/?from=groupmessage&isappinstalled=0
 
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