Remarks to City Council on 10/21/2025
Good evening, council members,
I'm a resident of Fernside and I'm here tonight to speak about a pattern of misrepresentations and untruths made by the Alameda Housing Authority. A few months ago I began engaging with the AHA regarding a proposed affordable housing project in my neighborhood. As a resident of Alameda who is pro-affordable housing, I was enthusiastic to engage with the AHA to learn more about their project and I was excited to learn how the project will help meet our city's much needed housing goals. What I have been met with over the past two months, has unfortunately, been nothing short of obfuscation, dishonesty, and an unwillingness to engage with our community.
In front of you are clear examples that our community has faced in the past few months:
1. The use of False Disclosures by the AHA Board when speaking in closed session during their meetings, resulting in several Brown Act violations. More alarmingly, community members pointed out their disclosure errors on the agendas, AHA wouldn't correct their false disclosures until we insisted they do so. They had made false disclosures on every board agenda this year, calling them a series of "accidental mis-caterogizations". Finally, the AHA admitted their errors and their attorneys issued corrections and apologies to the community at the last board meeting.
The Brown Act exists to protect the public and intentional violations are a criminal offense; it was alarming to see the AHA Board intentionally mislead the public.
2. From the onset of AHA's Community Meetings, AHA made it clear to the public they plan to pursue SB35 entitlement for this housing project. SB35 entitlement is a fast-track approval process for affordable housing, bypassing CEQA and allowing only a ministerial review at the City level. A qualification to use SB35 is that the project site not be a hazardous waste site. At two separate community meetings, AHA showed slides to the community stating that the site qualifies for SB35. Meanwhile, the AHA knew that the site currently is listed on the CA Dept of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) Cortese List. This was evidenced by the site's listing in two separate environmental reports commissioned and reviewed by AHA. Privately to the Board.
Submitted by pokert Share
under oral communication
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AHA staff mentioned that the site is not ready for SB35 and their consultants are working to prepare the site for SB35 eligibility. There is obviously a disconnect between what the AHA is telling the community and what they are discussing internally, which has led to a loss of trust in our community. I'd like to remind the Council that it is illegal to process a Planning Department application under SB35, while the site is listed as hazardous and before it is remediated to Residential Standards.
3. There are four other examples I have of how the AHA has misled the community, but unfortunately I do not have time in my comments to describe all of them. I have outlined them in the handouts before you.
4. Just this afternoon, AHA released an update regarding the project. They admit that now that the public has challenged their use of SB35, they are going to try to get permission from the State regulator (Water Boards) to bypass SB35 and be granted an exception via conditional clearance.
This path is in direct contradiction to the SB35 regulations. AHA also is trying to downplay the existence of a portion of the property that they forget to conduct environmental testing on, only after the community raised this issue with them at the last meeting.
5. The AHA has been suppressing community engagement, shifting meeting times and locations, disabling our means of communicating during the meetings, and making disrespectful remarks to members of the community who speak up to voice their concerns. Needless to say, it is clear to the community that these meetings are performative in nature and not an earnest attempt to foster dialogue.
I could believe these were accidents if there were one or two mistakes, but after this many repeated mistakes, it is a pattern of obfuscation and untruths. The AHA Director, Ms. Vanessa Cooper, was paid $442,000 last year. That is a significant amount of taxpayer dollars and for that level of compensation, we deserve more transparency, more professionalism, and fewer "mistakes" from her and her staff.
I'll close by saying that I agree our city needs affordable housing and our community wants to see it built, even in our backyard. However, we cannot skirt environmental laws, mislead the public, and falsify public records to build it. Doing so would be immoral, a disservice to our community, and would undermine the very mission of creating affordable housing. The AHA serves the public and residents of Alameda. Our community will not tolerate this kind of misleading and immoral behavior from a public entity.
Sincerely,
An Alamedan Resident in Fernside
10/21/2025
Evidence of AHA misleading
the community
Oct 2025
1 • From the onset of AHA's Community Meetings, AHA made it clear to the public ther plan to pursue SB35 entitlement for this housing project. SB35 entitlement is a fast- DISC) Cortese List. This was evidenced bv the site's usting in two separate invironmental renorts commissioned and reviewed bv AHI . Privately to the Board, AHA staff mentioned that the site is not ready for SB35 and their consultants are working to prepare the site for SB35 eligibility. There is obviously a disconnect Come that o lage to proces Plaing parment pletonder $835. while the site is listed as hazardous and before it is remediated to Residential Standards.
