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Politics & Government

Fern Tiger, Voices to Vision Consultant, Returns to Albany for Berkeley Laboratory Talks

The City Council voted Monday to bring Fern Tiger back to help collect public sentiment about the idea of turning Golden Gate Fields into a laboratory for the University of California.

The consultant who shepherded Albany through an intensive process from 2008 to 2010 to come up with a comprehensive vision for Albany's waterfront will return to find out how the public feels about the possibility of a university laboratory replacing Golden Gate Fields.

The Voices to Vision process reportedly , and has been heralded as both a , and a spent on land over which the city has no real say.

This new effort won't cost the city a penny, officials said at meeting. 

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has agreed in writing to reimburse the city for all fees incurred by Fern Tiger Associates, who is, as one Albany resident said Monday, "an ideal candidate" to find out how Albany feels about the possible transformation of the racetrack.

Tiger's goal will be to collect comments and engage the public about a University of California effort to open a second campus for its Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

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Golden Gate Fields' property, which spans Albany and Berkeley, is one of six sites being considered by the university. A meeting by the lab is planned for Aug. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the . 

As part of Voices to Vision, Tiger facilitated 39 neighborhood sessions and 10 community sessions, according to a staff report from Monday's meeting. In all, more than 1,200 of the city's roughly 18,000 residents participated, according to the city.

(The degree of participation is open to debate, as one former Abany mayor has said that only 110 residents "" in Voices to Vision.)

Tiger acknowledged Monday that this new project would involve a much shorter time line, but added that she looks forward to "continue the process of dialogue with the community and make sure that whatever moves forward is what the community wants."

Some residents expressed uncertainty Monday as to why the city was contracting with Tiger, rather than simply letting Golden Gate Fields handle its own business.

Tiger said she would not have been interested in being hired directly by the racetrack because she wants to represent the public's interests, rather than those expressed by the track's owners.

According to the city staff report about what Tiger would provide, "This work would include, but not be limited to communications, public education, consulting, facilitation, graphics and other professional services."

The staff report, prepared by , also credits Tiger's work: "The firm's excellent track record in engaging the Albany community, establishing trust with its residents, and producing a high quality outcome bode well for the value of their involvement with ensuring that the creation of the LBNL (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) proposal will reflect the values and vision of the Albany community."

Resident Ed Fields said, during the public comment period at the June 20 meeting, that he hoped the lab wouldn't build higher than three stories, if the project goes through. He also pointed out that the lab will require thousands of parking spaces, and said the city should be cautious in its dealings with the university.

"When they want to do things for their research mission, they don't have to follow Albany's guidelines," he said.

Maureen Crowley asked the council to "slow down," and put its resources toward aging sewer systems and roads, and programs for youth and the elderly, rather than repeating Voices to Vision, which Crowley described as a rip-off for Albany residents.

"Regardless of how Fern Tiger evaluated her success, I and the vast majority of Albany people I have spoken to were outraged with this waste of money," she said. 

Crowley added that she is concerned about the possiblity of animal testing at the lab, and hazardous waste disposal from the facility. 

Council members expressed a more positive sentiment.

said he is "cautiously optimistic" and open to "exploring the opportunity" of the laboratory making its home in Albany. 

"It's not a done deal," he added, reminding the public that there are six sites still under consideration. (Golden Gate Fields is, however, one of the finalists in a pool that initially had 21 applicants.)

One element the university said it will consider at each of the possible sites is how the public feels about having the lab in its midst. ( "Community support for the proposed development" is listed as one of 14 criteria for qualification. The full proposal appears above as a PDF.)

Robert Cheasty, of Citizens for East Shore Parks, told the council he hopes this process will be a reaffirmation of Voices to Vision. 

"It's good to see that the work we did together is able to be used as a blueprint for moving forward," Cheasty said. Though the lab's plans remain somewhat abstract, "They may fit well with many of the ideas and goals we had for Voices to Vision. I know that has taken an open mind. We're pleased to see Fern Tiger back."

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: A public meeting by the lab is planned for Aug. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the . 

Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email her at emilier@patch.com. 

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