PRESS RELEASE
February 13, 2004
For immediate distribution
Rotating contact person: Marilyn Cooney, save.the.spur@recursor.net
CITIZEN COALITION APPLAUDS MILLBRAE COUNCIL DECISION TO PARE BACK THE
LAND SALE PROCESS
Millbrae Tomorrow participants were encouraged by a series of decisions
made by the city at the February 10th Council Meeting. First the city
staff eliminated all of the Spur parcels from the list of parcels recommended
for preliminary work to prepare them for sale (surveys, etc.). This left
only the parcels on Sequoia Avenue adjacent to the Spur to be considered
for the pre-sale surveys and other work. But the council deferred a decision
on even that remaining Sequoia location until a later Council Meeting.
Millbrae Tomorrow also applauds the City Council Members Larson and
Quigg who spoke up against the development of the Spur property, and
Council Member Hershman who moved to delay vote on preparation of even
the Sequoia site until a later session in March.
The motion to delay a vote on the remaining parcel passed, although
some local newspapers incorrectly reported that the motion to prepare
the Sequoia site for sale had passed during the February 10th meeting.
Marilyn Cooney, one contact person for Millbrae Tomorrow, said, “The
fact that the Council postponed the vote on preparation of the remaining
Sequoia property gives the public some time to reflect on the modified
recommendation. We polled our fellow participants, and they believe
that these actions (and lack of action) all show movement in the right
direction.”
The coalition’s internal poll showed that an overwhelming majority
is against selling the Sequoia parcels because they see them as important
recreational assets. They gave several examples of how they personally
had seen the grassy area being used for recreation. No one said that
they favored selling the Sequoia parcels. The sentiment of the coalition
is very clear, and it has been a good reflection of public opinion
so far.
While the coalition applauds the City Council for what it did NOT do
on Tuesday night, it still has not seen any definite statement from them
that this is the last of any attempt to sell Spur property. Is this over,
or has the idea of selling Spur property just been put on the back burner
for a while? At the very least, Millbrae Tomorrow would like to see the
Council issue a resolution stating that the Spur property will not be
considered for sale within the next five years or more.
The Millbrae Tomorrow coalition continues to see the Tax Increment Recapture
(TIR) option as the most promising option to provide Millbrae’s
general fund with the funds that it needs. Some information about the
option is available on the coalition’s Web site, www.MillbraeTomorrow.com.
Ms. Cooney said, “If it works as described, once understood, the
TIR could be implemented very quickly.” The coalition believes
that this option should be exhausted, including exploration, if necessary,
by an impartial third party before land sales of any kind are considered.
The coalition also supports the simultaneous exploration of revenue
raising measures other than land sales, such a Fire Assessment District,
although
consideration should be given to somehow reduce or eliminate the impact
on older seniors on fixed incomes and others unable to pay.
In the workshop presentations by the city, land sales were presented
as a way to produce cash quickly for the city. However, land sales could
be slowed considerably by various types of challenges. Also, the Sierra
Club stated in a letter to the mayor that a change in zoning from open
space to residential would require an environmental review.
Nearly every respondent to the coalition’s internal survey indicated
that he/she believes that their work is not over, and that they need
to actively monitor the situation, including having participants
attend upcoming Millbrae City Council meetings. Some describe this process
of
working with the city as a marathon, not a sprint.
Beyond the next five years, Millbrae Tomorrow also urges the City Council
to take steps to transfer the Spur property into an ownership arrangement
that will in some way preserve the Spur and other significant recreational
land as open space forever. Ms. Cooney said, “In that way future
generations will continue to enjoy a Millbrae that looks something
like the Millbrae that we know and value so much.”
[About Millbrae Tomorrow]
Millbrae Tomorrow began when concerned residents spontaneously started
talking to each other in the auditorium and on the phone immediately
after the city sponsored group, Millbrae Now!, presented its first
workshop for Millbrae citizens on Saturday, January 31st. These citizens
have contributed time and effort toward the rapid creation of a coalition
to convey their message and to alert other citizens who were unaware
of the proposed land sales. Cash outlays by all of the Millbrae Tomorrow
participants to build the Web site, buy copies of documents, and make
copies of fliers have totaled less than $100 to date, but a lot of
volunteer time and energy has been contributed. At this point the coalition
is informal, and is not a political action committee subject to regulation
by the FPPC. More information about the coalition is available at its
Web site: www.MillbraeTomorrow.Org