The developer has framed the debate about Oak Grove as it all about the park and open space. If you like parks and open space, then you should like Oak Grove. This is to avoid having Oak Grove evaluated on the merits of the housing development it is.
The largest keeper of open space and parks in the East Bay is East Bay Regional Parks. They manage 91,000 acres of parks and open space in the Bay Area. They were asked to give input for the EIR on the Oak Grove plan. They were not enthusiastic at all about Oak Grove.
Here are issues raised in their report:
Read the full report that was included in EIR.
Proponents of this project say this is the only way to preserve open space. What they don't say is that the open space is there right now. Let's carefully decide how to best preserve it. Is this Oak Grove plan which will eliminate large areas of trees, move 640,000 cu yards of dirt and build 12,500 sq ft mansions the best and only plan to preserve the open space? Or is there a better plan with houses off the ridges, smaller houses limited to 2 stories and better access possible? We think the answer is YES. Let's send the developer back to the drawing boards to develop a plan that is in keeping with PP and the General Plan.