From: Sunol Community News
Save Our Sunol Column
May 1999
By: Pat Stillman

Greetings from Save Our Sunol. Last issue, I mentioned that the San Francisco EIR for the Sunol Valley Watershed Resource Lands was due to be released in February. Well, we are still waiting for this document and it is now due to be available in June. Stay tuned!

Also, I reported that the Renaissance Faire was enthusiastically received by the city of Antioch. This is true of the Mayor and the City Council but a substantial number of residents and environmentalists are concerned about traffic, fires and the huge crowds that will impact residential areas. An EIR has been proposed to address these issues so the Faire will not be held in Antioch this year. We are attempting to find out more information on the Faire’s location for this Fall.

SOS had guest speakers at both our March and April Meetings. Rene Steinhauer of Tri-Valley Cares spoke to us about the nuclear rods stored at GE on Vallecitos Road. He is urging everyone to request more information from the Department of Energy especially with the storage site’s location on top of an active earthquake fault.

In April, we invited Jim Day and Steve Bloom from the Sierra Club who are drafting an initiative that would amend the Alameda County General Plan. The initiative basically endorses city centered growth and protects the unincorporated areas from county sponsored leap frog development that could occur on Sunol Ridge and on the many acres owned by San Francisco. It also requests that mining be eliminated from agricultural zoning. This will protect valuable agricultural land from being quarried.

Paulette Salisbury, Margaret Tracy, Tom Ford, Peggy Purnell and Geoff Cooper from the Safe Water Committee discussed a current petition drive that prevents the Zone 7 Water Agency from injecting treated sewage into our drinking water. It also prohibits supplying water to developments outside of the Zone’s jurisdiction. Geoff, a Pleasanton Planning Commissioner, also offered his support in opposing the quarry.

SOS has been negotiating with representatives from SFPUC and Mission Valley Rock on the quarry lease. The PUC has hired Dana Curtis, an attorney and conflict resolution facilitator to help us come to some agreement. SOS wants to keep all quarrying activities on the east side of 680. Our SOS team includes myself, Finlay Boag, Graham Barnes, Bob Frillman and Tim Such. It is a frustrating and wearisome process and so far our only agreement has been about the great food catered by Sunolian, Julie Lesher. We meet again May 3 and in the words of former New York Governor, Mario Cuomo, “The game isn’t over until you stop playing.” We are in the ninth inning!

Lena Chi’en, Project Manager for the temple restoration has good news. Work will begin on the temple columns and roof in a few weeks. It is hoped that the first phase of the temple renovation will be completed by year’s end. She is eager to start planning for phase two which includes landscaping, an interpretive center and the picnic area.

Our annual Memorial Day Celebration will be held on Mon, May 31, from 1pm to 4 in the school yard. All Sunolians are invited. Hot dogs, cold drinks and a special ice cream social will be provided. A memorial service honoring those who have passed on will precede the picnic. This is a family oriented event with good food, music and fellowship. Just bring your kites (optional) and a food item to share with others.
 

View of Sunol from Pleasanton Ridge, photo by Derek Johnson