You can do something important now to help save Ruby Meadow...87 of 97 trees slated for death next to a sacred ancient waterway, vestiges of habitat in an urban neighborhood. We speak for the trees for they have no tongues. Please send your email for Ruby Meadow today to ask Parks to simply acknowledge Ruby Meadow has parks value.
We need our local parks department, Hayward Area Parks and Recreation District to acknowledge that Ruby Meadow exists! HARD is a State-sanctioned special district with publicly-elected directors. Please copy the simple request below and email it now to the HARD Board's Clerk, Marian Handa, hanm@haywardrec.org before the HARD Board meeting on Monday 7/19/2021!
To Clerk of the Board: hanm@haywardrec.org
Dear HARD Board of Directors:
I am asking you to officially state that the HARD Board recognizes Ruby Meadow has potential value as parkland.
Your Name
Your Address
Feel free of course to enhance or edit the example email as you wish. If you're interested in more, here are details about the current situation from the Friends of San Lorenzo Creek:
We have a simple and important request. We are asking you to immediately write a very short email to the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District (HARD) Board asking them to consider passage of a Board resolution stating the value of Ruby Meadow for parkland. See example email below. You can personalize your input more if you wish, but please include this one-line simple request.
Send your email now to the Board Clerk, Marian Handa <hanm@haywardrec.org>. Please send your email ASAP so the HARD Board will get your request prior to their Board meeting on Monday, July 19. Preferably send your email by midday on Friday (July 16), but no later than Sunday (July 18) night.
Why this simple request? Sherman Lewis of the Hayward Area Planning Association (HAPA) has been leading us in a last-chance effort to save all or a major portion of Ruby Meadow from development by Eden Housing. We need the HARD Board to state that they believe Ruby Meadow has significant value as park space. HARD's simple parkland statement is needed as evidence to Eden Housing and others that HARD supports Ruby Meadow's future as parkland.
Several of us will also speak publicly at the Monday, July 19, HARD Board Meeting. We will reiterate this simple request to the HARD Board of Directors.
In 2020, the community appealed the Planning Director's approval of the Eden Housing project to the County Board of Supervisors (BOS). But the BOS approved the housing project and Ruby Meadow's destruction. Ann Maris then advanced a personal legal suit against the project, but the judge dismissed the subsequent case based solely on improper administrative legal processing. This now is our last push to save Ruby Meadow. We need a positive parkland affirmation from HARD.
Please write an email to the HARD Board now.
Bruce King and Ann Maris,
Friends of San Lorenzo Creek Directors