Readers, sorry, this is a long post, but it’s one of the weirder, more disturbing neighborhood disputes I’ve ever come across. The illustration at left says a lot.
On a rainy night two weeks ago, more than 200 residents of Saranap, an older unincorporated neighborhood between Walnut Creek and Lafayette, gathered together. It was the first general meeting of a new campaign called Save Our Saranap.
These were a fraction of the nearly 750 residents who have signed onto this campaign, many anguished and frustrated by a series of disturbing events that have taken place in their neighborhood over the past year.
These events all swirl around on a development, a massive, 66,000-square-foot white domed sanctuary, or “school of worship,” that a Saranap-based religious organization wants to build in their neighborhood.
The organization is called Sufism Reoriented, and the aerial view is above. Sufism Reoriented is based in Saranap and has some 350 members, about half of whom live in there. Save Our Saranap members say they have co-existed with Sufism members peacefully for decades.
Why wouldn’t there be a long history of harmony with Sufism members? After all, Sufism Reoriented says its teachings are “designed for individuals who strive to devote their lives to the love of God through service” and whose members “work in harmony with all religions.” Despite its name, the organization is not affiliated with Islam, but follows the teachings of the late Meher Baba, a spiritual leader from India who chartered the organization in 1952.
Sufism Reoriented also runs the well-regarded White Pony preschool and Meher K-5 Schools in the neighborhood. Some Save Our Saranap members send their children to the Meher school. I, myself, have friends and acquaintances who send or have sent their children to these schools; all report positive educational and social experiences for their kids.
By the way, I don’t live in Saranap, but have friends who do and who have signed onto the Save Our Saranap campaign.
So, what happened to make everything go so wrong?
Late last spring, these friends started telling me head-shaking stories about how their Sufism neighbors were bombarding them with press releases, expensive newsletters, and aggressive door-to-door visits to disseminate information about the project. My friends say the information and the manner in which it was delivered was misleading, evasive, downright deceptive, and condescending. They say Sufism members subtly or overtly played the religious-intolerance card—as in, if you don’t agree with how wonderful this project is, and how wonderful we are, then you are a religious bigot and anti-Sufism.
I myself was contacted by someone advocating the project. He didn’t identify himself as a Sufism member, even though I knew he was. To sell me on the project, he made false claims, such as that there was no opposition even though I knew there was. The communication reminded me of something voiced by a functionary from an Orwellian horror story, a “Freedom-is-Slavery,” denial-of-reality style of propaganda. I immediately understood why my Saranap friends shuddered at the memory of their encounters with Sufism members over this project.
On the face of it, the project sounds oh-so wonderful. The sanctuary would rise on a 3.25-acre site along Boulevard Way. The sanctuary would house classrooms, chorus rehearsal studios, and offices, and those 13 domed structures would be “inspired by Mt. Diablo and surrounding hills.” Sufism Reoriented also claims that the building would be environmentally friendly and would “have little visual impact” on the surrounding neighborhood because two-thirds of it—46,000 square feet—would be built underground.
Best yet, according to Sufism leaders, the project’s designer would be top drawer. The architect would be the world-renowned, Manhattan-based architectural firm Philip Johnson/Alan Ritchie, which built the 101 California Street building in San Francisco, the Crystal Cathedral in Southern California, and Manhattan’s Trump International Hotel and Tower and the “Lipstick” building (from where Bernard Madoff operated his Ponzi scheme) in Manhattan. Meanwhile, the landscaping would be handled by SWA Landscape Design firm, whose clients include the California Academy of Sciences.
So proud is Sufism Reoriented of this proposed project that its leaders say they wouldn’t be surprised if it landed in the pages of Architectural Digest.
My friends and Save Our Saranap leaders contend they never had any objections to Sufism building a new sanctuary in the neighborhood. But, as details emerged, they became concerned about the size and design. They couldn’t see how this big white building—18,000 square feet larger than the new Walnut Creek library and 20 percent larger than the White House—would fit into their neighborhood. It also didn’t make sense that it was being built just to accommodate the activities of Sufism’s 350 members.
“We are not anti-Sufi,” SOS leaders say on their website. “We have neighbors who are Sufis. We have friends who are Sufis. Our concern is that the proposed Sufism Reoriented sanctuary is too large for the site, and needs to be redesigned to be appropriate for our residential neighborhood.”
