A developer’s attorney claims Mendocino County Supervisor Ted Wiliams is biased and should either recuse himself or be disqualified from voting May 7 at a crucial county Board of Supervisors hearing on a use permit for a hotly debated 10-pump Redwood Valley gasoline station.
“Supervisor William’s comments on the record clearly demonstrate that Faizan cannot receive the due process required under California law that the hearing be fair, that the decision-makers not be biased or committed to a certain result, and that the decision-makers do not abuse their discretion,” said Brian Momsen, who represents Haji M. Alam, Faizan corporate president.
Williams is seen as the possible majority vote to deny the permit, which has received stiff opposition from some Redwood Valley residents.
In an April 10 letter demanding Williams either recuse himself or be barred from voting at any further hearings on the application, attorney Momsen ripped multiple Williams’ statements from the March 26 hearing. Momsen argued that board members are to recognize the hearings as ‘quasi-judicial’ based on California law overseeing land use decisions.
“This is not a case of the appearance of bias or potential bias. Instead, Supervisor Williams exhibited actual bias on the record,” declared Momsen.
Williams publicly has sided with Redwood Valley residents who have rallied in opposition to the project, first approved in 2016 but delayed because of the Covid pandemic, and then revived by Alam.
Alam’s Faizan Corp. owns numerous gasoline stations/market operations in Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Yolo counties. The proposed Redwood Valley project is located on the east side of Highway 101 in a strip mall and is seen by proponents as an anchor tenant. The Redwood Valley Municipal Advisory Committee and some neighbors oppose the development, fearing its scale will create traffic issues.
The county Planning Commission denied Alam’s permit on Jan. 5, and the decision was appealed to the Board of Supervisors on March 26.
The board then decided to continue its review pending a county analysis of a recent traffic study, which disputed Caltrans’s belief that the new station could generate 5,300 daily trips. Based on activity at another Chevron station he owns nearby, Alam says that the daily count is likely to be under 1,000. Also at issue is Caltrans’s insistence for safety reasons that if the station is permitted, Alam should pay to close the highway median north of the proposed station, a cost estimated to be $2 million.
Attorney Momsen cited numerous Williams’ comments during the March 26 hearing and blasted the supervisor’s “half-baked conclusions.” Among them were Williams’ declarations that the board, despite deciding to review the issue further, doesn’t have an obligation “to find the reason to deny it” or “I’m not going to approve this. My vote is not to issue a use permit.”
Williams on Friday defended his comments.
“I attended the hearing with an open mind,” said Williams.
Williams also offered a post March 26 hearing observation: “The applicant challenged their own traffic study, which they had originally submitted. At the last minute, they introduced a new study based on a sample size of just one—another station they own. I questioned their traffic study expert about whether this approach is standard practice in her professional experience, and she confirmed that it is not.”
Momsen, however, said Wiliams “simply does not want to hear the evidence, even further evidence on the key issue of how much traffic the project will generate. If the scientific studies show that the project will only generate ten trips per day, this evidence will not affect his decision because, in his mind, the people of Redwood Valley ‘have spoken’ against the project. He ‘knows how Redwood Valley feels.’”
“Factual findings do not matter to Supervisor Williams either. These are something that someone can ‘cobble together’ later after he has made his decision already on God only knows what basis,” complained Momsen.
Momsen said, “He even thinks he does not have to have any reason to justify denying a permit application, and apparently has no clue that he is supposed to be acting as a quasi-judicial hearing officer following well-established law and basing whatever decision he makes on substantial evidence in the record.”
Momsen, on behalf of Alam, wrote that he wants Williams “disqualified from further participation, deliberation or voting regarding this permit application or that he recuse himself.”
Momsen warned the county board that allowing Williams to continue participating in hearings after making his “outrageous comments” on the record could lead to a legal court challenge and a decision remanding “this matter back to the board if William’s vote is the deciding vote that denies the application.”
Ted Williams is a bully. Watch the supervisors meetings, he constantly over steps the boundaries of the professional conduct a supervisor should adhere to.
Haji M. Alam is a piece of shit. Period.
