To Be or Not to Be

The new library - 30 years in the making

















The Alameda Theatre - 25 years in the making


















Alameda Point - 16 years and counting…

Substantial Point - By Laurendo.wordpress.com

Lauren Do writes a rebuttal piece to the arguments that have been made against the initiative. It is re-posted here:

“Louise” reposts from the Island the ballot argument against the Alameda Point Revtalization Initiative and then asks that folks “substantiate” their opinions and that “blanket assertions” are not adequate. Except for the fact that the arguments against the Initiative aren’t substantiated either, but rather blanket assertions themselves.

Before I get into the whole pissing match that will probably be the standard between now and February when the votes are finally tallied, I just want to first say that there are a lot of people that I respect who disagree with my position on the Initiative. And hopefully folks on either side or on neither side can agree to disagree without assuming nefarious motivations of one another.

And with that here are the points that were specifically addressed in the arguments against the Initiative:

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Ballot Argument in Favor of the SunCal Initiative

The following is the text of the ballot argument in favor of the revitalization of Alameda Point, which will be called Measure A:

The Naval Air Station at the western end of Alameda permanently closed more than 12 years ago. Since then, many plans have been developed, but little progress has been made to transform the base into a safe and productive part of our city.

Costs to maintain the crumbling infrastructure and decaying buildings at Alameda Point continue to grow, making it a burden on the City of Alameda and Alameda taxpayers. After decades of military use, the Navy is cleaning up the contaminated soil and groundwater; however, the site’s aging buildings are contaminated, and the roads, sewers and utilities need to be replaced.

Now, there is a unique opportunity to further clean up Alameda Point and make it a vibrant part of our community, without cost to current Alameda taxpayers.

World-renowned planners, with input from citizens of Alameda over many years and through dozens of public workshops and community meetings, have developed a plan to create a green, sustainable, transit-oriented development at Alameda Point.

If approved, the plan will:

*Remove decayed buildings and further clean up the toxic waste
*Improve public access to water and create bayside walking and biking trails
*Provide 145 acres of parks and open space
*Preserve historic structures
*Build a new ferry terminal
*Bring new businesses and jobs to Alameda
*Build recreational and sports facilities
*Build a new library, fire station and school

This plan will NOT cost existing taxpayers. In fact, the City requires that the plan must pay for itself.

The plan to revitalize Alameda Point is supported by community and business leaders, environmentalists, seniors and residents. Please visit www.alamedapointcommunity.com for more information.

Now it’s up to you to help make this plan a reality and decide Alameda’s future. Vote YES on (Measure A).

(Signed)

Doug Siden, Helen Sause, Christopher Seiwald, Ron Matthews, Honora Murphy

HOMES and SunCal - By Helen Sause - President, HOMES

The following letter appeared in today's Alameda Sun:

Dear Mayor and City Councilmembers:

The city council recently voted on an election date for the Revitalize Alameda Point initiative. The council followed the City Clerk's recommendation to hold a special election Feb. 2, 2010. After having worked for years and years to see a viable plan be developed for Alameda Point, I am thrilled to see a proposal for the Point come before the voters.

However, the public has just learned that there are issues of concern around the initiative. These issues have been the topic of negotiations between SunCal and the interim city manager for months now but have only recently been made public. SunCal detailed responses to these issues in its Oct. 19 letter to the Interim City Manager ("Comments to the Alameda Development Initiative Election Report") indicating that all of these issues are resolvable. The city council indicated at their meeting on Oct. 20 that they would continue good faith negotiations with SunCal and that the public has the right to know what these issues and their resolutions are.

Please, stay true to your word and give time for that to happen. Election codes do not require a special election for this initiative, which would occur at a significant cost to the city. A Feb. 2, 2010 election date requires ballot arguments due as early as Nov. 13, according to the county registrar. This timing would preclude fruitful negotiation and public disclosure.

It took 10 years from the time the base closed to select a viable master developer, SunCal, and two years after that for SunCal to conduct the in-depth analyses and gather the community and city input necessary to create this plan to finally revitalize the blighted and deteriorating former Naval property. After all this time, allowing another few months for negotiations to continue seems a small price to pay.

We should not have to rush into an election that jeopardizes all the time, energy and effort so many Alamedans have committed to the creation of this viable plan for Alameda Point.

Development Terms

As an aid to better understanding the Revitalize Alameda Point initiative, AAPR has put together a handy dandy list of commonly used development terms and their definitions.

ENA = Exclusive Negotiation Agreement
Alameda agreed to negotiate exclusively with SunCal regarding the Alameda Point reuse project. The city shall not negotiate with any other entity regarding the project or the project site. The ENA expires in July of 2010. The ENA requires “good faith” negotiations and “exclusive” negotiations.

DA = Development Agreement
This is a contract between a private entity, in this case SunCal, and the City of Alameda to develop an area of land that places conditions upon the project. This lays out the framework for a project by setting forth the legal, financial and other policies necessary for the implementation of the Land Use (Specific) Plan. The agreement is good for the city because it provides for an increase in the public benefits of a project and it is good for the developer because it establishes ground rules for the project.

DDA = Disposition and Development Agreement
A contract between a developer and the City of Alameda that provides the framework for the city’s transfer of the property to SunCal and the developer’s construction and operation of the project. Nothing in a DA limits the authority of the DDA to define the development, phasing and fiscal obligations of the project.

