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Greenbelt Newswire
In this edition Volunteer of the Month: Anne Greenley Greenbelt Alliance’s April volunteer of the month is Anne Greenley. A recent graduate of UC Davis, Anne majored in sociology and developed a passion for urban planning. As the Greenbelt Alliance grants intern, Anne was responsible for researching and drafting funding proposals for the Greenbelt Outings program. She was successful in securing a significant grant from a local business, and aiding in the submission of numerous other proposals. She also identified many new opportunities for the program. Thank you, Anne!
Success: Developers Pull the Plug on Coyote Valley In a reprieve for 3,500 acres of working farmland, developers withdrew their support for the Coyote Valley Specific Plan process, citing a downturn in the housing market and costly planning delays. This is a great victory for Greenbelt Alliance and others who have fought a massive new development that would have housed 80,000 people in the rural valley. Greenbelt Alliance and many environmental advocates submitted over 1,300 pages of comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report. The concerns spurred the City to revise the entire document, further delaying the process and frustrating developers.
Success: Vacaville Adopts Urban Growth Boundary After Greenbelt Alliance and its partners collected over 10,000 signatures from Vacaville residents in support of a growth boundary, the City Council chose on March 25 to adopt the boundary outright. The urban line will protect thousands of acres of farmlands and hills around the city. Because of the number of signatures gathered, this ordinance will have the same weight as a voter-adopted ordinance—it will last for 20 years and can only be changed by a vote of the people. Vacaville joins Fairfield and Benicia as Solano County cities with boundaries defining where development should and should not go. These boundaries protect open space and help promote more sustainable growth. Greenbelt Alliance applauds Vacaville’s leaders for taking this important step.
Award: Greenbelt Alliance Field Representative Honored At a ceremony March 29, Daisy Pistey-Lyhne, Greenbelt Alliance’s Sonoma-Marin Field Representative, was honored as Sonoma County Environmentalist of the Year. The award, given by the Sonoma County Conservation Council, recognizes individuals who have worked hard for the environmental community. Congratulations, Daisy!
Action Alert: Last Chance for the Pittsburg Hills Pittsburg is on the cusp of adopting a toothless, watered-down hillside ordinance that will allow major development in the landslide-prone Los Medanos Hills south of the city. The Pittsburg City Council will vote April 7 and April 21. Two votes are required to affirm the ordinance. Greenbelt Alliance has fought for a strong hillside ordinance for more than a year. This is our last chance to stop the proposed developer-friendly ordinance. Please join us to show your support for a stronger ordinance that truly protects the hills and promotes safe development.
Action Alert: NO on 98, YES on 99 for June Ballot Proposition 98, the “Hidden Agendas Scheme,” claims to reform eminent domain, but instead would actually dismantle Californians’ ability to pass laws protecting communities and the environment. This is another attempt by the proponents of 2006’s Prop 90, and this time it’s even worse. Fortunately, there’s a community-friendly alternative: Proposition 99, the Homeowners Protection Act, would reform eminent domain to protect homeowners and small businesses while avoiding Prop 98’s hidden agendas. Large landowners, who would reap enormous financial benefit on the backs of elderly and fixed-income renters if Prop 98 passes, are pouring millions of dollars into the campaign. Your financial support is critical to Greenbelt Alliance’s efforts to defeat Prop 98 and to pass Prop 99. Please make a generous donation to the Greenbelt Alliance Initiative Fund today. Donate now.
Greenbelt Alliance staff members will be sharing successes and information with other activists at the Transportation and Land Use Coalition’s 11th annual summit on Saturday, April 5, in downtown Oakland. This year’s theme is “Healthy Communities, Healthy Planet.” Field Representative Daisy Pistey-Lyhne will be speaking on affordable housing in the Santa Rosa station area plan, and Sustainable Development Associate Marla Wilson will be discussing Greenbelt Alliance’s compact development endorsement program. Senior Policy Advocate Stephanie Reyes will be sharing the latest on our work to combat climate change. Hope to see you there! To find out more and to register, go to www.transcoalition.org.
Action Alert: Protect South Bay Farmland On April 30, Morgan Hill’s City Council will consider the future of 1,250 acres of farmland southeast of the city. The City Council will also be looking at draft agricultural mitigation policies, which provide a funding source for protecting farmland. Help preserve South Santa Clara County’s farming legacy—call or write the City Council and come to the hearing.
Urban Outing: Sign Up for East Bay Cities Tour The City of San Leandro, with a newly adopted plan, has the opportunity to build new homes, jobs, and shops near BART. To see other successful Bay Area developments near transit, Greenbelt Alliance has organized a smart growth tour on April 12. 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. When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 12
Greenbelt Alliance in the News "The response to the signature-gathering effort was overwhelming, and confirms the strong and widespread support for the initiative, which will help Vacaville grow in a way that preserves working farms and open space."
“I don’t think it’s fair for Pittsburg to say this ordinance is anything more than a blank check for the developer.”
"The Coyote Valley proposal sparked fierce political battles over the years between developers, who stood to rake in billions of dollars, and environmentalists, worried about lost open space, increased traffic and higher demand for police, fire and other city services."
Urban Outings: The Stanford Dish Trail, San Francisco Chronicle, March 14
Sat Apr 12: Black Diamond Mines Tour, East Bay Sun Apr 13: Hiking the Headlands, Marin County Sat Apr 19: The Nature of Napa, North Bay Sun Apr 20: Palisades Panoramas, North Bay Sat Apr 26: Climb Mount Diablo, East Bay Sun June 22: Bluegrass in the Greenbelt, Dunsmuir Historic Estate, Oakland 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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