The Alamedan: Council approves stripped-down Point development strategy, June 7, 2012

Excerpt:

The City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a stripped-down strategy for readying Alameda Point for new development that’s focused on preparing for potential commercial development there, though some council members and longtime Point development supporters said they preferred a more robust plan that included planning that would also ease the way for housing.

“I think this is an approach that moves us in the right direction,” City Councilwoman Lena Tam said.

City staff brought the more limited development strategy to the council after Tam, Mayor Marie Gilmore and Vice Mayor Rob Bonta said they didn’t want to proceed with staff’s original proposal to spend $5 million on a detailed planning and approval process for Point development, which would have been paid for using bonds backed by Point lease revenues. They had said they were concerned the plan, which Councilwoman Beverly Johnson and Councilman Doug deHaan supported, was too risky.