Contra Costa Herald News Of By and For The People of Contra Costa County November 14, 2021 By Publisher Leave a Comment Lafayette Saranap Mailing Address Place Change Affected Parcels Over the objections of Contra Costa County Assessor Gus Kramer, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved the situs address change from Walnut Creek to Lafayette of 465 properties in the upscale Saranap area for purposes of the upcoming 2022 delivery of the secured property tax roll to the Auditor. Those properties are located within the Lafayette School District At the request of Area 2 Supervisor Candace Andersen of Danville supervisors voted 5-0 to approve the unusual request that will very likely boost property values of the 465 properties tagged in the situs address change from Walnut Creek to Lafayette Andersen told supervisors she had been approached by property owners in the Saranap area since 2019 to make the change because the properties are located within the boundaries of the Lafayette School District and are in the sphere of influence of the City of Lafayette But Kramer opposed the situs change contending it might violate Proposition 19 and the property inheritance rights of children of current property owners “I am concerned about the legal issues,” said the county assessor Thirty-year Saranap homeowner Joyce Coleman told supervisors she supports the situs change because it will help future residents know what schools their children will attend “There’s always been confusion over whether children will attend Walnut Creek or Lafayette schools This will help solve that problem,” she said who has announced she will not seek re-election in 2022 You’re already in the Lafayette school district I am doing this only out of respect for Supervisor Andersen.” Supervisor Andersen noted that after petitioning the United States Postal Service the USPS approved the request to add Lafayette to its mailing routing system as a recognized city mailing address for the 465 properties The postal service now recognizes both Lafayette and Walnut Creek as city addresses for the area County Receives $7.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act Funds Supervisors learned additional federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds will be heading to county coffers in ensuing months after $7.4 million have been spent during the first quarter of 2021 The county Employment and Human Services Department has received $4,694,377 the county Health Services Department has received $2,604,182 and the Department of Conservation and Development has received $90,215 said assistant County Administrative Officer Tim Elway county departments spent $71.6 million ARPA funds for rental assistance services The Health Services Department submitted an expenditure of $20.9 million for pandemic responses the County Administrator’s Office had identified $317,327.304 in ARPA funds allocated to the county $127,606.231 had been received by the county and represents two of the largest funding sources for the county – $112,029,451 for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund and $15,576,780 for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program Hire New Director of Child Support Services from San Joaquin County Supervisors voted 5-0 to hire San Joaquin County Director of Child Support Services Lori Cruz as the new Contra Costa County Director of Child Support Services at an annual salary of $345,796 of which $56,489 are pension costs who holds a Juris Doctor from Catholic University of America and a Bachelor of Arts Political Science and Print Journalism from the University of Southern California has served as the Director of Child Support Services in San Joaquin County the same county where Contra Costa County Administrator Monica Nina was county administrator until her appointment late last year Cruz replaces the current director of child support services Melinda Self Upon accepting the supervisors’ hiring “I can bring my 31 years of child support experience to Contra Costa County and bring positive outcomes to your constituents.” who has been a member of the California State Bar since 1989 has served as director of San Joaquin County Child Support Services from April 2014 to present date she was employed as the Deputy Director of Operations of the Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department During her career she developed programs to analyze departmental data to measure performance and effectiveness of services leading a statewide effort to obtain significant data to measure performance and effectiveness of services and leading a statewide effort to obtain a new funding model for local child support agencies Filed Under: Central County, Government, News and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Copyright © 2025 · Contra Costa Herald · Site by Clifton Creative Web White-domed sanctuary divided tiny town of Saranap Music and culture publication Fader took a look this week at the startling but tranquil Sufi temple in Saranap financed largely by Cheesecake Factory founder David Overton Several obvious questions present themselves—chiefly where is Saranap and why does it now have a $20 million Sufi temple is a small town of just over 5,000 in Contra Costa County bounded on the south and east by Walnut Creek and on the north and west by Lafayette but those who don’t recognize the name right off the bat can hardly be blamed Back in 2006 the San Francisco Chronicle wrote