CordeValle issue returns Sept. 4 to county planning
commission
SAN JOSE – CordeValle country club is trying to cut a deal with the county that would establish a youth foundation generating $25,000 a year in charitable donations in lieu of increasing public access to the ritzy San Martin golf links.
The foundation would fund existing youth sports programs and host some events that would ultimately expand into a student scholarship and grant program. If Santa Clara County planning commissioners sign off on the deal, CordeValle would not have to open their resort to the public seven days a week as county staff has recommended.
The Planning Commission Thursday delayed making a decision on whether to accept the offer from CordeValle. CordeValle officials will have to make their case again at the Sept. 4 planning commission meeting, when commissioners will review further the public access issue.
A full agenda and a separate review of who should pay for monitoring CordeValle’s environmental impact mitigation took time from the public play discussion.
“We were disappointed in the results of the commission hearing,” CordeValle General Manager Joe Root said. “Hopefully this will get settled next month.”
The county initiated a process to revoke or modify CordeValle’s use permit several weeks ago after receiving complaints there was insufficient public access to the 18-hole, 7,169 yard, par 72 course.
CordeValle’s permits require 60 percent of tee times to be open to the public.
At issue is the definition of public access. CordeValle tallied tee times for its lodge guests and guests of members as public play. However, in August 2002, the county made the club allow phone-in registration for Monday through Wednesday tee times.
Now the county is pushing for seven-day-a-week phone-in access.
As for the environmental issues, planning commissioners decided Thursday CordeValle should pay the costs associated with monitoring mitigation measures. A letter form the state Department of Fish and Game lists 20 environmental mitigation measures CordeValle may be out of compliance with. A key piece of mitigation CordeValle has yet to satisfy is the construction of ponds for certain species lost due to construction at the site.
“We’re still going over all the mitigations to get a clear picture of what CordeValle still needs to do,” county planner Gary Rudholm said. “It’s a complicated process.”
