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Date
Line February 7, 2004
    
Orval, Glenda,
Bill Surlene
Bob
Tony Shelia
Introducing
our city council! Sit back and stay a bit while they
entertain you. It sure does cost us enough in money and
property rights!
PROPERTY
RIGHTS UPDATE!
Don't
light up! (the fireplace)
Your
fireplace is now under attack. On Feb. 2nd, with the absolute
minimum public input required, the City Council imposed a ban on
fireplaces in new houses and room additions. This is just another
assault on private property rights to come from this Council. The
self-righteous Councilman Tony Santos arrogantly proclaimed that he
would have "gone for a complete ban". Glenda Nardine had
the audacity to say these are just "baby steps" that are to be
taken in order to reach a full ban.
The
implications are far reaching; if you want to sell your house you could
be required to convert your fireplace to natural gas or install a
catalytic converter. (both of which could add thousands to your selling
costs.) Existing homes could be required to convert or
dismantle. Of course all of it would require expensive permits from
the City. Do you want the City looking into your house with a
magnifying glass? Do you not pay enough taxes already without the
City requiring you to pay thousands of dollars to contractors? The
City already is paying someone to drive around town at night looking for
burnt out street lamps, will they hire someone to look for smoke coming
out of chimneys? Get on the phone and call; Tony Santos 357-2182,
Glenda Nardine 351-2444 and the rest of the Council; Orval Badger
361-7286, Bob Glaze 352-2058, Surlene Grant 352-7826, Bill Stephens
638-2207 and don't forget the lovable Mayor Shelia Young at 577-3355 and
demand that there be no more bans or additional regulations placed on
your fireplace.
PV
TREES
ARE NOW HISTORICAL
The Daily Review, or as I like to refer to them as--The Daily
Fishwrapper because that is all their newspaper is good for, reported a
few days ago that the City Council put together a list of Historical
sites due to the recent passage of the Historical Preservation ordinance
a few short months ago. This was an ordinance that the Library-
Historical Commission designed to preserve historical buildings in
San Leandro. They assured us that historical trees would not be
part of the ordinance during the entire process but low and behold the
newspaper includes in its list of historical preservation a couple of
redwood trees on Juana that are mere seedlings compared to real majestic
redwoods. They are less than 100 years old and are thus not
indigenous to the site.
SLaTE warned the public of the city's intention to regulate trees
years ago. We managed to beat back a tree ordinance in many forms
but this we could not beat back because we were lied to about the
intention of the ordinance and what it actually entailed. We were
worried when the city council passed the ordinance and referred to it as
a "living document." I certainly would not want to play
poker with "living" rules! Our worries were quite
correct. Now, it seems, the city council has the power to name any
tree as a historical landmark! This is what we expect from a body
that is disingenuous to its core and acts in arbitrary and capricious
manners to ends we do not know yet. That is why we fought so hard
against the ordinance in the first place. Perhaps with enough
pressure from the public the city council will reconsider but I doubt
that at this point.
We do not like to be the one crying wolf all the time but when we
cry wolf; you better believe there is a wolf at the door.
JPA
Potential
City Historic Districts List
The draft list of properties identified as potential City
Historic Districts includes two districts (comprised of multiple
properties) currently included on the City of San Leandro Historic Sites
Register. These districts and the individual properties that comprise
them are:
1.
Orchard Street Neighborhood
a. 1348
b. 1349
c. 1470
2.
Historic Tankhouse Thematic District
a. 444
Harlan Street b. 383 Preda Street
Additional properties were identified in survey efforts that
were determined potentially eligible as contributors to the existing
districts listed on the City of San Leandro Historic Sites Register. The
individual properties and the existing districts these properties appear
to contribute significance to are:
1.
1408 Orchard Street, Orchard Street Neighborhood
2.
1448 Orchard Street, Orchard Street Neighborhood
3.
15041 Hesperian Boulevard Tankhouse Thematic District
4. 833 143rd Avenue, Tankhouse Thematic District
5.
558
Joaquin Avenue Tankhouse Thematic District
In addition to the two districts listed above, other
properties were identified in historic survey efforts that were
determined to be potentially eligible for listing as a City Historic
District. These districts and the individual properties that comprise
them are:
1. William Yelland Thematic District
c.
Some homes potentially identified in the Broadmoor neighborhood
3. Early Twentieth Century Historic Schools
a. Washington School, 250 Dutton Avenue
b.
McKinley School, 2150 East 14th
4. Mid-Century Modern Schools
a. John Muir Middle School, 1444 Williams
Street
b. Woodrow Wilson Elementary School,
1300 Williams Street
c. James Madison Elementary
School, 14751 Juniper Street
5. East 14th
Street Auto Strip Architecture & Signage
District
a. Bal Theatre & Beauti-Pleat Draperies Building, 14808 East 14th Street
b. Palma Plaza Signage, East 14th Street @ 136th Avenue
c. Ernie’s Seafood Signage, East 14th Street
d. Pring’s Signage, East 14th Street
e. Dutton Liquor Signage, East 14th Street
f. Pee Wee’s Pizza Signage, East 14th Street
g. Eden Center Signage, East 14th Street
JPA
Many people
have been concerned about the true impact of the proposed
General Plan on private property rights in San Leandro.
Specifically, people have been concerned about proposals to ban
chain link fences, ban the cementing of planter strips between
the sidewalk and street, and the very onerous tree
ordinances. Many people had no idea that the General Plan
also suggests that E.14th St. be turned into a "transit
corridor" where lanes would be reserved only for
buses. Anyone who has driven down E. 14th St. during
daylight hours knows the frustration of having traffic bottled
up in one steady line of cars because the city narrowed the
street from four lanes to two lanes. The reason that 99.9%
of the city has no idea what the General Plan will do is because
citizens must either pony up $30 a copy or download it from the
city's web site. If you wish to save $30 click here: http://www.ci.san-leandro.ca.us/sldevsvcsGP.html.
Pay close
attention to Chapter 7 (Policy 44.03-A, Policy 44.05-A) and
Chapter 3, Policy 1.07 Action 1.07-A, B and C. to determine for
yourself the hidden costs to your property rights under the
proposed General Plan.
Don't worry man. We are
not going to let the
City Council stick it to you
too.
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