ACTION ALAMEDA News

The film projectionists union, IATSE Local 169 picketed the Alameda Theatre again today, this time drawing supporters from as far away as New York City. The union is asking theatre operator Alameda Entertainment Associates, run by Kyle Conner, to begin negotiations on a contract that would bring union members into the projection rooms. The City of Alameda, using redevelopment funds, heavily subsidized the renovation of the historic Alameda Theatre, and construction of the attached cineplex and parking garage.

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In a knee-jerk reaction to juveniles skateboarding in the new Civic Center Parking Structure, Alameda City Council has seen fit to prohibit bicycle riding in all city parks, recreation areas, structures and public property. To defend the new ordinance, Mayor Johnson said “In a park though, we don’t want them riding all the way through to the bike rack. We want them walking their bike through the park.” In effect, the Mayor has banned fun in city parks.

The city staff report for the June 17, 2008 City Council meeting notes that “As of March 30, 2008, the Police Departments has responded to 123 calls for service involving juveniles in the Civic Center Parking Structure. Some of the calls are in response to juveniles skateboarding in the structure.” Back in February, Inside Alameda reported on the use of the parking garage as a skateboard park.

Alameda residents living in the north Park Street district would do well to pay close attention to a clause in the City of Alameda’s Strategies for North of Lincoln Strategic Plan. Although City Design Collective, the authors of the plan talk in the report about giving Park Street north of Lincoln a make-over and eliminating much of the auto-oriented developments facing Park Street, they also recommend a new parking structure with close proximity of Buena Vista Avenue and Park Street (From Page 5):

New retail investment has been making headway near the intersection of Buena Vista Avenue and Park Street, including the Marketplace and proposed redevelopment of the Cavenaugh Motors site on the northeast corner. A new parking structure within close proximity of this ‘retail core’ could assist the City to attract more retail and mixed-use development. A parking structure may help enable the redevelopment of additional surface parking lots through the district.

Once again, the City of Alameda’s efforts are in conflict with themselves - the report talks about creating “an active pedestrian environment” and supporting “the Community’s Vision for pedestrian-oriented development” and creating “support for transit uses.” But then they go on to suggest a new parking structure for automobiles.

At the February 23rd Measure A forum, Brian Canepa, one of the planning board’s favored hired-gun experts, spoke about how subsidized parking greatly increases the number of automobiles on the road. So low-density Measure A compliant housing isn’t responsible for all the traffic - it’s the heavily subsidized (capital investment and operations costs) parking garages as exemplified by the Alameda Civic Center Parking Garage and this new proposal from City Design Collective.

What this report is really shooting for is intensification of use - residential, business and commercial - along Park Street, which high-density advocates claim is necessary to make public transit viable. But then City Design Collective goes ahead and gives away the lie by suggesting a new parking structure, because they know all the wild-eyed ideas about forcing everyone into public transit never work.

A photo survey by readers and submitted to Action Alameda News Blog shows that the Civic Center Parking Garage is much higher than the Twin Towers United Church, whereas during the planning for the garage, the City advertised that it would be no higher than the top of the towers of the church.

The posterboards for the project in the Cineplex construction office on Central Avenue report the top of the Alameda Theatre Marquee and the Twin Towers Church Spires at 70 feet, while the “Parking Structure Oak Street Parapet” was indicated to be 48 feet high.

Photographs of the Twin Towers Church from the top level of the parking garage clearly show that one looks down on the Twin Towers Church, and that the top of the stairwell is much higher than the Twin Towers Church Spires.