The situation between Sufism members and non-Sufism members degenerated into outrage and recriminations last summer. There were the two flattering—and in IMHO, insufficiently reported—articles in the Contra Costa Times about Sufism Reoriented and the sanctuary project. One notable thing the Times reporters failed to do was contact the Saranap Community Association, the body that, back then, represented the neighborhood to county planners on development issues. The association was on record as opposing the project because of its size and design.
Also, in documents distributed to neighbors and the press at this time, Sufism was cagey about their project’s size. Even, in its original, supposedly handy-dandy Frequently Asked Question document, it failed to cite square footage in this basic question: “How big will this building be?”
Then came the Saranap Community Association’s annual general meeting on July 10, 2008. My friends and SOS leaders describe the meeting as disintegrating into a “hostile take-over” of the board by Sufism members.
“It was like when the Panzers rolled in as part of their Blitzkrieg,” one Saranap friend told me. He and others say Sufism Reoriented packed the meeting with people sympathetic to its project, and elected two new Sufism members to the seven-member board.
Sufism leaders deny that the takeover was hostile, but one leader, Pascal Kaplan, in a statement that Sufism posted on its website, acknowledges that the meeting got so tense that “three of the three of the incumbent board members and all four of the alternates resigned in a block, leaving a strong majority on the board who are members of Sufism Reoriented.”
Now, with five of the six Community Association board members being Sufism members (as of last count), an alternate neighborhood group has sprung up, called the Saranap Homeowners Organization. Because of this project, this neighborhood now has two associations claiming to represent its interests.
The sanctuary proposal remains in the hands of county planners, who will determine whether an environmental impact report will be required. Meanwhile, the SOS campaign is growing, with its numbers now dwarfing the Sufism membership more than 2 to 1. SOS leaders say Sufism members continue to play the religious-intolerance card and to make misleading claims. One example I found on Sufism’s website: that only “small core of individuals” oppose their project. Check out the online list of residents who have signed on to the SOS campaign and see if those represented constitutes a “small core.”
Here are other key SOS concerns about the project:
— With regard to the eco-friendly, the project will be “very brown” before it becomes green, SOS says. With 46,000-square-feet of the sanctuary underground, the excavation will need more than 3,400 dump truck loads over five months. Rather than “sit lightly on the earth,” as Sufism claims, the project would crash onto the earth, “like a meteor, complete with crater,” SOS says.
–Although Sufism Reoriented describes the sanctuary as “nestling in a glade of trees,” to build it, the plan calls for the destruction of all vegetation and buildings on the site and the removal of all 42 existing trees, including six heritage oaks.
–While the plan describes a park-like setting and two acres devoted to open space, “the development is so massive” that “portions of the garden are grass pavers within the parking lot.”
–This is not a public neighborhood park, as Sufism implies, but private property. Unlike other religious groups, Sufism doesn’t have a tradition of regularly welcoming outsiders into its events or its facilities.
–Those 13 “sloping, saucer domes that mirror the shapes of the surrounding California hills”: SOS says “that’s like saying an oil refinery mirrors the shape of a redwood forest. Stark white, saucer-shaped domes have nothing in common with the hills of California.”
Overall, the 66,000-square-foot size leads SOS members, and me, to question what true long-term goal Sufism Reoriented has in mind. In its online literature, Sufism likes to project an image of modesty and to claim that it doesn’t prosthelytize.
But its own statements also show that it wants to build an architecturally ambitious, internationally admired project. It is therefore reasonable to ask whether this sanctuary is actually designed to host a much larger number of people on a regular basis. Sufism adamantly denies it has grander designs, but the organization’s prior tactics have left my Saranap friends unable to trust what Sufism representatives say.
Also, consider that throughout history, religions—Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims—have built architecturally grand monuments to make grand statements about their world view, to attract new followers, and to spread the word about what they stand for. Sure, these organizations do good works. But history has also shown that religions want to expand the power and wealth of their organizations, and, sometimes, of their leaders.
“I’m beginning to believe that they have their whole identity and future staked on this building,” one Saranap friend told me. “It seems to be the essential centerpiece of all their dreams and illusions of grandeur, and I think they will stop at very little to achieve its establishment.”
SOS just wants Sufism Reoriented to do a better job listening to their concerns “and reduce the size and bulk of the project, provide adequate parking, retain trees, and reconsider the design so it blends in with the Saranap community.”
To sum up, SOS is asking Sufism Reoriented “to be the good neighbors that they have been for many years.”
