Development on 2.8 acres of privately-owned open space was rejected recently by a 5-0 vote of the San Jose Planning commission. While DeNova Homes will claim the lot was “graded for drainage” NOTHING drains. They have repeatedly voted to convert open space to housing. Finally an e-mail to the owner of DeNova Homes, not that I expect any response or reaction, but more to prove DeNova fails when it comes to their “commitment to quality and integrity.”. It is being supported for signature-gathering by the local group, Martinez Open Space and Park Protection Committee. The Council was forced to make a decision that night, so there was no possibility to study what was presented by DeNova, which included information that no one in the public or on the City staff or Council had seen before. The public is invited to participate in the charrette to form a vision with ideas for improvements proposed to be constructed in the new park. Why after three years had it started leaking? As of now, we haven’t enjoyed our home, it’s been a scene out of The Money Pit, with every day a nice item for our list. The only way I found it was cleaning the bathroom and I noticed the grout in the tile was a dark shade of brown. The City Council is still pursuing their lawsuit against Measure I even though it�s now City law, and, yes, this does not make sense. Following are statements from each of the groups involved in the settlement: On behalf of the Friends of Pine Meadow and its supporters, Tim Platt said: �We believe this settlement will be far better for open space advocates and for Martinez and its citizens than enduring more years of litigation. �Bringing a lawsuit against the City Council and a wealthy developer is a daunting undertaking, but the Council�s and the developer�s actions in rewriting history would have set a dangerous precedent for manipulating our government. The next step is for supporters to collect approximately 3500 signatures of Martinez voters to put the Initiative on the ballot. The legal briefs describing each party's position are under the links section to the left. The City and DeNova Homes are working to resolve issues regarding project plans and permits on the Pine Meadow site. We need your help to tell our Council we expect them to stand up to this threat and protect our community�s standards and Martinez Open Space. It is a major victory for the public at large in protecting the right of every citizen to speak freely and publicly on issues that directly affect their lives. For years, the parties have disagreed about the future of the Pine Meadow property and City policy regarding open space and housing issues. Their detailer did stop by however after a walk through with my wife, he felt the job was too big and would require a crew to fix the list of issues. While there has been some foggy, rainy weather over the weekend, as of this morning nothing had been addressed nor had all the concrete been removed. And a letter from the developer�s lawyer asserts that Pine Meadow is not open space at all, but was designated that way in error over 40 years ago. You take pride in your home. A DeNova customer service representative stopped by early last week, as my wife discussion varies problems still experienced, along with the water leak. About Us. It’s getting to the point, the frustration and disappointment aren’t worth the price of the home and we want to move! The developer appealed to the City Council. Since closing I have sent 4 emails (read #1, read #2) requesting service, detailing all the current issues with accompanying images to show the flaws, unsatisfactory work and problems we want addressed. Measure I, the Martinez Open Space and Park Protection Initiative that citizens voted into law in June, requires that any future housing project on Pine Meadow will be subject to the approval of Martinez voters. The next court hearing on the Pine Meadow Rewrite History suit is January 18, 2019. Northern California is the perfect region. No action will be taken at this time.” At this time, so when it does become wide enough, does it suddenly get repaired with DeNova footing the bill? The Council decided, in a very controversial and undemocratic meeting on January 18 2017, that the designation of Pine Meadow in 1973 as open space was a �clerical� error� and that supposedly the 1973 Council really intended Pine Meadow to be designated for housing. It's free. Water damage is not fun, thankfully it was caught earlier enough that major problems, like we experienced in our first house, didn’t occur. The developer petitioned for a General Plan Amendment that would have allowed housing on 2.8 acres of the 20 acre site. Not knowing what it represented I contacted a friend who was a Comcast installer and he gave me his best guess. It is approximately the size of Nancy Boyd Park. DeNova does, too. The court hearing is scheduled for December 20. DeNova Homes is proud to work with KTGY Architecture + Planning on our Asana community in San Jose and honored to be a finalist at the 2020 MAME awards. All the lawsuits between the parties will be resolved. It wasn’t caught, as it was leaking from the supply line, under the toilet and not on a regular basis. DeNova Homes - Building a Better Community At DeNova Homes, our