East Bay native Malaika Fraley is an award-winning criminal justice reporter and formerly covered courts for the Bay Area News Group. Concord-based Seeno Construction Co., which has plans to build 152 homes on the site, received about $300 in fines from county code enforcement for illegally bulldozing the trees. Lees said he favors new construction and believes La Habra will approve enough housing to meet state goals. Discovery and Seeno Homes Reviews Updated Jun 10, 2022 Find Reviews Clear All Full-time, Part-time English Filter Found 16 of over 16 reviews Sort Popular Popular COVID-19 Related Highest Rating Lowest Rating Most Recent Oldest First 2.9 39 % Recommend to a Friend 55 % Approve of CEO Albert Seeno Sr. 4 Ratings 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. The ruling also determined that the city failed to account for the possible environmental impacts of 150 accessory dwelling units, which were added to the development just before the council approved it, according to Save Mount Diablo. But the developers promised to also build a youth recreation center at the project site and preserve 265 additional acres of land as open space. Save thousands on your dream home during DeNova Homes' Red Tag Sales Event! Council members Carlyn Obringer and Laura Hoffmeister, who voted in August to give the job to rival developer Brookfield Properties, joined their colleagues Tuesday to make the Seeno teams selection unanimous. One hears horror stories when buying a home where workmanship is poor and the builder does not stand behind their mission statement. All of these defendants have pleaded guilty pursuant to cooperation agreements with the government, except Xiao, who is a fugitive. Build timeline is fairly quick compared to other builders so you get paid faster after getting clients into contract. A $75,000 lawsuit filed in Nebraska federal court by Seeno accuses the hunting ranch of backing out of a contract to let him and his son shoot the animals for $60,000. Pursuant to the plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to the lead conspiracy count, which encompassed the conduct alleged in the remaining counts. Ft. 3 - 4 Bed 2 - 3 Bath. The owner of the company might pop into your community occasionally but he is always really humble and tries to blend like a regular buyer. Contact us here for assistance. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? 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. Among other flaws, the EIR lacks adequate analysis of numerous impacts, including biological resources, water supply, wildfire, traffic, and land use. 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. Your email address will not be published. Cherry trees bloom early in DC due to confusing weather, This is unprecedented: Avian flu has killed 12,000 birds in Colorado, Garamendi's bill would extend water treatment facility permits, Chart: Bay Area rainfall totals for this week, a separate lawsuit with the East Bay Regional Park District, to take over the Naval Weapons Station project as master developer. 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. Inspiring cities. As part of the deal, Seeno promised to build a recreation center in Pittsburg. The pay at that time was the most that I have ever made, in my life. Any future disagreements would need to involve the projects details and not Seenos track record. All rights reserved. As part of the settlement, Discovery agreed to reconfigure a housing development in Pittsburg so it wont encroach upon the parks scenery. As a result, rare habitat for special status species would be lost. With that being said you can only be pushed so far. He previously reported in Contra Costa County and before joining the Bay Area News Group he worked in Eureka and Santa Barbara. Discovery was founded by a member of the Seeno family, which has built and managed properties in Contra Costa County for several generations. Really? "Save Mount Diablo is simply trying to protect one of the East Bay's most prominent and well-known ridgelines. Overall, my peers in the department were hardworking and dedicated. Now discover your perfect home in a DeNova community. The extensive grading would increase landslide risks and degrade creeks and streams. Discovery Builders recently settled a lawsuit it had filed last year against the East Bay Regional Park District to stop the Navys transfer of nearby land for the creation of a new park. No effort is made when new people start to introduce them to others in the company or provide any kind of orientation or overall training. This is a major victory for Pittsburgs hills, Save Mount Diablo Land Conservation Director Seth Adams said in a statement. Since we have been here, our kitchen has flooded from a fridge water supply line that malfunctioned, exhaust fans sound like freight . Fill out the form below and Dayna will be in touch shortly. Compare and save your favorite communities and floorplans with MyDeNova. The companies also previously sued the Navy to halt it from transferring its property for any development. Ayman Shahid, 39, of Danville, California, the former president of Discovery Sales Inc. (DSI), pleaded guilty in federal court in Oakland, California, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud announced U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag for the Northern District of California, Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson of the FBIs San Francisco Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas McMahon of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and Special Agent in Charge Leslie DeMarco for the Federal Housing Finance Agencys Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG). Pac-12 media rights: Our (final) predictions for the revenue, media partners, expansion decisions and more, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. EVERYONE takes lunch at the same time, 12 noon to 1pm. 