2 10/21/2025
АНА clearly intended to use SB35
Applicant su
What is the
Application &
SB 35/423
Approval City notifies a
invites tribes to at upert reached or response
совоце т жориь • tram tribes, project may proceed a
Process? consultation be elicibie for 5e 35/423 :
5835/423
Portal
submitted to City - Within 180 days of prefiminary application Oly may provide d
City determines
•St: not oilette for 88 1 eligibility - Within 60 deys for projects of 5150 waits 25/423 or request
SB 3S/423
atti so doys for projects of s150 units
Approval
Housing Authority www.alamedahsg.org Housing Authority
City of Alameda City of Alamedal
3 AHA slides shown to public on 8/19/2025
When does SB 35/423 apply?
Projects must meet certain criteria to be eligible for streamlining, including:
• Urban infill site
• Designated for residential development
• Consistent with objective standards of Zoning Code (may be modified by State Density Bonus Law!
• At least 50% of housing units as affordable to households earning less than Is The Poplar project eligible for SB 35/423 80% of area median income
1 Not located within a sensitive resource area (e.g. coastal zone, prime farmland processing? vetlands, high fire hazard severity zone, hazardous waste site, delineated % 0.93 acre, intil site on transit corridor / Desgnated for Medum Density Residents
• No demolition of residential units or historic buildings on a national, state, or Meets objectme standards of City's R-4 development standards, modified by local historic register State Density Bonus Lave
Provides 300% of housing units as affordable to households earring less than 80% of area mechan income
www.alamedahsg.org.
No residential units will be dermolished
Mot formed within a consitive touce area
No historic buildines on a national, state, or local historic register will be demolished
www.alamedahsg.org
4 2
10/21/2025
Meanwhile the AHA knew the site is currently on
the Cortese list and has not been remediated for
Residential Use
5 From EA Phase 1
"Site Name: Alameda Unified School District/AUSD Maintenance/Corp Yard Site Address: 2615 Eagle Avenue
Discussion: The Subject Property is listed on the RGA LUST, FINDS, Haznet, HWTS, LUST,
Alameda County CS Cortese, Hist Cortese, CERS, RCRA NonGen/NLR, Hist UST, ECHO, CERS HazWaste, Sweeps UST, and CA Fid UST databases. According to the listings, the Subject Property generated hazardous waste from at least 2001 to 2017. Violations of hazardous
waste storage and disposal were noted in inspection records. According to the LUST listing and
online Geotracker database, an unauthorized release of gasoline impacting soil was discovered in
December 1991. For additional information regarding the release, refer to Section
4.4.3."
6 3
10/21/2025
From AHA 9/17/2025 Agenda Packet
SB35/423 Entitlements
Senate Bill 423 (SB 423) is a California law that amends and expands Senate Bill 35 Community Outreach
Staff is hosting community meetings to ensure that members of the Alameda community subsequent meetings scheduled. The updated community meeting schedule is attached. Meeting materials are posted on the ICD website. https://www.islandcitydevelopment.org/project/the-poplar/ 7 #Alameda PIANNING PERMIT APPLICATION
220J Santa (lara Are. Ron 190 Alamoda, CA 07505-4477
510.747 6805 • TDD: 510.522.7538- alamedaca pov
Profect Addross APN:
roperty on the Alameda Historical Bulldings Stvdy List? No: Yes - Designation:
Proporty sutjoet te a Buginaza/Mamaowners Aasociation? No: Yes - Aseociasion Here "Check all applicable permita: cas see home en
• Accessory Dweing Unit
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seamous Motorial: Pursuant so CA Gov Code Secten 609625 regarding noblying the City of hazardous waste andror hazardous substand Peg. Do
4 10/21/2025
Brown Act Violations - False Disclosures
• The use of False Disclosures by the AHA Board when speaking in closed session during their meetings, resulting in several Brown Act violations. More alarmingly, community members pointed out their disclosure errors on the agendas, AHA wouldn't correct their false disclosures until we insisted they do so. They had made false disclosures on every board agenda this year, calling them a series of "accidental mis-caterogizations".
their errors and their attorneys issued corrections and apologies to the community at the last board meeting. The Brown Act exists to protect the public and intentional violations are a criminal offense; it was alarming to see the AHA Board intentionally mislead the public.
9 Notice to AHA Board to stop using false
disclosures - email sent to AHA on 9/30/2025
Ahead of the upcoming AHA Board Meeting in October, I would like to address the importance of providing the proper disclosures in the agenda, as required by the Brown Act. Specifically, if the AHA Board is going to discuss the sale and transfer or pending fitigation of an AHA property, the proper disclosures must be made in the agenda prior to the meeting.
