Alhambra Highlands Goes Before The City Council Tonight

Today is WEDNESDAY, July 6, 2011. I hope this morning finds you in a fine and dandy situation. I’m planning on spending this evening with a large portion of the community and the five members of the City Council, discussing the outcome of the Alhambra Highlands project.

The nearly 300 acres that comprise the Alhambra Highlands project is the city’s last large swatch of developable land for housing, and it couldn’t be on a more visible, or beautiful, piece of real estate. A home here would afford breathtaking views of Diablo Valley, surrounded by oak forests and rolling hillsides. It would also be a very costly home. And there are 110 of them being proposed here.

Opponents of the project include neighbors who worry about landslides, noise and light pollution, and the changes wrought by introducing a very large new neighborhood into fairly established ones. And then there are the folks who have been fighting this development for more than 20 years in the name of preservation – now they have formed a group called the Alhambra Hills Open Space Committee. They want to see the public purchase of this property and its dedication to permanent open space. The property is a very visible swath of land, lush with old growth oak trees (with nearly 500 slated to be destroyed if the project goes forward).

The property owner – Richland Development Corp. – is entitled to a reasonable use of its property, and representatives argue that they have compromised for years to make the project more appealing and less visible. Opponents say that it is in the city’s best interests to keep the land open and available for everyone in Martinez, not just for the lucky few who can afford semi-custom home sites.

Tonight, the city council must finally decide how this very controversial issue will end – either way, it will no doubt be with a bang, and not a whimper.

WEATHER:

Highs in the mid-90s with southwest winds 5 to 10 mph, with winds 15 to 20 mph by afternoon.

MEETINGS:

• The Martinez City Council will hold a workshop on sea level rising tonight at 6 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 525 Henrietta St.
• The Martinez City Council will hold a regular meeting at 7 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 525 Henrietta St.
• The Marina Subcommittee (Mayor Rob Schroder and Councilman Mark Ross) will host a tour of the Martinez Marina for officials from the State Department of Boating and Waterways, the Department of Finance and the state Lands Commission on Thursday, beginning at 3 p.m. The tour wil begin at City Hall, 525 Henrietta St.

EVENTS:

TODAY IN HISTORY:

1933 -- The first Major League Baseball All-Star Game is played in Chicago's Comiskey Park. The American League defeats the National League 4–2.

1944 -- Baseball player Jackie Robinson refuses to move to the back of a bus, leading to a court martial.

1957 -- John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles are introduced to each other when Lennon's band the Quarrymen performs at the St. Peter's Church Hall fête in Woolton.