The public overwhelmingly supports the creation of this regional park, district general manager Robert Doyle said. There is no developer without original sin, Birsan said. Judith Prieve is a reporter and editor for the Bay Area News Group who covers eastern Contra Costa County for the East Bay Times and The Mercury News. PITTSBURG A judge has dealt a major blow to the developers of a massive housing project planned for a scenic ridgeline in the Pittsburg hills, delivering at least a temporary victory for the group of environmentalists who sued to stop it. Council members Carlyn Obringer and Laura Hoffmeister, who voted in August to give the job to rival developer Brookfield Properties, joined their colleagues Tuesday to make the Seeno teams selection unanimous. Seeno representatives have consistently declined to be interviewed, but the companies issued a statement last month that said, We look forward to working with the City of Concord and the Concord community to design and develop a first class project that the entire region can all be proud of.. You don't know who is related to who or why, but favoritism is prevalent. Jerome Page: Its not inequality, its envy. Contact Information Customer Contact Ms. Nancy McMillin, Executive Assistant Additional Contact Information Phone Numbers (888) 414-6637. Shahid agreed that the losses that resulted from foreclosures or short sales on these homes were approximately $75 million; Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which purchased mortgage loans used to pay for Seeno and Discovery Homes, lost almost $3.5 million. You have to do a thorough analysis of your projects impacts before you lock in project approvals, Winter King, the environmental groups attorney, said in a statement. CONCORD The controversial Seeno familys building companies are the new master developer of the East Bays most ambitious housing project in recent memory despite the persistent chorus of criticism from their foes, the Concord City Council has decided. 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The Concord Hills Regional Park Land Use Plan provides for public access, preserves 95 percent of the areas natural habitat, and honors the unique natural and human history of the land. While many public comments at Tuesdays meeting took aim at Seenos litigious history, dozens of other speakers praised the companies efforts to hire local union workers. One being in middle school, one in elementary and one toddler. Shahid was the president of DSI, which was the sales arm of affiliated residential construction companies, including Discovery Home Builders and Albert D. Seeno Construction Co. Are you having trouble accessing your account? The accusations accuse the city of disregarding Lennars environmental impact report, charging the developer $1 million to produce its own EIR, which it later rejected. The homes were built in developments throughout the East Bay Area, including in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Discovery was founded by a member of the Seeno family, which has built and managed properties in Contra Costa County for several generations. Theres going to be so many eyes on this development that I think were going to get a damn good job.. This is our third home, however, our first home purchased from Seeno. 10 reviews of Albert Seeno Construction "We purchased a home in the new development of San Marco by Seeno Homes and Discovery Builders, we have been in our home 4 months now. Former Bank of America loan officer Jennifer Xiao, Homecomings Financial underwriter Tony Phan and independent brokers Sharon Wang, Heather Yin, Miguel Arenas, George Zevada and Chang Park were also charged as participants in the scheme. Concord-based developer Albert Seeno III and Discovery Builders filed a lawsuit alleging the districts proposed Concord Hills Regional Park would negatively affect their planned residential development on an adjacent 606-acre plot. Enter your email address and well send you a link to reset your password. As part of the settlement, Discovery agreed to reconfigure a housing development in Pittsburg so it wont encroach upon the parks scenery. Open space, even privately owned open space is just too precious and too scarce to turn over part of it to development, former Mayor Tom Beamish said during an October city council meeting that set the stage for a 3-0 vote on Nov. 2 to kill the project. By comparison, next door and above the new park, Faria would include hundreds of acres of impacts. And if an environmental report shows there shouldnt be any significant, insurmountable impacts from the project such as excessive toxic waste, the Navy expects to transfer the land to the city in about two years. Contra Costa County Superior Judge Edward G. Well ruled last week that the citys environmental review of the project was inadequate because it failed to assess how so many houses would impact water supply, air quality and nearby plant life, according to a statement from Save Mount Diablo. The final vote to formally approve Seeno might happen this October. 2012 - February 11 Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. It is your responsibility to independently verify the information on the site. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? Plans to develop the hills date back to 2005 when voter-approved Measure P moved the Faria site within Pittsburgs urban boundary. ", "Over all the homes we looked at (believe me we have looked at many) Seeno Homes - A. D. Seeno Construction Co. was by far the perfect home for us. Any future disagreements would need to involve the projects details and not Seenos track record. This is our third home, however, our first home purchased from Seeno. They support the park district and the park project.. A Southern California native, he studied at UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine. Find out more about, 39% of Discovery and Seeno Homes employees would recommend working there to a friend, Grateful to have had a job when others didn't. Jim Lees, co-founder of Save La Habra, noted that none of the proposed housing would help La Habra meet state-mandated affordable housing requirements. We will bring this evidence to the Courts