Who’s interested in the Marina, and how you can help save it

While Bay West works on their Environmental Impact Report (EIR), SAWW has been busy working with city government and local sailors to get our message to as many potential supporters as we can. Some of the actions we are taking now are:

  1. SAWW and Alameda’s local preservation group (Alameda Architectural Preservation Society or AAPS) are working together to get the buildings at the marina listed on the local list of historic resources which would make it more difficult for building demolitions. We attended and spoke at the Alameda Historic Advisory Board last Thursday regarding this issue and will be attending a Planning Board meeting at the end of the month to ask them to initiate this process.
  2. Bay West’s “historian” wrote a sub-optimal report stating only 3 of the 30 historic buildings are historic when a prior evaluation stated they all are assigned a code (3D) which makes them eligible for the National Registry of Historic Places. AAPS and SAWW are asking the city to require the “historian” to write a better report and a peer review of the report. Alameda’s local architectural historian has met with Bay West’s and is working with him to make sure the report correctly identifies the historic resources. This is an important element of the EIR as a cultural resource.
  3. Members of SAWW and AAPS are meeting individually with Planning Board members to get their support for initiation of local listing and to educate them about SAWW and our goals to save the working waterfront.
  4. SAWW is working on an electronic repository of documents relative to Alameda Marina and the Bay West project and a potential website to access the repository.
  5. The city’s Planning and Economic Development Departments have started a series of meetings with SAWW, the housing advocates and a representative from Bay West. The Economic Development Department has hired a consulting group to help the city develop a strategic plan for economic development. The consultants will be releasing their final report soon but the last public meeting they held showed they, and the response from the general public, are leaning towards maritime businesses. SAWW believes this will be a positive support to save the working waterfront.
  6. SAWW has reached out to the organization that recently was instrumental in Richmond’s efforts to thwart development at the waterfront. “Citizens for East Shore Parks” is interested in working with SAWW to keep Alameda Marina a working waterfront in Alameda.

 

CALL FOR ACTION:

1. Liz Taylor, President of Doer Marine at Alameda Marina (submarine maker) had a good conversation with a person from the coastal commission (CC). The CC does not handle issues in the bay but they gave Liz good insight about BCDC, the organization that does. To further Liz’s discussions with the Coastal Commission, She is asking for:

  • A volunteer to put together a map or send her info on marinas/working waterfronts that have been lost to developers over past 10, 15, 25 years?  They think we can build a case for special protection for the remaining working waterfront in Alameda and maybe elsewhere in the bay. You can reach Liz at Liz@doermarine.com

The Coastal Commission suggested that people attend and speak up at BCDC meetings too. Apparently they are not heavily attended by citizens so anytime people show up they are heard.

BCDC meeting, February 16, 2017

1:00 p.m.
Bay Area Metro Center
375 Beale Street
Yerba Buena, First Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
http://www.bcdc.ca.gov/cm/

 

2. We need people to write letters of concern to the City Council and Planning Board Members and cc BCDC. (Address above) Topics for letters include:

  • Loss of access to water
  • Loss of skilled jobs
  • Duration of maritime users at Marina i.e. Doer 25 years, IYC 17 years, Svendsens? Doyle? Hogan?
  • Possible disruption of sequestered toxins
  • Cost difference between repair to shoreline required by lease vs amount required to put houses there
  • Public Safety
  • Traffic
  • Impacts of already approved developments along the northern waterfront that are yet to be realized

Please send letters to the addresses in How to write to City officials. (Note that Planning Board member David Burton has recused himself from this project.)

This entry was posted in Save Alameda's Working Waterfront. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply