If you want to read the development agreement itself, this "readers' guide" might help you find what you want:

• Effective date of the agreement -- top of page 1 (For technical reasons, the agreement really runs through June 22, not May 23rd.)
• Term of agreement -- paragraph 20, page 21
• Scope of the Project
  • Description -- recital D, p 2
  • No substantial changes without County review -- para 8, p 9
  • Partial project does not benefit from "freeze" on land-use regulations -- para 8, p 9ff in reference to para 7, p 8
• Responsibilities of the Owner:
  • "exercise its reasonable best efforts to obtain the necessary financing to construct the project" para 4, p 6 [The apparent difficulties of getting full financing of the project are to be considered in light of this requirement. This is one of the factors that the annual reviews were to have covered.]
  • "begin construction of the Project ... within five years of the effective date" -- para 5A, p 7 [Construction began on a small, detached office building in 2000 in satisfaction of this requirement to begin something. However, this building -- at less than 1,500 sq ft, far smaller than the average new "monster home" on the Coastside -- had not yet been completed by last September and the building permit had expired.]
  • "complete construction of the Project during the term of this Agreement" -- para 5B, p 7
• Responsibilities of the County:
  • Annual review of showings by owner of "good faith" [para 11, p 13]
  • The "they only need to get permits" argument -- A favored argument by the developer and the County is based on paragraph 20, page 21 starting at "Following the expiration ... ." But if the developer were to be in default, termination of the agreement would not follow paragraph 20 but paragraph 15 (starting on page 15). Furthermore, paragraph 11 (p 11) specifically allows the Supervisors to take "take such actions as it finds appropriate to enforce or interpret the parties’ rights and obligations under the terms of this Agreement.” We think that those actions are the ones outlined in the County's letter of August 9, 2004 to the developer.