The Bee reports Bad news for Bobbie from Bonta over Elk Grove 'classism' and Oak Rose Boondoggle
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2024/04/the-bee-reports-bad-news-for-bobbie.html
Today, the Sacramento Bee's opinion page had an unflattering piece about Elk Grove and Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen.
The piece by Robin Epley titled "California's Attorney General has a message for Elk Grove: You are not off the hook" provides new information, including direct quotes, from Attorney General Rob Bonta about his fair housing lawsuit against Singh-Allen and the city.
The attorney general filed a lawsuit against Elk Grove for its July 2022 rejection of the Old Town Oak Rose affordable housing project. Even though the city settled with the Oak Rose developer to move their project with $10 million in taxpayer money, that settlement has not eliminated the Bonta lawsuit.
Even after the Oak Rose lawsuit was settled, Bonta's lawsuit continued to be on the city council's closed-session agenda. Epley's questioning of Bonta confirms that the lawsuit is being pursued and that the attorney general still wants the Old Town site used for affordable housing.
Epley's story can be viewed here or in the PDF file posted below.
In the complex realm of politics, Elk Grove's posturing on the Oak Rose lawsuit, seemingly to appease a handful of vocal opponents, could potentially backfire. Given Bonta's firm stance on fair housing, the city's actions might not yield the desired results.
In the worst-case scenario, Elk Grove could pay $10 million to the Oak Rose developer and still be obligated to develop affordable housing in Old Town. Not a good look for Singh-Allen as she aspires to someday ascend to the U.S. House of Representatives.
If that transpires, to quote Sting in Synchronicity II, for Singh-Allen and her four councilmen, that would be "a humiliating kick in the crotch."
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The mere fact that Bee reporter Robin Epley still has her job shows how far Elk Grove City Hall muscle has fallen. It would appear that the City's high-priced chess game is over--CHECKMATE!
So we're already down over $9M to the Long Beach boys and it looks like the State is going to want their pond of flesh, maybe another $2.5M, perhaps more to show the rest of the state they mean business with SB35. If Bonta holds off settling past June 30, us taxpayers will be on the hook for an additional $2.2M to the LB boys on top of whatever settlement the state demands. Great negotiating by our city attorney! It just keeps getting uglier for the mayor and counsel. Bonta's using EG as an example to every other city; don't mess with SB35 and you start better start building affordable housing now or the hammer's coming down hard.
All of this to placate 17 residents of old town. Go figure!
I hope they kept the receipt for the "Thank You, Mayor Bobbie" sign in old EG.
Bonta makes it clear, he wants low incoming housing on the original Oak Rose site in Old Town. If he gets it, we just wasted over $9,000,000 + to move the original site and we’ll still have low income housing after the NIMBYs fought so hard to save that exact parcel from this exact land use. Talk about ineffective and wasteful government!
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