Letter: Deal or no deal?

Editor: No, by deal or no deal, I don¹t mean the popular TV game
show, but rather, Ray Holley¹s recent characterization of the
Saggio Hills proposal.
Webster shows one of several definitions of ³deal² as a
³transaction, bargain, contract² and ³an arrangement for mutual
advantage.² By that definition, the Saggio Hills proposal is
definitely a deal. However, by Ray¹s personal financial metrics, he
does not consider it to be a ³fair deal.²
When the benefits to our city over 20 years are totaled, the
combination of increased TOT tax, property tax, sales tax, land and
financial contributions to a 37 acre public park, a fire
substation, a 14 acre affordable housing site, hiking trails,
infrastructure and grading for the donated lands adds up to an
astonishing $126,000,000. This does not even include the social and
financial benefits of the estimated 200+ new jobs which this
project is estimated to create. Now that¹s a ³real deal.²
Whether you divide by 4,400 tax parcels or the 4,000 households
in Healdsburg, the $126,000,000 equates to about a $28,000 benefit
per tax payer.
Those who consider that 100 percent developer payment for a
community wide park should be a God given entitlement would say
disparagingly ³big deal.²
While $28,000 per tax payer may not match F.D.R.¹s ³New Deal² of
the 30¹s, in my view, it is a ³good deal² for us all. The fact that
the horse trading negotiations between the City and the developers
has ³sweetened the deal² since the original proposal in January, is
not a negative, but rather a testament to the benefits of free
market processes.
Even though the City is yet to ³seal the deal,² the developers
donated $53,000 for the third party, community park needs
assessment. This contributed significantly to the development of a
community based park site plan. The developers have also offered to
pay for a similar needs assessment to insure community involvement
in the development of the affordable housing site.
Does that not speak to the ³fairness² and ³good faith² aspects
of the bargaining process?
It is time to dot the i¹s, cross the t¹s, submit the project for
LAFCO review and EIR study so that we can all begin to reap the
benefits of a ³done deal.²
Mel Amato, Healdsburg