NEWSFLASH/UPDATE: On
January 19, 2016, The East Bay Regional Park District officially withdrew their
“Conditional Use Permit” for their sprawling construction plans for the Lake
Chabot Park Nike Base site and surrounding area.
Our
Community remains unclear on their intentions.
So we must continue to be vigilant.
BE ADVISED: THIS IS AN ONGOING
CONCERN. We will keep everyone apprised who has logged in to our website
with updates and new information as we receive it.
This momentous decision would not have been a reality
without everyone’s passionate participation in opposition. January 11th’s
historic MAC meeting sent a message loud and clear: We value our Lake Chabot
Park and will continue to protect it.
Thank you to all the concerned citizens of Castro
Valley and our valued neighboring cities who also are Park users.
Congratulations to all those that made it possible. Now go out and celebrate by hiking, biking,
walking or running in Lake Chabot’s beautiful open spaces!
What is at stake/Did you know?
• The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) is planning to construct three large buildings to be located on the Nike Base/Park service area ridge site overlooking Lake Chabot at a cost in excess of 21 million dollars! This proposal would forever scar and deface Lake Chabot’s skyline and surrounding habitat.
• The January 11th,
2016, Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) meeting addressing EBRPD’s
proposed massive Construction Plans for Lake Chabot demolished any standing
historical records of MAC attendance. The MAC board roundly rejected EBRPD’s Plans—UNANIMOUSLY. Well over 350 community
members crammed into the Castro Valley Library.
Many heard the passionate proceedings from the lobby, as the meeting
room was packed to over-capacity, with citizens sitting on the floor. Any
parking was long gone. Out of over 30 public speakers voicing their opinions—NONE
were in favor of the Park District’s Plan.• To put EBRPD’s proposed NEW Construction in perspective:
• When Parking Lot square footage (149,000) is added to the Buildings’ square footage (41,590), the total is 4.375 acres of land—the equivalent of 4 Football Fields worth of construction.
• This entire Industrial Complex will be “off-limits” to the Public and fenced-in. Blocking Public Access to existing trailheads.
• One of the proposed buildings towers 44 feet high and is 200 feet long, on a highly visible ridgeline. Think of the massive billboard-like obtrusive light pollution of that structure at night!
• This new construction will require more than 14,500 CUBIC YARDS of removed, excavated soil—the equivalent of OVER 1,450 SEPARATE LOADS by a Standard, 10-Wheeler Dump Truck or 725 SEPARATE LOADS by a Double-Bottomed 18-Wheeler. Very Heavy equipment, and very heavy traffic.
• Keep in mind that these figures are all in addition to the already existing structures on the site! DO THE MATH. This unchecked Industrial Sprawl does not belong here.
• Professional experts in the fields of Architecture, Civil Engineering, and Landscape Architecture---that are not associated nor imbedded with The Park District---have ALL come to the same conclusion: This site can NOT support this sprawling Industrial Complex.
• This Construction needs to be situated elsewhere---OUTSIDE of the Park’s boundaries, to a more CENTRALIZED location where it will not permanently DEFACE our environment, DISPLACE Wildlife, DESTROY our scenic views, and negatively IMPACT ACCESS to our Park.
• The Park District—with this proposed location— is in direct violation of their own established Master Plan codes and environmental principles; while financing it with our taxpayer Bond Funds.
• This construction proposal is by no means final! If the public does not answer this time sensitive call to action to prevent this construction, we will lose much of our access and daily activities to Lake Chabot! Not to mention its unnecessary defacing of Lake Chabot’s natural beauty.
•A very disturbing aspect is that Public Access is not a part of EBRPD’s plan. We will no longer be able to access the Nike Base area that has long been the “gateway” to Lake Chabot Park for generations of hikers, bikers, runners, and all users. It will be “off limits” to us.
• In addition, our Castro Valley MAC (Municipal Advisory Committee) rejected the EBRPD’s “Master Plan” by a crushing vote of 6 to 0 against this proposal.
• EBRPD’s environmental document claims that these buildings’ impact on the surrounding views will be less than significant, but their environmental documents did not assess the permanent damage to the ecology and views from Lake Chabot and the surrounding parkland.
• We are not opposed to the idea of upgrading facilities for our valued civil servants, we do stringently object to the impactful location of these proposed buildings in our Lake Chabot Park. They need to be re-located, outside the Park.• Many wild and native animals and their delicate habitat will be permanently displaced as a result of this proposed construction plan, and it will have great impact on the Park user experience on all levels. Increased traffic of heavy equipment and trucks will do irreparable damage to Lake Chabot Park, create ongoing noise pollution, lessen air quality, and directly infringe on neighboring homes
• These Buildings are literally situated right in some of our own backyards! The location makes little sense when there are many other more practical and more suitable—less impactful—locations available to the Park District and their expansive land ownership.
