Thursday, December 11, 2008

Let Your Voice Be Heard

Please help to spread the information to all the Fremont residents. There are still many people unaware of the pros and cons of having a stadium in Fremont. Is the A's current plan feasible? We would also like to make sure the voice from the local Fremont residents will be heard. We have only a week before the public comment period ends on 12/18/2008. We need more people to send your letter to the City Council. It doesn't have to be very formal. We need to let the city know there are all kind of issues haven't been addressed properly. Feel free to reuse the material from this blog.

Or you can simply leave your comments in this blog. Please be civil in your comments and protests. You can also help by sending your comments to noasws@gmail.com. We will organize the concerns and come up with a stronger case for public hearing. We also need help from many writers to address different topics, especially the flaws in the current A's plan. You can contribute and make a difference.

If you find any articles or blogs we can cross link, please let us know.

Thanks,
-noasws

[call for help] Does anyone know how to get the video of the work session on 12/09/08, and convert it to youtube? The city's web site doesn't have enough bandwidth. Can we get it from the city hall or library? Over 80% of opinions expressed by the local residents and businesses are against the proposal. But the major media only reveals the rosy press release from the City, BART and the A's. The truth must be told.

4 comments:

  1. I don't know where to get the meeting's video.I can help ask the city and library on Monday and let you know. But for your info., that night's meeting was on Fremont Channel on TV. My friend saw it. So next time, maybe we could ask some people to record it from home for us.

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  2. Just wanted to post my draft letter that I will be sending, if people need some more ideas for content when they write to the Council.
    ...
    I had warmed up to the idea of a stadium, but now that they've decided to try and move the A's stadium to a couple blocks from Weibel, I am back in solid opposition to the plan.

    Of course, this is only one part of the city, but it sits at a major entry point for thousands of commuters.

    The problem is that every day one can bear witness to the traffic that is extremely dangerous during commute hours. The back up at 680 / Durham that forces people to sit in the slow lane at a dead stop while freeway traffic whips around them at high speed is just a starting point. Many have taken to bypassing the whole area and taking Grimmer into the Irvington area because they can sit through three or four lights waiting to get through the intersection. This congestion is so well documented that there is an easy lawsuit for the next victim's family, should the city go ahead with increasing traffic to the area.

    What about game days? The Council should look at the layout of the streets near that intersection. It is obvious that people will be weaving in and out of neighborhoods in order to get more quickly to the stadium. Isn't that going to require a lot more police presence to keep homes --and people-- safe. We already went to a barebones staff that can't answer home alarms. Who will be paying for that additional security?

    Another issue that makes little sense is that the Council will not realistically anticipate the project's impact on the school system. The Board of Education is not even allowed to get involved, yet clearly enrollment would be impacted if the city agrees to build a stadium/housing complex. A new school built from scratch would not add income to our city coffers, rather, it would pull from it. The assumption is that the young upscale demographic attracted to the complex will spend their money and be taxed. But once they have Kindergarden age children, they'll probably prefer to quit the fun single life offered by the "Santana Row" housing and raise their children near grass and in the Mission District. Not enough children means busing out to the few schools that can take overloads. Are we going to tell these young, upscale couples that Grimmer, which is struggling to meet its API goals, is their only option? Certainly Wiebel and the Warms Springs school, which won't require crossing a major freeway to attend, haven't a seat to spare. Oh, and remember, the FUSD budget is hosed and can't even offer buses.

    Finally, there is already a clear path towards "the wrong side of town" mentality. The Warm Springs / Weibel housing is still affordable and yet not at the mindboggling cost of the Mission district. How much will the already tumbling prices of homes in the area be devalued when you fold in the increased grafitti, post game alchohol binges and other given inconveniences of mass gatherings?

    Sure, the A's stadium will bring money, but in the long run, at what true cost?

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  3. Found out-the library ususally keeps a copy of the video of council meetings, but last week's was not turned in yet. I was advised to check with the council clerk. I will do it several days later. He/she may be busy with collecting our petitions. I wil get better service if I talk to them another time.

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  4. see the link for council meeting archive: http://noasws.blogspot.com/2008/12/council-meeting-video-archive.html

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