Oakland business and civic leaders rallied yesterday to "declare their support for the A’s ballpark proposal, which they say will deliver thousands of jobs and rejuvenate a stagnant part of the city," according to Kimberly Veklerov of the S.F. CHRONICLE. The advocacy "stood in contrast to the tepid response from City Hall last week after the team announced that it wants to put its future home in Oakland’s Eastlake neighborhood, at a site near Laney College and the Lake Merritt BART Station." Local business owners and prominent community figures said that while some issues "need to be smoothed over, residents and city officials should get behind the ballpark and work with the team, rather than rebuff the plan right off the bat" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 9/19).
COMMUNITY CONCERNS: In Oakland, Denis Cuff reports a conservation group opposes the A’s choice for a new ballpark site because it would be "bad for the birds and fish in Lake Merritt." The Golden Gate Audubon Society said that the site "threatens to degrade nearby Lake Merritt and a channel connecting to the Oakland estuary with contaminants, trash, loud noise and bright lights." The group said that bright lights for the scoreboard and parking areas and fireworks for special events will "disrupt birds’ traveling, nesting, and sleeping." A’s reps said that they "plan to address the community’s concerns" (EAST BAY TIMES, 9/19).