Crazy in Suburbia 
well – all the more reason to imbibe at the Cheesecake Factory if you ask me – the Dr Jim’s Coffee is to die for… woooo-eee, especially if you substitute Bailey’s for the Grand Marnier.Oh my god people – does it matter where anyone gets their money as long as it’s not illegal?
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I asked someone where the last Cheescake Factory had been opened, before WC. They opened in Modesto! That’s right…take that WC! Second to Modesto. I recommend the Weight Management dinners. Dieting can be fun at the Cheesecake Factory. Go as many times as you can, as many times of day as you can, for as long as you can, and eat as many different things as you possibly can! Apologies to John Wesley.
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oh how hilarious – make me laugh!the Cheesecake Factory diet consists of taking half of it home
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It amazes me that almost all of the information people seek is right on the Sufism Reoriented website. All this information is the same as what has been shared with neighbors in the Saranap (and beyond).Yet people persist in saying “when will you answer our questions?”I say…go inform yourselves with the clear, accurate, and helpful info available to you every second of every day.But, I guess you can’t see the trees for whining about the forest!
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no – the trees are all they CAN see and complain about… pathos
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You’re right! But the SOS will ultimately take a bathos on this whole thing!
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7:13 if this plan goes through there be no trees to see – only saplings for several years.
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lucky saplings!my understanding is that the trees will be older than saplings
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It seems to me that perhaps some SOS neighbors might not be so thrilled with what the leaders of SOS have been saying, particularly since other people have been elevating some facts. Notably, I think most “on the fence” folks probably have been very interested about things like: How many trucks really will it take? Since there really will be FAR FAR fewer trucks than claimed by SOS, then the digging part won’t take as long as SOS also claimed by any meansure.But, also – there is also this huge underlying notion that it’s okay to tell the Sufis what to do with their land that I don’t think people have really spent enough time thinking about.Someone put this post on a later blog about Sufis/SOS that Soccer Mom posted. Not sure people are checking out all 3 blogs that Soccer Mom has now posted so here it is.The poster says “…here’s the thing:RLUPIA allows churches to build with designs that match their faith symbols, not YOUR idea of beauty.As to most of your other comments: neighbohoods since time began, have been upset by dust and noise. It used to be called progress. I am guessing that if someone told you how to landscape your yard or how design an addition to your house, you might just have a HUGE problem with that…but somehow, it seems okay to you to tell a religious group (protected by first amendment) how you think they should design their building and grounds. Not only that, you think it is okay on aesthetic reasons – you sy so yourself – so it is not about “land use” in your case.Perhaps you and the SOS think it is okay to do this since you are in a group and being in a group helps you think your thinking is right; you sit there and tell each other – “yes you are RIGHT!” Well, a gang of rapists thinks they “are right” in some perverted way too when they tell themselves they are entitled to enforce their will on a victim. I think we can all easily see that a gang of rapists is misguided in their desire for control, and quite a few of us non-Sufi neighbors can see that the SOS is misguided in their clear desire for control.Hope this helps!”Yeah, the person was kind of harsh, but they make a serious point here that I think neighbors should really consider. If SOS gets its way and can tell the Sufis what to do, then WHO IS NEXT? What happens if Curtis Trenor or Brian Killian do not think you should get your variance? Well, they’ll have already established themselves via SOS as a group the county listens to – would YOU really want to be on the OTHER side of SOS?Please just think about this some more.
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Once again an anonymous poster has engaged in outrageous hyperbole. Comparing people who are concerned about a huge project in their neighborhood to rapists? Really?How about we stick to the topic and NOT engage in name calling, hyperbole, and general ugliness? It really does nothing to advance the debate – it just serves to upset people and leave them feeling justified in hitting back.I hope the SOS people can rise above this sort of behavior and stick with the facts and the real issues.Dear Soccer Mom – have you considered not allowing anonymous comments? It would do a lot to elevate the level of discourse in these comments.
