Election Section

Environmentalists, Mayor Respond To Critics of Eastshore Park Projects

COMMENTARY
Friday September 24, 2004

The recent commentary on the Albany Waterfront constitutes a tsunami of disinformation (”Magna Plans Imperil Eastshore Park,” Daily Planet, Sept. 14-26) The commentator accuses environmentalists and their allies of striking an unholy deal with Magna, owner of Golden Gate Fields. Nothing could be further from the truth.  

The writer falsely claims that Mayor Tom Bates and the environmentalists agreed to support a Magna waterfront development in Albany in return for Magna selling its Gilman site for ballfields. 

(The commentator also alleges that the current habitat restoration at the Berkeley Meadow is an effort to destroy habitat. This misguided notion is corrected at the end of this piece.) 

This ballfield conspiracy theory is constructed of whole cloth. The truth, while not as racy, is that the environmentalists, especially Norman LaForce and the Sierra Club, and Robert Cheasty and CESP, and Golden Gate Audubon, worked hard to create ballfields at Gilman Street. Mayor Bates helped facilitate the effort. The East Bay Regional Park District bought the 16 acres of parking lot from Magna with the understanding that they would be converted into ballfields. Magna got paid for land it did not need and that would be hard to develop. No conspiracy, just a plain purchase. 

The very dedicated ballfield user groups stepped forward to promote and run the fields in an agreement backed by Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito and Richmond, under a lease from the Park District.  

As you might guess, it took an extraordinary display of selfless action and regional cooperation for these groups, the five cities and EBRPD to help make this happen. They rose to the occasion, putting up funds and expertise to expedite these much needed playing fields. Everyone worked hard to make this happen and each deserves thanks for this public-spirited endeavor.  

But there never was a deal to support Magna in bringing development to the Albany shoreline. Look at the facts. 

First, CESP and the Sierra Club support open space and shoreline park, not development. For the last 20-plus years they have consistently pushed for park and open space along the East Bay shoreline.  

Second, in the event that the racetrack leaves Albany, CESP, the Sierra Club, Citizens for the Albany Shoreline (CAS) and others support a concept plan that allows modest development, to meet the city’s economic needs by replacing the revenue Albany now gets from its waterfront.  

This concept plan would place approximately 85 percent of the land owned by Magna into the Eastshore State Park. About 15 percent of the Magna land would be used for the replacement development. The development will be toward the freeway, not on the shoreline.  

This plan was created for CESP in 1985; it is not some recent concoction as suggested by the commentary writer. This compromise is called the CESP/Sierra Club Plan. 

On the other hand, Magna wants to develop the Albany shoreline, planning about a million square feet of commercial development, plus keeping the racetrack, plus building a massive casino under Prop. 68, or under a tribe-for-hire Indian casino.  

CESP, the Sierra Club, Golden Gate Audubon and CAS adamantly oppose this development. 

Third, it is true that we in the environmental movement “fought valiantly in the 1970s to protect the waterfront from development.” But that is not the end of the effort. We have steadfastly continued to protect park and open space on the shoreline.  

Our waterfront protection initiatives in Emeryville, Berkeley and Albany, were created and passed in the 1980s and 1990s, all by overwhelming majorities of the voters.  

We are fighting to protect the Albany waterfront today. We are campaigning against the Racetrack Casino Initiative, Prop. 68. We are opposing the Indian casino proposal at Point Molate in Richmond, and the one being discussed now in Albany. We are fighting to protect the Breuner Marsh and the Stege Marsh (Zeneca site) areas in Richmond.  

About the allegation that the Berkeley Meadow is being destroyed, the truth is just the opposite. The Berkeley Meadow is being restored; the habitat is being enhanced.  

The current activity at the meadow is a comprehensive restoration of coastal scrub and seasonal wetlands with the goal of protecting and enhancing habitat.  

The plan has been vetted with the environmental experts not only at State Parks and the Regional Park District, but with the experts at Audubon, the Sierra Club and other environmental groups.  

The state is investing over a million dollars to complete this restoration that will provide a wonderful habitat for our fellow creatures and a learning experience for the humans who visit the area. Yes, there is some temporary work there, but it has been coordinated with nesting seasons and the result will be highly beneficial to the critters.  

Join us in working to create an open shoreline for our children and their great-grandchildren. Come on out to help on Coastal Cleanup Day, Saturday, Sept. 18 from 8 a.m. to noon, at the shore nearest you. See you there. 

 

Robert Cheasty, president.,Citizens for East Shore Parks 

Jonna Papaefthimiou, conservation manager, Sierra Club  

Arthur Feinstein, conservation director, Golden Gate Audubon  

Sylvia McLaughlin, co-founder, CESP; co-founder, Save the Bay 

Tom Bates, mayor of Berkeley 

Bill Dann, co-chair, Citizens for the Albany Shoreline