Tuesday, the City Council has voted to allow the Planning Board to hold a discussion on Alameda’s housing/density law Measure A. I commend the council for recognizing the need for the city to bring people together to discuss the issue and to help inform the debate by looking at the many points of view...
Don’t get me wrong, last night was HUGE, and I mean in a good way! The council put to rest the idea that they were fearful of public discussions about important planning and development issues. They more than approved, they encouraged the Planning Board to hold a forum on Measure A and not to...
Mark asked any comment on the technical argument that the Planning Board is acting outside it’s purview as defined by the City Charter? The city’s charter says (I’ve bullet pointed it for easier reading and bolded the pertinent parts): City Charter – Sec. 14-1. The City Planning Board shall have such powers and duties...
A quick Friday post before heading into a weekend of baseball, housecleaning and community meetings! Wahoo! I checked out the city council meeting agenda for next Tuesday and was struck by the fact that the only item not on the consent calendar is the discussion about whether or not the planning board can discuss...
Alameda civic discourse is once again in the crosshairs. Like a circular dream, the issue of measure A and its effect on development in this city is raised, lawn signs and apocalyptic sloganeering ensue, timid civic leaders choose the path of least resistance and quietly ignore the issue all together and the city continues...
Wow! That’s all I can say about last night’s ARRA vote to select SunCal as the sole-Master Developer for the base. Quite honestly, this is exactly what I had thought was going to happen back in early April and I was completely caught off-guard by the attempted forced marriage of Catellus-Lennar. While born of...
I can’t explain why all three of my posts this week are about Park Street related economic ventures, I’m sure there’s a conspiracy to explain it all. Most likely, it’s all that money that the district sends me at the end of each month! I was lucky enough to visit the Alameda Theater Project...
Following in the footsteps of my last post about the Alameda Marketplace Film Showing on Friday. Another of my favorite Alameda Businesses (which I have no stake in) is having a party on the same night! Alameda Bicycle will be celebrating 20 years of business and the end of construction on their revamped store...
On Friday evening, the Alameda Marketplace will be holding a screening (Announcement here) of a new PBS documentary called “Ripe for Change.” (watch a preview here). The documentary focuses on sustainable agricultural practices and the “intersection f food and politics in California over the last 3 years.” The screening includes “light dinner” from local...
