The Community Meeting happened last night at Downs Memorial United Church. We thank all of you who made it, I estimate 35 to 40 neighbors were in attendance. Maria Kim the consultant for Verizon, Bill Hammett "RF expert" and engineer, Jason Madani Oakland City Planner and Radha Sharma from the Verizon Network Management team where also in attendance. We took this opportunity to allow community members to speak, ask questions and confront Verizon officials on what is an unwanted intrusion into our neighborhood. We hope that Verizon will see that this is the wrong place for a Macro Telecommunications Facility. (But oh, wait, corporations are people too, right?)
Congratulations to all for speaking the truth! We presented a clear voice of opposition to this project. We presented our community, a neighborhood who cares about health, and safety. Neighbors who have worked hard in our community to end blight, plant trees, support businesses that are compatible with our neighborhood; artists, Phat Beets Farmer's Market, Destiny Arts. We continue to work to reign in businesses that violate noise and nuisance ordinances. We told the City Planner we are not just a "zone of mixed use business and housing" but a community of homes with people who have lived in the Golden Gate for up to fifty years. Most importantly we do not want this facility! A Macro Telecommunications Facility would degrade our neighborhood, decrease housing values and be unsightly and unsafe.
Keep the pressure on!
Things You Can Do:
1. Write the owner of the building Thomas D McElroy. Tell him it's a bad deal and why. Visit the link on the right side-bar under RESOURCES to send him an e-mail.
2. Come out this Saturday April 4th. Sign making party from 1:00 to 3:00 pm outside at 975 Arlington. Art supplies will be provided. This will be fun!
3. Picket the Verizon store in Emeryville Saturday April 11th We will March to the store on 40th street from 960 Arlington Ave starting at 10:00 am. Come a little early. Once at the Verizon store we will leaflet and tell folks Verizon is invading the Golden Gate, and we won't take it! Cell Antennas Make Bad Neighbors! (Meet us there if you can't make the march)
4. Come out to the Planning Commission Hearing April 15th Wednesday at 6:00pm, second floor Oakland City Hall.
Keep checking in at the website for more updates! It really takes all of us to keep our communities safe and in our hands not Verizon's