approach is simple. It’s not just us, as we were told it was. We are thus sorting out iron, aluminum and other metals so that they can be recycled in other reprocessing plants. Winning the SLAPP suit is about more than the Pine Meadow issue. Paradise 360 Paradise Valley North Fairfield, CA 94533. It took approximately two weeks for DeNova to get the personnel to resolve the problem. Martinez voters saw through the Council�s efforts, and the Council accepted the election results enacting Measure I, making it a City law. We will advise you of progress as it occurs. This lawsuit will not deter Friends of Pine Meadow from our mission of urging our Mayor and City Council to protect our open space and park land, and buy Pine Meadow Permanent Open Space/Recreation for public use in perpetuity. Denova. While I won’t recant all the problems we’ve had since we’ve taken ownership, as they are all on my site, just type in ‘DeNova’ in the search bar. They decided that this decision �rewriting history� was so dangerous that it needed to be challenged in court. Our concern with the City Council actions still stands�as does our readiness to help work toward a good result for everyone. The Landing has 98 stylish flats ranging in size from 674 to 1,149 sq.ft. While the remaining items on my list will be carried over, I don’t expect much movement from DeNova to resolve any of them. THE IMPORTANCE OF LETTING people know what they can say on public issues at the Council and in other public forums like the newspapers and the Internet is underscored by the upcoming June Primary election and the many significant issues that will be on the ballot. This past Friday, I walked outside to grab a craft beer from the Coyote 21″ outdoor refrigerator. THE LAWSUIT WAS WON by Friends of Pine Meadow and five individuals. The City of Oakley will be contacted on Tuesday regarding the possibility of a code violation by DeNova. In hindsight, that wet spot was the water leaking in the bathroom. We need your help to continue our work to preserve Martinez open space, Mailing address: Still we continue to see more problems. Committed to creating quality lifestyles for our homeowners, DeNova Homes is a respected Bay Area homebuilder, named Builder of the Year by The Building Industry Association. al. Our open space and park lands will be under more and more pressure from population increases in and around Martinez. Tim Platt and Mark Thomson for Friends of Pine Meadow. Show up at the meeting (7PM, this Wednesday, January 18, 2017, City Hall) and speak out to protect Martinez open space. We believe that the Council is NOT representing all of us in their actions on Pine Meadow. If you have following along, things haven’t gone well after writing our deposit checks and selecting our upgrades at their design center. And including an additional 100 unnamed defendants in the suit posed the specter of a lawsuit against anyone who opposed turning Pine Meadow into housing. We will keep you advised of the next steps in this conflict. Not sure how ANY company sees that as good customer service. Wallet rescue News Pricing Log in Subscribe Contact Information We respond to email about our company, services, and products as quickly as possible. A free inside look at company reviews and salaries posted anonymously by employees. This can be seen very clearly in the front yard right on the property line, as we had a swamp growing in size before a contractor attempted to come out, on the request of our neighbor. �Regardless of the issues, our right to free speech is a cornerstone of our democracy.�, The Court ruling states, �SLAPP plaintiffs do not intend to win their suits; rather, they are filed solely for delay and distraction�and to punish activists by imposing litigation costs on them for exercising their constitutional right to speak and petition the government for redress of grievances.�. See updated pricing and inventory daily. Kay Cox, speaking for Thousand Friends of Martinez, said �This Initiative gives all of us a say in the future of our open space and parks. The Agreement specified a fast timetable for actions to be put in place supporting the settlement provisions. Denova Handy Fan $ 30.44 $ 15.22. Link to City of Milpitas website: http://www.ci.milpitas.ca.gov/, San Jose Planning Commission Votes to Preserve Open Space. About DeNova DeNova Aps is a modern waste sorting company specializing in sorting waste in fractions that can be recycled. More information is available at the website www.martinezopenspace.org. Efforts were made to resolve those issues, but to date the City and DeNova Homes are still working to come to agreement on them. Open space and parks are a �quality of life� issue, and we applaud this local effort to help protect these lands in the face of ever-increasing demands for more development.