Rancho del Pueblo Facts

Read below to see how you can help save 31 acreas of existing recreational green space!
The City of San Jose proposed the sale of 31 acres of existing recreational green space (the Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course) for the development of up to 570 residential units.
The Community overwhelmingly opposed the sale of Rancho del Pueblo at three community meetings. Out of 650 residents who participated in those meetings, only three spoke in favor of a sale.
The 9/28/11 Planning Commission meeting was the fourth success in a row for the Community and District 5 United in the effort to oppose the sale. The Planning Commission unanimously approved a recommendation from the Envision 2040 Task Force that this City-owned golf course on King Road remain zoned as open space. The San Jose Parks Commission also recommended that Rancho del Pueblo should be retained as open space. The Neighborhoods Commission agreed to write a letter citing the Quality of Life impact of the proposed sale.
The Mayor issued a memo on 9/29/11 that recommends that the City Council “make no change to the land use designation for Rancho del Pueblo” and on 10/19/11 the Rules and Open Government Committee recommended that the Rancho vote get dropped from the 11/1/11 City Council agenda. You may read the Mayor’s memo by clicking here: Mayor’s 09292011 Rancho memo. You may read the Rules and Open Government Committee memo by clicking here: Rules and Open Government Rancho memo 10-19-11.
Lastly, 0n 11/1/11, the City Council unanimously accepted the Envision San Jose 2040 General Plan. The Plan includes the recommendation that the Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course land remain Open Space.

Your efforts turned the tide.

Next Steps for the Community regarding Rancho del Pueblo: Please continue to submit one-click Online Petitions to Council members: https://www.d5leadershipgroup.org/online-petition/.  Each and every petition reminds Council Members that they should not propose converting Rancho to housing in the future.

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The Fact Sheet below is a work in progress by united community volunteers. The most recent update was on 4/9/12.

1. The Community overwhelmingly opposed the sale of Rancho del Pueblo at three community meetings. The San Jose Envision 2040 General Plan Task Force, the San Jose Planning Commission and the San Jose Parks Commission voted unanimously to retain Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course as open space, but could Rancho del Pueblo still be sold? Yes, the City Council could choose to disregard all the recommendations and the community and still sell Rancho del Pueblo!

2. If the Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course is sold, is the City’s plan to use the funds to fix potholes, hire police officers, or keep libraries or community centers open longer? No. Instead, most of the funds will be used to provide a subsidy of $21 million to another golf course.

3. Did the funding that some people believe Rancho del Pueblo should repay also help fund other City properties? Yes, the funding that some people believe Rancho del Pueblo should repay also helped fund the Berryessa Community Center, Camden Park, Murdock Park and the Hayes Mansion.

4. Why was the information above not being presented by the City in Community meetings? The information above became available due to multiple inquiries to the City by District 5 United members and supporters. It appears that the City’s request for an expedited process did not provide adequate time for thorough research.

5. Why is the City proposing to sell Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course instead of other existing recreational open spaces that might generate more revenue? The primary reason the Rancho del Pueblo property is being targeted appears to be because it can possibly be sold without voter approval for housing development, which makes the land very valuable.  Other existing recreational open spaces with a parkland designation can’t be sold without voter approval.

6. How much is still owed on the land purchased for the Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course? The City stated that $5.6 million in land debt is owed on the Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course. This amount is less than the unplanned construction cost increase of $7 million for the Los Lagos Golf Course, which increased from an original cost estimate of $14 million to a final cost estimate of $21 million.

7. Could the land debt for the Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course be reduced? It appears that the bond/debt cannot be refinanced until after August 15, 2017 without the City paying a very significant pre-payment penalty. This penalty will also have to be paid if the land is sold, which will waste millions of taxpayer dollars.

8. Could other City-owned properties be sold to pay off the land debt for the Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course? Yes, other City-owned properties could be sold to pay off the land debt for the Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course.

9. The City is proposing the sale of other City-owned property. Are there other City-owned properties proposed for sale that are also existing recreational open spaces? No. District 5 appears to be the only District that stands to lose an existing recreational open space.

10. I understand that the community is united to oppose the sale. What are the community’s concerns? The following community concerns have been voiced:

• Traffic impacts
• Reduction of open space
• Pollution & health concerns
• Loss of a unique community asset
• Permanent loss of a health and recreation venue serving both children and seniors alike
• Further reduced accessibility to the sport of golf to underserved communities
• Relocation of The First Tee program away from the Eastside community

11. How many youth are involved in The First Tee? The First Tee of Silicon Valley has over 14,000 youth in the greater San Jose area as well as other areas of Santa Clara County since 2005. This number includes approximately 2,000 youth who have taken their in-depth life skills classes at Rancho del Pueblo and over 12,000 youth who have participated in their outreach programs at local schools, primarily Alum Rock Elementary and Rocketship Education Charter Schools. The First Tee is currently running programs in cooperation with AREUSD and Rocketship physical educators within 20 elementary schools. In 2012, The First Tee estimates that at least 600 youth will participate in their in-depth classes at Rancho and 5,000 will participate in their programs at school. The First Tee plans for these annual numbers to reach 1,000 and 10,000, respectively, by 2015.

Rancho is a unique and ideal facility for TFTSV’s life skills programs because of its layout and the neighborhood in which it is located. The close proximity of clubhouse, putting, short game and range areas is very important for youth programming. Safety is a top priority. TFTSV endeavors to make the game of golf and its inherent positive values accessible to all youth. Developing the character of East San Jose youth is a top priority of TFTSV. Rancho is an essential asset for TFTSV.