A new op-ed published by the Elk Grove Tribune claims Mayor Steve Ly has attempted to silence opposition with threats.
The man California Northstate University presented as the new face of community outreach at CNU's most recent town hall meeting, Allen W. Warren, is a real estate developer, current Sacramento City Councilman and future mayoral hopeful. However, he faces scrutiny for past business ventures and their continuing repercussions.
The Sacramento News & Review explores the controversy surrounding Mr. Warren here.
Much of the 3/2 town hall meeting, held in Councilwoman Stephanie Nguyen's District 4, was simply a regurgitation of the previous three town halls' talking points. One noticeable change, however, was the "new face" that CNU chose to present as a community outreach facilitator, Allen W. Warren. Not surprisingly, Mr. Warren is up to his eyeballs in real estate development and political endeavors. ElkGroveNews.net provides an excellent recap of the meeting here.
On 2/27, Elk Grove City Councilman, Darren Suen, hosted a Town Hall, paid for and organized by California Northstate University. The crowd was far larger than the previous meetings, with nearly 100 in attendance. True to form, CNU offered few answers to citizens' questions, and audience members came armed with further facts that refute various claims being made by CNU. Additionally, Suen and others frequently interrupted the presentation to correct misinformation that was being relayed by CNU. ElkGroveNews.net provides a recap from the meeting here.
On 2/18, Elk Grove Vice-Mayor, Steve Detrick, hosted a Town Hall on behalf of California Northstate University. The crowd was noticeably larger than the previous meeting. Once again, CNU offered few answers to citizens' questions, and more often told attendees they should go to the CNU website and "do your own research." The condescending tone, coupled with the lack of transparency left residents angered. ElkGroveNews.net provides a recap from the meeting here.
On 2/11, Elk Grove City Councilman, Pat Hume, hosted the first of four Town Halls on behalf of California Northstate University. Many questions were asked and concerns were expressed by citizens. However, CNU offered few answers, at best, particularly because they chose to have the architect/Project Manager of their proposed hospital run the meeting. ElkGroveNews.net provides a recap from the meeting here.
Listen as panelists from Sacramento Business Journal's annual Health Care Leadership Forum, held Feb. 6, share their candid thoughts about CNU's hospital proposal.
Represented systems included UC Davis Health, Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health Medical Foundation and Sutter Roseville Medical Center.
KCRA 3 News investigates the citation issued to California Northstate University (CNU) by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), a state agency that regulates private colleges. BPPE exists to promote and protect the interests of students and consumers, as well as to prevent fraudulent diploma mills. The citation notes several violations, assesses a fine and orders CNU to cease advertising and offering two of its popular programs.
Watch Mike Luery 's special report here.
After conducting a survey of its residents to gauge homeowners' feelings about the proposed CNU medical complex, the Board of Directors for the Stonelake community produced an official statement on behalf of the West Elk Grove neighborhood.
"We have a right to expect, and a responsibility to demand, that our neighbor/partners behave ethically and above-board, are honest in their processes, respect the concerns of our families, and support our values and the community we cherish," the letter reads.
"California Northstate University (CNU) project leadership has shown an ongoing and consistent pattern of disrespect for our community and our fundamental values. The project itself is wildly out-of-scale for the location and for the needs of the Elk Grove community," the statement continues.
The letter concludes, "Let's not be lulled into a false choice; gaining a local health care facility does not require us to sacrifice our quality of life or support a project which is clearly out of scale for our needs and out of touch with our community. We strongly urge our community to come together and unambiguously reject the California Northstate University (CNU) Hospital/Biotech Lab proposal."
At the next Elk Grove City Council meeting on January 22, 2020, Dreaming Dog Brewery will be presenting a donation for the Veterans Memorial. This is yet another example of why the businesses in Stonelake Landing are so important to our community and the entire city of Elk Grove. We encourage you to attend and show your support for our veteran-owned small business neighbor. The presentation will take place shortly after the meeting begins at 6 pm in the City Council Chambers.
At the Elk Grove City Council meeting on January 8, 2020, the contrast between Dignity Health and California Northstate University was made clear. While Dignity was acknowledged for their longstanding history of success in the healthcare industry, CNU was called out for their longstanding history of deceptive practices and lack of transparency.
