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Press ReleaseApril 11, 2006 Contact: Greenbelt Alliance Files Lawsuit over Floodplain Development 4,300 Houses Planned for Delta Island; Most Below Sea Level Greenbelt Alliance, the Bay Area's land conservation and urban planning non-profit, announced today that it will sue the City of Oakley over its plan to build 4,300 houses in the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta. The suit argues that the city failed to meet the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act."Oakley's city leaders are proposing new houses in an area that is below sea level, behind old levees, surrounded by water. It's a recipe for disaster," said David Reid, East Bay Field Representative for Greenbelt Alliance. "Greenbelt Alliance is filing this lawsuit to ensure that the city addresses all the hazards and impacts of development. If the city can't show that the impacts are addressed, the city will have to rethink its plan." Reid said that the plan fails to meet state standards for reducing the risk to lives and property. He added that the plan would have negative impacts on sensitive plant and animal species, on air and water quality, and on East Contra Costa County's already traffic-filled roads. The San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club agrees. "This plan puts thousands of houses in an area surrounded by wetlands and the sensitive habitat of the Delta. It will also put thousands of new cars on Highway 4 and local roads, and harm the region's air quality," said the Sierra Club's Mike Daley. "This project is ill-advised, and the City Council should stop it while it still can." The controversial plan was approved by the Oakley City Council in a packed hearing on March 13th. The plan would allow the city to annex approximately 2,500 acres, including a development already approved by Contra Costa County that is now under construction. In an attempt to prevent flooding, the plan would rely on a system of new levees inside the old levees, as well as an artificial lake. The lake's water would be pumped out into the Delta 24 hours a day to prevent flooding from inside the levees. ### For 50 years, Greenbelt Alliance has been the San Francisco Bay Area's advocate for open spaces and vibrant places, with offices in San Francisco, San Jose, Walnut Creek, Fairfield, and Santa Rosa. www.greenbelt.org
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