Mark , what kind of drug you been using lately ,
Supervisor Williams needs to revise himself and stop his bias before he costs us Tax payers even more money. Supervisor Williams hasn’t an idea of how to conduct himself lawfully or professionally on the Board of Supervisors. He is drunk with power and “half baked” is an excellent description of his demeanor and actions. It is completely obvious that he is anti-business, anti-industry. He has overstepped the boundaries once again and shown his obvious bias without taking all the evidence into consideration. It’s obvious Supervisor Williams is a narcissistic egomaniac with a total Machiavellian personality type who likes to bully and intimidate the community and his colleagues.
Recuse yourself Bully Williams!
To all those who want to call Mr.Williams a bully or say he is unfit to serve as a supervisor, know this his term ends and with it ends a impassioned member of this county who tries to represent his district along with the rest of the county. I applied him for listening to Redwood valley something their supervisor seems to want to ignore, and a former sheriff turned realtor seems to think his input should have just as much levy in as well.
The fact is Redwood Valley has voiced a majority No!! and yet every other Tom Allman, Dick, and Harry thinks their voice counts more. Redwood Valley is going to transition to Well water a resource that Mr.Faizan has shown he care nothing about, and the fact they did believe both their own contractor and the state on potential traffic and safety impact to the area.
So the State doesn’t care about Mendocino County and the Federal government sure the hell doesn’t so that leaves our local supervisors as the only hope to institute what the community needs and wants. We shure the hell don’t need a gas station every 5 miles in this county to appease some fat cats wants and needs.
If I were to call out any local political figure it would be Tom Allman who still thinks his opinion has county wide voice or is it new potential for financial gain. If he wants his opinion to be counted as a higher power than he needs to go up against Haschak and see who wins and honestly I’ll vote Haschak as is lack luster attitude at times is better than Tom’s money grab schemes.
Haji alam is definitley a peice of shit. Dude they dont want youre fucking gas station stop trying to force it on them. No means no.
Wow – so much BS from the developer and his paid mouthpiece attorney.
I watched the hearing. The developer and his attorney were given every opportunity to present a compelling case and the truth is they just FAILED! It was only after the Bd of Supervisors heard testimony and evidence from county staff, the developer and the public, did the Bd start its deliberations. Supervisor Williams listened patiently and then voiced his opinion that based on the evidence he felt the Planning Commission’s denial of the gas station permit should be upheld by the Bd. He said he agreed with the neighbors that opposed this gas station because it would degrade the health and well being of their community.
If developers get to disqualify Supervisors simply because they aren’t willing to allow them to exploit a neighborhood for corporate profit at the communities expense, then there will never be any protection from greedy corporate sociopaths!
Support Supervisor Williams – say no to corporations undermining the health, safety and well being of our neighbors!!
Redwood Valley has 2 gas stations already. Third one is not needed.
I support Williams for voting against this gas station. It doesn’t matter if you like or dislike Williams it’s about what is the right thing to do for Redwood Valley period.
Brian Momsen’s guileless finger-wagging sounds like someone trying desperately to not spill their drink. From his selective use of ALL CAPS to invoking God only knows what, he is ironically trying to drive home his own distinct bias.
Momsen’s points are nothing more than ad hominem attacks on Williams, rather than any actual merit on the case before the Board.
He even overlooked perhaps that this was at a hearing specifically intended to decide whether to approve or deny a permit, and that’s what happened.
Luckily, it did not get past Williams that, whoops, look over there, Faizan tried to switch out his own study. What was that?
Thank you Ted Williams, for keeping this County focused, for listening to your constituency, and for valuing integrity over outside interests.
When is the board going to move on a zoning overlay that allows neighborhoods to say NO to actual harmful business like this unscrupulous petroleum slinger? Gasoline is extraordinarily dangerous, carcinogenic, explosively flammable and toxic to all life. And its only use is being burned, contributing pollution and poisoning our air, land and water. The people of redwood valley should be asking for a new opt out zone instead of making stuff up about “cartel dogs” and demonizing well regulated cannabis businesses. Heck the whole county should be asking for new overlays so we can stop this craziness. This gasoline company is a toxic mess waiting to happen and eager to move into more and more places. If you think this county needs a strategic petroleum reserve then Tom Allman has an acre of swampland he thinks you’ll love over by the roundabout in Fort Bragg.
