Alameda Point

Let Voters Decide on Point Revitalization

August 28th, 2009

By David Soyka, SunCal Companies – Alameda Sun: Aug. 27, 2009

 

The Alameda Point Revitalization Initiative is Alameda’s best chance to ensure that something positive and long-lasting happens at the underutilized and rundown former naval air station.

 

The plan was drafted using input from Alameda residents during more than 20 public hearings and multiple community meetings. In order to ensure that Alameda Point is safe for residents, the plan requires SunCal to fund environmental cleanup as an enhancement to the Navy’s ongoing cleanup project.

 

The cleanup is mandated by the Initiative and is a keystone of the plan — without the cleanup, the revitalization of Alameda Point cannot move forward.

 

The plan also includes trails and walkways that provide public access to the waterfront and some of the most beautiful views in the Bay Area. It also features sports fields and walking trails that will be available to all Alameda residents. These and other important community elements of the plan were developed during more than two years of public outreach that continues to this day.

Today, SunCal is reaching out to neighborhoods, holding meetings and talking to residents about what they want to see happen at the old Navy base and answering questions about how the plan will work.

 

Alameda voters will get the chance to have final word on the Initiative when it is put to a vote sometime in early 2010. This is such an important plan that we felt that the entire Island ought to have a say in whether it should move forward. It is important to understand, however, that even when voters approve this plan that the public process isn’t over.

 

Each phase of the build-out will still require city permits and approvals, all of which will be considered during multiple public hearings. Additionally, the environmental review of the plan will involve a public comment and notification process that will allow all stakeholders to continue to have critical input into the plan’s final shape.

 

Part of that final plan will include a comprehensive approach to traffic on the Island. The public transportation portion of this plan includes a bus rapid transit line, direct bus links to nearby BART stations and a brand new ferry terminal serving the new neighborhood.

 

Another important part of the traffic plan is featured in the very design of the project. The Initiative authorizes a mixed-use, transit-friendly, pedestrian-oriented new neighborhood that will that will encourage people to leave their cars at home. Also, because the plan features new schools, shops and restaurants, it minimizes the need for multiple car trips by future Alameda Point residents.

 

The new public benefit features of the plan — all of which were identified by Alameda residents and the Island’s leadership as key elements in revitalizing the old base — will be paid for using taxes and fees generated by the future residents of Alameda Point. This means that taxpayers who live outside Alameda Point will not be required to pay for these elements, but everyone in Alameda will be able to enjoy access to its amenities.

 

It has been 12 years since the Navy left Alameda Point. Since then, failed plans have come and gone. In 2007, we were chosen by the city to create a new vision and we’ve worked with hundreds of Alamedans through numerous public meetings to shape our plans. The Initiative reflects what the Alameda community has been telling us they want to see on this property.

 

We believe the people of Alameda want to see positive changes at the Point and they deserve their voices to be heard. Let the voters decide for themselves what future they want for their city when the Alameda Point Revitalization Initiative appears on the ballot in 2010.