Alameda Point

Letters from the Community

July 21st, 2009

Alameda is a city known for its vigorous political debate and its well-informed citizenry. We would like to encourage that debate by periodically acknowledging the people who have offered thoughtful insights about the Alameda Point Revitalization Initiative.

 Posted below are some letters sent to local newspapers we think are worthy of your time.

 

Facts are wrong

Alameda Journal: July 16, 2009

By Mi’Chelle Fredrick

In his July 3 letter to the editor, Willard Ross makes many statements about Alameda Point that simply aren’t true. He says Alameda wants “to give them (SunCal) city land.” The land is owned by the Navy, not the city. And there is a $108.5 million price tag on it. He also says that the city of Alameda wants to add “more big expenses to the city budget” in the form of police, fire, street sweeping and staffing the recreational facilities. Services will be paid for by tax revenue generated by new residents and businesses. This will help increase city revenue, not decrease it, and will especially help in the form of increasing revenue from parcel taxes (via more parcels) and decreasing bond debt per resident (such as the hospital bond). There is a legally-binding agreement that the project must be fiscally neutral, a fact Mr. Ross seems to have missed.

If you are confused, don’t just vote no out of ignorance or fear — Get the facts and educate yourself!

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Paved Paradise

Alameda Sun: June 25, 2009

By Kate McKowen

The master plan to revitalize Alameda Point is a win-win-win for Alameda, the Bay Area, and the environment as a whole. Right now we have too much contamination leaching into the ground and water, and of course that affects the whole world, eventually. We have to do something — why not pick a plan, this one, and actually get something done?

Much of the former Naval Air Station Alameda is now boarded up and abandoned buildings, what’s known in real estate law as an attractive nuisance. Whether it’s kids getting up to youthful hijinks, or unsavory types of a more dangerous nature, removing those dark attractions just makes sense.

Alameda Point has some of the most breathtaking views in the Bay Area, rarely seen. We can, and if we adopt this plan, we will, turn that current wasteland into one of the most attractive, sustainable, green communities in Northern California.

Let’s tear down the parking lot, and put up a Paradise.

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Focus on facts

Alameda Journal: June 11, 2009

By Helen Sause

The misstatement of facts and information by those who oppose everything (easier to identify them this way than to use an organizational name which seems to change almost daily) are getting more strident, and the opponents-of-everything are further lowering themselves to vicious attacks on individuals. There really isn’t any way to respond to the mud and muck of lies and false personal attacks.

 One can only urge our fellow Alamedans to keep focused on the facts and to inform themselves by reading the information, asking questions and consulting fact checkers and professionals. Remember the hysteria that was stirred up against the Alameda Theatre and the leadership who dared to speak out against their lies and overheated rhetoric. I think we now see many of those opponents sneaking into the theater occasionally. The Point will be built. The plan before us is based on the community meetings, Reuse Plan and General Plan. It will put into productive use a new neighborhood with schools, parks, jobs and other amenities that will financially benefit the entire city. The traffic will be far less than when the Navy was here, and the sustainability of the development will be a credit to our community.

Please carefully read the information being provided and draw your own conclusions. You do not want hysterical fanatics telling you what to do.