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Dear 21stCenturyMom,Funny you should bring up my decision to allow anonymous comments on this blog. I was thinking just this morning about doing a post about anonymous comments, and my reasons for allowing them. I understand your concerns. I have heard such concerns expressed before, not so far on my blog but in other contexts. I do have my reasons, which might be similar to other blogs and news websites. Unfortunately, I’m at my day job right now, so I can’t go into my reasons right now. But I’m glad you mentioned it, and I will.I trust that most people posting on this blog are intelligent, thoughtful people. For the most part, that’s what I’ve found in the posts, notably in these threads about the sanctuary project. Sometimes people get emotional and express themselves pretty forcefully, and they use hyperbole, even in a way that you and others find offensive. On the other side, Sufism members have been essentially labeled as cultists, a word that can have a negative connotation. I try to read all comments and will remove anything that crosses a line into libel, obscenity, or directly accuses a named individual of misconduct or criminal activity–without there being proof of misconduct or a crime. I also hope people will alert me to a comment that they think crosses the line.
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Yes, ditto Let’s stick to the facts. Sufism Reoriented application turned into the County:66,0000 sq ft. of floor space37 toilets350 members54’h *34′ above ground, 20′ below*72 parking spots – don’t have the parking specs right in front of me but none the less parking for this development is grossly under parking requirements.HIEGHT VARIANCE will be requiredPARKING VARIANCE will be requiredFACT: Trenor house did NOT require any variances. It was built within within all set guidines. FACT: RLUPA doesn’t factor in to opposing the size of this building
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I think this issue bears repeating – Woke me up. “If SOS gets its way and can tell the Sufis what to do, then WHO IS NEXT? What happens if Curtis Trenor or Brian Killian do not think you should get your variance? Well, they’ll have already established themselves via SOS as a group the county listens to – would YOU really want to be on the OTHER side of SOS?”I was leaning over the fence about it and did let the SOS guys count me in their numbers, but I am really rethinking this and am close to giving them a call to tell them to take my name and my family’s names off their website.I am absolutely not interested in being seen as part of a group that calls the Sufis names – like 10 year old bullies. I think those of us on the fence acted too rashly when jumping over to the SOS side and letting them use our names like that.
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I am following the debate regarding Sufism Reoriented’s sanctuary project with interest. Although the SOS web site states that they do not wish to challenge Sufism Reoriented’s “core values and motivations,” I would like you all to know that you are dealing with a cult (in the pejorative sense) that really ought not to be trusted. This I know from direct and *devastating* personal experience. Some of Sufism Reoriented’s literature claims that they are ‘chartered’ by Meher Baba, but they lost that charter some years ago when their psychologically-manipulative methods were exposed to Meher Baba’s disciples in India. It is true that many of these people are in fact quite nice and sincere in their beliefs. But their leaders are illegitimate.I say this to you not to cause these want-to-be ‘sufis’ trouble, but to help you deal with a devious bunch of dangerous characters. I am a respected figure in my field (I am a Professor of Philosophy at a university in Canada), and I know what I am talking about.
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Make that SOS’ 725 minus two families! Mea culpa my Sufi neighbors. No, I don’t like the idea of the noise or the size, but I more don’t like the distorted way my SOS bretheren painted the Sufis in our meeting a couple weeks ago and on the website. It was definitely a Lord of the Flies kind of meeting.I apologize to my Sufi and non-Sufi neighbors alike. I was told that SOS will be claiming increased number of members no matter as time goes on, so that it looks like the opposition is building, even when if it is not. It’s definitely a PR campaign by numbers game that SOS is doing.There’s more stuff SOS is planning, so people should stay aware.
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Your comment is completely off base. People who add on to their homes, build up to 35’h, or even paint their house purple do not need variances to do so. BUILDING WITHIN THE COUNTIES SET LIMITS DON’T REQUIRE ANY VARIANCES. Homes are free to change/be enlarged all the way to the setbacks that were provided by the County when you purchased your home. Only when you request to build more than your setbacks allow do variances come into play. This is to ensure that inappropriate building does not take place. Again, I think it’s worth repeating: NO VARIANCES WERE REQUIRED FOR THE TRENOR HOUSEAlso I repeat: NO VARIANCES ARE required to homeowners who build within County guidlines. The facts will prevail. This building will not get built as it has been proposed.
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12:29 I totally get what you are saying and I too am disgusted with the name calling. I was initially for this project and then I was against it and now I’m back on the fence. I have concerns and I will continue to address them. Just jumping back and forth isn’t useful. As far as the power of SOS goes, SOS was formerly the Saranap Homeowners Association and it kept Braddock and Logan from turning the property on Lucy Ln into an over congested blob of packed together 2 story houses. What we got instead was a reasonable development that complimented the neighborhood and provided 12 houses to the area. People bought those places at about $565,000 and some of them sold for over $1M in the height of the real estate insanity. Opposition in and of itself is not a bad thing so let’s just calm down and stay focused, please.PS – Could eveyone please make up a pseudonym and get a fake email address to go with it? Referring to each other by the time of post is ridiculous.
