The Loma Prietan
May/June 2003
Update on Henry Coe State Park
by John Wilkinson
A number of positive developments regarding the threat of potential dam building in Henry W. Coe State Park have occurred since the April Loma Prietan was published. We now have an official Coe Defense Committee consisting of John Wilkinson (chair), Tim Sampson, Steve Stearns, Kath Greene, and Chris Macintosh. We have a Club-hosted email list, lomap-henry-coe-alerts, for people who want to be involved in the struggle to keep the Water District from flooding the park. We have very strong and energetic allies in Advocates for Coe Park, Friends of the River, and Defense of Place. Many people are writing letters to their legislators and other officials.
On the other hand, it is clearer than ever that we have a hard struggle ahead of us. I attended a meeting on April 2, requested by the Water District and hosted by Advocates for Coe Park. The meeting made apparent the District's attitude. They are clearly not going to drop consideration of the Pacheco Reservoir just because of objections from the community (their constituents).
The fact that the proposed reservoir violates state law does not enter into their calculations. Only specific impacts such as loss of access would be addressed by the EIR/EIS; not the fact that a state park is impacted. To the Water District, the term "state park" appears to be purely a geographical designation. At a minimum the EIR/EIS should include alternatives to building the dams.
District representatives made some chilling statements. In response to repeated questions about the proposal being in violation of the law, they said, "Laws can be changed." They flatly refused to add Advocates for Coe Park to the Stakeholders' List.
The Water District had scheduled two more public meetings for April 28 and 30, but postponed them until an as yet unknown date in June.
For background information on the potential damming of Coe Park lands, see the "Defend Henry Coe State Park" link from the Loma Prieta Chapter website, and/or see the Advocates for Coe Park website, coeadvocates.org.