Thursday, February 16, 2017 VOLUME LIV, NUMBER 7 Your Local News Source Since 1963 SERVING DUBLIN, LIVERMORE, PLEASANTON, SUNOL Oroville Break Puts Focus On More Water Storage The break in the non-paved The dam, the nation's tallest, Thinking about storage closer Bay Aqueduct would be included. emergency spillway at Lake Oro- remains intact. But the emergency to home for Zone 7, the board of Zone 7 and two other agencies ville is expected to have an impact spillway that guards against the directors have scheduled a field import water through the aqueduct. on Zone 7 Water Agency and other overflow of the dam when water trip on Feb. 17 to Los Vaqueros Zone 7 is also exploring more See Inside Section A water wholesalers in the state. The levels are high, was eroding. Reservoir in Contra Costa County. efficient management of Lake Del Section A is filled with Valley receives 80 percent of water The problem argues for creat- The Contra Costa Water District Valle. Among them, would be information about arts, people, from Lake Oroville. ing more storage closer to Zone (CCWD) would be the host. updated modeling techniques that entertainment and special events. Zone 7 General Manager Jill 7, said Duerig. Traditionally, the CCWD is thinking about ex- better account for weather influ- ence variations. There are education stories, a Duerig said that while numbers are State Water Project has relied on pansion of the reservoir from its not known, the agency as one of snow in the Sierra to store water. current 160,000 Acre Feet (AF) to Another project of interest variety of features, and the arts 29 State Water Contractors would With climate change, the snow line 275,000 AF. Zone 7 last September to Zone 7 is the proposed Sites and entertainment and be paying its share of repairs and is rising, reducing the amount that authorized spending $100,000 as Reservoir 75 miles northwest of bulletin board. improvements, which would be 2 would be stored, Duerig has said its share of environmental studies Sacramento. Zone 7 has asked to percent. at Zone 7 meetings. for the proposed project. A pipeline reserve 20,000 AF in that project, connecting the project to the South in case it goes forward. Development Includes Land For Special Needs Housing The Pleasanton City Council approved a development that sets aside 1.64 acres for Sunflower Hill to build affordable housing for adults with special needs. The vote was unanimous with Jerry Pentin absent. The 87-home Irby Ranch de- velopment on Stanley Blvd. also includes $1 million to assist Sun- flower Hill in constructing 30 single units. The historic Zia home on the site will be moved, reha- bilitated and used as a community meeting place. The council also approved a 10- year development agreement with Sunflower Hill. Under the agree- ment, the city will maintain control of the 1.64 acres and the $1 million while planning is underway. Three families, Zia, Kaplan and Irby, previously owned portions of Photo - Doug Jorgensen the 12 acres to be developed. An estimated crowd of 500 gathered in front of the Bankhead Theater in Livermore to take part in the Love Rally. Director of Community Devel- opment, Gerry Beaudin, told the council, “This project has gone through several iterations and it of- Love Rally Celebrates Diversity and Inclusiveness fers an amenity-rich environment with new public open space, a new By Carol Graham magic all its own. It was Liver- diversity. Livermore a great place to live. streetscape and enhancements to It was more than just a beauti- more's first-ever Rally For Love. He added, "When the organiz- "People talk about diversity. the Arroyo. It also satisfies an ful day, although the weather itself "Livermore is a city that was ers first approached me about hold- In Livermore, we live it. When unmet need by creating affordable was lovely. named after Robert Livermore, a ing a Rally for Love, I told them we gather together, let us reaf- housing opportunities for special On February 12 at the Bankhead man known for his generosity and that my concern was that this not firm our commitment, re-dedicate needs adults." Theater plaza, something special hospitality. That spirit continues simply be a gesture, a single effort ourselves, refocus our energies on Mike Serpa, the developer, not- was happening. There was joy in our DNA," said Mayor John at a single point in time. This is community service and remember ed that there will be small houses in the air - a rare confluence of Marchand addressing the roughly about creating a mindset around the words of Rabindranath Tagore. on small lots, which equals smaller positive, open energies that create 500 attendees. "People talk about community service and