Santa Clara County supervisors will again hear expansion plans for Golf Club at Boulder Ridge

By Carol Rosen, Correspondent

Rocke Garcia will have a second chance to convince the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to approve his application to add a fitness center and swimming pool to his Golf Club at Boulder Ridge in Almaden Valley.

Although it appeared that the bid was rejected by the supervisors at their Nov. 18 meeting, the split 2-2 vote did not actually constitute a rejection. The county charter mandates that a motion receive three "yes" or "no" votes in order to pass or fail.

According to an email from Elizabeth Sanford, policy analyst for Supervisor Mike Wasserman, "The 2015 meeting dates have not yet been set, but [a re-vote] is anticipated to come in late January, possibly Jan. 27."

A positive vote would allow club owner Rocke Garcia to add a 12,449-square-foot, two-story fitness center and juice bar, as well as a six-lane, 25-meter swimming pool and a wading pool for children.

Board President Mike Wasserman added a restriction at the Nov. 18 meeting banning swim meets to cut down noise created by the concrete walled pool area and traffic going in and out of the club.

This isn't the first time the golf club has made news. Nor is it the first time representatives from nearby neighborhood associations and community residents have expressed their concerns, especially regarding open space.

The 18-hole golf club was rejected twice by San Jose City Council. The board of supervisors gave it the go-ahead. In 1994, the supervisors voted to adopt a resolution stating that any further expansion would require general plan and zoning amendments along with written approval from San Jose.

In 2008, Garcia applied for an event tent on the property. Local residents again cried foul, saying the county agreement precluded further development. Garcia stepped back but proposed constructing a reception facility, which the county approved in 2009 with the proviso that all the terms and conditions of the original use permit still exist.

However, Ben Hechtman, Garcia's attorney, says there's a common misconception associated with the ban on further expansion.

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Santa Clara County supervisors will again hear expansion plans for Golf Club at Boulder Ridge