�. THEY ARE USED BY powerful and wealthy parties to try to silence citizens who oppose them. It flies in the face of the recent California Supreme Court decision in Orange Citizens and circumvents the public right to referendum. I guess this is also not the responsibility of DeNova Homes. This Initiative readopts those provisions in order to maintain continuity and provide fairness to those private property owners. �SLAPP suits like this threaten citizens who speak out against powerful or wealthy interests on public issues. In today�s world, we need to be looking to the future and protecting what is important to us. Measure I succeeded in the face of strenuous opposition from the City Council, including: (1) suing the Initiative proponents, (2) voting to spend $100,000 on high-priced San Francisco lawyers, (3) trying to circumvent the law by keeping the Initiative off the ballot, and (4) attempting to confuse the public with a phony Council-proposed counter-measure and misleading �impartial� analyses. Making public decisions the way the City Council did is not just bad government, it is flat-out illegal.�. We had a copy of the initial walk through signed by the warranty manager, which would allow some leverage to get something done. DENOVA HOMES. MARTINEZ � On Saturday, August 10, 2019 at noon in the City Hall Council Chambers located at 525. Citizens were appalled by the unfair process, the alleged �facts� and the Council decision. Pine Meadow (the Last Martinez Park*) Is �Connected�! Sale! While the parties continue to believe strongly in their respective positions, they acknowledge that opposing views may also have some validity. Hundreds have supported our cause. Friends of Pine Meadow won, and so did the public at large. The refrigerator must be installed with all electrical, water and drain connections in accordance with state and local codes. Together we can help protect Pine Meadow Permanent Open Space/Recreation once again. Martinez News Gazette: Letter to the Editor - Protect Open Space, Contra Costa Times:Public must decide major changes in land-use designation, Contra Costa Times - Martinez: Future of golf course land to be decided by voters, Contra Costa Times - Martinez: City Council may decide to call special election on fate of golf course", ABC7 - PUBLIC OUTCRY OVER MARTINEZ GOLF COURSE SALE CHANGES DEVELOPMENT PLANS, Martinez News Gazette - Pine Meadow petition signatures counted, Martinez News Gazette - Signatures submitted in Pine Meadow golf course ballot referendum attempt, Pine Meadow development on Channel 7 newscast, �Friends of Pine Meadow� express their views on how golf course should be used, Martinez: Planning Commission OKs zoning change for 99-home development, Martinez News Gazette Commentary - In favor of development, Letters to the Editor (on multiple pages), Planning Commission votes to allow Pine Meadow project, Pine Meadow Golf Course subject of heated Planning Commission meeting, Planning Commission to meet Oct. 28th on Pine Meadows project, Planning Commission to revisit Pine Meadow proposal, Agenda and links for Planning Commission 11/12, Agenda and links for Planning Commission 10/28, Link to Pine Meadows Subdivision Information. THE FIRST DISTRICT COURT of Appeal recently confirmed that the tactics of intimidation and harassment used by DeNova Homes, Christine Dean and Civic Martinez LLC were wrong. None of the tile on the floors or our kitchen back splash were sealed. The message otherwise will be that the Council will buckle under, if the developer applies enough pressure. Fall rains have brought back the green to Pine Meadow. Our Referendum will protect Pine Meadow open space until mid-March, 2017, according to our lawyers. If you are considering buying a DeNova Home, I suggest you consider an alternative because this developer has done nothing to win us over since we took ownership, we are just another number to them. ... Home and Health Care UV Disinfection Box with Wireless Charger. This is the sort of “craftsmanship” we have seen since taking ownership this home. Tim Platt of FOPM stated: �The goal of Friends of Pine Meadow has always been to convince our Mayor and City Council to protect our open space and park land, not turn it into housing, and to get them to work on purchasing Pine Meadow Permanent Open Space/Recreation for public use forever. As I am reminded by my realtor, I must give DeNova a chance to fix the problems and have remained rather quiet. In the end, the tile was not able to be dried to the satisfaction of the remediation company and a week later it was all removed to the sub flooring. Bad thing would have been someone could have been severely injured or killed. 628) and are shown in the Initiative. Along with color footprints in the concrete there are chucks of the top surfaces that have start to break off, compromising the concrete. Quick View. Now a month later and we have yet to see or hear back from Kevin, the warranty manager or DeNovaHomes on the rest of our list. We ask the public to continue to support us in this by joining us on Facebook, Friends of Pine Meadow, and here on our website, and by volunteering and donating what you can. those disagreements behind us and move forward for the betterment of the City and all its citizens.