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Dear Dr. of Philosophy from Canada,How about you give us your name so we can check your credentials? I find your claim very hard to believe. Can you at least point us to some supporting documentation?
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Sure thing:Mark L. McPherranChair: Department of PhilosophySimon Fraser UniversityGoogle all you want. But I cannot reveal the nature of my experience with these people. It is the kind of thing that lawsuits are made of.
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…oh they will be right on that (removing your names)!They claim 725 followers, but amazingly only about 380 are listed (+/- 42 per screen view x 9 + 2) on the site. Whose hiding what?It’s like the story of the two bakers across the street from each other. One baker sold rolls for 5 cents each. The other baker sold roles for 5 cents also. When one baker sold out, he marked his rolls down to 2 cents. The other baker was outraged! He said “when you are out of rolls, you can charge whatever you like!”So it is with SOS. They really have barely half as many people as they claim. They don’t list them, so they can say what they want. Now the Ship-O-Saranap is being deserted. Better send out an SOS!When the truth comes out they will be down to only a few. First it will be a trickle, then a stream, then a river, and finally a giant Tsunami of desertion from all the falsehood and hate-speech under a thin disguise of semi-rural nonsense. I wonder if they will acknowledge the dwindling and the shrinkage? McCarthy had almost no friends left at the end either.The light of day shines brightest on the darkest corners. And it is not a pretty picture it highlights.Go to both websites and make up your own minds. Don’t let the sheep herders walk you over a cliff in their shrill rhetoric.Please think! The Saranap deserves, and will get, better than this. Show some backbone and call it what it really is. You know in your heart–if you attended that meeting–that this is so wrong.Concerned Long-Term Saranap Resident
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Dr. Mark L. McPherran thank you for making yourself known. I appreciate that you can’t share your experience but I hope you are not indicting an entire organization over the behavior of 1 or 2 individuals. In any case, it isn’t really germane to the issue which, as far as I’m concerned, has to do with whether or not this building is reasonable and appropriate for my neighborhood.
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Dear 21st Century Mom:No, I am “not indicting an entire organization over the behavior of 1 or 2 individuals.” Just the leadership. That is germane. I have nothing more to say, then.Good luck!
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21stCenturyMom – Thank you for keeping it real.
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Dear 21stCenturyMom:Real is good. Take care. MM
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12:50 21st C Mom:Thanks – I am glad to hear there are a few of us willing to state that perhaps we were wrong, even if we’re not sure where we stand yet. I was a little surprised to see that another person is fully bailing on SOS too – the rhetoric there is just so uncomfortable. Here’s a sticking point for me on what you said about the Lucy Ln dev. Let’s try to get to a point of fairness about what happened in our hood: The SCA really is the SHA – it never disappeared. I have to think that the county knows this and is going to discount the SOS and the new SHA as being the shams that I have come to believe they are, from the inside out. I am thinking of getting re-involved in the SCA, perhaps get on the board, and have the kind of honest debate that I had been told the SOS was all about.I am also thinking of writing to the county and letting them know about the SOS agenda and how I feel they can not be trusted.I’ll tell you one reason I have come to this conclusion that I picked the wrong team is that – for the life of me – though it’s clear some of the pro Sufi posters here are firends with Sufis – not once in all this dialogue have the Sufis come on line and start calling the SOS names.Someone was right – there is a civics lesson here that shows the SOS as people that I too am ashamed of.
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From: Guy Bailing on SOS (12:45)Yep – going going gone – If I have to hear one more time what Brian and Curtis think about them I think I’m going to be sick. I almost started yelling at them at the SOS meeting.I know I can’t tell you all what they said without going ballistic, but maybe Concerned Long Term Resident is willing to give the details without going as nutso s I will… just prepare yourselves.
