Voters Will Decide Fate of Lund Ranch II Project in June
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Thursday, March 3, 2016 VOLUME LIII, NUMBER 9 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN, LIVERMORE, PLEASANTON, SUNOL Voters Will Decide Fate of Lund Ranch II Project in June The Pleasanton City Council The decision to let residents three election options. Although it have been limited to the printing voted to place the Lund Ranch II vote on the matter was 3 to 1 with is more costly, the council chose cost, because the vote could be referendum on the June 7, 2016 Karla Brown opposed. Jerry Pentin June over November 2016 or a consolidated with the city's mu- See Inside Section A ballot. was absent. However, in the past stand-alone vote in August. They nicipal election, which is already Section A is filled with The referendum needed 4,124 when Lund Ranch was on the said that they wanted to settle the included in the city's budget. information about arts, people, valid signatures to qualify for a agenda, he has rescued himself. matter as quickly as possible to end The ballot question reads, entertainment and special events. vote. The Alameda County Reg- Brown favored rescinding the the divisiveness in the community. "Shall the Lund Ranch II project There are education stories, a istrar of Voters identified 4,422 decision and hiring an impartial The June election will cost in the southeast hills, which con- variety of features, and the arts valid signatures. The council had mediator to work with all sides in between $164,000 and $247,000 sists of 43 single family homes on and entertainment and the choice of rescinding the Lund developing an acceptable plan that plus printing estimated at between approximately 17 acres and 174 bulletin board. Ranch II approval or placing the was compliant with Measure PP. $50,000 and $100,000. For No- acres of permanent open space and matter before the electorate. The council had a choice of vember, the cost would in essence (See LUND RANCH, page 4) Parking, TVLC Audit Scenic Corridor Report Shows Issues Raised 'Insufficient The scenic corridor and parking were the main focus of comments Internal by the Livermore City Council during a discussion of plans for Controls' the Isabel Neighborhood Devel- By Ron McNicoll opment, the area surrounding the The board of directors of Tri- proposed BART station. Valley Learning Corporation final- The Isabel planning area covers ly received its copy of the annual approximately 1,100 acres in the audit for Fiscal Year 2014-15, and northwestern portion of Liver- approved it 3-1. more on the north and south side of I-580. The entire planning area The directors voted to accept is within the city’s adopted Urban the audit at their meeting Feb. 25, Growth Boundary (UGB). The fo- long after the Dec. 10 deadline to cus of the planning effort is the half send it to the State Controller's Of- mile radius around the proposed fice, the Alameda County Office of station. The distance has been Education, and the Livermore Val- established by MTC. Both BART ley Joint Unified School District and MTC, the funding agencies, (LVJUSD), which sponsors two require a specific level of housing TVLC schools. in order to qualify for money. Director Scott Lessard voted A special council meeting on Photo - Doug Jorgensen Monday provided an opportunity The Tri-Valley Expanding Your Horizons (EYH), the annual conference specially designed for 6th against accepting the report, even for members of the public and the through 9th grade girls to encourage them to consider education and career options in science and though delay could cost TVLC council to give input on what the mathematics, was held last Saturday at Las Positas College. Girls attend two 90-minute workshops a letter of good standing, which Isabel development should look that provide hands-on science- or math-related activities. In addition to their workshop selections, is needed for TVLC to receive a like. girls also visit numerous career displays and are able to interact with professionals from industry, $750,000 grant to pay for eligible The council voted 4 to 0, with government, academia, and public service, discussing career and education choices. In the photo, students in low-income areas in Laureen Turner absent, to endorse Stockton at TVLC's two Acacia the planning commission recom- four attendees try out the solar powered cars they created during a workshop. mendation. The council motion (See AUDIT, page 4) included direction for staff to come back with visualizations of the impact development would have Bid For Events Center Near Tesla, Greenville Postponed Board on the scenic corridor. Staff will also look at how to provide more Commits to parking for Livermore residents A bid by Rao Company to build which are intended to promote