By Ryan San Diego
Courier Staff Writer
Union City’s flatland is one of the beautiful places in Union City. Will the people that live in the area of Union City agree on the development on the flatlands(Yes on Measure KK) or disagree(No on Measure KK). To help our citizens to vote, I interviewed both sides of the story to to show both perspectives of such a argumentative measures in our city elections.
Many residents in Union City have come to a disagreement with Measure KK. Filipino Advocates for Justice cannot support Measure KK on the November 2014 Union City ballot.
It’s never a good policy for voters to give developers a blank check. As informed voters we have to examine what Measure KK actually does VS. what its promoters promise it will do. In fact Measure KK only removes the protections for part of Union City’s hillside; protections which were put into place by voters in 1996 because Union City valued protection the environment from over-development. While Measure KK supporters promise jobs, hillside protections and no cost to taxpayers; there is no language in Measure KK that will do that.
Measure KK lifts hillside protections so the developer can do whatever they want. It contains no actual specifications about what will be developed in this protected area. Bad idea. In fact, when they asked to include a Community Benefits Agreement and Project Labor Agreement. These agreements would have provided jobs and services but the Masons thought such agreements were too costly. Without specific plans contained in the text of the measure, there are no assurances of any kind.
Voters need to look at this Measure in the context of the development that is already under way in the same area of town. Additional developments will double the impact of traffic, and the need for the services(like garbage pick up, fire, water and increased energy) to support additional infrastructure. These additional services will cost well over $100 million. KK benefits the developers greatly at taxpayers expenses.
Further development in the east side will increase rents and displace Decoto renters. They are already bearing the brunt of Union City development. Additional single-family housing will likely re-zone the Decoto neighborhood again, pushing Decoto children out of neighborhood schools.
Although some Union City residents disagree with the moral of this measure, Glenn Nate one of the Parks and Recreation Commissioner supports the Measure KK on the November 2014 Union City ballot.
What Measure KK really does is, to improve the Union City’s attraction and build things that are needed, and not something the Masons just want. By saying needed; Senior Care, Community auditorium, Cheap apartments, short term rehabilitation, Memory care facilities, Day care and long term care included, this is all the benefits that can be cause of the Measure KK plan.
Many people argued, they don’t want the hills to be build on, as others assume that once that the Measure KK is build, Measure KK will not able to stop from building more and more. Glen Nate specified that the Measure KK will not go farther than it promise it will. Glen Nate even said himself, “I promise that the hillside will not be touch.”
It was said by Glen, “traffic will be manageable and the services that are going to be needed; the Masons will pay for the expenses for all the building that will be build on the platform”. The Yes on Measure KK advertised; there will be no taxes to be raising at any cost, but No on KK figured out that all the expenses that were going to be build will rise the union city’s school need of money because of more students coming, and apartment rent will be rise up because of the raise of tax but, Glen Nate argues that no tax will be rise because it will go through all the Alameda county which won’t affect that much of tax fair.
Additionally, Glen also discuss that the view of the hills will not be block because, all the apartment will be too small to block the view, So there is no such excuse for the No KK to say, that the view will be block.