Radio towers denied place on Hayward shoreline

HAYWARD, Jul 22, 2009 (The Daily Review - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- SALM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- In a close vote Tuesday, the City Council quashed a plan to erect four radio towers on land neighboring the Hayward Regional Shoreline park.

Salem Communications, a Ventura County-based provider of Christian and conservative programming, would have paid a one-time $5 million fee and a $60,000 annual lease to the city to construct the towers -- each of which would have been nearly 200 feet tall.

The $5 million would have been used to help build a new main library, and a number of speakers at the meeting stressed the importance of such a facility.

However, others said the city shouldn't discount the value of keeping shoreline land in a natural state -- a sentiment with which all council members agreed. But opinions differed on whether the towers would have had a significant impact on the area, mainly in terms of aesthetics.

"It's a matter of judgment, whether the towers will adversely affect people using the shoreline park," Councilman Bill Quirk said. "But when I use the trails, I'm looking out toward the Bay, not inland toward industrial buildings or the dump."

The towers would have been located to the east of the trails, and a city study that Councilman Olden Henson called "spot on" stated that impacts would be minimal for park users and further study is not needed.

However, the East Bay Regional Park District maintains that nothing should be built unless a comprehensive environmental report is

done, including a study of other site options for the towers.

"For decades, this land was used for industry, and the city and EBRPD entered a partnership in 1977 to restore the area for public use," said Bob Doyle, assistant general manager of the park district. "Thirty years later, $20 million has been invested. ... I understand the desire to fund a library, but at what cost? Four private towers on public land that was clearly intended for public open space uses."

Councilwoman Barbara Halliday agreed with city staff and Henson that an environmental review is not needed, "but that's where our agreement ends."

She sided with bird watchers, who called the park a "jewel," saying that using the trails offers a "whole experience" that isn't limited to looking west, and urging her colleagues to "take our duties seriously and really protect the shoreline."

Mayor Michael Sweeney said he'd want to see more study done before approving a tower plan, and added that the zoning of the area -- part of which is listed as industrial, part in a flood plain -- is arbitrary and needs to be re-evaluated.

Five radio towers were built nearby in 1987, and the area is at the edge of industrial businesses on West Winton Avenue. But to the west, trails lead across a former landfill and deep into shoreline marsh country. It's popular with hikers, bikers and bird watchers, and on any given day a number of them can be seen using the area.

Doyle estimated that 50,000 people use Hayward shoreline trails each year.

Council members voted to deny the application and did not request staff to draw up an environmental impact report.

In addition to Quirk and Henson, Councilwoman Anna May cast a dissenting vote.

Eric Kurhi covers Hayward. Reach him at 510-293-2473.

To see more of The Daily Review or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to
http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/. Copyright (c) 2009, The Daily Review,
Hayward, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For
reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or
847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group
Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

More News:   Market Updates | Stock Alerts | All Trading News | Stock Index