VOLUME XLIV, NUMBER 46 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING LIVERMORE • PLEASANTON • SUNOL THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2007 UGB Helped to Revitalize the Downtown A variety of factors have come no one magic piece.” in building. As the market stabi- larger proportion of development very traditional way. Generally together to create the revitaliza- Roberts said he made those lizes, Roberts expects to see more into the downtown,” said Rob- restaurants are the first busi- tion of downtown Livermore. observations while speaking to building activity in the down- erts. nesses. The reason is they react According to Marc Roberts, members of the California State town. In the meantime, develop- “Over time, small scale devel- the most quickly to the increase Livermore Director of Commu- Conference of American Plan- ers are acquiring property and opments will make a real differ- in pedestrian activity. The next nity Development, one of the most ning Association during a visit proceeding with pre-planning. ence in the downtown,” said step will be small boutiques and important was establishing an ur- to Livermore in October. The Smaller housing and mixed use Roberts. “They are looking small scale service providers. ban growth boundary (UGB) planners were in Livermore spe- developments are replacing gas good.” “You don’t get large and me- around the city. Roberts said dur- cifically to see and hear about stations and used car lots. Larger development is still dium box businesses, although ing an interview, “The UGB has the downtown. Developers undertake rede- outside the downtown. The larg- that is starting to change. Some focused development interest in Roberts pointed out that velopment as opposed to est is 350 units near the ACE sta- of the medium box retailers are the downtown area. The most dra- housing is considered part of the greenfield development when tion on Vasco Road. finding they can make money in matic impact has been the in- recipe for revitalization. People there are no alternatives. “Gen- While there have been some a suburban setting. However, that crease in housing. In addition to who live within walking dis- erally land is more expensive in who wondered why restaurants trend is recent and rare,” accord- the UGB, the new general plan, tance tend to spend a dispropor- redevelopment situations. It is appear to be the most prominent ing to Roberts. the Downtown Specific Plan, in- tionate amount of their income more complicated to fit a new type of business, Roberts was not The lack of national brand centives and the streetscape have in the downtown. building into an existing urban surprised. He commented, “Our stores isn’t bad. “Livermore is all played critical roles. There is There has been a slowdown fabric. A UGB focuses a much downtown is revitalizing in a (See DOWNTOWN, page 4) Referendum of Oak Grove Plan To Move Forward Backers of the Save Pleasan- lems that have not been ad- Taylor Sirset ton Hills initiative announced dressed in the PUD,” she declared. plans to move forward with a ref- The council added a “poison erendum of the Oak Grove de- pill” provision in each of the or- Pleasanton Resident velopment plan. dinances providing that if one The Pleasanton City Council were overturned by a referendum, Competes at Junior on Tuesday approved a second the other would be nullified as Figure Skating reading of both the development well. The vote on this was 4 to 1 plan and a development agree- with Cheryl Cook-Kallio voting Championship ment for Oak Grove. The plan “no.” She said that if the devel- By Victoria Kamerzell includes 51 custom homes and opment were referended, she Taylor Sirset is not your ordi- 496 acres of permanent open wanted to be able to preserve the nary eleven year-old. The young space. development agreement. Pleasanton resident is already a The vote was 4 to 1 with Cindy With the development agree- figure skating phenomenon. On McGovern opposed. She did not ment left in place, the city would November 26th she will represent like the size of the proposed still receive the 496 acres of per- the Central Pacific Team at the homes. McGovern was also con- manent open space as part of any Junior Nationals. As one of forty- cerned about fire safety, as well future development proposal. six skaters competing at this as the potential for non-native The developer would have an level, Taylor Sirset has the op- species to contaminate the natu- entitlement, even if the referen- portunity to become the highest ral areas. “I think we have prob- (See REFERENDUM, page 4) rated junior skater in the coun- try. ELECTION RESULTS (100% counted) Taylor Sirset has been skating since the age of five. She prac- Livermore Mayor tices figure skating four hours a MARSHALL KAMENA ........................................................8,458 day, six days a week in San Jose. Photo - Doug Jorgensen Livermore City Council (2 elected) Despite her packed schedule, Produce offered at the Livermore Farmers' Market makes a colorful display. The market is now JEFF WILLIAMS ................................................................... 