Letters to the Editor:

Oakland A's and the environment

Dear Editor,

I would hope, if our environmental laws mean anything, that the Club as well as concerned citizens throughout the East Bay will mount a vigorous defense of the California Environmental Quality Act [CEQA] in regards to the Oakland Athletics' planned move to Fremont. Currently we have an existing, large and modern sports stadium centrally located near the population center of the East Bay at the Oakland Coliseum with excellent BART service. The recently announced project is to utterly waste this taxpayer-paid-for resource and then duplicate it at a location as out-of-the-way and auto-only as one could think of, along the Bay in an industrial park area at the south end of Fremont, over 5 miles from the closest BART Station.

The opportunities to challenge the required CEQA documents appear limitless. Yet keep in mind that the Fremont City Council, with dreams of Major League Baseball in their future, will rubber-stamp whatever documents come along. If this ludicrous project is built, it will lock in millions of unnecessary vehicle miles for however long the stadium lasts. Don't believe that shuttle buses to BART are going to attract more than a handful of riders, because these buses will be caught in the same game-day congestion as those who drive. Keeping the Oakland A's in Oakland is not just a matter of local pride; allowing the present plans to go forth is environmental lunacy.

Michael Henn

Editor's response.

The Bay Chapter is concerned about this proposal and studying it. Anyone interested in working with the Club on this issue should call Mike Daley at (510)848-0800, ext. 304, or email mdaley -at- sfbaysc.org