The Alameda City Council has been following the proper disclosure regulations reading sections 54956.8 and .9, and a proper example of corect disclosures can be found here and before hitos: flea start. amanicus com/alameda/meetinos/2025/10/6218 A City Council 25-10-07 Meeting Agenda.pdfid=fc24a/01-a2a1-4071-a79d-4877gbf21ch| If you are unsure how to property disclose information required by the Brown Act ahead of the AHA October meeting, I encourage you to reference the City's above agenda and confer with legal Since this has been an ongoing problem for AHA in the past, including at least in April and Sep 2025. I want to bring this to your attention ahead of the upcoming October board meeting. If you continue to discuss Potential Litigation in closed session, while improperly citing Section.8 (Sale and Transfer), do not provide the required disciosures, and do not make complete corrections for oast disciosure errors, we will assume this is an intentional act, in this case, vour actions would not be in compliance with the Brown Act.
Stakeholders understand the AHA Board is allowed to discuss Potential Litigation, and other matters, in closed session. We are not asking for any information about closed session discussions.
However, if discussions happen in closed session, the proper disclosures must be made. The AHA Board approved minutes from the April 2025 meeting, confirming Litigation was discussed in closed session. without the proper d'sclosures being made. We expect these related disclosures to be provided in writing before 08 Oct 2025.
In the past on multiple occasions, AHA has not followed proper procedure, hence our raising of the concern ahead of the October meeting. We eageriy await the release of the October agenda and expect you to include the proper lega! disclosures for all items being discussed as well as correct past errors in writing before the next board meeting.
Kindly.
(Resident)
10 5
10/21/2025
PHONE: (510) 747-4300 Concems regerdng he ctation for closed sasson agenca and minutas including " Was (510) 523-7848
meeling minulos radicate yes. ll so, is y nol a Broun Act vidlation to nol disclose whal's amedia. Crofcona 94501-2341 regatey under subsecton 5455 97 Action falken: Minutes and agenda citatons for Closad Session fem no. 5.C. wit be comecied to mad as fotows
Conlerence wih Lepel Courae -Anl cpelod Lagaton, Signdicant expomne ic segeton pursuare sa subdheson (0)21 of Gavernent Code Secton 54956 ° Sent via emai: No achion mis take in te closed sosan den on Apte T8 e Re: Lincondilional Commiment Pursuarl to Gost: Code Secbori 54960 2(c) The entals submitlod to the Housing Authordy referonced above dit nol corply with the Brown Act requirements for a cease and desist letter pursuant to Government Code section 54960.2., however. in order t0 avoid unnecessary isgation and without odmiting aay violaliori of the Raiph Bt. Brown Act the Board of Commiseianers hereby The doslo of Commssioners of ine mousg Puy or ane cy oi Plankoa ла: unconditionaly commits that & will coase, desst from, and not repeat the challenged tot NoT emate incuding hut nol amisd lo ihora dolad scolambs oazus past acton as deschbed above September 30. 2025, October 7, 2025. and October 10. 2025. and allegations that the foliovng descrbed past acton of ine lenisialve body vidiaies ine Kaloh MUrown AcI The Board of Commissionars may rescind thie commitment only by a majarity vote of its membemzin laten in coan sission al a regular meeline and notced on its praledi Pisase nole, the amals submiited io the Housing Aulhony referenced above did nol agenda as "Rescasion of Brown Act Commitmenl ' You wil be provised with wntten comply with the Brown Act requrements for a cease and desist letter pursurt lo notice. sent ty any means or media vou orovide in resnonse to tus messaor. lol Govemment Code section 54960.2..
whatever address or addresses you specify, of any infention to consider rescinding this commement al least 30 days before any such regular meeting. in the avent that this
1. Emait of September 28. 2825 and subsequent emalls of Septombor 30, 2025 subdision (a) of Section 54960 of the Govemment Code. That nolice will be delvered and Octobar 1. 2025 re Anri $$ 2025 aaanda stem SC.
S volty ma sesne mins ds n mk oMy benbacoo dR bookes CHR VOd have designated in witng.
