City Government

OP-ED: Zoo Can Expand Without Taking Park Land from the Public

Published

10 years ago

October 6, 2014

By Norman La Force

Sometime soon, the Oakland City Council must decide whether to take 53 acres of beautiful free public parkland away from the public forever.

Many people are upset that such a painful situation would arise in the first place since it was avoidable from the beginning. Located in East Oakland, Knowland Park was given to the people of Oakland under the condition that it always remains a public park.

It’s a spectacular piece of land that many Oaklanders have never heard of. More likely, they know the Oakland Zoo, which lies at the foot of the park. The zoo’s private operator is planning a large development on the highest ridge of the park.

The tradeoff for that development is the loss of enough free public open space to fill 40 football fields.

The zoo actually has plenty of space on its own existing property to build this project. It doesn’t need to take Knowland Park away from the public and to destroy habitat for endangered species.

Moreover, the Sierra Club and other groups who want to preserve Knowland Park have offered an alternative that allows the Zoo to expand: Just not on prime parkland and habitat for the Alameda Whipsnake.

In 2011 at public hearings, planning staff told councilmembers that there would be no significant impacts of the project that couldn’t be fixed and that the project didn’t need a full Environmental Impact Report because there had been a thorough review.

The zoo’s CEO announced that the public would have all the rest of the park to use and that no new public funding would be needed to pay for the $62 million project.

Nearly four years later, none of that has proved true. In fact, the impacts to wildlife are so devastating that in order to offset the destruction, regulatory agencies are requiring dozens of acres of parkland be closed forever.

The public’s loss of parkland is even greater.

And the cost?

Despite the promise to utilize private funds for the expansion, zoo management spent $1million on a campaign to increase taxes for the project, only to lose in the end.

So now zoo management is pressuring councilmembers to accept new terms, claiming a potential financial loss otherwise and claiming that the project’s a done deal.

They also claim that the loss of public access is minor. As for who pays for the project, no one knows because zoo management isn’t talking.

There is a way of this mess. The City Council can say NO to the new terms. It can tell the zoo that it should work with the Sierra Club and the environmental community to come up with an alternative that will allow the Zoo to expand but protect Knowland Park and endangered species.

Norman La Force

The Sierra Club and California Native Plant Society have a plan that will do both. The City Council just needs to give the Win-Win solution a chance.

Norman La Force is chair of the Sierra Club’s East Bay Public Lands Committee

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Related Topics:East Bay Regional Parks Norman La Force Opinion Sierra Club

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

7 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.