Hare Creek Development

I finally came to this forum because Claire Amanno suggested I move discussion of this topic here. I am surprised no one else has done so. Can we brainstorm here regarding the Hare Creek development. There are a variety of visions that have been expressed on the announce list, none of them include a strip mall with a Grocery Outlet.

Are there any ideas about how to stop this development? Short of buying the land outright, I'm not sure we have much recourse. Is someone familiar with Mendocino Lad Trust. Is this something they might be interested in - not sure the land would be considered ecologically valuable, but it is the gateway to Fort Bragg and has access to Hare Creek and the beach.

-Leslie

The MLT has to have a /reason/ to conserve a property.

I was a member of the board of directors for the MLT for a number of years back in the wonderful past days of the Gray Davis admin just after the Wilson years and the conservation world was so thrilled to be able to save so many precious places.

A simple view shed is not enough of a reason... unfortunately. IMO it /should/ be because those view sheds are vital to our mental health - we need big wide views to be healthy in our deep, deep interiors.

Many deals were put together in those days with private and 'public' money to buy property to save it from ever being desecrated in the way that is planned for the Todd's Point acreage.

And again, IMO, just 'owning' the land doesn't give anyone the true right to do things to it/with it which impact it in a manner that damages everything and everyone except themselves and their greed-driven pocketbook.

NO one has the true 'right' to destroy Nature. It's just simply wrong at the deepest level.

What is needed to fight this fight?

Information
Chronological time line
identities of the key people, owner, purchaser, developer, renters and so forth
How were the laws changed if they were changed to allow this development
How have ‘things’ in our LIFE changed to make old laws and zoning decisions no longer applicable
Who can effect ‘stays’ to give more time for community input?
Who cares??

Mendocino Town chose years ago to ban all ‘franchise’ businesses although Wilkes Bashford store was allowed (across the street to the South of the Savings Bank building).

Fort Bragg is, at heart, a blue collar town and wants the stuff that is found everywhere else in USA Amerika - they want a WalMart, they want a Burger King, they want a Taco Bell (coming (again) soon!!). They - the working poor and working not poor and the wealthy Right of the Fort Bragg Coastal community /want/ those kinds of businesses in Fort Bragg. They want to sell off their property which they have held in waiting for the right time to get the best price and they really /do not/ care if it damages anyone or anything else.

It’s all about their money and the gathering in of more money for their aggrandizement. NO consciousness of the greater good…..

I don't know if there is any way to stop this kind of paving per of the Fort Bragg Headlands ocean side precious one of a kind properties but /if/ people want to try to stop it, then NOW is the time to organize and ACT..... Only by standing up and saying NO do we stand a chance to steer the choices to what's actually beneficial for the MANY and not just the very, very FEW.

If left to its own methods, soon driving between Hare Creek bridge and down town Fort Bragg will be like driving in a channel with the back sides of cement buildings being the West-ward 'view'. A teeny little piece of freeway 4 lanes thru the heart of the little town going nowhere - actually......

Stand up and be counted - I came her /for/ something years ago and I found it. I live in the beautiful forest, miles away from the coastline so my view is still untrammeled but my love of democracy and my true care for my fellow beings drives me to fight what I know is WRONG and even EVIL, done in heedless money driven development.

There are so many better choices!!!

There are far better choices folks

Regarding this development, I believe information is just as important as passion. Passion without the facts tends to be overlooked as crazy. That is why I am grateful for the interview Amy Katz did on Mendocino TV. http://mendocinotv.com/2015/01/23/marie-jones-on-hare-creek-shopping-center/
And for the upcoming program on KZYX: Hare Creek Shopping Center on Corporations & Democracy, Tuesday, January 27, 1-2 pm.
I encourage you to listen, so in addition to your passion about the issue, you come to the meeting this Wednesday 28 Jan at Diederich Center at 208 Dana Street in Fort Bragg with an INFORMED PASSION.
Leave your anger and insults at home, please.

I appreciate all of the posts here, and also am grateful to Tom for providing this avenue of connection here on the coast.

For those of us who are unable to attend Wednesday's meeting, I highly recommend sending comments to the planning commission so that a diversity of perspectives can be heard.

Respect and kindness are so basic to me.