Incorrect Caption Identified
Very truly yours
SC. CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATORS pursuant la Governciert Code Section 54956.8. (Vines lopr
Property Locetion: 2615 Eagja, Alameda, CA 94501 Asse330r's Pascet Numbers. 70. 181-55-2 Wtis oooen
Agency Negouniors: Vanessa Cooper, Executve Director, Sytwa Maraniez, Drector of Execativa Dieector SK Uo A Soulan. Uroct d ran kolouca Ano labdal
(Neron Pesbody - Counsel)
Negokatng Parties. Housung Autority uf the Cly of Alanaca Udes Mergolation Cc BORTn CR Commscon
hais Brown. Goldfarb & Lipman, Generai Countel
11 Email from Ms. Martinez of AHA dated
10/7/2025, when asked about a planning doc.
have conte over the insults referenced. LNa oles hat wh le f cat resete foliemig de renti phe alys sytem, it appeas hat. this document and/or check boxes may have been created by City Staff. The Record Status of the permit is "Withdrawn" and it is ciear from the dates that it was created and withdrawn on the same day. This permit is not active and is likely a remnant draft. ity of Alame
amit Por
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12 6
10/21/2025
Ms. Martinez
conspicuously left out her register or an account reports a casu En Esparlot In English
City of Alameda
name when showing the Permit Portal
Search...
application
Home Building Planning Fire Public Works Enforcement
mare "
Record PLN25-0219:
Entitlement (Includes Design Review, Use
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Permit, Certificate of Approval, etc.) Pursuant to CA Gov't Code Section 65962.5 regarding is not on the list Record Status: Withdrawn notifying the City of hazardous waste and/or
Record into Payments Custom Component
hazardous substance sites (select one answer)
included on any of the hazardous waste or substances
lists consolidated by the State of California.: Work Location ¿ Parcel Information
2615 EAGLE AVE •
Parcel Number:070-0161-055-02*
Record Details
Applicant: Project Description:
Syivia Martinez SENATE SOR MINSTERIA REVIEWOR
701 Attanlic Ave POPLAR AFFORDARLE HOUSING FACILTYI
ALAMEDA, CA. 94501
13 10/13/25,9:06 AM Townhall meeting flyer__esperanza.png Townhall Meeting
Esperanza
Hello Residents,
The Housing Authority of the City of Alameda and FPI
Management will be hosting a Townhall Meeting on
Wednesday, October 22nd at 6pm.
The Townhall Meeting will be held in courtyard outside FPI Offices.
At this Townhall Meeting, the following items will be discussed:
• Services to Residents
• AHA Updates
• General Lease Information
• FPI Updates
• LifeSTEPS Presentation - Services to Residents
• Family Self Sufficiency Program Presentation
• Questions from the Residents
Light Refreshments will be served
Housing Authority FPI MANAGEMENT
of the CULTURE GROUNDED IN H.E.A.R.T. %
City of Alameda
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&0gb|&h|=en#chat/dm/7INWN8AAAAE 1/1 tURn OVEr
24 Hour Notice of Entry
TO ALL: Esperanza Apartment Residents
ADDRESS: Brush st/ Maple way Alameda, California 94501
Dear, Resident
Please be advised that the Owner/ Agent or Owner's/ Agent's employee(s) will enter the above listed premises on or about Tuesday 10/21/25
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
During normal business hours for the reason listed below:
* Other: Building drain cleanout inspection.
NEVER Happen
Maintenance and plumber will enter your unit's
backyard if needed. Please put all pets away during time of entry. Your presence is not required. All denied entry will be noted and may result in a lease violation.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call.
Owner/Agent: Management office 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday-Friday Phone: 510-995-5681
The notice is given in accordance with the provisions of Sewage pIpEs
WeRE NEVER Section 1954 of the California Civil Code.
Change oR REPlaCe There Wasnt Been Clean Water
Now The IN 4.Morths NoW, Poopy Ecoli water
PIpES IN
Apts ON BRUSH ST
MoRE LiEs The Two maintance WorkeR
Whom have stolen Yees to People Apts
With UNAUthORIZED ENtRy TO Not only
Myript ContiNo Working Here At This
Complex And the Break IN'S COntINUE
Doth of Them are on Jeogs AND The connection
Nith The MuntancE Supervisor Steve ANd
His Co WorkeR Pediphiles, Troubles tenants
ContiNUES QIUS SHOVE IS ACtiE on MawiNg Sexual
Relationship with These Children of Son THing
Ring he has Broke in To My Apt Numenous
Times Any HaD Sex With Them, While on The
clock, The othe e Worker Thanks it cool to
Let other chedken Beharm But Not his
Cheldren,
LIc Plates StevE The SupeRVisoR
BEGY244 1
Cowosker 9CRT481