Albert Lopez
Planning Director

Planning

 

Funds for acquisition of open space lands in eastern Alameda County are available owing to a legal settlement in connection with expansion of the Altamont Landfill. Over one million dollars in fees will be paid into the fund each year. The settlement stipulates the following priorities:

• FIRST PRIORITY - Acquisition of properties having significant value for preservation of native biological diversity and/or wildlife habitat.
• SECOND PRIORITY - Acquisition of properties having significant value for visual character and/or non-motorized recreation.
• The purchase of permanent conservation easements that are consistent with these priorities is also eligible for funding.

The Altamont Landfill Open Space Committee (ALOSC), composed of representatives from Alameda County, the City of Livermore, the City of Pleasanton, and the Sierra Club, decides which properties receive funding. How well a given property meets the criteria established by the committee, including the availability of sufficient funds to make the acquisition, will determine whether the property receives funds.

Individual landowners, public agencies, private conservancies and other non-profit organizations may apply for funds. To be considered for funding, the property must lie within the territory established by the Settlement Agreement, generally to the east of the Pleasanton/Dublin ridgeline. In accordance with the Settlement Agreement, eighty percent of the fees are allocated for acquisitions in the eastern area and twenty percent are allocated for acquisitions in the western area. A link to the map of the Open Space Fund Expenditure Area is provided below.

The ALOSC accepts proposals on a continuous basis. Processing time will vary depending on completeness of the application, time needed to evaluate project benefits and funding availability.

Documents

The grant application form and other relevant documents are available here:

• Grant Application Form (PDF 17KB)
• Altamont Landfill Settlement Agreement (PDF 3.5MB)
• Open Space Fund Expenditure Area Map (PDF 66KB)
• Altamont Open Space Brochure (PDF 56KB)

Meeting Schedule

Meetings are generally held every other month, in January, March, May, July, September, and November, on the third Friday of the month, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Meetings are sometimes cancelled or rescheduled, so please contact county staff for the date and location of the next scheduled meeting.

Staff Contact

Elizabeth McElligott, Alameda County Planning Department
Phone: (510) 670-5400.