San Francisco Chronicle: Former Navy base focus of development fight

Excerpt:

Development battles are as much a part of Alameda as poplar trees, kids on bikes and restored Victorians.

First there was the fight over bay fill in the 1950s that led to South Shore Shopping Center. Then, in 1973, came Measure A(1973) The actual text of what is known as Measure A is article 26 of the Alameda City Charter. It reads as follows: "Sec. 26-1. There shall be no multiple dwelling units built in the City of Alameda. Sec. 26-2. Exception being the Alameda Housing Authority replacement of existing low cost housing units and the proposed Senior Citizens low cost housing complex, pursuant to Article XXV of the Charter of the City of Alameda. Sec. 26-3. The maximum density for any residential development within the City of Alameda shall be one housing unit per 2,000 square feet of land. This limitation shall not apply to the repair or replacement of existing residential units, whether single-family or multiple-unit, which are damaged or destroyed by fire or other disaster; provided that the total number of residential units on any lot may not be increased. This limitation also shall not apply to replacement units under Section 26-2." , which banned multiunit homes. And now, Alameda's development battleground has shifted to the western edge of the island, where the city, developers and residents are brawling over the former Navy base.