HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-01-2025_Open Session_General Comment_Mitchell, Hank_RedactedFrom:Genoveva Rocha
To:PublicComments
Subject:FW: CONTINUOUS CONSTRUCTION FAILURES AT VERDEMONT RANCH DEVELOPMENT / GFR / FELIX ROBLES
Date:Thursday, March 27, 2025 3:53:10 PM
Attachments:image001.png
Genoveva Rocha
City Clerk
City of San Bernardino – Office of the City
Clerk
Physical Address: 201 North “E” Street, Suite A
Mailing Address: 290 North “D” Street
San Bernardino, California 92401
Office: 909.384.5002
Rocha_Ge@sbcity.org | www.sbcity.org
From:
Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2025 3:51 PM
To: Genoveva Rocha <rocha_ge@sbcity.org>
Subject: Fw: CONTINUOUS CONSTRUCTION FAILURES AT VERDEMONT RANCH DEVELOPMENT / GFR
/ FELIX ROBLES
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CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO
ATTENTION:
3-27-2025
city manager,
economic development,
community development,
code enforcement,
building and safety,
Public Works
mayor,
5th ward council person
Re: Verdemont Ranch construction project negative impact on Verdemont safety ( all phases)
Ladies and gentlemen,
Please note the attached photos of another hillside failure at the
Verdemont Ranch hillside development project.
This project from day one has had so many numerous hillside
engineering / grading failures; flooding of homes and properties
below said project; flooded streets and yards below this project;
damaged vehicle by sub contractor; sub-terranian street
infrastructure failure; CLEAN WATER ACT violations, ongoing ,
from run off onto homes, public streets and accesses , leaving
residue on streets and not cleaning those muddy residue failures
up on all impacted thoroughfares. The developer has constantly
left local residents to clean those failures , as well as the city
public works also, failed every time, to assist the public to clean
up the city streets from deluge run off from Verdemont Ranch
project. It seems that the failure list is allowed to grow
constantly.
The photos show once again the hillside improperly prepared
for rain run off , compromising the above soils stretching away
towards the future homes to be built near by, and the
infrastructure of Ohio street adjacent to this and previous
failures and most importantly, the homes below this hillside or
their assets.
These many , many failures , well noted in the last years of all
phases of Verdemont Ranch have brought not just anxiety as to
"what next", but "why is the city allowing such poor
craftsmanship".
Common sense would require proper soil retention
engineering, techniques and procedures to eliminate what has
been a history of this project's failures. In these most current
failures that abut to neighboring parcels, causing extreme
hazards to the adjoining parcels, and leaving the homeowners
with anxiety of what will this project do next to cause worry and
damage to those homeowners' properties or even devalue since
this project is on record to have numerous hillside failures that
could fail again and must be noted to potential buyers of the
lands below this project..
Today, it appears that the whole hillside will need a deep soil
removal and re-compact to the riparian stream bed , back up to
the road bed level with a deep penetrating embankment
reinforcement to bring the movement of the hill to a stop.
Any major failure at a later date, the city will be the co-
defendant from torts that will surely happen; and the city today,
is on notice that all these failures are recorded and should
history of failure re-emerge, the city cannot escape the
responsibility of failing to act responsibly today.
Please note, this letter is Bcc to all the lower parcels affected by this project and are in
constant updates of any communications on these issues..
Since the city does not have a confirmed constant "city
attorney”, based on MCC conversations at the dais and Closed
sessions; the city manager can forward this letter to who ever
the city claims for a city attorney for record keeping.
Mr. Merrill is very knowledgeable on this issue and has history
of the "03 /'04 floods as well in years that followed.
That would include the numerous issues surrounding the
Verdemont Ranch project, and any other nearby projects that will
engage the current failed hydrology drainage issues near the
Meyers Creek drainage system. Veremont Ranch project is a part
of that system and is contributing mud flow into that system
currently and for all intent purposes, forever at this point.
Clean Water act violations; damages to neighboring parcels and
assets; failed grading issues; flippant attitude toward cleaning
up what the project as wrought by the developer; leaving
affected homeowners to have to claim insurance coverage and
deductibles instead of offering to cover damages caused by
developer’s unsafe operations;and the city turning to look away
apparently instead of demanding quality; safe ; clean ; proper ;
responsible development is equally appalling.
I hope the city will not take these issues lightly, as much has
been given slack attention and will show up in the future in
failures that were predictable due to all parties involved.
Ok, everyone, the “ball is in your park”. Are you going act
properly or keep turning to look away?/ Wil Oxbow be your
next forgiveness vs permission. Is the CLEAN WATER
ACT, SAFE AND RESPONIBLE DEVELOPMENT JUST
WORDS?
Sincerely and with Apprehensions of more city failure to
act;
Hank Mitchell
Land manager
Coyote Rock Ranch ( est 1881-Meyer )