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1:13 to Sinking Ship Posterwell it’s been clear to me that they exaggerate and I sense a level of desperation whenever people have the kind of website up that SOS has up – it really is very juvenile in my opinion.the piece that came up about the county saying they had only received 200 letters confirmed, for me, that there was some less than truthful claims being made about the SOS membership number.Call me Old Fart
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I don’t think either side (if you will) has cause to be proud of some of this behavior. No one has said “I’m a Sufi and you’re a jerk” but there are plenty of underhanded comments from the Pro project side.I just wish everyone would get over the name calling and the hyperbole and the snarky comments and consider the issues. This is a HUGE project and huge projects invite debate and sometimes have to be amended to make everyone happy.Dear Bailing Out Guy – let us PLEASE NOT rehash an inflammatory meeting. I was sick and missed it but what I am trying my hardest to do is to encourage everyone to stop being inflammatory and start being rational, reasoned and polite. Please?
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Guy Bailing:21st C Mom – who put you in charge? I understand you don’t want inflamation, but this things already got hemmerhoids!I think that the people who did not go to the SOS meeting should get a clue about those who are claiming to rep them – I’m just too pissed to do it myself.
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Bailing Guy – ok, so I’ll pick up this piece of the argument regarding the Trenor house. Ok, so it did not require a height variance – that does not change the fact that it is TALLER than the Sufi building… so if the argument is that the Sufi dome is too high/big – then the Trenor house is too big too.
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Bailing Guy – nobody put me in charge. I’m not in charge. I’m just hoping we can get past wanting to stomp our feet and point our fingers and move toward defining the issues and dealing with them. If you think being pissed off and gnashing your teeth is a better approach then go right ahead. I have a hard time paying attention to obstreperous people who act angry and pick fights and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone. I think there’s an old addage about flies and honey that comes in to play here.
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12:29 – First Guy to Leaveto follow up to Guy Bailing – right, exactly, to the point of the whole reason why I want to go.Brian and Rasmussen – they all know the Trenor height is a big issue. What’s hypocritical is that Curtis Trenor thinks he has much of any standing at all to criticize the Sufi domes on it being a “too big land use issue” thing at all. His house is “butt-ugly” if you ask me.
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Guy Bailing to First Guy:ok, so, man, wasn’t that a ridiculous meeting?Guy Bailing to 21st C Mom:ok, so, it’s not that I want to cause more hostile talk – in fact, the reason I don’t think I should list out what they are planning is cuz I will be TOOOOO hostile – which is why I asked LT Resident that maybe he or she could do it – they were pretty even worded in their last post. Thanks for listening.
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From First Guy:I’d like to help out on the SOS meeting details but I can not AT ALL be even tempered about it either. I did not sleep for a week after that and my wife hates me when I have insomnia, so I risk a lack of affection if I go there.
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From First Guy:ok, I’ve been honest so far so I’m going to be a man and admit it: I just don’t want to be the one to list out all the crappola they have been saying and planning. Even though I am definitely more afraid of losing my wife’s attention, I have to say that the level of these guys’ anger kind of scares me – – as in, some mailboxes of Sufis seem to have been vandalized when an SOS leader’s box connected to theirs was not. They are already going to know I am bailing on the SOS group – I still have reservations about the Sufi project, but I’m done with the SOS rep’ing me and mine. So, I’m not comfortable doing something here that might cause my wife and kids some social grief.Sorry Guy Bailing, but not gonna be me… can you honestly say that part of the reason you don’t want to post the details is because you are concerned they might find out it was you?
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From “Old Fart”: Someone said: “FACT: RLUPA doesn’t factor in to opposing the size of this building”Thanks to Soccer Mom for posting the RLUPIA statute because RLUPIA appears in fact to factor into the size issue and the whole issue, as follows:“Religious assemblies, especially, new, small, or unfamiliar ones, may be illegally discriminated against on the face of zoning codes and also in the highly individualized and discretionary processes of land use regulation”I read “zoning codes” as, at minimum, addressing size. In fact, it seems to me that parking and height variances are exactly what is covered under zoning codes, is that not so?“New, small, or unfamiliar” yep – sounds like the Sufis here in WC – so RLUPIA seems to precisely apply to our little n’hood squabbling.and the language about not “illegally discriminating” seems entirely relevant to the how the county shall conduct the approval process.I think anyone, on either side, who thinks that this RLUPIA law will not apply, is simply not reading the law all that clearly.from an Old Fart
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If the mail boxes that you are referring to are the ones that have been spattered with red paint you can’t pin that dirty deed on an SOS member.That was done by some teenage girls in the neighborhood two years ago.So why don’t you get your facts straight before you start mouthing off about something you know nothing about? Talk about scary.. it’s people like you that we all have to be afraid of. Stick to the subject:Inappropriate land use.
