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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

February 26, 2002

Alamo Creek developers aid supervisor

Board chairman says he won't be influenced by contributions

By Dwight King-Leatham
STAFF WRITER

Developers of a proposed 1,400-unit housing project in the Tassajara Valley have donated to the campaign of a key elected official in Contra Costa County, according to county Election Department records.

Board of Supervisors Chairman John Gioia of Richmond started his one-year term as chairman last month by nominating himself board representative to the Contra Costa Transportation Authority.

The authority is taking up the Tassajara-Alamo Creek projects as part of its review of county efforts to curb both development and traffic congestion.

Alamo Creek is the proposed subdivision of developers Shapell Industries, Ponderosa Homes and Braddock & Logan. The units include mostly up-scale homes with some affordable senior and family apartments, to be built on 766 acres of open range land along Camino Tassajara just south of Blackhawk.

The projects could come to an authority vote in the next two months.

Gioia is seeking re-election as supervisor this year with no challenger.

In candidate and office-holder reports filed with the county Elections Department, some of the gifts to Gioia from those involved in Alamo Creek included: Shapell Industries, $2,000, Aug. 15, 2001.

Braddock & Logan, $750, June 14, 2001.

Diablo Vineyard Planting and Management, $250, June 26, 2001.

Ponderosa Homes, $500, Aug. 23, 2001.

D.K. Associates Inc., $750, Dec. 31, 2001.

Engeo Inc., $750, Dec. 31, 2001.

Gioia reported receiving $6,350 from the companies when combined with a number of other builders and developers, including $2,500 from Home builders of Northern California PAC.

On Monday Gioia defended his decision to accept the gifts.

"I received a broad range of campaign contributions from throughout the county," he said. "I receive a balance of labor and business and individual donations -- very balanced."

Gioia said the gifts will not alter his vote. "I vote on the merits."

By naming himself to the Transportation Authority commission, Gioia bumped Supervisor Donna Gerber from the commission.

Along with Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier, Gioia has advocated "smart growth" since August 2000, when supervisors voted to keep Alamo Creek alive by leaving Alamo Creek inside the county's tightened urban-limit line.

Gerber, an authority commissioner since taking office as a board supervisor in 1996, has fought hard to keep the county from approving the Alamo Creek developments, which she points to as promoting sprawl development.

In the next few months the Transportation Authority board could take a crucial vote on how well the county handled both development and helping cut traffic congestion in 2000 and 2001, said Authority Executive Director Bob McCleary. The authority could decide to withhold up to $2 million from the county roads programs in yearly, one-half-cent sales tax revenues.

Voters approved the Measure C sales tax to pay for programs aimed at managing congestion, McCleary said.

The authority could vote on the county's compliance with authority guidelines even before county the Board of Supervisors vote on the developers' request to subdivide the Alamo Creek housing, said McCleary.

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