liferation of events centers is not and the potential to increase the an events center and cafe with viticulture in the area. good for wine country. Burkhart requirement for affordable hous- an 18-acre vineyard next to it at Audience speakers who live called the proposal the industrial- High School ing from 15 percent to 20 percent. Tesla and Greenville roads was in the vicinity raised issues about ization of the vineyard area. "When The favored alternative, titled continued for 60 days by the East noise, threat to the underground we think of an events center, we in East Dublin Main Street, features a retail center County Board of Zoning Adjust- aquifer's water supply, and lighting think of events, then, secondarily, By Ron McNicoll located on the west side of Isabel ments (BZA). that interferes with restful evening the winery and the vines, or maybe The Dublin Unified School along a Main Street that runs east The land is located in Alam- activity in the area. they are third, with restaurants in District Board has committed to west through the neighborhood. eda County's and the city's South Scott Burkhart, a vineyard second." Burkhart said the county building a second comprehensive Contiguous blocks of offices Livermore Valley Area Plan, owner in the area, said that a pro- (See EVENT, page 5) high school, which will be located containing small-scale incubator on the city's East Side. spaces form a Tech Hub. The The school board made the preferred plan provides a pathway 'Pleasanton Pride' Theme of Mayor's Talk unanimous decision at its meeting network, including a pedestrian/ Feb. 23. The plan won out over an bicycle bridge over I-580, and Using the theme, Pleasanton ways.” The city has become more alternative called a "hybrid," which three neighborhood parks. As Proud, Mayor Jerry Thorne deliv- Thorne noted that 2015 was diverse, he said. Thorne pointed would have expanded the current ered his annual State of the City envisioned, the buildings would an outstanding year that included out that 30% of the city’s residents Dublin High School with a satel- be 2 to 5 stories high, depending talk last week. He listed areas of challenges. That involved accept- speak a language other than Eng- on their location, with the higher pride in what the city has accom- lite campus built on the East Side. ing that the city is not an island lish and 25% were born outside More than 200 residents, mostly levels nearer the freeway. Apart- plished and plans to accomplish. unto itself; that the city is part of of the United States. Pleasanton ments and multi-family housing The Pleasanton Chamber of the State of California. "We can Proud is celebrating this diversity from the East Side, previously along with condos would comprise Commerce hosted the event. make gradual changes in the size of and recognizing that "different packed a community forum held by the housing component. Thorne described the future of our community, our revenue base from" does not mean "less than." the school board, to make it very Given the height of buildings, the city as bright with possibili- and the amenities we offer without Thorne listed accolades and clear they want a comprehensive Councilmember Stewart Gary ties. “This past year was a time of promising more than it can deliver awards the city received in 2015 high school at their end of the city. raised the issue of scenic corridor change and progress; change that and without ignoring state laws including ranking as 31st in Money Residents told the school board moved the city forward in pur- and subjecting the community to they don't like having to drive (See ISABEL, page 4) poseful, powerful and prosperous expensive lawsuits." (See TALK, page 5) (See HIGH SCHOOL, page 4) Safety Expert: Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Could Have Been Worse -- And Nearly Was By Jeff Garberson coastal communities some 50 industry, as well as a Japanese As destructive as it was, the minutes later. cultural tendency to accept rather Japanese Fukushima nuclear di- The tsunami killed nearly than question authority, Macfar- saster five years ago could have 16,000 coastal residents outright. lane said. been far worse, according to a The nuclear catastrophe that fol- Macfarlane, a geologist, chaired leading U.S. nuclear safety expert. lowed led to the displacement of the Nuclear Regulatory Commis- The expert, Allison Macfar- 160,000 more. Homes, schools sion from 2012 through 2014. lane, is past head of the U.S. and businesses were abandoned. Today, she heads the Center for Nuclear Regulatory Commis- The central lesson from the International Science and Technol- sion. She spoke last week at experience was that nations that ogy Policy at George Washington Livermore’s Bankhead Theater, use nuclear energy need to have an University in Washington, D.C.