I am opposed to the idea of the project, and have written my views to the planning commission.

What strikes me is the incredible resource of intelligence and creativity of this community.....I'd like to see the passion turned to helpful solutions and alternatives to the proposal.

We are at the dawn of a transformation in Fort Bragg from Mill town to tourist destination. We already have unique independent shops and galleries, a cool working harbor, and, very soon, the promise of the GP property being a pristine oceanfront jewel. Let's not hinder our progress by inviting ubiquitous discount corporate retailers to litter our world-class landscape.

Thank you Tom for providing this avenue of connection.  Thank you Norman de Vall and Cindy Swan for your information.

From Norman de Vall:
Please share with as many people as possible:

The FB Planning Commission is not the final authority,
the project must still go before the City Council.  From
there it can be appealed to the California Coastal
Commission IF a person, pro or con, has "standing".
Thus, anyone who writes a letter, note, memorandum,
with their name and address will be recognized in the
CCC process.  No letter = no standing.  Without
public opposition there is little likelihood a Coastal
Commission would appeal the City Council decision
on his or her own.

Addendum:
To my mind the Planning Commission should consider the Neg. Dec. Reso first.  Only if it passes should they consider the Design Review, Use Permit and Lot
Line Adjustment.  Write letters addressing each of
these issues.

From Cindy Swan:
This just in . . . regarding Fort Bragg Planning Commission Hearing
THESE are the Resolution(s?)
that will be put forward for a vote
tomorrow night.

Please (also) note:
BOTH docs have the same number; and are dated 1/23/2015.
They have only been available to the public
um . . .  3, 4 days?

RESOLUTION NO. -2015
RESOLUTION OF THE FORT BRAGG PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVING COASTAL DEVELOPMENT PERMIT (CDP 8-13), DESIGN REVIEW (DR 7-13), USE PERMIT (USP 5- 13) AND LOT LINE ADJUSTMENT (LLA 3-2014) FOR THE HARE CREEK CENTER PROJECT



RESOLUTION NO. -2015
A RESOLUTION OF THE FORT BRAGG PLANNING COMMISSION A) ADOPTING THE MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION (MND) FOR THE HARE CREEK CENTER AND ADOPTING THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT FINDINGS



"A Complete, Up-To-Date and Objective EIR
is a necessity for the Hare Creek Center Project,
PRIOR to approving ANY permits,
design reviews, or lot line adjustments.

Thanks in advance for any wisdom you can bring to bare in this issue,
Cindy Swan.

I would like to add that the planning commission hearing about the proposed mall is at 208 Dana Street (north of the High School) in Fort Bragg
tomorrow (Wednesday) evening at 6 pm.

The John Dietrich Educational Center is is a small venue. A third of the room will be taken up by the desks & chairs of the commissioners, city hall staff, and the architect not including the camera man and his equipment, as well as the podium. There are only a limited number of chairs available. There will not be much room left even for people who don't mind standing.

Dress warm in case you want to stick around and wait until someone leaves so you go in and speak. Bring a folding chair so you can at least sit in the parking lot while you are waiting.

Bring a flashlight and/or battery powered camping lantern so you can safely access the location and your car as there is to my knowledge no proper outdoor lighting for the building's parking lot.

Bring your printed comments in case you do not get to speak. It would be better if you could send it off tonight (Tuesday night) to Brenda at bjourdain@fortbragg.com

Agenda:
https://cityfortbragg.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=356837&GUID=F7E62E7C-4041-4073-B5DE-C95B9B35CF01

Letters submitted so far:
https://cityfortbragg.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=3460925&GUID=A5B5CFF6-6943-4668-BCB0-B0A52F0B4B17

Can we have a quick tutorial about how to write a successful letter??
Which address, how to address the City Council and so forth.

I do truly work by passion (not anger and not bad manners) but understand the necessity of 'form' and format. I want to help stop this mall from becoming reality and I want to have it happen properly so there are no gaps that can be used to derail the PEOPLE from protecting out COMMONS.

Private property rights are held in high place for USA because of history but private property is by necessity mostly the right of the wealthy cause the poor cannot afford property.

Owning a piece of view shed should not enable a wealthy owner to trump the rights of the MANY to keep that view shed available to the MANY.