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Residents and advocates urge council not to sell Prop 70 land as consent items pass
Summary
Speakers urged Ontario leaders to preserve Prop 70 lands and called for disclosure and public hearings before approving agreements on items 3 and 21; the council approved the consent calendar, including those items, on a 5-0 vote.
A coalition of residents and environmental-justice advocates urged the Ontario City Council on Monday to halt any sale or exchange of land acquired under Proposition 70 and to pull consent calendar items 3 and 21 for fuller public review.
Ana Gonzalez, who said she was representing the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ), told the council the proposed agreement treats protected Prop 70 lands “as an interchangeable asset and commodity to be negotiated and sold” and said state rules require replacement acreage and habitat value for any exchange. She cited SB 1124’s requirement that exchanges not cause a net loss in acreage or habitat value and urged the county and city to follow state oversight and public hearing procedures.
Advocates and residents pointed to gaps in information and transparency. Chris Robles said staff could not identify specific property parcel numbers or disclose the precise parcels covered by the agreements and accused the city and county of putting the land “in the hands of developers” while presenting a park as the stated purpose. “Prop 70 land, regardless of whether it’s in the hands of the county, is protected land and owned by the people of California,” Robles said. “It is incorrect and improper for you or for the county…to sell it.”
Other speakers raised related concerns. Joaquin Castellanos asked the council to pull the items and allow additional community input, saying the city has “lost the trust of the public.” Randy Beckendim recounted decades-long failures to place permanent conservation easements on parcels purchased with Prop 70 funds and said selling the land would be a violation of the public trust that could have legal implications.
Despite the public objections, the council approved the consent calendar, including items 3 and 21, by a 5-0 vote. The mayor announced that the motion to approve the consent calendar was made by Prada and seconded by Bowman.
Why it matters: Land acquired with Prop 70 bond funds is generally intended for conservation and recreation; state law and administrative processes place conditions on exchanges and replacement land to prevent net losses of protected habitat. Speakers said the public deserves specific parcel information, mandatory county hearings and a clear plan for replacement land before any sale or exchange is finalized.
What’s next: Staff placed updated materials for items 3 and 21 in the public record, and the transcript records a scoping meeting scheduled this week at De Anza. The council’s approval of items on the consent calendar means the agreements proceed on the administrative track unless a future action reopens the decision.
