| | Published April 25th, 2012
| Council Members Talk Wilder
| | Laurie Snyder | | |
At a nearly packed meeting April 10, the Orinda City Council conducted its annual review of the Wilder Project to determine whether or not OG Property Owners, LLC (OGLLC) is in compliance with its development agreement with the City. Council members learned from City staff that OGLLC has been late making its required payments to the City and in getting paperwork to staff, but still plans to open two Wilder sports fields by June 1, 2012.
According to the staff report, the developer has always paid its fees in the past and there is no reason to believe that OGLLC will not follow through this time. That report and the audio for this meeting are available on the City's web site.
Additional problem areas included OGLLC's failure to obtain required approvals for its bioswale redesign in connection with stormwater management and a delay in making the playfield picnic area accessible as promised.
Council Member Victoria Smith described OGLLC's actions as troubling, but also noted that the February 1 hiring of construction consultant John Tuttle "has been a great way to speed the process."
Tuttle was brought on by the developer and the City to provide construction oversight of the Phase I [playfield] improvements for the City and to facilitate communications between the developer and City staff. His services have been, and will continue to be paid for by OGLLC.
Following deliberation, the Council found OGLLC in compliance, voting 4-0 (with Mayor Steve Glazer recused due to a potential conflict of interest). However, when the developer asked that the City Council authorize the City Manager to accept the improvements and the property for Phase I without requiring any further discretionary action the Council declined, saying that OGLLC needed to get the project done.
Because the project won't be as complicated in its next phases, according to City Manager Janet Keeter, the Council did establish a two-member subcommittee to provide more streamlined oversight moving forward, and named Council Members Amy Worth and Dean Orr as its first appointees.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA