Summary of the July 20, 2008 Historical Society meeting

The President reported on the status of several activities of the Society. We have been trying to arrange a meeting of the City staff with the State Office of Historic Preservation but to date the staff has not responded to our communications.

There is some unexpected good news regarding the Miraflores (Oishi/Sakai) nursery redevelopment project in Richmond. The Bay Area Air Quality Management Board has recently announced that it will not permit any large-scale residential developments within 150 feet of Interstate 80. This means that some of the housing units proposed for the Miraflores development cannot be built and it is possible that more nursery structures can be saved and placed in this buffer zone. The various parties are now considering how this will impact the overall development.

The President then brought up the Society's project to name the creeks in El Cerrito and distributed copies of the current naming proposal. The President reported that the Society's booth at the City-wide Fourth of July celebration had featured the project and that we had received some good suggestions from the public, most of which were reflected in the naming proposal he had just distributed to the membership. The President has met with staff from the El Cerrito Public Works and Recreation departments on multiple occasions to review the Society's proposal and they support the current proposal.

In addition the President reported that he has met with or had conversations with people from a number of individuals and organizations who have an interest in the naming project including the Friends of Five Creeks, The Contra Costa County Watershed Agency, the Sierra Club, the City of Richmond watershed staff, the City of Richmond Parks staff, the City of Richmond Parks Commission, the Friends of Mira Visa Park, and also a number of individuals who have expressed an interest. The current naming proposal appears to be acceptable to all of these groups.

There was discussion by the membership on accepting the current proposal and working with the City of El Cerrito on a formal submission. One member offered a motion to table the vote to the next meeting to allow further research on the names in the proposal, citing the name of Baxter Creek in El Cerrito, which all parties acknowledge is unverifiable. The motion to table was seconded and approved, so this subject will be brought up at the fall meeting.

The President reported on the Society's work with the City in providing historical material to be incorporated into the proposed San Pablo Avenue streetscape. He asked the membership to provide any additional ideas they had within the next few weeks as he wanted to give the final materials to the City within the next month or so.