of the town: you could pass through Saranap without ever knowing it There are no welcome signs for this Balkanized village and the name isn't on any business in the commercial strip You can't even find it on an addressed envelope the only place that honors it is the Saranap Filling Station A post shared by Thomas Craig Bryars (@omgiloveberkeley) on Mar 18 Apparently the village has always kept a low profile Which makes the addition of its new multi-million dollar Sufism Reoriented center at 11 White Horse Court (which officially opened in March) all the more surprising In 1952, Indian-born spiritual leader Meher Baba—who, according to his followers communicating to his congregants through written means only—founded his Sufism Reoriented order in tiny Saranap A post shared by San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) on Mar 7 Sufism is a branch of Islam, noted for its mysticism, meditation practices, and music and poetry tradition. The Oxford Islamic Studies center says the faith emphasizes “cultivation of the soul over social interaction” and “emotion and imagination” over literalism and logic tells Curbed SF that the Saranap congregation does not identify as Muslim “In 1952 Meher Baba totally reoriented this spiritual order and school to make it an entirely new spiritual path intended for living a life of love and service in the Americas,” says Knowles “Today Sufism Reoriented is a nonsectarian thoroughly American approach to worship.”] The Saranap Sufi sect is relatively few in number (estimates range in a few hundred people) but it seems they’ve mostly just been regarded as part of the community after 65 years They ran a popular elementary school attended by many children outside of their faith; they were recognized for their agreeability and their penchant for dressing in whites and soft pastels walled-off headquarters was a former nightclub called the Iron Gate some locals pushed back when designs for Sufism Reoriented’s huge white 66,000-square-foot sanctuary made up of “13 interlocking domes” came up five years ago A post shared by Jasön ✌ (@__i_jump_vida__) on Mar 31 Walnut Creek Patch reported some of the complaints about the Sufi project at one of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors meetings: Ellen Osmundsen said the project is too big The county board should assemble a task force to examine the effect of the excavation required She suggested Sufi leaders meet with the Saranap Homeowners Organization to come up with "a smaller design to accommodate all of your needs." "I've always valued the quiet nature of our neighborhood with a semi-rural atmosphere I have fought various proposals to take away from that … We do not want to have a showcase A post shared by CreativeEdgeMasterShop (@creativeedgemastershop) on Nov 8 Neighborhood critics questioned why a small religious community needs a temple with more square footage than the White House (albeit two thirds of it underground) and designed by a New York firm, Philip Johnson Alan Ritchie But the Sufis had particular reasons underpinning their designs the color white: these are “a physical expression to the faith principles of a congregation,” [Sufism Reoriented member] Pascal Kaplan said The proposed sanctuary was “sacred architecture.” Despite the wrangling and some harsh words spoken the Sufis eventually got their sacred space founder and CEO of the Cheesecake Factory and a longtime member of the congregation A post shared by Thomas Craig Bryars (@omgiloveberkeley) on Mar 20 Back in March, San Francisco Chronicle urban design critic John King characterized the building as “massive and static” and noted that despite the scale the grounds seem “cramped.” the curvaceous compound radiates an otherworldly air” and called it a one-of-a-kind find in the Bay Area ‘burbs As for the Sufis themselves, head of the order Carol Weyland Conner calls the final structure an expression of “the still sacred space at the center of the human heart where man is joined with and can know God.” A post shared by Thomas Craig Bryars (@omgiloveberkeley) on Mar 20 A post shared by CreativeEdgeMasterShop (@creativeedgemastershop) on Oct 31 A post shared by The Architect's Newspaper (@archpaper) on Apr 29 scheduled a session to continue its deliberation on the project (and appeal of November's approval by the Planning Commission) for 9 a.m again at the Hofmann Theatre in the Lesher Center for the Arts held at the Lesher Center to accommodate the large crowd is for a larger project than the current Sufism Reoriented building on 3.1 acres in Saranap.Hundreds of people attended the hearing The first floor and balcony of the Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts were virtually filled in the late morning and then the crowd thinned out as the afternoon wore on.There were non-Sufi neighbors testifying for the project and non-Sufi neighbors dead set against it Also trooping to the theatre microphones were plenty of Sufi members with enthusiasm for finally getting a sanctuary designed with a white  domed look after more than three decades worshiping in a gray building a converted nightclub that doesn't look like a house of worship.There was a lawyer for the Sufism Reoriented congregation and a lawyer representing the Saranap Homeowners Organization and several individual neighbors opposing the project.Many neighbors objected to: The new sanctuary is designed in a circle with domes because "a circle has no beginning and no end