Court quashes Albany initiative: focus now on electing pro-shoreline candidates Atkinson and Wile

On Aug. 1 Magna Entertainment Corp. won its lawsuit to prevent Albany citizens from voting on the Albany Shoreline Protection Initiative.

The court ruled that the sponsors failed to meet the Election Code's notice requirements. This ruling, based on a narrow interpretation of the law, disenfranchises citizens and environmentalists. It creates a lopsided playing field, where the voice of more than 25% of Albany voters has been silenced by the lawyers for Magna.

Developer pullout - real or staged?

Earlier in July, after failing to get a guarantee of special treatment from the Albany Council, mall developer Rick Caruso announced he was abandoning his project and threatened to take it to Berkeley or Richmond - a tactic he has used in other cities, only to renege and return with a vengeance later. The court ruling might bring him back, or he might wait until after Albany's November Council election.

Legal setbacks haven't shaken park proponents' commitment to protecting the Albany shoreline. Public support is strong for a recent city proposal to create an open public-planning process, thus achieving one of the major goals of the initiative. The Sierra Club, Citizens for the Albany Shoreline, and Citizens for East Shore Parks are committed to participating in the city planning process as long as it is in good faith. The focus now shifts to electing two pro-open-space candidates to the City Council.

Club endorses Atkinson and Wile

The Sierra Club endorses Marge Atkinson and Joanne Wile for election to the Albany City Council.

Atkinson and Wile have been instrumental in the opposition to the mall. Says Norman La Force, chair of the Bay Chapter's East Bay Public Lands Committee and leader of the Club's efforts for the East Bay shoreline for 25 years, "They are key leaders on everything the Club has done; we need their leadership on the Council to make real progress on planning open space for the waterfront".

Marge and Joanne have received broad support in the environmental community. Both are long-time Sierra Club members and have been endorsed by the Sierra Club, Citizens for the Albany Shoreline, and a wide range of community leaders.

Marge Atkinson says, "My vision for the waterfront includes open space that would complete the East Shore Park between Richmond and Emeryville. Joanne Wile adds that "Any development on the shoreline needs to be thoughtful and sustainable and preserve Albany's small-town character and quality of life."

Marge Atkinson has lived in Albany for more than 29 years, working for the Albany Unified School District for 24 of those years, 16 as a teacher. Marge was Albany precinct co-chair for the 2004 United Democratic Campaign and worked to pass Measure A for the Albany schools. She serves as the co-chair of Citizens for the Albany Shoreline, vice president of the Albany Teachers Association, and a member of the City's Waterfront Committee.

Joanne Wile, a social worker, recently retired from UCSF after 35 years of service in public health, including 10 years as the administrator of community-mental-health programs. Joanne is an active member of the Sierra Club and Sustainable Albany, sits on Albany's Parks and Recreation Commission, and is a leader in the Neighborhood Emergency Preparedness program.

Marge and Joanne candidates have joined together as the Save Our Shoreline Team to run an effective campaign that reaches out and engages the community on this important issue.

Marge and Joanne need your help to win! To volunteer for their campaign, contact or call (510)848-0800, ext. 312