CSUS Launches Public Relations Campaign

On Tues., Sept. 11, the will hold a public hearing on the conceptual development plan and rezoning for the construction of a new private middle school on Davis Drive. The applicant is (CSUS), a private, independent (grades 6-12) school located in Hillsborough.

According to David Bowlby of The Bowlby Group, a public relations firm retained by CSUS, school officials commissioned a phone survey to find out how the community feels about the project. The survey was conducted this week and included a random sampling of registered Belmont voters.

The mailer asks residents to call or email city council members to express support of the project. (see PDF to the right of this article) Over the past few months, CSUS has to the city for permission to build its new middle school campus at 6, 8 and 10 Davis Drive to replace what is now vacant office/warehouse space. The mailer states that the revenue from the project will fund critical Belmont services.

Belmont Patch received several emails from readers after taking the phone survey.

"They wanted to know why I was opposed....and what they were doing that MIGHT lead me to agree to it.  They also asked what I thought of the council and of the county leadership.  What are they really trying to do.  Did I feel favorably toward the city leadership?  What's up with that?," wrote one reader.

Another said she was called and asked if she would support the school if the money offered to the city would be directed to the police department.

Following the public hearing Tuesday night, the council may make a motion to approve the project, or to continue the discussion at a future meeting.

The Belmont City Council will meet Tues., Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of Belmont City Hall, 1 Twin Pines Lane. For more information, go to www.belmont.gov, or, to read the agenda for Tuesday's meeting, click here.