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Greenbelt Newswire
In this edition Volunteer of the Month: Emeline Audrezet Greenbelt Alliance’s March volunteer is Emeline Audrezet. A native of France, Emeline has made significant contributions as an East Bay field intern for the past five months. She helped to attract media attention for our campaign to protect the Los Medanos hills south of Pittsburg and encouraged local residents to write letters to oppose the city’s weak ordinance and protect the hills. Emeline has also helped with planning our upcoming event envisioning the Concord Naval Weapons Station. She has recruited volunteers and interns for Greenbelt Alliance, attended key City Council, Planning Commission, and citizen advisory meetings, and contributed to Greenbelt Alliance media materials. We will miss Emeline as she returns home to study political science in Rennes. Thank you for all your great work, Emeline!
Success: Cloverdale Draws Good Growth Boundary Great news in Sonoma County! On February 26, the Cloverdale City Council decided on the line for an urban growth boundary—where Greenbelt Alliance and local residents recommended. This urban growth boundary will protect hillsides to the north and west of town, and vineyards to the south of town. Cloverdale will put the proposed line on the November ballot. If it passes, Cloverdale will join the rest of Sonoma’s cities that have defined urban growth boundaries to provide enough land for homes, shops, and jobs, while preserving natural resources.
Action Alert : Tassajara Valley Threatened Contra Costa County’s Tassajara Valley, east of San Ramon, is a beautiful place that has been eyed by developers for decades—and now the pressure is mounting again. Last August, the County Board of Supervisors agreed to study the Orwellian-sounding “New Farm” housing development in the valley. The valley should have been protected when, not much more than a year ago, Contra Costa County residents approved an urban limit line that won’t expire until 2026—putting the more than 4,000 acres of prime ranchland firmly outside the line. But the City of San Ramon is already beginning a process to change its boundaries to expand development out into the scenic Tassajara Valley. Join Greenbelt Alliance at the March 11 San Ramon City Council meeting to testify against breaking the urban limit line and opening the Tassajara Valley to development.
Action Alert: Support Affordable Homes in Oakland A proposal for an inclusionary housing ordinance is again before the Oakland City Council. More than 50 Bay Area jurisdictions use these policies to require new developments to include homes affordable to people making less than the median income. In 2006, Greenbelt Alliance worked closely with allies to craft a balanced measure that created more housing without placing an undue burden on developers. That proposal stalled, but Mayor Dellums has recently forwarded a new proposal to the Council for consideration. If you are an Oakland resident, please urge your Councilmember at (510) 238-3266 to adopt this important policy.
Action Alert: Protect Sonoma County's Climate, Water, and Land On Tuesday, April 1, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors will make final decisions on policies that will affect residents’ quality of life long into the future. By making the right decisions about the County General Plan, the Supervisors can reduce the county’s contribution to climate change, protect the water supply, and preserve farmlands and natural areas. If you live in Sonoma, p lease write to your Supervisor and attend the meeting on April 1.
Event: Envision the Future of the Concord Naval Weapons Station Parks and urban planning experts will speak March 29 at “Envision the Future of the Concord Naval Weapons Station,” Greenbelt Alliance’s educational event cosponsored with the Community Coalition for a Sustainable Concord. This is a critical time to get involved, to help preserve the base’s open space and create a thriving new community around the BART station.
Last September, the City of San Leandro approved an ambitious plan for new homes, jobs, and shops near BART. The 16-acre area adjacent to BART is slated to contain 1,000 new homes, 15% of which will be affordable, as well as office and retail space. To see what the plan could become, Greenbelt Alliance has organized a smart growth tour on April 12 for San Leandro decision-makers and members of the community. This Urban Outing is a great chance to understand Greenbelt Alliance’s vision of vibrant places. Join us as we hop on BART to explore attractive mixed-income East Bay communities designed with pedestrians and transit riders in mind. Both lunch and a BART card will be provided.
Volunteer: Celebrate Earth Day by Helping Greenbelt Alliance What better way to celebrate Earth Day than by volunteering for your favorite environmental nonprofit? (That would be Greenbelt Alliance, of course!) If you are available to share information about our work at one of the events below, contact Ken Lavin at (415) 543-6771 or klavin@greenbelt.org.
Thank you!
Event: Bluegrass for the Greenbelt Concert Mark your calendar now for Greenbelt Alliance’s third annual Bluegrass for the Greenbelt benefit concert on Sunday, June 22, on the lawns of Dunsmuir Historic Estate in the Oakland hills. Celebrating Greenbelt Alliance’s 50th year, this event boasts the return of Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands, plus The Wronglers and a surprise appearance from a fast-rising local sensation. When: Sunday, June 22 Many thanks to this year’s sponsors, including REI-Berkeley. For more information on sponsoring the concert, contact Ernie Notar at (415) 543-6771 x305 or enotar@greenbelt.org or visit www.BluegrassForTheGreenbelt.org.
Greenbelt Alliance in the News “This is a great day for Vacaville. This will preserve the city’s quality of life by protecting the natural areas and working farms around it.”
"Conservation groups [including Greenbelt Alliance] this week made good on their vow to vigorously challenge Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to close 48 state parks."
"One of the most secluded and romantic spots in San Francisco is Grandview Park, a windswept 1-acre peak high in the Sunset District that is an unsurpassed place to watch the sunset."
Wed Mar 12: Bay Area Wildflowers Slide Presentation, East Bay Sat Mar 22: Beautiful Bartholomew, Sonoma County Sun Mar 30: Morgan Territory Meander, East Bay Sun June 22: Bluegrass in the Greenbelt, East Bay Save the date: Wed Sept 10: 50th Anniversary party at Herbst Exhibition Hall, San Francisco
Become a Member or Renew Your Membership Support Greenbelt Alliance's work to protect the Bay Area's open space and make its cities
better places to live. Join or renew now, or join the Greenbelt Guardian monthly donor club.
Thank you for reading! To subscribe to the Greenbelt Alliance Newswire email list, enter your name and email address at www.greenbelt.org. To unsubscribe, simply send an unsubscribe request to unsubscribe@greenbelt.org. |
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