7,311 (See SKATING, page 14) open Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking garage on Railroad Avenue. MARJ LEIDER ....................................................................... 7,293 LORRAINE DIETRICH ......................................................... 4,601 Pleasanton Asked to Give up Bottled Water Theme of the annual Pleasan- giving up bottled water. “I want deal of money is spent by cities McNerney Bill Would Aid Ranchers, ton Mayor’s Awards Dinner was to make Pleasanton the green- to provide drinking water. Instead “Celebrating Our Open Space.” est city in the country,” she de- of drinking that water, people Small Businesses on Inheritance Tax The annual event includes a clared. spend millions more on the pur- Rep. Jerry McNerney (D- boost that to $3.5 million as soon program and the announcement of Hosterman commented that chase of bottled water. Hoster- Pleasanton) has introduced a as the bill would become law. The the winner of the Mayor’s Award. global warming is changing the man noted that according to the Congressional bill known as the current law is due to increase the This year, the award went to climate. The predicted results Conference of U.S. Mayors, more Family Farm, Small Business, exemption to $3.5 million in Friends of Kottinger Creek for from doing nothing to stop it are than one-fourth of bottled water and Home Tax Relief Act. It 2009. their work in convincing the city scary, she stated. “We do need comes from the tap. It travels would create a higher estate tax McNerney’s bill would also to restore the creek to a more natu- to pull together to reduce green- many miles from its source. The exemption for family farms and index the $3.5 million, so it rises ral state. house gas emissions. A lot of us plastic water bottles go to land- small businesses. with the cost of living, thereby Amador Band Mayor Jennifer Hosterman have this habit (drinking bottled fills. About 1.5 million gallons Currently, the exemption in preventing exempt inheritors took the opportunity to ask those water),” according to Hoster- of petroleum are used each year the inheritance tax, which is from losing part of their exemp- Marches in in attendance to make a statement man. to make the bottles. available to everyone, is $2 mil- tion because of inflation. The Competitions regarding the environment by She then noted that a great (See MAYOR'S AWARD, page 4) lion. McNerney’s bill would (See INHERITANCE, page 4) The 2007 Amador Valley High School Marching Band and Colorguard is preparing for two Group Rates Houston As back-to-back weekend competi- tions in southern California. The first is the Bands of America ‘Perfect’ On Farm Legislation (BOA) Regional Champion- Assemblyman Guy Houston the projects include such things ships, taking place on Novem- (R - San Ramon) has a perfect tally as cleaning up a stream or pro- ber 10 in Monterey Park at East on nine rated issues by the Cali- tecting a pond that’s an environ- LA College. The Marching Dons fornia Farm Bureau Federation’s ment for an endangered species. will compete in a Class AAA field Family Farms Scorecard. These kinds of restoration during the Preliminary Compe- A press release from Houston, projects have nothing to do with tition. Ten of the 19 bands par- whose 15th Assembly District in- providing habitat mitigation for ticipating in all classes, who are cludes Livermore, quoted Doug development. The federal from California and Texas, will Mosebar, president of the Farm money comes from the Environ- be chosen to participate in an Bureau, as saying that the mental Quality Incentives Pro- evening Finals Competition, all scorecard is based on “policy ob- gram (EQIP). competing in a single class. In jectives that uphold California’s East Bay and California ag- 2006, the Amador Marching agricultural heritage.” Further, the riculture have been failing to Band and Colorguard placed 7th objectives were tied to legislation gain the state’s fair share of EQIP overall in the finals of BOA. that “would impact California dollars, according to Terry Huff. Just five days after they return family farmers and ranchers abil- He is district conservationist in from the BOA event, the Dons ity to provide a safe and abun- the Livermore office of the Natu- will return to Monterey Park for dant food supply.” ral Resources Conservation Ser- the Grand Championships of the A key piece of legislation men- vice (NRCS), which educates ag- Western Band Association tioned by the Farm Bureau was riculturalists about the program, (See AMADOR, page 14) AB 1074. The bill was written by and handles their applications.