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San Mateo Wine Walk Bay Meadows Attracts Record Crowds
June 10, 2004 - More than 11,000 packed the grandstands on
Memorial Day, breaking the 12 year record for the holiday. According
Bay Meadows General Manager, attendance has increased a phenomenal
9% over the previous year. Crowds continue to grow at Bay Meadows
as it considered a very unique piece of Bay Area history and source
of entertainment for the San Francisco bay area.Bay Meadows Rally
May 1, 2004 - At the March 23rd public hearing regarding the
Environmental Impact report on the proposed Bay Meadows project, attendance
was high. Citizens with signs calling for the sparing of Bay Meadows
rallied at the entrance of City Hall, and KRON channel 4 filmed the
event.
San Mateo and neighboring city residents spoke of the many negative impacts of losing Bay Meadows from a historical perspective. Also discussed were the “severe, unavoidable” traffic impacts, the lack of adequate water supply, the reduction of air quality, and more. An extension of the public comment period was made to April 16. Seabiscuit: “The Legend Begins in San
Fransisco”
February 25, 2004 - KRON channel 4 will broadcast a television
special: “Seabiscuit: the Legend Begins in San Francisco”.
It highlights some of the background of San Mateo’s historic
Bay Meadows racetrack. Wednesday, February 25, 10pm. KRON channel
4 City Council “study session”
September 6, 2005 - San Mateo City Council conducted a Study
Session on the Bay Meadows project. The session was conducted in a
small conference room and started at 5 pm, making it very difficult
for the public to attend and participate. The study session was not
recorded for later airing. There was some discussion about housing
density, with the developer wanting up to 75 units per acre in some
locations. Maxine Terner, representing San Mateans for Responsive
Government, argued that was not what people approved with either Measures
H or P (height and density limits).Planning Commission meeting summary…
August 16, 2005 - The San Mateo Planning Commission did not
reach an agreement on the Bay Meadows project at what many expected
to be their final Public Hearing on August 16th. When the session
ended at 11:30 pm, Commissioners still had many details that needed
further discussion. Commissioners are going over details of the proposed
development to prevent the type of mistakes which are evident in what
is now called "Phase I" (the practice track site). This
is the same land owner and developer team that developed the practice
track. Commissioners Torin Knorr and Bertha Sanchez appear especially
concerned with the details of the proposal.
Dr. Linda Schinkel and Friends of Bay Meadows are continuing their efforts to have Bay Meadows declared an historical site. They are also actively gathering names of San Mateo volunteers who have pledged to collect signatures for a referendum, should the Bay Meadows project be approved. Please go to www.keepbaymeadows.info to volunteer to help. Channels 2, 4, and 11 have carried stories about the fight to save
our historic racetrack so people in San Mateo may finally realize
what is happening before it is too late. Planning Commission Study Sessions
June 28, 2005 - The Planning Commission is currently studying
the "Development Agreement" for the Bay Meadows project.
This deals with what the developer is willing to "give"
the City of San Mateo in order to get 20 years to build out the project.
No mention is made of how the developer and landowner plan to compensate
San Mateans for the lost jobs, income, tourism, the history associated
with Bay Meadows, and added traffic congestion burdens to existing
roadways and communities.
There will be a meeting on Tuesday, June 28th at 6:30 pm in the City Council
Chambers to discuss the "agreement." It can be read at
any of the libraries or at City Hall. It may also be downloaded
from the City of San Mateo's web site www.cityofsanmateo.org.
City Council Approves Final Environmental
Impact Report
April 18, 2005 - San Mateo City Council voted to approve the
FEIR for the Corridor Plan and the Bay Meadows projects even though
numerous speakers pointed out the report's shortcomings in the areas
of traffic, water, and, importantly, Bay Meadows' historical significance.
The vote to approve this flawed report was as follows:Jan Epstein, City Mayor - Yes Sue Lempert - Yes John Lee - Yes Carole Groom - Yes Jack Mathews - Yes Planning Commissioners Approve FEIR
March 22, 2005 - San Mateo Planning Commission overturned its
position from just four weeks earlier and approved the Final Environmental
Impact Report (FEIR) that covers both the El Camino Transportation
Corridor Plan and Bay Meadows projects. Only Commission Torin Knorr
opposed approving the report. Commissioner Bertha Sanchez, who felt
the report had serious problems, was absent. Brandt Grotte, Commission Chair - Yes Fred Hansson - Yes Robert Gooyer - Yes Torin Knorr - No Bertha Sanchez - Absent SM Planning Commission Votes NOT to certify
Environmental Impact Report
February 23, 2005 - At the last SM Planning Commission public
hearing on Feb. 23, there was over of 4 hours of public testimony
– much of it concerning the historical significance of Bay Meadows
and the importance of Bay Meadows to the community. The Planning Commission
voted to NOT certify the EIR , citing deficiencies of the EIR in areas
of : Historical significance of Bay Meadows, water availability issues,
and the significant, severe, unmitigatable traffic consequences of
the combined Transportation Corridor and Bay Meadows proposals. A
follow up meeting will be on Tuesday, March 22. |
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info@savebaymeadows.org