This gas station is being proposed next to a four lane freeway, I think you are over reacting.
It is not the BOS job to decide how many gas stations are in Mendocino County, in fact its not their job to decide how many of any type of business is in Mendocino County.
The board has supported prohibitive zoning overlays for 6 years now to allow neighborhoods to say no to commercial pot projects. Why not support prohibition on an actual dangerous substance like gasoline? A hazardous substance that’s known to be a global pollutant should be a community issue.
Is this the same Chevron owner that was recently fined? The Coyote Casino has a gas station nearby that is always the lowest price around, so is a high-priced Chevron even going to generate business?
Anyone who uses the North State street/WestRd/School way intersection knows that the last thing needed is more cars and trucks trying to negotiate that intersection. Add some kids walking along the road and we’ve got a nightmare for some family. The people say no.
Absolutely ludacris. We just voted to have no more new gas stations in the county. It I believe passed on the ballot. Redwood Valley already has two gas stations Ukiah has more than you can count. And there’s a plethora of them in Will it’s if you can’t get your gas at the stations there’s a problem. A super rich out of touch Corporation owner he doesn’t need to shove a gas station down the people’s throats until it comes out their backside. All he cares about is money there is no statement of how this is going to benefit the community how it’s going to make things better how it’s going to improve Services none of that 100% he wants his money but it’s going to cost him to get it. I can understand the concern at that exit if people flipping U turns or trying to do ridiculous stuff to get into the gas station. The quaint little quiet strip mall no more. The haves shoving what they want on the have nots.
oh, i thought this was for a gas station in RV itself, but looks like the intended site is in the strip mall on 101 at the base of the hill going up to Willits? Seems like a plausible location but the devil is in the details. Don’t believe bias is a basis for disqualifying an elected political official, but conflict of interest would be if, for example, he had a financisl interest in this project.
They would have to put in a divider on the freeway there to prevent people from crossing the freeway comming and going to gas station. This would funnel people through the West Rd Exit, which already handles coyote valley gas traffic, the lumber truck traffic, eagle peak school traffic etc!
i’m certainly not part of ted’s cult of personality but he’s right on this one. listen to the community decision will effect.
This Valley does NOT need another Gas Station. Leave this community small and leave the people alone and move on with you’re corporation out of our Valley. Move away….Im a Tribal Member and I speak for myself and I do NOT want any CORPORATION bussiness in this VALLEY…..Leave us alone…..
The idea that anyone cares about “premium gasoline” is an absolute joke. For the 1% of people who buy into that nonsense, you can simply buy your magic gasoline at the station near Vic’s or on Lake Mendo drive. This is a solution in search of a problem.
I was at the Board of Supervisors hearing mentioned in this article. I don’t care one way or another about a gas station that someone wants to build. But I was really disturbed and creeped out by the behavior and demeanor of Supervisor Ted Williams. This guy is an elected official who should be- but clearly isn’t- willing to looks at facts/argument put before him on policy matters and make an informed and intelligent decision based on those facts/arguments. As far as anyone could tell, Williams had his mind made up before he walked in the door and didn’t give a rat’s rear end about what was presented to him. It was truly weird, especially since the gas station at issue isn’t even in his District. I get that Williams is desperate to get elected to a higher office (he recently ran for State Wide office and did not fare well at all despite describing himself as a “fire fighter” in the election materials), but the dude shouldn’t be using his current position to publicly play “look at me!!” politics when real issues requiring reasonable consideration are brought before him. What a shame.
It’s Faizan that’s the bully here. These guys care nothing about local residents or the environment. They are serial lawbreakers, with documentation of dozens of violations of the Health and Safety Code and the Business and Professions Code. They were fined $500,000 by the State Water Resources Control Board for, among other violations, discharging gasoline into the City of Ukiah’s groundwater. There’s a lot more to this story. Try getting some facts-or are you all just working for Faizan?