keeping (See RALLY, page 2) prices. This will make them afford- able to Sunflower Hill families. Satellite Housing, a nonprofit developer, will build and manage Dublin, Schools At Odds Over Lease Agreement the Sunflower Hill housing, as well as provide services for the By Ron McNicoll The council took the action an option for the district to do are not be able to comment about residents. The Dublin City Council has unanimously at its Feb. 7 meeting so. forming their own committee until Susan Houghton, Sunflower created a committee to attempt ne- after 1½ hours of discussion and All five school board members they discuss it at a school board Hill Board president, said three gotiations over a proposed memo- public comment. Vice-mayor Don attended the council meeting. Four meeting. Their meeting scheduled years ago, the board met Mike Ser- randum of understanding (MOU) Biddle and Councilmember Abe of them spoke. They said they (See DUBLIN, page 10) condition that would require the Gupta will serve as the committee (See SPECIAL NEEDS, page 8) school district to buy a 12-acre members. school site in Dublin Crossing The council hopes that the from the city. The agreement is school district will respond by School Site Rezoned for Housing; conditional on the district receiv- creating its own committee to meet ing potential reimbursement from with the council’s committee about Some Changed to One Story the state school construction bond a dispute over whether the district or securing of other new funding. should be required to reimburse The former Sonoma School site existing homes. The question is does it make sense The school is expected to serve the city for the school site at some in Livermore was rezoned for resi- The vote was 4 to 1 with Steve for Livermore. It does." 900 students. future date, or simply leave it as dential use by the Livermore City Spedowfski opposed. While he The property was declared sur- Council at its meeting on Monday. was happy with the single story plus by the Livermore Valley Joint The approval would allow for homes, he wanted the project re- Unified School District Board. It BART Pauses Planning for construction of 54 single family designed with lower density and was first offered to public agen- homes. Eight of them would be a different street layout and street cies, including the Livermore Area Dublin Parking Garage affordable. The original proposal width. Recreation and Park District. With called for all 2-story units. How- Councilmember Bob Coomber no interest from the public agen- The BART Board of Direc- structure. Directors suggested that ever, after hearing objections from said he would love to see some cies, the land was then offered for tors voted to delay a decision on before spending the design money, neighbors, the developer, William single family homes. He did not development. a proposed parking garage at the they would like more information Lyon Homes, agreed to making think keeping an empty school on Members of the public object- East Dublin Station. If it were to on where the $28.5 million to build 13 of the homes one-story. They a site that can no longer support a ing to the rezoning suggested move forward, the garage would the garage would come from. would be located along the edges school was a good idea. "I under- there should be a park, fewer and provide an additional 540 parking The proposed six-story garage of the development to better match stand the neighbors frustration. (See SONOMA, page 10) spaces adjacent to the current park- would replace a current surface ing garage. parking lot of 118 spots, netting The vote was unanimous. Staff 540 more spaces. Livermore to Look into Shade Structure for Plaza has 90 days to return with a report. John McPartland, who repre- Directors decided they wanted sents the Tri-Valley on the board, Staff was directed by the Liver- tions (RFQ) to establish a short list manent. The cost of the sunshade to look at other options, such as stated, "I really want to build this more City Council to explore op- of the most qualified consultants. could be up to $450,000. finding nearby surface lots. thing today. Arguments to look tions to provide shade for the plaza The city would then seek specific Councilmember Bob Woerner There were also questions at other options are reasonable. and Shea Home Stage in front of project proposals from the short list said, "Shade would be helpful. about whether or not funding I don't think surface parking is the Bankhead Theater. of consultants. Let's get started. Launch the study was in place to pay for the garage there." The idea would be to make the However, the council chose to to see what makes sense." estimated to cost $37.1 million.