Most recently, CNU applied for AB 900 certification, which greatly expedites the EIR process. The public comment period on this application ended on December 30, 2019. However, no public notice was given that the application even existed - not even by the City of Elk Grove, which served as the lead agency for the application - and citizens are fed up with the lack of transparency regarding the CNU medical complex proposal.
UPDATE: A recent check of the BPPE website revealed the citation was modified on November 20, 2019, a few months after an informal conference with CNU. The fine was reduced to $5,001 and the wording was slightly modified regarding what CNU has to submit to be permitted to offer the two programs at issue. No other substantive changes were made and CNU is still ordered to cease offering these two programs. An administrative hearing on this issue will take place on March 2, 2020. In the meantime, on Feburary 7,2020, CNU will go to court in an attempt to force BPPE to remove the citation from its website. CNU claims that the citation is the reason that their student application cancellation rate has tripled.
Over the past year, California Northstate University (CNU) has gone full steam ahead pursuing its ambitious plan to build a hospital in Elk Grove, despite the fact that its current operation in Elk Grove as a medical and pharmacy school has come under scrutiny by the State of California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE). Specifically, CNU’s ability to advertise and offer a “Bachelor of Science-to-Doctor of Medicine (BS-MD)” program and a “Bachelor of Science-to-Doctor of Pharmacy (BS-PharmD)” program is currently in question and CNU is in the midst of appealing a citation issued by BPPE in July 2019. During the appeal process, CNU has chosen to continue advertising the BS-MD and BS-PharmD programs to potential undergraduate students.
Read the NEST report here.
California Northstate University seeks to build controversial hospital project Elk Grove CNSU
CNU's medical complex proposal will destroy local small businesses in Elk Grove, interfere with the wildlife refuge and shoehorn a 12-story hospital with a helistop and other tall structures next to residences. Sign the petition to protect our community today!
Dreaming Dog Brewery, co-owned by David and Liz Brown, is a cherished small business in West Elk Grove's Stonelake Landing Shopping Center. At risk of having their brewery destroyed by CNU and its controversial medical complex proposal, David and Liz still continue to give back to their community in ways that are meaningful and immeasurable. Help Dreaming Dog Brewery and other valued small businesses keep their dreams alive and their doors open! Sign the petition today!
California Northstate University (CNU) seeks to demolish local small businesses, interfere with wildlife at Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, shoehorn a 12-story hospital with a helistop and other tall structures next to residential communities in West Elk Grove, overburden our infrastructure by adding unsustainable demands to our roadways, our water sources, our utilities and more - and do it in a 200-year floodplain. CNU’s ability to obtain financing has been questionable and they now seek funding through tax-exempt bonds. If granted, CNU, an entity with no experience in building and operating a hospital, would avoid taxes while destroying current taxpaying businesses, with a project likely to end up being West Elk Grove’s “Ghost Mall”.
The documents on the City's CNU web page are not the most current available. To view the most recent documents CNU has submitted to the City, click here.
On November 1, 2019, California Northstate University orchestrated a helicopter simulation over Stonelake Landing as part of the environmental review process for their proposed medical complex. The audio in this video has not been altered. For reference, the people heard speaking after the first flyby were standing approximately 10 feet behind the point of filming. The objects you see flying by the helicopter at various times are birds, most likely from the adjacent national wildlife refuge.
ElkGroveNews.net has produced an eye-opening series of podcasts, in which Stonelake Landing small business owners tell their side of the story regarding the lack of transparency and unethical business practices of their current landlord, California Northstate University (CNU).
The first podcast featured an interview with the owner of Results Transformation Center. In this interview, it was revealed that CNU refused to support its tenants in their pursuits of expansion and/or success. On the contrary, tenants were given the cold shoulder and CNU further made efforts to prevent the existing businesses from thriving.
In the latest podcast, EGN interviews the co-owner of Barberz Dreme Company (formerly Razor Sharp Cutz). This interview shares serious concerns that are strikingly similar to those expressed in the previous podcast, including business owners being "misinformed" about CNU's intentions, rent payments being ignored by CNU, and CNU attempting to thwart the livelihoods of its small business tenants. Listen to the latest podcast here.
At the August 28th Elk Grove City Council meeting, the truth about California Northstate University came out, as citizens sought to clear the record, expose CNU's lies and defend local small business owners. The final speaker offered information that was in stark contrast to the rosy picture CNU representatives have been attempting to portray of themselves as they seek to destroy local small businesses to make way for their controversial medical complex.