The public will have a chance to weigh in on what issue should be evaluated in the environmental impact report (EIR) for the Miraflores project that envisions building housing on the site of historic Japanese flower nurseries in Richmond. The Richmond Redevelopment Agency, which now owns the property and which will be disposing of it for development has little regard for history or the environment. It would also be nice to see a “green” development. We need your support to see that this project gets done right.

Of particular environmental interest are the restoration of Baxter Creek, which runs through the site, and preservation and interpretation of some vestige of the historic flower nurseries that dominated the neighborhood for nearly 100 years. For more information, see:

• Miraflores Charrette Next Wednesday, April 21, 2007
• Sayonara to Sakai, August 1, 2007
• Richmond Community Redevelopment Agency Competes for Title of City's Worst Slumlord, May 8, 2007

For some great photos, I copy the following:

Councilman Butt - It was gratifying to return to the Sakai nursery for another photo shoot.  Together with Berkeley Camera Club members Bernadette Talbot and Dale Mead, we were able to capture scenes that better display some of Richmond's history and its potential for a portion's restoration.  And with a profusion of roses still in bloom, we could not avoid including more shots of the almost overwhelming sense of beauty that resides here, even though unattended.  

We took time to provide some structure to this effort by identifying as many of the greenhouses as possible, at least those that had been used to grow roses.  We were fortunate enough to find an example of a Daily Harvest List with greenhouse identifying numbers and associated rose varieties.  Greenhouse identification by number has been incorporated into an historic aerial shot (courtesy of the Sakai family collection at the Richmond Museum of History) and the rose varieties information has been used in the narrative descriptions of the greenhouse photographs.  

My photographs together with those of Bernadette are posted at http://www.flickr.com/photos/misterken/sets/72157601070940704/ and those of Dale Mead are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/damead/sets/72157601149956874/ .  

Please send this on to anyone I may have left off the list involved in helping us or anyone who you feel would be interested in seeing the photos.  Again, thank you.  - ken osborn

kozborn@sbcglobal.net

NOTICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (EIR) SCOPING MEETING FOR THE MIRAFLORES CONCEPT PLAN PROJECT

The City of Richmond Community Redevelopment Agency (“Agency”)  will prepare an Environmental Impact Report, under the California Environmental Quality Act (California Public Resources Code 21000 et seq.), on the proposed Miraflores Housing Development Concept Plan project.  The Agency has established objectives for this 14-acre site to be met by the proposed Concept Plan.  The overall purpose of the project is to remove blighting conditions, which would include demolishing existing unused greenhouses and other structures, and cleaning up underlying contamination.

The key development components of the proposed Concept Plan include:

¨  85 to 105 single-family residences (attached and detached houses)

¨  70 to 90 multi-family residences

¨  Community center building

¨  Secure tot lot

¨  Daylight/Restore Baxter Creek

¨  Historic buildings retained in-place, on-site and/or moved off-site.  Signage and other interpretation of these resources, such as an interpretive exhibit, would be provided.

The key development elements the Miraflores Concept Plan addresses are:

¨  Historic resources

¨  Creeks and parks

¨  Streets, parking and connectivity

¨  Landscaping and stormwater management

¨  Design

A substantial portion of the Miraflores site has been found to be potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A, and the California Register of Historic Places under Criterion 1, due to its association with Japanese-American history and the Bay Area nursery business.

A small portion of Baxter Creek is currently uncovered, and the project proposes to daylight approximately 350 feet through the site, close to its current alignment.  The creek would return underground at an existing culvert close to the southern boundary of the site.

The Miraflores site would be accessible to vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians from the existing neighborhood as well as from the Richmond Greenway.  Street trees and other greenery would be provided, particularly as a buffer between the proposed residential development and the BART tracks, Interstate 80 and residential traffic.

The EIR will analyze the following environmental conditions for the study area: aesthetics, agricultural resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, mineral resources, noise, population and housing, public services and recreation, transportation and traffic, and utilities and service systems.  The EIR will also analyze alternative projects that would retain and/or move the Sakai House, water tower and Greenhouse #2 on- an off-site, as well as a reduced development alternative.

Pursuant to California Public Resources Code Sections 21083.9, the City of Richmond will conduct a scoping meeting for the purpose of soliciting the views of members of the public, interested parties requesting notice, responsible agencies, agencies with jurisdiction by law, trustee agencies, involved federal agencies and Contra Costa County, as to the appropriate scope and content of the EIR.

Date and Times of EIR Scoping Meetings:  

Morning Meeting- Wednesday, September 26, 2007 from 10:00 to 11:30 AM

Evening Meeting- Wednesday, September 26, 2007 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM

Location:        Booker T. Anderson Community Center,

960 South 47th Street

Richmond, CA 94804

510-620-6816

Contact:  Sara Press, Consultant, Design, Community & Environment (510-848-3815) or sara@dceplanning.com.

For accessible meeting information,             please call (510) 620-6513

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you require special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (510) 620-6513.  Translators, American Sign Language interpreters, and/or assistive listening devices for individuals with hearing disabilities will be available upon request.  A minimum of 48 hours is needed to ensure the availability of translation services.  In consideration of those with multiple chemical sensitivities or other environmental illness, it is requested that you refrain from wearing scented products.  The City Clerk hereby certifies that this agenda has been posted in accordance with the requirements of the Government Code.