Allowing awful alliteration annoys anyone?

This letter from Diane Coler-Dark on Alameda Daily News was too good not to comment on, it’s already “fallen off” ADN, but I have reproduced it here for your reading pleasure:

What’s wrong with this picture? All of the Mayor’s appointed Planning Board Members are on record as wanting to dump Measure A. This Planning Board insists on grid streets, then complains about “cookie cutter” developments and blames Measure A for what they approved. Streets near the waterfront need a grid pattern for visual contact with the water. Bayport housing, in the middle of nowhere, all grid street linear open space, no demands on the developer for creative designs and “bingo”, their number one poster child example of why we should get rid of Measure A. Harbor Bay Isle and award winning Marina Village were developed in compliance with Measure A; look at them and see what a good Planning Board can accomplish.

There is a vacancy on the Planning Board and avowed anti-Measure A opponent John Knox White has applied. If the Mayor nominates him, Alameda will have its first ever 100% anti-Measure A Planning Board. Alameda has a developer drooling dream team on the Planning Board composed of high density advocates, with taste only in their mouths, who never question developers assertions of what they must build to make a profit.

Bottom line, Planning Board is appointed and cannot be recalled. Mayor and City Council appoint them; remove them and set a policy of “The Buck Stops There”.

First of all, no one has yet produced ANY evidence that ANY of the sitting Planning Board members have EVER come out against Measure A.  I love that folks like Diane C-D continue to beat the drum about how they are “on record,” but have yet to produce that record.   But, if they did, so what?   The Planning Board can’t change Measure A, they can’t put a measure on the ballot, they can’t approve on a non-compliant Measure A development, all decisions made by the Planning Board can be appealed to the City Council, so what is the threat that a supposedly “Anti-Measure A” Planning Board could do to Measure A?

If one has actually looked at an overhead arial map of Alameda one can see that the majority of the island, with the notable exception of Bay Farm is in a grid pattern, even those removed from the waterfront.  Psst, did I mention that Bayport is also an “award winning” development as well?  Yes, and not just for marketing as some would have you believe.  In 2005, one of the models won for “Category 33 – Best Single Family Detached Home 2,300 sf & over On a Small Lot (3,200 to 4,200 sf)”  And while it did win awards for marketing, it also won awards two awards for architectural design.  So I’m not sure what awards were won by Marina Village, a cursory google search comes up empty other than it being called “award-winning,” not that I doubt it being “award-winning,” it’s just that awards tend to get thrown around rather haphazardly these days.

I must have missed the memo passed out by John Knox White avowing his opposition to Measure A.   I didn’t realize that saying that it is a good idea to talk about the benefits and limitations of Measure A meant that you were pledging your undying hatred of Measure A.   Clearly, my bad.

And what was with this?

Alameda has a developer drooling dream team on the Planning Board composed of high density advocates, with taste only in their mouths, who never question developers assertions of what they must build to make a profit.

“Developer drooling dream team”? “[W]ith taste only in their mouths”?  Really?  Is that what we are reduced to?  Certainly, I don’t think Catellus was very happy with the Planning Board when they made them go back and forth and back and forth on the sidewalk and parking lot issue for Alameda Landing.   At that point, I’m sure they weren’t drooling with the idea of tangling with the Planning Board for another bout of “what about pedestrian access?”  

And while I think that Diane C-D is saying is that she is not happy with the current make-up of the Planning Board.  (I’m not really sure, it’s all so subtle) I am unsure of the reason that Diane C-D does not think that the Planning Board is doing a bad job other than the fact that she believes them to be anti-Measure A.   Until that is a part of the requirement for sitting on the Planning Board, it’s a pretty weak rational for throwing out the lot of them and starting afresh where the “buck” would “stop.” What that “buck” is and why it is stopping, I’m still not entirely clear.