Dear __________

Can you help me find information about financial resources that may be
available to the island City of Alameda for purchasing park land?

In 1991 the Alameda General Plan designated approximately 10 acres
of privately held land for a park; the section is referred to as
the Dutra/Fox-Collins properties.  The land fronts the Estuary
between Oakland and Alameda near Government Island, just west of
the Park Street Bridge.  The Alameda Country Assessor's plot numbers
for that land are 71.289.6-1 for Dutra and 71.290.1 for Fox-Collins.
A map of the area with photos can be seen on the web at
http://www.alamedareport.org/epac/docs/ 
Click on "Photos of the Estuary Park Site."

The 1991 plan stated on page 97, "This park will require a major funding
commitment by the City, but will probably do more than any other single
project to ensure Alameda's long-term quality. It could have the character
of San Francisco's Marina Green and would attract all age groups to enjoy
large and small boats on the Estuary, views of the Oakland skyline and
hills, and active sports. The new park would serve a sector of the City
that is short of park space, and would guarantee the high quality of
housing proposed for the area."

But in October of this year, we discovered that the City of Alameda has
been considering modifying its General Plan so that a developer can use the
majority of the Dutra/Fox property to construct and sell about 75 high
density housing units.  The developer proposes to retain a small part of
the original land as public open space, but merely as a walkway along the
Estuary decorated by a few picnic tables, certainly not a park with
facilities for organized sports, festivals, and public meeting space.

Alameda's Planning Department explained that since the land is privately
held now, money to purchase it would have to be raised.  They estimated
that acquisition might cost as much as ten million dollars and that cleanup
of industrial pollution could cost another six to ten million.  Not one of
them expressed enough faith in the electorate to ask what the people would
prefer. They feel that a blighted area could be cleaned up by allowing a
developer to profit from it. One of the Economic Development Commission
members said they were looking for alternative sites, but there are none
in our area.

We live here and we're concerned that the City is more interested in
additional high density housing rather than open space.  Everyone in the
City government pays lip service to the idea of a park, but doesn't want to
explore sources of funding or offer the people a choice.  While the area
around the ex-Navy base is keenly regarded by city planners, our
neighborhood is seen as a useful place to sweep required housing numbers
into, never mind the impact.

Local area homeowners, and certainly renters, are in great need of balanced
development in our area.  Housing must be created in proper proportion to
schools, transportation, and public areas for exercise and assembly.  The
population density in our area is high, but since most rent, they feel
alienated from community involvement.  The newly resident class of owners
are more determined to improve the neighborhood but are fewer than renters
in number.  The result is a sparse alliance unsure how to proceed in
planning and creating facilities they need.  We were stunned by the City's
removal of an exceptional promise, a complete recreational park along the
Estuary, something that would have greatly increased our civic pride, our
health, and brought our community together in a public facility that would
make life here enviable.  Instead, a loss of will in the City has yanked
that promise away.

Can you help us?  We need your help in locating financial resources so the
City can purchase the Dutra/Fox-Collins land and create our park.


Signed,

_______________________________________

Member of Estuary Park Action Committee