HOMES Newsletter: June/ July, 2005

 

  1. ARRA Meeting July 14th – City Council to make recommendation to Developer on plans for Alameda Point
  2. June 8th Community Meeting Includes non-Measure A Alternative
  3. Historical Perspective – History at Alameda Point
  4. HOMES Notes

 

 

ARRA Meeting July 14th

ARRA (The Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Agency, comprised of City Council members) meets on July 14th to make its recommendation on the future of Alameda Point development.  This is a major crossroads for Alameda!  It is absolutely essential that ARRA recommend that the non-Measure A alternative plan be fully analyzed and that the people of Alameda have the opportunity to examine this alternative and make the decision on what they want to see at Alameda Point.  We need to insist that this occur in order to ensure that Alameda Point includes a variety of housing choices for all Alamedans.  If ARRA does not keep this alternative alive, then Alameda Point is sure to become an enclave of million dollar homes segregated from the rest of the West End and the main island.  Such an enclave would prevent young people from starting out here, limit middle-class professionals from living in the community in which they work, and force older people to leave when they need to downsize to a smaller home.

 

Now is the time to contact your City Council representatives and ask them to:

  • Fully analyze a Measure A alternative
  • Continue public dialogue on the choices
  • Allow the residents of Alameda to ultimately choose what they want to see at Alameda Point

 

We know that a broad coalition of organizations from around Alameda support the continued analysis of both alternatives.  Attached is a draft letter to the City Council that organizations may support simply by emailing homesalameda@comcast.net and giving permission to use their name on this letter.  Please let us know if your organization supports this request.

 

June 8th Community Meeting Includes non-Measure A Alternative

The June 8th Community Meeting showed the contrast between the two plans and, clearly, the non-Measure A alternative satisfies many more public goals.  Under this alternative, more housing choices for more incomes are available, more historic buildings are saved and adaptively reused, and more mass transit opportunities are utilized.   Financially, the presentation showed that Phase I is currently showing a large deficit, that would be mitigated by more housing units.  The non-Measure A alternative reuses the Bachelor Officers Quarters for multi-family homes, and uses part of the Bachelor Enlisted Mens Quarters for live/work space.  It also saves and moves 6 of the Big Whites and adds residential space above the first floor commercial space in the Marina District.

 

The Measure A compliant plan replaces the 18 Big Whites with 120 single-family suburban style homes.  It also does not provide homes for those of more moderate income, such as teachers, Alameda Unified School District staff, nurses, fire fighters, police officers and middle-income professionals.

 

Historical Perspective – History at Alameda Point

The former Alameda Naval Station is packed with historical structures.  These structures were designed in the Moderne style popular during the 1930’s and 1940’s.  This style is characterized by imposing columns, geometric sculptures of heroic beasts and horizontal decorative motifs with rounded edges.  Some of the important historic structures include the hangars, the Officers Club, the Admiral’s House and the Tower Building. 

 

In 1992, the Alameda Historical Advisory Board recommended designation of much of the former Base as the Alameda Point Historic District in order to protect and preserve many of these structures.  The Navy assumed responsibility for listing this on the National Register of Historic Places, but that has yet to happen.  Several other challenges remain to preserving these historic structures.  One is that several of the buildings are built on what is known as a 100-year flood plain and would need to be raised or moved in order to be protected from flooding.  And, the toxic was clean-up procedure has yet to be completed.*

 

Another huge risk to these historic buildings is Measure A, the charter amendment that prohibits multi-unit dwellings.  Under Measure A, buildings such as the Bachelor Enlisted Men’s dormitory and the Bachelor Officers Quarters could not be preserved and “adaptively reused” as apartments or condominiums, but rather would have to be torn down to make room for new single family housing, such as seen along Ralph Appezzato Parkway.

 

We need an Alameda Point alternative to Measure A to be fully analyzed not only to allow more housing types for more members of our community and to mitigate increased automobile traffic, but to help us preserve these important structures that are an important part of our Alameda heritage.

 

*(Source:  “What’s the Point?” by Judith Lynch, published in the Alameda Sun)

 

HOMES Notes

Alameda Point development is at a crossroads and we need your support to make sure we can continue to advocate for a variety of housing types, preservation of historic structures and effective public transportation opportunities at Alameda Point.  .  With a little bit of support from a lot of people, we can continue to advocate for optimum development at Alameda Point.

 

Did You Know?

Here are some interesting Alameda population statistics:

1970:  70,968

1980:  63,852

1990:  76,459

2000:  72,259

Source: Bay Area Census 

 

*******

 

Please feel free to pass this e-newsletter along.  To subscribe or unsubscribe, email:  homesalameda@comcast.net

 

Tax-deductible contributions are always welcome!  Make checks payable to:  HOMES

816 Grand St.

Alameda, CA  94501

 

*******

 

HOMES Steering Committee:

Helen Sause, Co-Chair – 510-521-3940

Joan Konrad, Co-Chair – 510-522-3789

Doug Linney, Strategic Advisor, The Next Generation

 

 

 

 

home