CEQA = California Environmental Quality Act
A state law that requires state and local agencies to identify the significant environmental impacts of their actions and to avoid or mitigate those impacts, if feasible. CEQA requires that an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is prepared for the project in order to assure that the environmental impacts of the whole of the project will be addressed prior to construction. The EIR is an independent analysis conducted by consultants selected by and reporting to the City of Alameda. SunCal Companies is paying for the $2 million EIR, but it is the City’s role to manage the process. The EIR will study the Revitalization Initiative’s impacts on wildlife, air and water quality, traffic, climate change, geotechnical issues and the health of wildlife in the area, among other things.

Fiscal Neutrality
Alameda Resolution 13642 (Policy of Fiscal Neutrality Regarding Development at Alameda Point) requires that the project pay for itself and not cost the City of Alameda or residents outside of Alameda Point. Fiscal neutrality means it cannot require a subsidy from the City of Alameda nor use funding from city services. The initiative requires the City and the developer to design the public financing plan for the project so that the Specific Plan will be achieved while meeting the City’s requirement of fiscal neutrality. The DDA will further specify the controls and terms of fiscal neutrality.

TRAFFIC STRATEGIES

The Revitalize Alameda Point Plan includes a host of traffic strategies, all of which support a decreased reliance on the automobile, one of the community’s primary principles for their vision of Alameda Point. And, of course, we all know that less automobile use means less traffic and less harmful pollutants released into the air.

The following piece, done by HOMES for last April’s Earth Day event, does a nice job of summarizing the proposed traffic strategies.

TRANSIT SYSTEMS

Alameda Point will be transit-oriented and designed so that residents, workers and visitors can take maximum advantage of transit options. A multi-faceted transportation strategy is proposed, with a transit hub created within the mixed-use area at the Seaplane Lagoon.

Shuttles and Bus Rapid Transit
In addition to AC Transit bus service, there will be a dedicated shuttle connecting Alameda Point to the 12th Street BART station and downtown Oakland. At the major on-site shuttle stops, car sharing, park and ride lots and bike-sharing services will be located to further reduce the need for private automobiles.
The shuttle service will eventually evolve to a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service connecting Alameda Point to the 12th Street, and later, Fruitvale BART stations. Ultimately BRT service is to include dedicated transit lanes along major thoroughfares in Alameda to enable efficient cross-island travel. Where BRT travels in lanes with automobiles, “queue jump lanes” may be provided to allow BRT vehicles to bypass automobiles.

Ferry Service
A new ferry terminal will be constructed at the multi-modal transit hub, located at Seaplane Lagoon, with frequent high-speed ferry service between Alameda and San Francisco.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Systems and Facilities
Strong pedestrian and bicycle connections throughout Alameda Point and especially to transit stops will be provided. All streets will be equipped with safe pedestrian routes. Short blocks and mid-block pedestrian passageways will invite walking. The Plan includes a ne work of bike lanes and trails. Secure bicycle parking, including bicycle lockers, and potential bicycle stations (attended bike parking, service and sales) will be provided at the ferry terminal. All schools, community centers, retail areas, public parks and workplaces will include bike racks and/or lockers.

Transit Hub and Transportation Management Coordinator
The goal of the City’s General Plan Transportation Element and the Alameda Point Community Plan is to reduce trips generated by new development. The proposed mix of jobs, housing, transit options, schools, retail and services allow residents to remain in the Area for most needs, such as childcare, school drop-off, daily errands, shopping, recreation and dining.
Non-auto travel options will be promoted in a number of ways. Assessments paid by all homeowners and businesses will entitle residents and employees to an “Eco-Pass” for access to all transit modes provided by the Project. Also, an Alameda Point Transportation Management Coordinator will be paid to assist residents, workers and employers in planning their trips, organize ride-matching and vanpool programs, administer incentive programs to increase transit usage, and the like. The Transportation Coordinator will evaluate each program to ensure maximum effectiveness and streamline transit needs of residents, workers and employers. The Specific Plan details the extensive improvements to be implemented in the first phase of build-out.

Truck Routes
New truck routes will extend along the north and east sides of the Area. These routes will serve the entire Alameda Point district. Truck routes have been selected to avoid residential areas.

Parking
Because of its concentrated mixed-use design and its infill location, Alameda Point is expected to generate less traffic and parking demand than conventional suburban developments, and the required amount of parking will be lower than for conventional development. Parking will be regularly monitored to determine the appropriate cost for parking in certain areas. Many different strategies are planned to enable sufficient parking, but to be efficient and flexible in its allocation and management.

Phasing of Transportation Improvements
The proposed land use plan for Alameda Point includes five phases of redevelopment. The Transit Demand Master Plan (TDMP), which will be developed and approved by the City prior to the first phase of development, will include a detailed implementation and operations plan for each phase of the transportation strategy. The Specific Plan details extensive implementations in Phases I through V.

HOMES - Cleaning Up

One of the frequent topics about Alameda Point concerns cleanup. We know the Navy is responsible for most of the toxic cleanup and we hear that SunCal will take clean up to a higher level if the Revitalize Alameda Point Initiative is passed, but really, what does all this mean?

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