[Sosfbay-discuss] Fwd: BAREC Final EIR Planning Comm Meeting Apr 11 Recap

[WB4D23 at aol.com]

Folks:  The following is forwarded from the Save BAREC email  list.  About 
two years ago, the GPSCC endorsed the Save BAREC effort.   I have suggested that 
this issue offers the GPSCC an opportunity to identify  City of Santa Clara 
GPSCC members who might be willing to become more  active.  As with everything 
else, it takes time and energies to go through  our voter registrations list 
and make telephone calls.  But... at some  point this issue might involve 
circulating referendum petitions for City of  Santa Clara residents.  Let me know 
if there are any questions about these  comments or the following information.  
Warner
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In a message dated 4/13/07 8:53:05 PM Pacific Daylight Time,  
kmathewson at secretgardens.com writes:

BAREC Friends: 
At Wednesday night’s BAREC Final EIR  (FEIR) meeting the Santa Clara City 
Planning Commission were shown the  developer’s BAREC plans and heard public 
comments.  Their agenda was scheduled to approve  the FEIR but the vote was 
continued to  their next meeting on April 25th at 7 pm.  It was an event that would 
be a great  movie or a chapter in a book.  We  should be  proud of the 
diversity  of people who spoke in favor of open space, their well prepared and 
diverse  comments, and the huge number of EIR flaws that were brought out in a few  
hours with little preparation time.   There were people who always speak, 
people who we have never heard  speak, BAREC neighbors, passionate people, 
historians, students, seniors, a mix of people  from around the Valley including many 
from the City of Santa Clara, and people  with technical backgrounds in 
science and agriculture and law.  Long term Save BAREC supporters and  the 
commissioners learned a great deal.   What a wonderful group of people BAREC has 
brought together!   The  commissioners were especially interested in the County 
Historical Commission's  support letter for BAREC to be on the State historical 
registry and its  criticism of the EIR. The issues of open space where people  
live, quality of life and not just housing everywhere, our agricultural  
history, cultural landscapes, and bioremediation to clean contaminated soils  were 
discussed.  These are  subjects which will bring balance to the Mission City 
and the Valley of Hearts Delight.   
On the other side was the developer’s team presenting their housing  project 
which we have seen many times.   Their plan does not change.   It looks like 
all the other housing projects in the Valley.  Why can’t they learn from this 
unique  piece of land and design buildings and landscapes which reflect the land
’s  history and have a sustainable theme?   Methodist Homes brought a bus 
load of seniors.  After the senior home presentation was  finished they requested 
those supporting senior housing stand up.  About 25 seniors stood up.  These 
seniors remained quiet in the  comment period that followed.   Even after 
public comment it is unclear if these seniors understand  that they are part of a 
plan to take away our history and public  land. 
The highlight of the evening was when our new San Jose District 6  
Councilman, Pierluigi Oliverio, addressed the commission and told them about  walking 
during his campaign on streets where the majority of people had  cancer.  He  
urged the city of Santa Clara not to get into  the kind of Watson Park soil 
contamination nightmare San Jose is currently  going through.  The liabilities  
and costs ($24 million for San  Jose) are too great for any city.  He  suggested 
that  they slow down and consider carefully how they will clean up BAREC to 
make it  safe for future generations.   Thank you Pierluigi! 
Public comment ended late so there was no  time to discuss the issues with 
the State's FEIR consultants.  After hearing both sides, the  commissioners were 
unclear how to vote  and unanimously voted for a continuance.  It is clear 
that we need to continue  educating this commission as well as both the Santa 
Clara and San  Jose City Councils.   Commissioner Teresa O'Neil specializes in 
urban agricultural education.   She did not attend this meeting but hopefully 
will be at the April 25th  meeting so the commission's conversation will be a 
bit more  informative.  We encourage as many people as  possible to attend the 
April 25th  meeting.   
If you made EIR comments, you should read the FEIR’s comments to your  
comments.   See our website to find your comment  letter _www.savebarec.org_ 
(http://www.savebarec.org/) .   Vol 1 #2 will tell your comment  number.  You should 
also read the  Master Responses (#3) on the subjects on which you have an 
interest.  Respond back because most of the  responses are weak although wordy.   
Anyone can get information into the public record until the City  Council 
votes.  After hearing the  community at three meetings, this same commission voted 
in January 2003 for  BAREC as open space!  However,  this is an entirely 
different commission.  They are new to the BAREC issues and  history so our 
comments are important.    
You can go to the Santa Clara main library on Homestead and check out  or 
read the DEIR or visit my home in the  Shasta Hanchett neighborhood and I will 
have a copy which I have  checked out.   
Thank you especially to those who came to the meeting, who  wrote EIR comment 
letters, and to the thousands of people who inform their  friends and elected 
leadership about the BAREC issues and the importance of  saving this 
historical 17 acres.        
Kathryn Mathewson 
408-292-9595
kmathewson at secretgardens.com 


 



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