In previous blog posts, we’ve talked about the potential to have our Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) elected rather than appointed, as it is now, by County Supervisor Nate Miley. Many objections have been raised, one of which is the potentially prohibitive costs to potential MAC candidates. We’ve been …

We can’t talk about what we’d like to see happen in Castro Valley without looking at the underlying plans that guide our economic development. In an earlier post, I provided background about General Plans, the community goals they cover, and why they are created. Now, I want to get more specific. …

So, what exactly is a “General Plan?” According to the Alameda County Planning Department, it is: A General Plan is a long range policy document approved by the Board of Supervisors to guide physical, economic, and environmental growth. State law requires the County to have a General Plan which contains …

Monday’s Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) meeting attracted a crowd of about 75 people , many of whom were there to comment on potential solutions to pedestrian and bicyclist issues on Anita and Somerset Avenues (see Item IV. from this week’s MAC agenda). Alameda County Public Works Agency Director Art Carrera presented on the scope and costs …

Castro Valley could elect its Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) at a fraction of the cost asserted by Alameda County officials at recent Eden Area Livability Initiative (EALI) Governance Working Group meetings. Based on research of elections within Alameda County and throughout the State of California coupled with  publicly available information, something …

At the regular Alameda County Board of Supervisors Meeting on September 23rd, the Board unanimously voted (at District 4 Supervisor Nate Miley’s urging) to reappoint Marc Crawford to the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council. Castro Valley resident Steve Dimick, who is not a member of Castro Valley Matters, expressed discomfort with the …

One of the ideas being examined by the Eden Area Livability Initiative is that of having the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) be an elected body rather than an appointed one.  The County has reported that this would be very expensive, and not “economically feasible.”  In a previous article, …

Monday night saw another lively meeting of the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (CV MAC) in front of about 20 local citizens at the Castro Valley Library.  Those in attendance were lucky enough to hear talk about local topics ranging from ethics and storm drains, to squirrels and vaping. Public …

One of the goals of the Eden Area Liveability Initiative (EALI) is to “enhance local governance.”  To that end, the EALI Governance Working Group has been evaluating alternate methods of local governance in Castro Valley, and the entire Eden area.  One scenario being looked at is to change our existing Castro …

“Why is Castro Valley Boulevard so tan?”  Many people have spoken up complaining about the overall drabness in our Downtown business district.  How did this come to be?  Why is colorfulness discouraged, and remodeled buildings are awash in “50 Shades of Beige?”  Lets take a look at the history. Castro …