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 . We identified deficiencies in the CEQA review, he said. We seek to ensure that all of the data presented on the site regarding new homes and new home communities is current and accurate. The district is creating a large regional park on the former weapons site. If you are interested in a career with DeNova Homes, please send us an email [email protected] with a copy of your resume to inquire about open positions and opportunities. 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 . Scott Adams faces 'consequence culture' as U.S. newspapers drop Dilbert, Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says. On March 30, 2021, Save Mount Diablo filed a lawsuit challenging the City of Pittsburgs approval of the Seeno-owned Discovery Builders 1,650-unit Faria project, on the ridgeline between Pittsburg and Concord. Looking for a new home? It was very hard to have a life outside of Seeno. The property is between Kirker Pass Road and Highway 4. An official website of the United States government. By far the Worst company I have ever had the displeasure of working for!! Shahid is next scheduled to appear in court for a status hearing on Dec. 10, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. PST before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers of the Northern District of California. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? CONS: family owned company does not have checks and balances. The FBI investigation into the Seeno family companies started six years ago and led to indictments for former employees, but the family members themselves escaped prosecution for the scheme. In its lawsuit, Lennar accused the city of systematically hindering and delaying the project to give time for the anti-development initiative to get passed and to bleed the project dry. Do Benicians want tar-sands oil brought here? Discover your perfect home in a DeNova community. A Save La Habra website by development opponents argued the project would cause traffic and parking nightmares, overtax city and school resources and boost production of greenhouse gas emissions. Copyright 2023 DeNova Homes. The Pittsburg City Council approved Seeno Discovery Builders Faria project. Enter your email address and well send you a link to reset your password. Really? The 10 most expensive reported home sales in Hayward the week of Feb. 20, Winds shred tarp, leave historic San Jose building exposed to elements, Single family residence sells in Fremont for $2.5 million, Single family residence sells for $1.7 million in Oakland, Concord Naval Weapons Stations long-anticipated redevelopment, refusing to hire local labor for construction work, filed last year against the East Bay Regional Park District, halt it from transferring its property for any development, scrambled in recent weeks to change council members minds. It is my expectation that the development group is going to operate in a good-faith manner with the community, with the City Council, with city staff and key stakeholders, Obringer said. In order to support the functionality of our website and to tailor our ads to match your likely interests, we and our service providers collect information about your use of this site. According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Discovery and Seeno Homes employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.6 out of 5. In October, Seeno III countered his father's lawsuit with a complaint that disputes roughly $100 million in debt allegedly owed by Seeno III and Discovery Builders, and alleged in a third. Just keeping the buyers spirits up and pushing time lines along with construction and financing. Candice Nguyen reports. 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. One of the many residents who called into Tuesdays meeting complained that regardless of what the agreement says, Seeno might use litigation as a weapon in negotiations. Find your private company bowl on Fishbowl, join the hottest conversation with your colleagues anonymously. Although it felt as if they were pushing you off a ledge almost every week at the end of the day if you worked hard for them they would take care of you. Shahid agreed that the losses that resulted from foreclosures or short sales on these homes were approximately $75 million; Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which purchased mortgage loans used to pay for Seeno and Discovery Homes, lost almost $3.5 million. Both urged city staff to make sure that key features of the eventual development including a guarantee that 25% of the new homes would be affordable survive the negotiations. Their suit said they are owed about $30 million by the Wingfield . Citizens approved the measure by a 75% margin. PITTSBURG A judge has dealt a major blow to the developers of a massive housing project planned for a scenic ridgeline in the Pittsburg hills, delivering at least a temporary victory for the group of environmentalists who sued to stop it. First of all the management is a joke, they are all very condescending. Management is not open to suggestions or innovation. And in 2018, Seeno filed a lawsuit to halt the naval weapons station from being developed by a company that beat it and other groups to become the project's master developer. We, "Having three children played a large part in our decision on where to buy. Jason Sterlino was sentenced in February to six months in prison for what Assistant U.S. Attorney John Hemann called minor fraud conducted to further the scheme. According to Pittsburgs Current Project Pipeline List, there are currently 5,853 housing units approved or under construction, 88 percent of them by Seenos Discovery Builders (5,141 housing units). Open space, even privately owned open space is just too precious and too scarce to turn over part of it to development, former Mayor Tom Beamish said during an October city council meeting that set the stage for a 3-0 vote on Nov. 2 to kill the project. Shahid is the most recent and highest placed individual charged by the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Northern District of California as a result of a wide-ranging investigation by the FBI into mortgage fraud in connection with the sale of homes by DSI and its affiliates. 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