Strategist: SunCal Ignored My Advice

Adviser gives clues as to why developer failed in Alameda
By: Zusha Elinson

SunCal’s top political strategist said this week that the developer didn’t follow his advice.

Although taking responsibility for SunCal’s failures has become about as common as a high-rise in Alameda, Larry Tramutola’s comments offer insight into the failed election that was really the end for the developer’s ambitions to build thousands of new homes on the island.

The City Council voted to end its relationship with SunCal last week, five months after 85 percent of the city voted against Measure B. The 288-page initiative included an exception to the island’s sacred growth restrictions, a description of the project—and the development agreement with the city. It was that agreement — seen as unfair to the city — that really stuck in voters’ craw.

Tramutola — to whose firm SunCal paid more than $250,000 — said that from the start he advised SunCal to put a simple exception to the growth restrictions with a brief description of the project on the ballot.

"We clearly advised them it was best to put on a simple measure to move the ball down the field without trying to go for the home run," Tramutola said in an interview this week.

He said that SunCal higher-ups were afraid that if they didn’t lock up the deal with the ballot measure that they could expend time and effort to win the exception with no guarantee that the city would keep them on to do the project.

“From their internal perspective, they felt that if they didn’t go for the whole enchilada that there might not be an enchilada to eat,” he said.

Tramutola also said that SunCal didn't have its ear tuned to local politics—although it had hired several local political consultants including himself and Doug Linny. SunCal had reached out to residents with its plans for the development, but he said that same outreach wasn’t done with the whole ballot initiative.

“There was a lot of planning without serious input from those who would have to live with it,” said Tramutola. “If there was arrogance, it was arrogance that we have a great plan, and everybody was going to bend over because it was a great plan.”

SunCal spokesman David Soyka said that Measure B was widely circulated and had approval from the city’s own staff. But he also conceded that in making it too complicated, “We probably made an error—we were always under the assumption that more information is better.”

Soyka said that the company thought giving too little detail might scare people more.

“We heard that people would be willing to exempt the point, but they’re not willing to give us carte blanche,” he said.

Soyka also said that although Tramutola did urge for a simpler measure, he was hired with the understanding that SunCal proceeding with the more complex initiative.