�. That and the comment from my wife and son about a wet area just inside his room. Currently the City Council has the ability to convert these lands to other uses. DeNova Homes has not commented on this. Here is the link to the City website where you can e-mail all the Councilmembers, including the Mayor, at one time. This site powered by the First Amendment. Inspiring cities. The other electrical issue was an outlet wired backwards in the closet, which housed the smart panel. The vote was 4-1, with Lara DeLaney voting against the resolution. A day later, we receive a letter on our door from DeNova Homes dated 1-12-18: Their estimate of “2-4 days” hasn’t been realistic. All of the members of the DeNova Homes management team and staff pride themselves on providing the utmost quality in their work and maintaining a dynamic level of dedication and enthusiasm to anything that adorns the DeNova Homes … Received the letter day after it was dated. Instead, the Council surprisingly agreed in a 4-1 vote to accept DeNova�s interpretation, with only Councilmember Lara DeLaney voting No. This excerpt from the City�s letter to the developer states: �As you [the developer] noted in your original application relating to this property, submitted in October of 2013, the property's current General Plan Land Use Designation is Hidden Lakes Specific Area Plan; Permanent Open Space/Recreation Permanent. As each day rolls by we look at our house and yard and those on our streets. The Martinez City Council resolution to reverse the forty-three year old open space designation of Pine Meadow has been challenged in court by Friends of Pine Meadow and Tim Platt, a Martinez resident active in open space/park and other local issues since 1988. This doesn’t come as a surprise, neighbors have similar complaints when I speak to them. As open space, Pine Meadow will be subject to the requirement of Measure I for a public vote on any change of that property designation to residential. All work at the site has been halted while these issues are being resolved. The DeNova/Civic Martinez/Dean SLAPP suit has made many citizens concerned about their right to speak, and that is a critical part of making our democracy work, especially in these times of great controversies.�We urge citizens to let the City Council and candidates for election know how important this right is, and that public education by our City Council is needed in the face of the fear caused by this SLAPP suit� said Thomson. settlement based upon a common vision for the future. �We believe this decision by the Council was wrong on the process used, wrong on the false and distorted �facts� that the Council accepted from the developer and owner, and wrong on the decision the Council made. Or like our list of discrepancies, it was missed. As a warning to future DeNova Homes owners, please rethink your purchase before it’s too late. The Council vote was 4-1 with Councilmember DeLaney voting to support the CITY STAFF REPORT. The parties are now united in their support of this Settlement Agreement and its goals and urge their respective supporters to support it too. The parties reached agreement on a settlement of the outstanding disputes about the disposition of the former Pine Meadow Golf Course and the validity and interpretation of Measure I. The resolution made it possible to approve a 92-house development on the property without the possibility of a citizen referendum to stop it. DeNova Homes is a private, family-owned homebuilder in California. Friends of Pine Meadow thanks all of you who have supported us in our efforts to lead the City Council to serve the needs of all of us in Martinez. Some might consider me boarding crazy, but as of today, 38 days later only 2 out of 63 items have been addressed. We are confident the decision to dismiss the suit will stand, and will keep you informed as it proceeds. The walk through yielded quite a bit of blue tape and some of the similar problems, such as fans and switches not working. Background: On July 17, 2019, the City approved a Final Map for the Traditions at the Meadow (formerly, Pine Meadows), project to be located on the former Pine Meadows Golf Course Property. Leading up to that date I will email you a list of all the subcontractors scheduled along with their arrival timeframes. �The Council�s action, if allowed to stand, would set a dangerous precedent that could embolden other interests to try to reshape city policy and laws using similar ploys, and could be used as justification to undermine decisions that the public has relied upon for decades.�. DeNova Homes is a Concord-based company founded in 1989. Pine Meadow has been designated Permanent Open Space/Recreation since 1973, soon after the owners asked to be annexed to Martinez. In fact, he hasn’t been very easy to get a hold of, so the story goes. It seems this is becoming a standard and poor practice as witnessed now by three separate families living within earshot of each other. DeNova Homes followed through as scheduled, we had a three man crew at our home April 26 and 27 to start working on our punch list (catch up on the continuing sage, here).Many items on the list were paint related, but the overall finishing was very poor quality, appearing to be a rush job by some low bid contractor. The developer then submitted another housing project that called the property residential. (Improvements, CC&Rs and other stipulations are subject to approval of various City officials.) What we should have done suspended closing escrow and forced the hand of DeNova, but we were in a bind because of our move out date at the home we were renting. 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