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From Old Fart:Someone just posted:“Stick to the subject: Inappropriate land use.”I’m not who this was directed to, but I think anyone can post what they want. So that makes me want to respond and ask:1) Is the topic really just inappropriate land use? I do not think so. The range of topics is appropriate given that we are responding to a blog that covered a large number of topics.2) How do you know it was girls two years ago? Don’t know what mailboxes you are talking about, but if you know who did the “dirty deed”, then why is the paint still on the mailboxes?In my day, those parents would have been expected to make those girls scrub the paint off the mailboxes. Did that happen?3) Since it’s clear that you understand that one of the boxes was not painted on, how does one explain that only Sufis boxes appear to have been impacted? Weren’t the Sufis already making the neighborhood rounds about the project at that point?It’s not hard to see how someone could think that such apparently pointed vandalism is related to the conflict – do you see how that could happen?Personally, I also would not be willing to list what happened in the SOS meeting if I were also going to tell them that I want my name off their website – particularly if the response of that poster is the kind of response I’d get.good, common sense, if you ask me.Old Fart.
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There are plenty of groups out there. As I explained to a county official recently, there was the original Saranap Homeowners Association (SHA). By the way, it was revitalized by a woman who was a Sufi, after languishing for years. She spearheaded the group opposing the large houses on Lucy Lane.Next they changed the name to Saranap Community Association (SCA) when it became politically incorrect to exclude renters/duplex/condo owners. Only thing is, they never sent their once-a-year newsletter to any of those new folks. Clear where their heads were.Then, when the leadership opposed the Sufism Reoriented project–before even receiving the plans–and then were overwhelmingly defeated in a write-in election, freely held (after they postponed it several times), they resigned in a huff. They couldn’t stomach continuing if they couldn’t ramrod their own ideas anymore. So, the SCA simply continues without them. They ran to be in favor of stuff and do things. They are still there.Then the old group formed a new group called Protect-Saranap with website and everything (P-S). Then it morphed into Save Our Saranap (SOS) and became a hate blog. Try typing in Protect-Saranap…takes you to SOS. Many of the old regime are listed as members. Clearly in a snit.Next they took the old Saranap website (they wouldn’t give up the site when they quit, along with the bank account, telephone, mail box keys, records, files, etc), and changed the name to the Saranap Neighborhood Alliance (SNA). They were like little two year olds (NO, that’s my toy!). By the way, they owed back taxes to 2006! No wonder they wouldn’t give up the check register. I hope you haven’t given them any money! The new SCA is cleaning all that up for them.Now they have changed the name again to Saranap Homeowners Organization (SHO). Once again back to “just” the homeowners (let’s exclude all those pesky apartment/condo/duplex/business people). All about exclusion these folks.So, where are we? They can’t make up their minds about a name or who’s in charge. Kind of like they can’t decide what to oppose about the project they’re against. Is it too big, too nice, too tall, too white, too much gardens for their taste, not enough, too intergalactic, too visible, has a too high wall (?which is it?), etc. etc.So, the many headed hydra goes by:Protect-SaranapSaranap Neighborhood AllianceSave Our SaranapSaranap Homeowners Organization…so far!I’d say the leaders are squabbling amongst themselves, and have spawned opposition opposition groups. Oh, and the rest of us need not apply for leadership roles…they got that covered, no thanks. Just let us leeeeed you. Step right up and we will put this nose ring in place. Won’t hurt a bit. You might feel a little pinch (yea, that’s your self-respect going out the door).In the meantime, the new SCA is still alive and continuing along. They are doing application reviews for commercial, office, institutional and residential projects for the Saranap, with qualified people doing them, starting and maintaining clothing exchanges, and senior services, and generally carrying on with the work…the hard work…of trying to bring people together as a community–by good things, not divisive things!Sure, it must seem more fun to make people out to be villains! Vote them off the island! But it rings a little hollow in the end doesn’t it? You decide. Which group would you want your son or daughter to say proudly to friends they were a member of? We help people. We hate people.You have choices to make. Take courage from some of those who’ve been on the inside here and made them…on THEIR OWN.