attention next week, and we are hopeful that the Court will reconsider its decision in light of the full evidentiary record.. He previously reported in Contra Costa County and before joining the Bay Area News Group he worked in Eureka and Santa Barbara. His voice sounded full of emotion at times during the hour-long hearing. Commission and Bonus structure designed to benefit company more than employees, leaving you underpaid. EVERYONE takes lunch at the same time, 12 noon to 1pm. The primary purpose of the price inflation was to support a large line of credit maintained by the builders; the new homes and the property on which the homes would be built collateralized the line of credit. The property is between Kirker Pass Road and Highway 4. The biggest pro about working for discovery homes is job security. The city approved an agreement with Seeno that established guidelines for a permanent greenbelt buffer along the inner edges of the boundary. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, with assistance from IRS-CI and FHFA-OIG. Homebuilder Albert Seeno III ordered to pay $11, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements, Homebuilder Albert Seeno III ordered to pay $11 million for builder bailout scam. Barring any more significant setbacks like those that have long plagued the planned development, the equivalent of a small town of 13,000 homes and millions of square feet in office and retail space could rise from the abandoned 2,300-acre Navy property over the next couple of decades. Ask Our Sales Reps How You Can Customize Your Own Incentive! Looking for a new home? It is old school male dominated world. A smaller or more compact Faria project could easily protect the beautiful ridge, expand the new regional park onto the Pittsburg side, and provide easy public access for Pittsburg residents. Please click "I Accept" to acknowledge our policy and the use of this information to help operate our site and for analytics, personalization and advertising purposes. Really? But he prefers to see it built in existing infill areas. For more information, please see our, Residence 4 (Duet) - Residence 4 (Duet) | Bay Area Bungalow, Residence 2 - Residence 2 | Spanish Bungalow, Residence 2 - Residence 2 | Traditional Elevation. About 55% of the land would be preserved as open space, and the golf courses clubhouse would be converted into a community center. Ft. 3 - 4 Bed 2 - 3 Bath. James Colopy of Farella Braun + Martel, the legal firm representing Discovery Builders, said his client years earlier had expressed concerns about converting the former weapons station to a large public park. To the dismay of Seenos critics, the exclusive negotiating agreement also effectively prevents the council from arbitrarily changing its mind, Bjerke said. The Seeno family has seen its share of controversies during the years as their businesses and land-holdings grew. There was always a monetary carrot dangling for a select few that didn't apply to everyone else. Jason Sterlino was sentenced in February to six months in prison for what Assistant U.S. Attorney John Hemann called minor fraud conducted to further the scheme. Lastly, the money!!!! Pittsburg council members could not be reached for comment on Friday about the court ruling. Miss Manners: I shouldn't call because the phone scares people? They constantly humiliated employees by putting up charts in the meeting rooms and ranking them so that everyone could ridicule them. My clients feel strongly that everyone needs to comply with the same rules and they are important.. Official websites use .gov All rights reserved. This is a major victory for Pittsburgs hills, Save Mount Diablo Land Conservation Director Seth Adams said in a statement. 39% of Discovery and Seeno Homes employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews. In its lawsuit, Lennar accused the city of systematically hindering and delaying the project to give time for the anti-development initiative to get passed and to bleed the project dry. As a result, rare habitat for special status species would be lost. The 10 most expensive reported home sales in Hayward the week of Feb. 20, Winds shred tarp, leave historic San Jose building exposed to elements, Alameda County supervisors allow eviction moratorium to remain until end of April, Exactly what I needed: South Bay teachers move into affordable units. Is the vulgar anti-Tesla sign on my neighbors truck illegal? Shahid is next scheduled to appear in court for a status hearing on Dec. 10, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. PST before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers of the Northern District of California. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! And the mitigation adopted for many impacts is plainly inadequate or ineffective. The judge ordered Seeno to remove things like an air- conditioner. I would tread lightly here. Having problems? Red Tag Sales Event: Save up to $150,000 on Select Move-In Ready HomesFeb 15, 2023. The Pittsburg City Council approved Seeno Discovery Builders Faria project. Pittsburg has thousands of housing units already approved but not yet built, including units at Seenos San Marco, Sky Ranch II, Montreux, and Tuscany Meadows projects and now including Faria. Discovery and Seeno Homes Reviews Updated Jun 10, 2022 Find Reviews Clear All Full-time, Part-time English Filter Found 16 of over 16 reviews Sort Popular Popular COVID-19 Related Highest Rating Lowest Rating Most Recent Oldest First 2.9 39 % Recommend to a Friend 55 % Approve of CEO Albert Seeno Sr. 4 Ratings Building the homes would require extensive grading of the site, which Save Mount Diablo claimed could result in landslides and the destruction of creeks and streams. With that being said you can only be pushed so far. Located throughout the Bay Area with all the latest amenities. His attorney William Keane occasionally comforted him with pats on the back. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS According to the lawsuit, the park district did not do a sufficient level of environmental review of the regional parks potential impacts on future residents of the planned subdivision and the developers adjacent land and corporate office employees less than a mile away. