The link you provided states that, along with SunCal, Lehman Brothers was involved with the Oak Knoll project. Since Lehman went bankrupt a year ago, it would seem anything they were tied to is not doing so well now. While what’s happened at Oak Knoll is unquestionably unfortunate, I don’t believe Lehman has anything to do with SunCal’s proposal for the Point.

Ms Thomas,

Yes, the Navy is in the midst of a cleanup, but it’s my understanding that even after they’ve completed their task, some toxins with possible long-term health risks may still remain. So for any development to take place (of homes, offices, even a wide open park space), it seems additional cleanup would be necessary to ensure the safety of all residents, workers, and visitors.

Re your comment about skateboarders, bicyclists, entrepreneurs, etc, at the Point: It appears that you’d prefer to allow in only the relative few who now visit and use the Point (its toxicity notwithstanding), to preserve its relatively quiet and isolated air. This attachment to the way things have been is understandable, but the fact of the matter is we live in a metropolitan area; the population here will increase, as will traffic. Is an “acceptable plan” one that prevents more people from taking up residence in, working in, and visiting our community?

Another crossing was originally studied in the impact analysis before Highway 24 was built, as one version was proposed which included another crossing to Alameda in the west end when Jerry Brown was Governor (the 1st time?). It is prohibitively expensive as said above. Any bridges, tunnels etc. according to federal law, must not interfere with Interstate Commerce e.g. container shipping (all that stuff for Walmart) and the turning basin for those big ships. They cannot cross over the existing tubes because the water is too shallow over the tubes. No tube or other bridge can be built to the west of the existing tubes. That’s why the ridiculous gondola proposal – to clear the ships that are guaranteed passage by the federal government.

This hurry to get something done is misplaced. 12 years, 20 years, 50 years is a speck of time if the wrong project is built and ruins life for the remainder of time for the bulk of the populace. I am content to let it sit until the right thing comes along. The right thing might just be pure open space and recreation. At least that does the least amount of harm to existing residents. While at the same time improving the quality of life in some aspects. So what if it takes a few decades to do it? Anything worth doing is worth doing right. The SUNCAL Initiative is not right and not worth doing. It makes money for out of towners to spend on more hedging (isn’t that what hedge funds do?) and leaves us to bear the traffic and decrease in our quality of life forever. And then asks us to pay for the improvements and risks of failure and impacts of toxic waste on human life.

A bridge or tube for vehicles would be incredibly expensive, hundreds of millions or more — who or what would pay for this? The state can’t find the money to repair I880, which is used by tens of thousands of people every day — why would they or the feds shell out millions for a crossing that serves only one small city? They wouldn’t, obviously.

The issue of transit improvements has also been discussed at great length, and also runs into the same issues — as in, who pays for this and how much? No surprise…