Schedule a tour today and take advantage of this limited time opportunity before it's gone. Whittemore also bought nine homes in the names of his children using the money from the Seeno acquisition, the lawsuit said, and in 2009 and 2010, Thomas Seeno personally loaned Whittemore $1.4 . IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasnt followed: What should you do? Really? In connection with his plea agreement, Shahid admitted that he conspired with others to fraudulently cause bank underwriters to approve mortgage loans for unqualified buyers during the height of the financial crisis. ", "This is to convey our thanks and appreciation for the outstanding services my husband and I have received from Seeno. As part of the agreement passed Tuesday, the council wont be allowed to take political donations from employees of the development teams or their subcontractors. The districts board of directors approved the parks land-use plan and associated environmental impact report on July 7, paving the way for development of the more than 2,540-acre regional park. As part of the deal, Seeno promised to build a recreation center in Pittsburg. 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. The Rancho La Habra project first was proposed by Standard Pacific Homes, which later was acquired by Lennar, a Miami-based developer with its West Coast headquarters in Irvine. About 55% of the land would be preserved as open space, and the golf courses clubhouse would be converted into a community center. CONS: family owned company does not have checks and balances. Login to your MyDeNova Homes account.Dont have an account? She graduated fromthe University of Wisconsin -- Madison with a BA degree in English, and also studied abroad focusing on theater, arts and history through UWSP in London, England. Thank you Seeno for building these homes.". Founded Seeno Homes in 1938 We are dedicated to embodying the idea of the Discovery Difference, a mission to enhance your buying experience and offer new homes that exemplify the highest standards of craftsmanship. Save Mount Diablo Sues Seeno Discovery Builders to Protect Major Ridgeline in Pittsburg, Again this Website has Moved to ContraCosta.News, Yes! Pittsburg residents deserve the same protections and quality of life., Press Release issued by Save Mount Diablo. That meeting was abruptly canceled for medical reasons involving a council member. Developers have thrown a wrench into the East Bay Regional Park Districts decades-old plan to create a regional park in the Pittsburg hills overlooking the former Concord Naval Weapons Station site. Plans to develop the hills date back to 2005 when voter-approved Measure P moved the Faria site within Pittsburgs urban boundary. The city approved an agreement with Seeno that established guidelines for a permanent greenbelt buffer along the inner edges of the boundary. Contact Information Customer Contact Ms. Nancy McMillin, Executive Assistant Additional Contact Information Phone Numbers (888) 414-6637. This is the true culmination of a decades-long community effort, Beverly Lane, who has represented Concord on the East Bay Regional Park District board since 1994, said in a written statement. Find him taking walks around town; he is always looking for story tips. I take responsibility. A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Concord-based developer Albert Seeno III against the East Bay Regional Parks District, which hopes to build a new park at the former Concord Naval Weapons. Delightful climate. The project faced enormous opposition at the outset from both housing advocates who oppose urban sprawl and Pittsburg residents who feared an influx of more than a thousand homes south of the city. It will be rescheduled, city officials said. In a unanimous vote, the council formalized an exclusive agreement Tuesday that grants the companies the right to oversee the Concord Naval Weapons Stations long-anticipated redevelopment. 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. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! But, he added, Discovery Builders believes an environmental review of the park proposal was inconsistent with California Environmental Quality Act requirements. 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. Councilman Edi Birsan, who vigorously defended the Seeno family at the August meeting from what he called personal attacks, said Tuesday he doesnt expect the companies history of litigation to be a factor in the naval weapons project. Two of three former Seeno employees who cooperated with FBI investigators have yet to be sentenced for their guilty pleas as part of this scheme. Would dismantling Interstate 980 repair damage to Black neighborhoods? According to Shahids plea agreement that was unsealed today, DSI was created to sell new homes built by Discovery Builders Inc. (DBI), Albert D. Seeno Construction Co. Inc. (AD Seeno) and other entities affiliated with Albert Seeno III and the Seeno family. Employees are treated badly daily. Find him taking walks around town; he is always looking for story tips. Compare and save your favorite communities and floorplans with MyDeNova. He previously reported in Contra Costa County and before joining the Bay Area News Group he worked in Eureka and Santa Barbara. On March 30, 2021, Save Mount Diablo filed a lawsuit challenging the City of Pittsburg's approval of the Seeno-owned Discovery Builders' 1,650-unit Faria project, on the ridgeline between Pittsburg and Concord. However, we do not assume any liability for inaccuracies. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? It always felt like your last day wishing that they would end this horrible cycle and you would have a life on the other side. Even thought they had a number at main office to call. A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Ft. 1 - 2 Bed 1 - 2 Bath. 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. 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. The Faria project would also impact the new Concord Hills Regional Park, which the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) has long planned at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station at the Faria sites southwestern edge. Exactly what you said. And his employees have been indicted as individuals and he has not. Management is not open to suggestions or innovation. Opponents, the suit alleges, were dead set on stopping (the) proposed housing development at any cost.. 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. Discovery Sales was prosecuted as a company. The suit also seeks to invalidate the initiative approved in November, known as Measure X, requiring voter approval ofchanges to open space zones. The family-run companies go back several generations in Concord and currently are headed by Albert Seeno III. For more information on Pittsburg development plans, go to http://www.ci.pittsburg.ca.us/, For more on the planned Concord Hills Regional Park, go to https://www.ebparks.org/parks/concord_hills/default.htm. It makes it easy to go into the sales office everyday and give it your all. Those units represent approximately 60,000 new car trips per day that will soon impact local roads and Highway 4. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, with assistance from IRS-CI and FHFA-OIG. 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. Lastly, the money!!!! Oh and can you say MICRO-MANAGE?! 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It is your responsibility to independently verify the information on the site. The suit was filed earlier this month, almost three weeks before the developers and Faria Land Investors were scheduled to ask the Pittsburg City Council on Monday to approve their master plan, environmental documents and development agreement to build up to 1,500 homes. Whenever we have had a problem, no matter how major or minor, the response from the service department, both prompt and courteous, has been exceptional. In December 2016, he entered a guilty plea to bank fraud on behalf of his company and agreed to pay a $11 million fine. Seeno III said Thursday the company has an entirely new staff, and now has more oversight. The company was also placed on probation for five years, which gives the federal government another way to ensure payments are made, Hemann said. This is our third home, however, our first home purchased from Seeno. There is no developer without original sin, Birsan said. Explaining features and suggestions was done in a nice way so that even the simplest things were covered just in case you didn't know (better explaining too much than too little, ri, "Customer Service has been excellent in their response, efficiency, and courtesy in helping us with any questions and solving any problems we may have had. All of these defendants have pleaded guilty pursuant to cooperation agreements with the government, except Xiao, who is a fugitive. 39% of employees would recommend working at, According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Discovery and Seeno Homes employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.6 out of 5. The Faria project would sit directly above the new park on a ridgeline, degrading views from surrounding areas. Commission and Bonus structure designed to benefit company more than employees, leaving you underpaid. Copyright 2008-2023, Glassdoor, Inc. "Glassdoor" and logo are registered trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc. It wont, Seeno III said during an apology to the judge. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! poor management skills, micro managing exemplified, unclear direction of the company. 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. Measure X, which specifically targets the Rancho La Habra plan, would take development decisions from the city council ensuring no further development on the property, the lawsuit said. You don't know who is related to who or why, but favoritism is prevalent. Shahid fraudulently inflated the price of homes purchased by individuals who were unable to pay their mortgages in the long run. Really? 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