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? Former Discovery Sales Vice President Ayman Shahid and sales executive Carey Hendrickson also pleaded guilty andare awaiting sentencing. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Discovery and Seeno Homes is right for you. 39% of employees would recommend working at Discovery and Seeno Homes to a friend and 36% have a positive outlook for the business. We all know Seeno runs Pittsburg, and is the areas worst example of environmental consciousness. Shomik Mukherjee covers Oakland, with a focus on local politics, developments and activism. Log in. The ruling also determined that the city failed to account for the possible environmental impacts of 150 accessory dwelling units, which were added to the development just before the council approved it, according to Save Mount Diablo. Paying off someone in the city. By doing this to serve their own narrow economic interests, Shahid, and actors like him, contributed to the housing bubble., The actions of Ayman Shahid, certain sales managers and others directly contributed to one of the most significant housing and financial crises of recent memory, said Special Agent in Charge Johnson. In October, Seeno III countered his father's lawsuit with a complaint that disputes roughly $100 million in debt allegedly owed by Seeno III and Discovery Builders, and alleged in a third. The pay at that time was the most that I have ever made, in my life. Part of the councils decision stemmed from a desire to proceed with the project after a long dormancy. The company is constantly opening new communities and we are never expected to travel far to our communities. Build timeline is fairly quick compared to other builders so you get paid faster after getting clients into contract. Delightful climate. More fees were charged for additional processing, including over $200,000 in legal fees, allegedly to pay for its lawyers to devise ploys to stop the project, the lawsuit said. The East Bay Regional Park District adopted the Land Use Plan for the new park last year on July 7, 2020. Discover your perfect home in a DeNova community. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasnt followed: What should you do? wheeler and thompson funeral home; albert seeno net worth. It makes it easy to go into the sales office everyday and give it your all. From the time we initially purchased our home and worked with the sales representative, Seeno has provided exceptional service and has been responsive to our needs. Find him taking walks around town; he is always looking for story tips. Glassdoor has 16 Discovery and Seeno Homes reviews submitted anonymously by Discovery and Seeno Homes employees. We will continue to pursue executives and corporations who fraudulently took advantage of the country's financial turmoil for their own corporate gain., Shahid participated in a fraudulent scheme involving over $230 million in mortgage loans, many of which ultimately defaulted, to the detriment of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the American taxpayers, said Special Agent in Charge DeMarco. The Faria site is rugged, landslide prone, and badly suited for development, which will only be possible with massive grading. A developer sued the city of La Habra for more than $100 million last week for blocking the conversion of an unprofitable golf course into a 443-home housing and commercial development. Luminescence at Liberty is DeNova Homes' newest 55 + Active Adult gated community in Rio Vista, California. Employees also rated Discovery and Seeno Homes 2.1 out of 5 for work life balance, 2.3 for culture and values and 2.6 for career opportunities. The fraud happened during the housing downturn so the Seenos could maintain large lines of credit. Hours are very strict - either 7am to 4pm or 8am to 5pm. Glassdoor gives you an inside look at what it's like to work at Discovery and Seeno Homes, including salaries, reviews, office photos, and more. After hearing hundreds of public comments late last month, the Pittsburg Planning Commission voted 4-3 to recommend approval of the Faria property development, above and to the east of the planned regional park. The park district opposed the project. He later earned a masters degree from the USC School of Journalism. Over 325 Seeno and Discovery homes during the period of 2006 to 2008 involved the use of incentives, amounting to sales in excess of $200 million. Disfunctional, irrational, self-serving place of employment with no job security regardless of how hard you work or your contribution. An official website of the United States government. Signup for an myClientName account today and start saving your favorites, view personalized recommendations and more. The family of builders has earned a reputation for engaging in drawn-out legal battles against public agencies and environmental groups, though the companies have also fostered a strong relationship with local labor unions. He previously reported in Contra Costa County and before joining the Bay Area News Group he worked in Eureka and Santa Barbara. The city of Concord could be sued for not following it's own rules, just as Pittsburg is being sued for not following it's own legal guidelines. The Faria project violates Pittsburgs General Plan, state planning and zoning law, and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). We very much appreciate owning a Seeno built home and would not hesitate to purchase another one. We, "Having three children played a large part in our decision on where to buy. And his employees have been indicted as individuals and he has not. 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Everyday and give it your all there is no developer without original sin, Birsan said a!, developments and activism of Journalism Glassdoor to decide if Discovery and Seeno Homes is job security regardless How... Irs delays tax deadline for Bay Area News Group he worked in Eureka and Santa Barbara at same. Address and well send you a link to reset your password jerome Page: its not,... So the Seenos been kicked out of this Area decades ago changing its mind, said!
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