1995-08-16 ARRA Minutes MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
ALAMEDA REUSE AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
Wednesday, August 16, 1995
The meeting convened at 5:32 p.m. with Chair Appezzato presiding.
I. ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Mayor Ralph Appezzato, City of Alameda; Alternate Roberta
Brooks for Vice-Chair Sandré Swanson, 9th Congressional District; Vice Mayor
Charles Mannix, City of Alameda; Alternate Tony Daysog for Councilmember
"Lil"Arnerich, City of Alameda (arrived at 5:35 p.m.); Alternate Gary Loeffler
for Mayor Ellen Corbett, City of San Leandro; Councilmember Albert DeWitt,
City of Alameda (arrived at 5:35 p.m.); Alternate Greg Alves for
Councilmember Karin Lucas, City of Alameda;
Alternate Mark Friedman for Supervisor Wilma Chan, Alameda County Board
of Supervisors, District 3; Ex-officio Member Lee Perez, Chair, Base Reuse
Advisory Group (BRAG); Alternate Ardella Dailey for Ex-officio Member Gail
Greely, Alameda Unified School District
Absent: Councilmember Henry Chang, Jr., City of Oakland
A. Approval of Minutes - Special Meeting of August 2, 1995.
A motion was made by Vice Mayor Mannix to approve the minutes. The motion
was seconded by Alternate Mark Friedman.
The motion carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: 8. Noes: None. Absent: 1.
II. AGENDA ITEMS
A. Report From the Executive Director Recommending Approval to Endorse the
California State University Hayward Foundation (CSUHF) as a Co-Applicant with
the Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Authority (ARRA) and the Alameda Center
for Environmental Technology (ACET) for a Grant Application to the Economic
Development Administration (EDA), U.S. Department of Commerce.
After a short presentation by the Executive Director and discussion by the Authority, a
motion was made by Alternate Friedman and seconded by Alternate Brooks to endorse
CSUHF as a Co-Applicant with the ARRA and ACET for a Grant Application to the
EDA. The motion carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: 8. Noes: None.
Absent: 1.
B. Report From the Executive Director Recommending Endorsement of the Bay Area
Defense Conversion Action Team (BADCAT) Position Paper on Improving the Base
Conversion Process.
The Executive Director stated that this letter was crafted as a lobbying tool to raise the
level of consciousness in the Congress, to frame the issues that are impediments to the
base closure process, and to recommend action steps to remove those obstacles. The
BRAG has endorsed the letter with the following caveats: (1) rewrite the paper to
stress the opportunity of base closure to address the entire affected local community
rather than primarily focusing on special needs such as low-income and homeless; (2)
recraft the paper to reflect that the primary goal of base conversion should be job
replacement and not special interests; (3) present the paper with a strong emphasis on
the need to return revenues gained from base reconversion for reinvestment into the
properties.
After discussion and questions from the Authority on the critical importance of the
incorporation of the BRAG’s suggestions, it was moved by Alternate Roberta Brooks
that approval of the document be contingent on incorporation of the articles that the
BRAG had articulated. The motion was seconded by Vice-Mayor Charles Mannix.
Speakers:
Mr. Neil Patrick Sweeney, a citizen of Alameda, suggested (1) ways to declare war on
the NAS Alameda environmental toxic cleanup; (2) that proposals from all base
conversions should be computerized on the information superhighway; and (3) that all
information should be sent to every ethnic language media.
Councilmember DeWitt stated that the BADCAT position paper had been in process
while the ARRA was in the transition of finding a new Executive Director. He voiced
the hope that the warm relationship between BADCAT and the City of Alameda
continues.
The motion carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: 7. Noes: None.
Abstentions: 1- Alternate Tony Daysog. Absent: 1.
C. Presentation/Workshop on the Analysis of Alternatives and Development of a
Preferred Land Use Plan.
D. Paul Tuttle, Planner for the ARRA, stated that the workshop was being held at
the request of the ARRA to brief them on the planning process and the critical
decisions being faced in the near future. Jonathan Stern, Assistant Project Manager
for EDAW, then made a slide presentation titled, Phase 4: Long Range Alternative
Analysis. The Presentation of Findings included (1) the status of the planning
effort; (2) goals and objectives; (3) the urban design framework; (4) alternative
description; (5) comparative analysis of five alternatives; and (6) recommendations
and next steps.
In response to a query by Mayor Appezzato on flexibility in the final plan, the
Executive Director stated that our Final Reuse Plan is the document that the Navy
will use as the basis of their Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). We must make
sure that it is intentionally flexible enough that as market conditions change and as
we change our minds about what we would like, the plan stands the test of the EIS.
Ex-officio Perez stated that the Navy will do their toxic cleanup at a level with the
stated use of each parcel of land. If we want to change it later to a use that
requires a higher level of toxic cleanup, there could be a problem. Mayor
Appezzato stated that flexibility is the key.
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Kay Miller stated that there is an August 23rd meeting with EDAW, the staff, and
the BRAG where the BRAG can give input into the plan that is presented to the
public on September 9. She then solicited early general direction from the ARRA
members.
Councilmember DeWitt stated that he is interested in a choice that would provide for
wildlife, a golf course, and an infrastructure that is adequate. He would like to see
pieces from each plan combined for a sixth alternative.
Alternate Brooks asked whether Fish and Wildlife and EBRPD have leverage in their
land requests or does ARRA make the decision? The Executive Director stated that
the final decision is the Navy’s at the Record of Decision. The Navy is anxious for
all land request issues be resolved before it gets to them. If the community does not
support the Fish & Wildlife request for 970 acres and a way to mitigate the effect on
the endangered species is presented, the Navy will look at the plan the ARRA
proposes.
Speakers:
Neil Patrick Sweeney (1) urged the public to get out to the town meeting at the
Officer’s Club on September 9; (2) suggested the possibility of using active duty and
reserve military personnel already trained in environmental cleanup; (3) proposed
walking paths and light rail to eliminate gridlock; and (4) stated that the Medical
Clinic was upgraded not too long ago and should be retained for the use of any
future educational consortium.
Dave Ryan, EFA West, U.S. Navy, stated that the reuse authority has great weight
in any decisions that are made on the Final Reuse Plan. He also stated that the Final
Reuse Plan will affect the level of toxic cleanup. For instance, if an area presently
used as an industrial site is slated for a child care center, it would impact both
cleanup costs and the cleanup schedule.
III. ORAL REPORTS:
None.
IV. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA (PUBLIC COMMENT)
(Any person may address the Governing Body in regard to any matter over which the
Governing Body has jurisdiction or of which it may take cognizance, that is not on the
agenda.)
Speakers:
Neil Patrick Sweeney spoke further on toxic cleanup.
IV. COMMUNICATIONS FROM GOVERNING BODY
None.
VI. ADJOURNMENT
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The meeting was adjourned by Chair Appezzato at 8:07 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Margaret E. Ensley
Secretary
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