West Contra Costa Group

Executive Committee meetings

Wednesday, May 24 and Wednesday, June 28, 7:30 pm, Northminster Presbyterian Church (Makamie Hall), 545 Ashbury Street, El Cerrito.

Executive Committee meetings are open to all. You are welcome to come to learn about the Group's conservation issues and administration, or to volunteer your time and talents. For information contact Norman La Force, (510) 526-4362.

Besides monthly ExComm meetings, we plan to have three or four general meetings each year. We need to know what kinds of programs you are interested in and would come to. Can you suggest topics or potential presenters? Let us know at (510) 528-2913 or visit http://www.sanfranciscobay.sierraclub.org/westcc

Happenings in West Contra Costa:

In Hercules, Wal-Mart has revived its attempt to open a store in Hercules by submitting an application for a scaled-down facility. On February 2 Wal-Mart had withdrawn its application for a 142-square foot store after the City's staff had recommended the Planning Commission deny approval. The new application calls for a 99,000 foot Wal-Mart to be part of a retail complex of almost 162,000 square feet on land that it owns. Wal-Mart claims that the new footprint for its own store satisfies legal requirements, though a 2003 development agreement limited it to 64,000 square feet.

Local residents oppose any big box Wal-Mart store, which would fly in the face of the city's plan for a variety of businesses and shops serving Hercules residents in a new pedestrian-friendly city center.

On March 14 the City Council approved an offer to buy the property from Wal-Mart, but as of late March Wal-Mart had not responded.

To work with the Sierra Club to block Wal-Mart in Hercules, contact Mike Daley aat (510) 848-0800, ext. 304, or email mdaley -at- sfbaysc.org. For updates on the process, go to the Friends of Hercules website at http://www.friendsofhercules.org.

The Group continues to follow developments at the Zeneca site on Richmond's southern shoreline as well as the adjacent University of California Field Station. Information on the extent and danger of industrial toxics there continues to emerge.

In March the East Bay Regional Park District began the legal process to aquire the Breuner Marsh property by eminent domain. For years developers have sought to build on the ecologically and scenically valuable marsh and upland next to Point Pinole and Parchester Village.

Meanwhile, other areas along Richmond's northern shoreline are still up for grabs. We continue to work with the North Richmond Shoreline Open Space Alliance to protect this shoreline, especially Breuner Marsh, from destructive development. To help, contact Mike Daley at (510) 848-0800, extension 304.