Letter: End this Ill-Conceived Idea!
Dear Mayor Arreguín and Berkeley City Council Members,
I’m writing in response to the Berkeley Marina Area Specific Plan (BMASP) proposal for the
Berkeley Marina/César Chávez park.
The plan would transform the park from a place of relief from urban stress and for enjoyment
of nature into a high-pressure commercial amusement park. We do NOT need more money-
making schemes: hotels, food courts, events pavilion, or a large adventure playground for
adults.
Currently, the park is amazing and beautiful, serving a diverse community of people with varied
interests: walking, running, cycling, birding, flying kites, meditating, singing, playing music,
sailing, enjoying the wildlife and the quiet.
The park does not need any more development, leading to the destruction of this beautiful
environment. We need to keep our beautiful waterfront park and continue to support its
maintenance, not further development.
I have been a frequent birder in this park for the last 40 years. I have also led Christmas Bird
Counts for Golden Gate Audubon in this area. We have had a great number and variety of birds,
several of which are not seen in other parts of the count area. If the current version of BMASP
were to go forward, I can confidently say that the birdlife would be negatively affected. I am
sure an Environmental Impact Report would confirm my prediction.
Please put an end to this ill-conceived idea immediately.
Ed Vine
974 Regal Road
Berkeley, CA 94708
Conservancy volunteers Susan Black and Marty Nicolaus staffed a table in the southeast corner of the park on Saturday starting at 11 a.m. Because of cold weather, overcast, and high winds that left the park practically empty, we shut down shortly after 1 pm.
Apparently the weather and park attendance improved later in the afternoon. I apologize to the volunteers who showed up to help staff the table later on and were disappointed not to find it.
I plan to be there again tomorrow, Sunday July 3, starting at about 2 pm, if the weather is tolerable, and again on Monday July 4 at a time to be determined. — Marty N.
Hi Marty,
I drove down to the Marina this afternoon but didn’t find you–but the weather was miserable–I don’t blame you packing up. Hope to connect soon.
Have you presented before the Berkeley Neighborhood Council? They have a second Saturday of the month, monthly meeting. Good way to get the word out–next Zoom meeting will be Saturday, July 9, 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon.
Carla