The annual meeting of the Lafayette Homeowners Council couldn't have been more neighborly. With gracious thanks to recently retired board members and very brief business to attend to, the meeting ran like clockwork. President Marie Blits welcomed everyone and spelled out the group's mission - "to advocate for homeowner interests" throughout Lafayette and noted that the all volunteer organization spends hundreds of hours in "rather endless" City Council, Planning Commission and subcommittee meetings.
Representatives from virtually every neighbor homeowner association from Happy Valley to Silver Dell came to get the latest updates on major issues in Lafayette. Mayor Carl Anduri had a factual presentation on Measure G - the road repair campaign. Planning Commissioner Patty Curtain-Tinley along with Planning and Building Services Manager Niroop Srivatsa talked about the Downtown Specific Plan and gave an overview of the process to date and next steps: the release of the revised Downtown Specific Plan in October or November of this year, Planning Commission hearings in November and December, City Council hearings and Plan adoption expected to take place in January of 2012.
Finally as plates of homemade cookies circled the room, Council Member Carol Federighi and Transportation Planner Leah Greenblatt took the floor to discuss the proposed pedestrian and bicycle right of way. The recently completed feasibility study, funded by a grant from CalTrans, demonstrated that a walk and bike-way is indeed feasible along the one and a half mile EBMUD right of way from Risa Road to Brown Avenue. Further grants and more research is needed to move forward on the proposed project.
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