and expresses eternity," said Conner The dome will have tranquil interior spaces in soft white marble.A look at the SufisIndian spiritual figure Meher Baba founded Sufism in 1952 The Sufism Reoriented congregation has been stable in membership at 350 for decades In Walnut Creek they are known for their school the Meher school close to the present sanctuary They have a 70-person chorus and active musical drama program.To the Lesher hearing the Sufis and their supporters wore oversized lapel buttons festooned with green ribbon project coordinator Bob Carpenter asked the supporters to stand and about three-quarters of the hundreds of people in the Hofmann Theatre stood project opponent Gladys Housley said she wanted to ask of those who stood in support "How many of you live in the Saranap neighborhood you cannot fully appreciate the change or the impact this building will bring to our rural community." The Sufi congregation has spent about $800,000 in county fees so far in several years of the county planning process The highest dome in the design will be 33 feet approximately the height of the adjacent LeBoulevard Apartments building About two-thirds of the Sufis' building would be below grade A sampling of Tuesday testimony from opponents of the project:• Ellen Osmundsen said the project is too big. The county board should assemble a task force to examine the effect of the excavation required. She suggested Sufi leaders meet with the Saranap Homeowners Organization to come up with "a smaller design to accommodate all of your needs."• Marilyn Arno said it's the biggest divisio she's seen in 61 years in Saranap nearly as big as the Hearst Castle.• Stacey Bradbury said construction will disrupt two day care facilities on Warren Road with the excavation and construction causing families to take their children elsewhere.• Sherilyn Fry of Warren Road operates one of those day cares Parents come to bring their children and they look at outdoor play "I believe they will consider other family child care places … How will the county compensate me for my loss of income Why won't the board act to protect us now?"• Patricia Smayda said she moved to Saranap because of the wooded setting She said there are other places in Saranap where a big sanctuary could be built.• Sylvia Deward questioned why the Sufis used a high profile architectural firm from New York "to bring a lot more people into our neighborhood than we really need." Sufis represent 5 percent of the Saranap population The excavation for the project would bring water problems to the whole neighborhood she predicted.• Engineer Steven Siegel said there was insufficient sight distance for a Sufi driveway to bring traffic onto Boulevard Way in a curvy as this has been portrayed."• Allan Ferguson of Warren Road said the southern entrance to the property would put people at risk "I feel there's been no attempt to look at the traffic or impact it can have on a rural road."• Randall Harris opposed the "clearcutting" of the project removing oaks and replacing them with non-native trees "I am opposed to any kind of a variance for onsite parking arrangements."A sampling of supporters:• Colleen Thomas who has lived in the neighborhood seven years loves that people walk their dogs and their children and stop to say What's going on?" When she heard of the Sufis' faith in the goodness of the heart but she has since concluded "it is a phenomenal belief system."• The Rev Brian Stein-Webber of Contra Costa Interfaith Council endorsed the proposal representing the Saranap Homeowners Organization and some individual residents "The community is very willing to work with the applicant to come up with a mutually acceptable project," said Flashman Supervisors asked county staff for further analysis of a number of issues before the Feb whose district includes the proposed Sufi sanctuary Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. August 16, 2017 By Publisher 2 Comments Artist’s rendering of the approved Saranap Village Development near Walnut Creek developer Mark Hall finally got the green light from the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors to build his $100 million mixed-use Saranap Village Development in unincorporated Walnut Creek on Tuesday A jubilant Hall told the Contra Costa Herald after the supervisors voted 5-0 that he plans to begin construction of the major residential-commercial development in mid-2019 It will be located on 4.6 acres on the southwest side of the Highway 24 and Interstate 680 interchange clustered around the intersection of Boulevard Way and Saranap Avenue Of the 45 persons speaking before the supervisors that will provide 122 rental apartment units and 76 residential condominium units which were a key selling point for supervisors especially Supervisor Candace Andersen whose District 2 includes the development site Longtime Saranap resident Jennifer Russell was one of the few opponents She said the development’s 71 feet height is too tall for the residential area “We’re really a residential area,” said Russell Russell preferred that the project height be scaled down to 57 feet welcomed the project that will bring about 21,522 square feet of commercial space “This development will make the area a destination area for us It will be a wonderful addition for our area,” she said Giving the project an added architectural punch will be a traffic roundabout that will feature a piece of public art work on Boulevard Way “This is a