Crown Harbor Homeowner Association

From our Articles of Incorporation:

The corporation's purposes also include providing for the management, administration and operation of the above described property comprising Crown Harbor Complex and the business and affairs of the corporation; promoting the health, safety, welfare and interests of all of the owners of property and residents within Crown Harbor Complex; and taking such action as in the judgment of the Board of Directors shall be necessary and proper (or incidental) to the foregoing purposes of the corporation.

Crown Harbor is a complex of 76 units, probably with 76 different opinions on any topic. So what does it mean to provide for the welfare and interests of all of the owners within the complex? With regard to financial matters, choices are often clear; regarding other matters, not so clear. It is for this reason that the Board has not taken an official Crown Harbor position on the neighboring federal property.

As such:

• Some owners would probably welcome a new condo complex where the developer would improve the surrounding infrastructure to Crown Harbor's benefit.
• Other owners would love a park that, if properly maintained, would be a pleasant place to visit.
• Still other owners wouldn't mind if the property stayed in its current condition for decades to come.

So you can see that there's a trinity of possible opinions. To date the Board's action has been to document both sides of the issue on our Crab Cove Expansion page; however, with the city rezoning of the property as open space, developers are essentially out of the picture. My action item from the February Board meeting was to make some text available that owners and residents could, on an individual basis, send to our state representatives. Given that our mayor and city council ran on the promise of supporting expansion of the park, there is a strong possibility that East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD) will obtain the property. The Federal government is blocking this, including the threat of taking McKay Avenue through public domain, in hopes of getting a higher price for the sale of the property to another developer. The Federal government's position is that the land is worth more as a home site than as a public park.

As immediate neighbors, our two viable choices are to either support the park or remain silent and see what unfolds. So if you are in favor of a park operated by EBRPD, you can copy and paste the text below and send it to our senators and House of Representatives member.

I am a resident of the Crown Harbor HOA that is immediately adjacent to some federal property whose future is being debated. The City Council members for the City of Alameda, California recently offered a vote of support for the expansion of the Crab Cove public park onto a 3.899-acre federal property across the street that was once slated for housing. Recently our city council unanimously okayed a resolution supporting the East Bay Regional Park District's (EBRPD) quest to obtain the property to expand Crab Cove. Despite this, the federal government is holding up the process in their quest to obtain more money for the property by selling it to a developer instead of EBRPD. The federal government has even threatened to take the street adjacent to the property through eminent domain. As my elected representative, I am asking that you help reshape the federal government's efforts so that it supports the expansion of the park. The city of Alameda residents passed an initiative in 1989 that set aside funds for park expansion. I, and many of my fellow neighbors, would love the opportunity to live right next door to a public park. Thank you.

The addressees to use for contacting our elected officials include:

• Contact Senator Kamala Harris.
• Contact Senator Dianne Feinstein. Use Government Affairs as the subject.
• Contact Representative Barbara Lee.

Speaking for just myself personally, I would love a public park if we could be assured that EBRPD would clean up its act. Though the proposed park design is a thing of beauty, EBRPD does not have the funds to make all of it a reality. That will depend on additional monies via donation or taxation. By allowing each owner and resident to speak on their own, the Board avoids the chance of misrepresenting those who may not favor the park.

Scott Sheppard
ex Board member and Crown Harbor Secretary