New Story Poles Required for Project Design Review-

The Planning Commission hearing on design review of the Blair Park sports field project, scheduled for February 13, 2012, has been postponed and is tentatively rescheduled for the Commission’s March meeting. > Click to read more…

Oakland Postpones Decision to Sue Piedmont – 

According to a report in the Piedmont Patch, The City of Piedmont extended its “tolling” agreement with the City of Oakland late on January 18, 2012, averting an immediate lawsuit and giving Oakland until Feb. 24 to study environmental impact issues of the Blair Park sports field project. > Click to read more…

Resident responds to opinion regarding youth soccer use of Blair Park – > Click to read more…

A Resident Explains Benefits of Local Field

It is sad and disappointing to see Friends Of Moraga Canyon sue the City of Piedmont about Blair Park.  Let me explain some of the benefits and reasons to Piedmont and Oakland residents why they should not sue, and why so many in both cities are in support of building Blair Park:

• If FOMC successfully sues to stop Blair Park, it will deny both Piedmont and Oakland kids the ability to play soccer and other sports as there are no other local fields available.

• There are more than 200 Oakland kids playing on Piedmont Youth Soccer Club teams, in addition to Oakland kids who play on other Piedmont sports teams, such as baseball/softball and lacrosse.

• 300 players a week can practice soccer at Blair Park instead of in Alameda, including kids from Oakland.

• Since the fields in Alameda will NOT be available to PSC after 2012, having Blair Park field will fill that void.  Without Blair Park, Piedmont sports clubs will have to turn players away,

• Many Montclair, Rockridge and Oakland soccer teams will benefit from playing games locally at Blair Park, instead of having to drive to Alameda to do so.

• No other city will provide Piedmont youth sports clubs with field space as their own clubs are in dire need as well.

• Studies show that there will be a 1-2% increase in traffic on Moraga Avenue during the hours that sports groups use Blair Park; not enough to impact traffic, and an even smaller fraction of the time on an annual basis.  Of the traffic going to Blair Park, the vast majority will remain in Piedmont, not impacting traffic at the Harbord/Moraga intersection in Oakland or elsewhere.

• The benefits to our environment and sports families of building Blair Park are huge.  No longer needing to travel to Alameda will mean, on an annual basis for soccer alone, more than 100,000 miles NOT driven and more than 100,000 lbs of carbon NOT emitted into our community.  In addition, hundreds of hours of driving time will NOT be spent by players and their families during rush hour traffic, greatly reduced the risk of being involved in car accidents, as well as the considerable monetary savings to our Piedmont and Oakland families.

• There will be a net increase of 39 trees at Blair Park, with 74 existing oak trees remaining while removing many beetle-infested trees (at no cost to the City).  The new trees will actually reduce CO2 emissions, while the existing trees do not as they are fully grown.  There will also be a dog park, a grassy glade area to play and many other nice amenities for the entire community to enjoy throughout the entire year.

• Building Blair Park is privately funded and the maintenance will be paid for by the user groups.

• The traffic mitigating measures in the Blair Park plan will make travelling on Moraga road much safer and not cost the City anything, another win-win.

I hope FOMC would see the greater good of accepting the City Council’s decision.  Furthermore, the majority of letters and speakers to the council about Blair Park were in favor, the environmental and community benefits of building Blair Park are much greater than keeping it unused and inaccessible as it is today.  Most of the recent changes, such as a roundabout, moving the entrances to the park and lowering the retaining wall were due to feedback from FOMC.  After 5 years of review and analysis, it was time for the city to decide to move forward with this project.  Just because one may not like the outcome of a city’s decision, should not mean that one must sue.

Mark Landheer
President, Piedmont Youth Soccer Club

Editors Note:  The opinion expressed is that of the author and does not necessarily represent the opinion of PCA.

Task Force disappointed Council did not adopt  recommendations –

Dear City Council:

The League of Women Voters Task Force was pleased when the City Council, at its November 21, 2011 meeting, appeared poised to adopt recommendations from the Task Force and Audit Subcommittee that would assure improved risk management and project management for major City projects.  > Click to read more…

Friends of Moraga Canyon Charges Environmental impact Report Inadequate  – 

The following press release was received  by PCA:

January 5, 2012:  A lawsuit was filed today in Alameda Superior Court against the city of Piedmont by attorneys for Friends of Moraga Canyon (FOMC), a coalition of Piedmont and Oakland residents opposed to development of privately financed sports fields in a public Piedmont park.  The lawsuit charges that the project’s environmental impact report (EIR) is fundamentally flawed and that the Piedmont City Council approved the final plan for the project in December without adequate public review of significant changes made since last August. > Click to read more…

Piedmont Resident Objects to Letter in Piedmont Post –

Dear Editor:

I have just read the letter by Guy Saperstein in the 12/21/11 edition of the Piedmont Post and find it to be inaccurate, misguided and mean spirited.  It requires a response. Why does Mr. Saperstein feel the need to make personal attacks on someone who is willing to give his time, expertise, and energy to improve the fiscal and civic health of our city? > Click to read more…

City May Sue Piedmont Over Inadequate Environmental Review- 

After a closed session on Tuesday, Dec. 20, the Oakland City Council announced it had voted 8 – 0 to take steps toward filing a lawsuit against the City of Piedmont  over its approved plans to build a sports field at Blair Park.

The Oakland Council expressed its continued commitment to resolving their difference with Piedmont on this project and its wish to continue to seek a tolling agreement with the City of Piedmont (which would extend the 30 day deadline to file a lawsuit). But if that does not occur by January 9th, the Oakland City Attorney is directed to file a lawsuit against Piedmont to challenge the Environmental Impact Report and approvals on the project.

The motion was made by Councilmember Libby Schaaf, seconded by Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan and approved unanimously by the eight members of the Council.

Link:  Further information go to http://piedmont.patch.com/articles/oakland-city-council-okays-lawsuit-over-blair-park

City Administrator Responds to Questions on Future of the Sports Field –

The following inquiry was sent recently by Piedmont resident Tom Clark to City Administrator Geoff Grote.  Clark’s questions and Grote’s answers are printed below.

> Click to read more…

Candidate supports professional, independent evaluation of full cost of Blair Park –

Dear Neighbor,

We Piedmonters have been very generous in taxing ourselves to maintain a high level of municipal services, as you know from the property tax bill you recently received. And the City Council is asking for another substantial jump in property taxes when we vote on February 7. But in recent years, our generosity and trust have not been rewarded by careful management of City expenditures.

> Click to read more…