Community Corner

Community Members Start Process to Improve Eden Area

The Eden Area Livability Initiative (EALI) brought in the new year with a kick-off meeting on Wednesday night at Eden Church in Hayward. 

The meeting reviewed the outcomes of the Nov. 16 charrette, debriefed what the EALI Phase II process is, what the next steps are to implement Phase II and the formation of the five working groups that will focus on how to accomplish the goals determined at the Nov. 16 charrette. There were also updates about the Eden Area community profile and the EALI Phase II draft report.

At the Nov. 16 charrette, attendees were able to vote for areas in which they wanted to see change and improvement. These areas included: agriculture and environment, education, governance, economic development, and public safety and realignment.

Find out what's happening in Castro Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Eden Area residents — which include Castro Valley, Ashland, Cherryland, San Lorenzo and Fairview — voted for the following six goals to move onto the EALI Phase II process.

  • Prevent crime and reduce recidivism
  • Enhance local self-governance
  • Promote private economic investment in the Eden Area and attract both businesses and customers.
  • Provide educational opportunities in the school system and surrounding community about agriculture (farming, ranching, and equestrian) while seeking park and open space opportunities in the urban built out environment
  • Advocate and provide avenues for increasing resources and opportunities for all schools and students in the Eden Area
  • Establish guidelines and protocols regarding licensed and unlicensed housing establishments such as group homes, care facilities, half way houses, and other therapeutic treatment facilities to ensure quality of service and safety of the community and program residents

So what next?

Find out what's happening in Castro Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The participants apart of the working groups — agriculture and environment, education, governance, economic development, and public safety and realignment — will be holding meetings to find ways to accomplish the six goals.

If you want to help accomplish these goals, if you want your ideas and voice to be heard or if you just want to be more involved with your community, I highly suggest signing up for one of these working groups and being apart of the EALI Phase II process. Contact Eileen Ng for more information at Eileen.Ng@acgov.org.

------------------------------------------------------------- 

What is the Eden Area Livability Initiative?

The Eden Area Livability Initiative is an integrated partnership between the community, the county and other public sector jurisdictions that have a stake in the unincorporated urban communities of Alameda County. The Livability Initiative is the strategic development of a shared vision that plans to build pride for the unincorporated urban communities of Alameda County.

What’s the purpose of EALI?

The goal of EALI is to develop an integrated strategic plan that formulates a unified vision for the Eden Area that is consistent with the Livability Principles that express the interests and concerns of the community. The initiative also aims to increase community participation in the decision-making process and to engage parties that have long been under-represented.

Is being involved in the EALI worth it? What has the EALI accomplished so far?

Of course! Three words…Ashland Youth Center.

Well here’s a couple more words — EALI was able to change the planning commission body to better reflect unincorporated communities, implement school and neighborhood based violence prevention and injury reduction strategies, improve government accountability and start the planning of a community center in Cherryland.

For more information about EALI, visit their website or check out their Facebook page — better yet, GET INVOLVED!

Information provided by Eden Area Livability Initiative website


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here