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5:42yep – though you are in a bit of a huff yourself, I am familiar with all of that info too about the old SCA folks keeping everything and not handing it off to the new board.What you did not say, but anyone who has been on a Board knows is – that an org is a legal being, and that Bd members have a fiduciary role, and that what you talking about is covered under “loss prevention” insurance a.k.a. as “fenced goods”. They legally resigned – that meant they no longer had fiduciary control over any of the property of the organization – because it is the organization’s property, not the board members’ property.This includes the SCA website. They still have not handed over the SCA’s website to the SCA’s legally elected board. I feel they should. Just renaming the website on the top does not change the fact that it was the orgnization’s website.ALSO – and this is the abhorrent thing – they apparently refused to give the real SCA back the mailing list, so the real SCA has had to recreate the mailing list as well as they can. The mailing list is still the SCA’s legal property – the old board members claim to have “lost it” immediately after the SCA annual vote.but come on’ I can only think that the SOS has everyone on their mailing list.In fact – this brings up a great idea – if you suddenly last year did not receive your usual SCA mail, please consider letting the legally elected SCA board know:Saranap Community AssociationP.O. Box 2506Walnut Creek, CA 94595-0506946-9185 (voicemail)
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A friend just sent me this link. I’m not a Sufi and not into being friends with religious people but:SAY WHAT !?!?!?!?are you @$#%@#$% kidding me?!well, that explains a LOT about what happened to my SCA mail…. it just did not make sense how the SOS group got my info so fast! Are you talking about Dennis? I’m realizing you must be… Oh my god – Dennis has been spouting over and over and over about how the Sufis took the SCA over and how it was he and the other old board members who were the ethical ones – can you guys prove this stuff that you are saying?something smells people! Who can I call at the SCA to find out if this is true?
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http://www.SaranapOnline.orgAll the contact info is there. Send someone an email, or make a call. I’m sure someone would be happy to call you back. They called me back.By the way. You may not know they also canceled the meeting in August, and then wouldn’t let the new elected board members be seated in September, so their first meeting was in October. The election was originally supposed to be held in May. So these folks basically wiggled an extra 4 months of un-elected “service.” And then “lost” everything. So they are either incompetent, or sneaky. You decide.Grew a Backbone
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Thanks for the info. When you talked to them at SCA, what did they say? Also, who postponed the meeting? I am a little confused on that – are you saying Dennis et al postponed the new ones having a meeting until October? How could they even do that? Did they hold stuff hostage or something?Now I think I’m really getting pissed off… sorry but this is a really different set of factoids than I’ve been told for about 9 months… and not that I’ve been bad mouthing Sufis a lot, but it makes me feel like a total EFFING idiot for the times I did should this really be what Dennis and those guys did.
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Guy Bailing to First Guy and Old Fart and maybe 21st C Mom – ok, maybe it’s a little true that I do not want to deal with the wrath of Brian, Dennis, Curtis or the Rasmussens, but honestly, I’m just way too angry about being mislead to be able to not fly off the bleepin’ handle.
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You know…some wild birds, in an effort to get noticed by a mate, puff themselves up really big, and dance around waving their wings a lot.All they really want is just some love!:0)I don’t think these people are too scary. They are just people. So are you, so am I.So, where’s the love? SOS or SCA…not rocket science is it.
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I’m concerned about these jokers might do next. Too much of a coincidence that KPIX5 showed up at the same moment they arrived with signs on blvd way.What other wacky schemes do they have planned. I think anyone who knows should let someone at Sufism Reoriented know.Level the playing field I say. I don’t think they can win a fair fight.
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7:16I hate to call you naive, but it’s clear you were likely not present at the first SCA – sponsored meeting to discuss the Sufism Reoriented site…there was like, no, none, nada love in the room – basically some threats were made by people opposed
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I guess that’s what First Guy and Guy Bailing are referring to: that some stuff has been planned that is not above board. Neither of them are willing to lay whatever it might be out there.I agree: if anyone knows of any illegal or threatening behavior that is planned towards the Sufis, I think that Sufism Reoriented should be told of it and NOW!
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Here are some links:SCA – http://www.saranaponline.org/index.htmlSHO – http://saranap.org/SOS – http://www.saveoursaranap.org/Sufism Reoriented New Sanctuary site – http://sufismreoriented.org/new_sanctuary/Go forth and read, consider, attend the meetings you want to attend, avoid the meetings you don’t want to attend, express yourself, get involved in your community as an informed citizen. That’s what living in a free society is all about!
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21st C Mom: sounds good if you are a house owner – but you can’t go to SHO meetings unless you are a houseowner – think that might be true for SOS as well, so your advice, while probably well intentioned, does not really permit one to become a fully educated citizen unless you own a house here in the Saranap.
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