Public Comment

Sophie Hahn’s recent election email message “Expanding Our Parks and Green Spaces!” takes her to new heights of hypocrisy and certainly brings into question her other campaign goals. Just start with the first sentence – “As Berkeley grows, it’s essential to invest in public spaces that serve all of our residents—especially in neighborhoods with fewer green spaces.” The South Side is the densest neighborhood in Berkeley, and plans by both the City of Berkeley and the University of California are to make it even more densely populated. Sophie was part of the council majority that voted to support UC’s efforts to destroy People’s Park, a much-needed urban green space. 

Sophie advocating for planting urban forests in Berkeley is laudable, but obviously it is nonsensical to destroy the established urban forest that was People’s Park and then call for recreating it elsewhere. People’s Park had many redwoods and mature oak trees and other California native trees, some dating back to when houses occupied the lot. There were also native plants, flower and herb gardens. In October 2020 a one-hour bird survey revealed 17 species of birds, many with multiple individuals, including a red-tailed hawk. People’s Park was an urban forest ecosystem that was developed by the community over more than a half-century. 

Add to this the proposed Ohlone Greenway Safety Improvements Project which threatens the over twenty-five years of volunteer work to establish the Ohlone Greenway Native Plant Garden. The message of the volunteers to the city is: “Please reconsider the destruction of such a successful, educational, and valuable community-oriented project.”  

The communitarian ecological work to establish both the Ohlone Greenway Native Plant Garden and People’s Park deserves both recognition and support of the City Council and anyone running for mayor in Berkeley. Both destructive projects ignore the City’s 1986 voter approved Measure L, which requires the City Council to preserve, maintain and acquire parks and open space, particularly in neighborhoods having less than the minimum amount of open space relative to population. 

Sophie’s support for UC Berkeley’s People Park project and her Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Commissioner Brennan Cox’s support of the Ohlone Greenway Safety Improvements Project obviously ignore these obligations under Measure L. Also ignored are the international, national and state standards for urban green space. Additionally ignored is Sophie’s own call for neighborhood access to “beautiful, sustainable, thriving green spaces, and places to play and exercise.” 

Faux progressivism and opportunistic politicking is a horrible thing to watch. Berkeley deserves better. Many in the our city so much miss the legacy and voices of Maudelle Shirek, Ying Lee, Gus Newport and Ron Dellums. Seemingly many of our current candidates for political office have forgotten them and their truly progressive values and initiatives.