Alameda Point, the Sahara of Alameda

The Alameda Sun ran a really interesting article in their paper last week, although I don’t know if it was actually published in the paper or whether it was an internet only offering since I didn’t get my delivery of the Alameda Sun last week. 

The article talked about Alameda Point Collborative and their efforts to study the Alameda Point population’s access to healthy food.  It’s all information that (I think) the majority of us already know, there are not a whole lot of places to purchase healthy food to feed your family in the West End.  There is only the Albertsons and the Farmer’s Market, which isn’t open every day.  In fact, the Albertson’s offerings aren’t that terrific either.   What further compounds the problem is that many of the residents do not have vehicles and therefore have to rely on the spotty bus service that goes out to the Point.

And some pro-Measure A folks don’t want to make it any easier for the residents out there.

When pressed for other alternatives for development at Alameda Point, at no time are the current residents’ needs taken into account.  Instead we get offerings like “Deep water port and industrial uses using the existing warehouses” and “recreation areas for football, soccer, etc…” at least, that’s what Pat Bail said on Don Roberts’ show on Wednesday, Sept. 6th.   Folks like Pat Bail talk about planning for the future of current Alamedans, but meeting the basic needs for the current population out on the Point does not seem to be a priority for her and those in lockstep with her on the Measure A issue.  

When I hear suggestions like that, my gut instinct is that some people want to continue to ghetto-ize the West End.  They suggest that they care about people on the bottom of the socio-economic scale because they campaigned to save the tenants from being evicted from Harbor Island, now Summerhouse.  But, as usual those residents are living in the past, pointing to something that is irreversible.  We have a chance in Alameda to build an inclusive community on the Point and the pro-Measure A folks are stonewalling.

One piece of note:

The group mapped the food sources in Alameda — grocery stores, markets, liquor stores and fast food restaurants — and cross-referenced that map with maps displaying income levels, race and youth population patterns. They found that the best places to find healthy food were closest to Alameda’s wealthier neighborhoods.

I know I would love to get my hands on one of those reports, because I believe it is a strong argument as to why we do need to develop Alameda Point smartly.  (Psst, Doug B. any way you can post a link to a copy?)This is the perfect example of planning the future of Alameda for current Alameda residents.   Particularly because:

Fewer than half of the households at the APC own their own vehicles, so that mile is a much longer haul for residents who mostly depend on an infrequent bus line to take them there.

What higher density building and smart growth planning will do for these current and future residents is not only provide them with possible jobs and access to retail, but raise their quality of life.  And after all, isn’t that the mantra of the pro-Measure A proponents?  Protect the quality of life for Alameda residents?  How about raising the quality of life for residents?  I think that is a goal that we all can agree is worth striving for.