For Immediate Release
Contact: Felix Rodrigues Lima
Phone:818.731.0649
E-Mail: farodrigues.lima@gmail.com
Westpoint Harbor Settlement Approved
San Francisco Bay Stewardship Alliance Supported Westpoint Harbor
In Settlement With Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC)
San Francisco, CA December 6, 2018 – The BCDC voted earlier today to adopt previously announced settlement terms in its long standing dispute with Westpoint Harbor (WPH). The agreement includes resolution of all outstanding issues regarding both development of WPH and its ability to complete maintenance dredging. The Alliance supported WPH in reaching the settlement which was negotiated over more than eight months.
“The San Francisco Bay Stewardship Alliance (The Alliance) congratulate both Westpoint Harbor and the BCDC in reaching an equitable settlement after many years of acrimony. The interests of both the community and the environment have been served,” said Bob Wilson, co-founder of the San Francisco Bay Stewardship Alliance.
The Alliance filed a lawsuit earlier this year against the BCDC due to the agency’s lack of transparency and repeated attempts to thwart the Alliance’s efforts to obtain public records, including details on how the BCDC targets enforcement and spends the fines it collects. From public filings, The Alliance estimates there are enforcement actions against more than 250 private and public entities underway or contemplated by the BCDC. Further, The Alliance vigorously supports the audit of the BCDC that is being conducted by the State of California, initiated this summer through bipartisan support in the California Legislature.
“We see this settlement as progress, but there is still much in need of reform at the BCDC,” Wilson added. “Based on our analysis of the enforcement actions initially taken by the BCDC at WPH, we are concerned there are potentially hundreds of unjustified enforcement actions being contemplated that need to be stopped before more public and private resources are wasted.”
About San Francisco Bay Stewardship Alliance
The San Francisco Bay Stewardship Alliance includes citizens and employers who care about our Bay. We promote informed conservation and responsible development of the San Francisco Bay to benefit the community at large so that it can be enjoyed now, and in the future.
The Alliance was formed in 2018 to mount a significant legal and legislative challenge against the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), currently the subject of a state legislative audit, for going beyond the scope of its mandate.
Visit us at http://www.BayStewards.com
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