MROSD buys a million-dollar shack, and not everyone is happy

posted by Barry Parr on Apr 01, 2005 at 12:05 pm in  Environment
4 comments • Click to email this story

There’s been some controversy over a 4 to 3 vote by MROSD to buy an acre and half with a “rundown mountain cabin” adjacent to its land in Los Gatos.  The idea is that it will improve parking and access as well as provide a place for MROSD’s local ranger to live.  Those voting against thought it might not be such a hot idea to spend $1 million of the District’s $15 million budget on the dump when there might be cheaper solutions to the access problem and the rest of the cash could be spent on . . . open space.

According to the Mercury News story, one board member “fretted” during the meeting over whether this would become a public relations disaster.

“This is just unfathomable,” said Terry Gossett, a Moss Beach engineer and member of the Silicon Valley Taxpayers Association. “It is a misuse of the funds from taxpayers. It is being used to take care of their own instead of the public, who are the customers.”

The article fails to mention that Gossett’s an implacable foe of the District in any event.  It’s not clear that he’d prefer to spend that money buying larger tracts from private landowners on the Coastside. 


Comments

Comment 1 by MAS  on  Apr 05  at  2:15pm  •  All my comments • 

If you had been served with eminent domaine would you be a foe as well?

Comment 2 by Barry Parr  on  Apr 05  at  2:47pm  •  All my comments • 

I don't agree with Terry on the District, and I understand he has some history with them that I don't. But he clearly isn't speaking as a taxpayer advocate here. Furthermore, he has opposed allowing the MROSD to buy land from willing sellers on the Coastside. The Merc could have picked a better critic of this particular purchase.

Comment 3 by Lennie  on  Apr 09  at  9:23pm  •  All my comments • 

Bouquets to the District for keeping the old cabin for ranger housing rather than tearing it down! The lack of affordable housing for park rangers, firemen, teachers, and many others is a well-known problem. The District bought the property to ensure public access and safety at El Sereno Open Space Preserve. Having a resident ranger is an additional benefit.

Comment 4 by MAS  on  Apr 11  at  11:03am  •  All my comments • 

How you justify that is beyond me. Sorry. You can put me down all you want, I just done agree.


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