TJ
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- Tim Johnson
Not!
I was perplexed upon reading this that the Irish would go to such lengths to protect an introduced, alien species -- until it finally struck me that the place being referred to is Dublin, California, not Dublin, Ireland.
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Posted on Sat, Sep. 20, 2003
Habitat rules cost millions in Dublin
DUBLIN - When shopping for pets, it's unlikely that the average suburban family will shell out $21,000 for even the most exotic of beasts.
When buying their as-yet-unbuilt homes in the Dublin Ranch development east of Tassajara Road, however, those same suburbanites will help foot the bill for 16 such expensive creatures.
Marty Inderbitzen, a lawyer for the Lin family developers, told the Dublin City Council Tuesday that it cost his clients about $21,000 for every California tiger salamander found and relocated as a condition of the family's development agreements with state, federal and regional agencies.
In fact, it will cost the Lins $3.6 million to restore about 700 acres of wildlife habitat, wetlands and open space and to find, tag and relocate protected species. The family will set aside an additional $3 million in a trust to monitor and maintain those areas, Inderbitzen said later in a telephone interview.
"The time and effort and expense involved is beyond compare," he told the council.
The effort really began to take shape back in 1996, when the city initially approved the first phase of development in the area. That triggered a slew of open space, water and wildlife protection requirements that originated from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Inderbitzen told the council that all the approvals are now in and construction can begin. The first thing is to build Gleason Drive eastward out to Fallon Road, which should done by next spring at the latest.
In order to build about 2,730 residential units and 2.3 million square feet of retail, office and commercial units on about 515 acres and install roads, utilities and parks in the area, the Lins were forced to set aside the 700 acres in three different parts of East Dublin and North Livermore.
They were also required to protect the salamander, the California red legged frog, the golden eagle and a type of burrowing owl.
"This is a good demonstration of the city's willingness to pursue open space and habitat preservation areas. It will do a lot to add to the character of the valley," said Eddie Peabody, Dublin's community development director.
Still, the habitat restoration and open space plans don't mollify some of the most tenacious critics of Dublin's growth.
After sitting in evening traffic on Interstate 580 for 40 minutes just to get through Dublin to her home in East Livermore, Margaret Tracy of the local environmental group Preserve Area Ridgelands Committee said she was discouraged by these development plans.
"It used to take me 15 minutes (to get through Dublin)," Tracy said Thursday. "(The growth) is exceeding the infrastructure we now have, certainly in terms of enough roads, and (the traffic) is making it harder to obtain air quality standards."
The sites now off limits to development are a 245-acre patch of land east of Tassajara Road and north of where Fallon Road ends; a 53-acre stretch along Tassajara Creek west of Tassajara Road and south of the county line; and 390 acres of land in North Livermore.
So far, in addition to the 16 salamanders, biologists working for the Lins have found and relocated 579 red legged frogs and 2,742 tadpoles. Also, the owl population has grown after grazing was stopped in the habitat areas and 22 golden eagles have been born, said Ron Duke of the environmental consultants H.T. Harvey and Associates.
Duke's team has also cleaned up Tassajara Creek and will build a walking trail along its banks.
"Within five to 10 years this creek will be a very dense riparian forest with fantastic habitat," Duke said.
There will also be trails built so people can overlook but not enter the wetlands areas in the 245-acre set aside.
Article source: http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/6818571.htm
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Posted on Sat, Sep. 20, 2003
Habitat rules cost millions in Dublin
DUBLIN - When shopping for pets, it's unlikely that the average suburban family will shell out $21,000 for even the most exotic of beasts.
When buying their as-yet-unbuilt homes in the Dublin Ranch development east of Tassajara Road, however, those same suburbanites will help foot the bill for 16 such expensive creatures.
Marty Inderbitzen, a lawyer for the Lin family developers, told the Dublin City Council Tuesday that it cost his clients about $21,000 for every California tiger salamander found and relocated as a condition of the family's development agreements with state, federal and regional agencies.
In fact, it will cost the Lins $3.6 million to restore about 700 acres of wildlife habitat, wetlands and open space and to find, tag and relocate protected species. The family will set aside an additional $3 million in a trust to monitor and maintain those areas, Inderbitzen said later in a telephone interview.
"The time and effort and expense involved is beyond compare," he told the council.
The effort really began to take shape back in 1996, when the city initially approved the first phase of development in the area. That triggered a slew of open space, water and wildlife protection requirements that originated from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Inderbitzen told the council that all the approvals are now in and construction can begin. The first thing is to build Gleason Drive eastward out to Fallon Road, which should done by next spring at the latest.
In order to build about 2,730 residential units and 2.3 million square feet of retail, office and commercial units on about 515 acres and install roads, utilities and parks in the area, the Lins were forced to set aside the 700 acres in three different parts of East Dublin and North Livermore.
They were also required to protect the salamander, the California red legged frog, the golden eagle and a type of burrowing owl.
"This is a good demonstration of the city's willingness to pursue open space and habitat preservation areas. It will do a lot to add to the character of the valley," said Eddie Peabody, Dublin's community development director.
Still, the habitat restoration and open space plans don't mollify some of the most tenacious critics of Dublin's growth.
After sitting in evening traffic on Interstate 580 for 40 minutes just to get through Dublin to her home in East Livermore, Margaret Tracy of the local environmental group Preserve Area Ridgelands Committee said she was discouraged by these development plans.
"It used to take me 15 minutes (to get through Dublin)," Tracy said Thursday. "(The growth) is exceeding the infrastructure we now have, certainly in terms of enough roads, and (the traffic) is making it harder to obtain air quality standards."
The sites now off limits to development are a 245-acre patch of land east of Tassajara Road and north of where Fallon Road ends; a 53-acre stretch along Tassajara Creek west of Tassajara Road and south of the county line; and 390 acres of land in North Livermore.
So far, in addition to the 16 salamanders, biologists working for the Lins have found and relocated 579 red legged frogs and 2,742 tadpoles. Also, the owl population has grown after grazing was stopped in the habitat areas and 22 golden eagles have been born, said Ron Duke of the environmental consultants H.T. Harvey and Associates.
Duke's team has also cleaned up Tassajara Creek and will build a walking trail along its banks.
"Within five to 10 years this creek will be a very dense riparian forest with fantastic habitat," Duke said.
There will also be trails built so people can overlook but not enter the wetlands areas in the 245-acre set aside.
Article source: http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/6818571.htm