beautiful project,” Supervisor Andersen said “We need all types of housing in the Bay Area One hundred ninety-eight new residential units is a good step forward.” “This is a poster child project that shows how the community and developer can work as a team,” said District 1 Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond this project should not have taken this long yet it is one of the best projects that I have seen.” Mary Brooks of the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce urged supervisors to approve the development that will also include an outdoor seating area along Boulevard Way for commercial tenants Hall has established a Saranap Area Plan with a $50,000 startup fee The plan will serve as a guide for future commercial development and the future location of a park for the Saranap area Other features of the Saranap Village Mixed-Use Project include: So far Hall’s Saranap Village Developers LLC has paid the county $26,095 in total fees for the General Plan amendment ($5,000) and for the final development plan ($3,500) the developer is expected to pay the California Department of Fish and Wildlife a CEQA filing fees of $3,078.25 and a $50 processing fee with the county clerk Contra Costa County estimates to draw $864,416 in yearly tax revenue from the development an increase from the estimated $14,000 a year in tax revenue that the county now draws For more information on the project, visit http://www.cccounty.us/5195/Saranap-Village and http://saranapvillage.com/ Filed Under: Central County, Growth & Development, News, Supervisors February 2, 2018 at 8:56 am Here is another writing sample for you to evaluate in considering my application for the community reporter position February 2, 2018 at 9:37 am County Supervisor Anderson Featured at June Annual Meeting Contra Costa County has scheduled a TRUTH Act Forum on July 24 at 2 p.m for residents interested in the County’s contract with ICE the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency according to District II Supervisor Candace Anderson The sheriff and the probations department will be on hand to answer questions about the County’s implementation of the Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds (TRUTH) Act Supervisor Anderson announced the upcoming forum at the LWVDV Annual Meeting on June 2 She gave a wide-ranging description of her duties as county supervisor representing the communities of San Ramon The County provides many services that the cities do not Supervisor Anderson also represents her constituents on 24 different committees including responsibilities as varied as the Family and Human Services Committee the Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority the Tri-Valley Transportation Council and the East Bay Regional Communications System (EBRCSA) Governing Board Referring to the 2014 ballot initiative in which voters lowered the penalties of many drug and theft crimes from felonies to misdemeanors Supervisor Anderson indicated the change has resulted in some unexpected criminal justice problems shoplifters who steal under $900 worth of merchandise are now only given a citation instead of being arrested Some shoplifters go through stores with a calculator to make sure they are under the $900 threshold to avoid arrest Supervisors are now grappling with the consequences of marijuana legalization Where cannabis has already been legalized in Colorado The County has a Social Host ordinance which can fine parents $1,000 if underage youth are breaking the cannabis law in their homes Stackable shipping containers will be converted into studio apartments for the homeless in Richmond through a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant the County has received Supportive services will be provided on site including help for the 33-40% of the homeless with mental health issues She noted that more people with mental health issues are in jail than in the hospital Supervisor Anderson advised attendees to call 211 if they see a homeless person so the County can reach out with help the county has a ratio of 7-10 jobs per one housing unit Supervisor Anderson discussed housing projects that are or will be coming before the Board of Supervisors at Tassajara Parks Saranap Village and the Seeno development in Alamo Supervisor Anderson noted that the County has 10,000 employees to serve a countywide population of 1.1 million She indicated that she loves her job as supervisor by serving not only the people of her district but the whole of Contra Costa County KQED Live EventsPRX Podcast Garage EventsEvents Around the Bay AreaMember Benefits with KQED LiveVideos from KQED LiveWatch recordings of recent KQED Live events FeaturedThat's My WordAn ongoing exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history See Senior Director of TV Programming Meredith Speight’s recommendations from this month’s KQED 9 Watch recordings of recent KQED Live events Support KQED by using your donor-advised fund to make a charitable gift Tomorrow at a special meeting of the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors HEARING to consider appeals filed by Sufism Reoriented (Appellants) of a County Planning Commission Decision to Certify the Environmental Impact Report and Approve the 66,074 square foot Sufism Reoriented Sanctuary Project with a Minor Subdivision Transportation Demand Management Program and Tree Permit The site is located at 11 White Horse Court and 1384 Boulevard Way in the (Saranap) Walnut Creek area are opposed to the Sufism Reoriented project and that opposition has led to charges of NIMBYISM if not out-and-out religious bigotry We asked people to respond to the issue on our Public Insight Network and the topic received the second-highest number of replies in the almost year-and-a-half since that tool for collecting community opinion launched Here is some of what people replied on the network, followed by selected comments from the Forum message board Would it be better to put a multi-apartment complex or other form of condensed living project warranted by Agenda 21 in this neighborhood instead More traffic would be generated by just one additional apartment block in this neighborhood than this group could ever generate If it's a 66,000 square foot apartment complex it would face the same opposition for the same reasons : inappropriate size development encroachment into a residential area Bulldozing single family homes and old growth trees to make way for an oversize building is wrong For those of us who live in this neighborhood and are very informed about this structure I want to make sure to ask that EVERYONE stop using the religious aspect of bias I have many Sufi friends in this neighborhood I applaud their beliefs When in doubt there is always the need to make it about persecution.. this takes the real fight away from the violations of land use regulations the use of inappropriate calculations for TDM ( Transportaion Department Management) for parking ratios etc I for am so tired of this of this pathetic and calculated endeavor to make us all look like bigots.. but I am not going to tell you where so that my home does not get pounced upon by little yellow and black signs the Sufis submitted their plans appropriately and so the calculations why are you all still harping on that as if it will have any teeth It won't because then the Sufis will have huge standing on which to sue and I doubt the Supervisors will be into that since it's an avoidable situation the only answer that sticks with me as to why you all are still hanging onto the parking issue is that it is not about land use I personally am not going to let you all "scrub" this situation and pretend that there is no bigotry going on so every time you post that there is no bigotry I am going to remind you that multiple opposers at the planning commission meeting It should be noted that every new and innovative project is attacked One classic example is the Golden Gate Bridge The details are different but I think that those who like the design should be heartened by the complaints about aesthetics since the Golden Gate Bridge was described as follows: The Golden Gate Bridge isn't in a neighborhood!!!!!! To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. 2018 at 5:39 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}WALNUT CREEK CA — A "living nativity" recreating the stable/manger setting of the birth of Jesus at 11 White Horse Court (near the intersection of Boulevard Way and Kinney Drive) in Saranap the unincorporated neighborhood between Walnut Creek and Lafayette father and baby will play the roles of Mary images of the Nativity will be projected in the sanctuary and refreshments will be served (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news from your California neighborhood. Also, download the free Patch iPhone app or free Patch Android app be sure to follow your local Patch on Facebook!) the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors will hold another day of public hearings over a controversially large construction project planned near Walnut Creek Sufism Reoriented is seeking to build a 66,000-square-foot sanctuary in the Saranap area a quiet residential community just outside Walnut Creek City limits Hearst Castle and the White House are smaller But congregation leaders say the building won’t look as big as it sounds since two-thirds of it will be underground “The building will be only fourteen feet from the ground to the edge of the roof. At its highest point, the central dome it will only be 33½ feet above ground. This is fully within County code. The average height, including the domes, will be only 17½ feet. This is a modest height for a house of worship," their website says some neighbors are concerned about the project’s size and design as well as potential parking and traffic impacts More than 700 people packed the Lesher Center for the Arts Tuesday for an all-day hearing before the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors attorney for the Saranap Homeowners Association urged Sufism Reoriented to scale back the project “Perhaps all of it fits on their wish list for an ideal facility,” Flashman said “But just because you want a Mercedes doesn’t mean you can’t drive in a Ford.” Flashman and other opponents said the controversy has nothing to do with religion “We have designed our sanctuary to be a physical manifestation of our faith,” said Carol Weyland Conner The Sufis say the design was planned and vetted with care and found to present no significant environmental impact They also point out that the new building will be just down the block from the existing one which has served the congregation for about four decades Sufism Reoriented follows the teachings of its founder an Indian mystic who established the religious sect in 1952 While active in community schools and service projects members say they do not proselytize or publicize their activities