Grassroots Effort to Make Castro Valley a City

A group of local residents launched a campaign last week to educate and encourage the community to transition toward making Castro Valley a full-fledged city.

The website (castrovalleycity.com) proclaims, “Together we grow,” and asks like-minded individuals to participate and help make cityhood a reality.

“Becoming a city can provide numerous benefits for a community, including access to increased funding for infrastructure and services, increased economic opportunities through attracting new businesses and investment, greater autonomy in decision-making, and the ability to establish a distinct identity and sense of community pride,” the website says.

Last week, a letter to the Forum penned by Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) Trustee Gary Howard and East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) Ward 3 Director Dennis Waespi asked for an objective look at incorporation. Their first public meeting is Sunday, July 23, at 2 p.m. at the Castro Valley Library.

“We’re encouraging all points of view in the discussions,” Waespi told the Forum. “When we talk to representatives from other areas and tell them about our population and potential, they ask why we would not already be a city. How could we not have our own civic control.”

It’s been 20 years since the last group got together to try making Castro Valley a city. What’s changed this time, Waespi says, are the newer and fresher ideas about what the community can and should be, including the conversion of the Marketplace from Daughtrey's and the revitalization of the neighborhoods around Eden Medical Center and BART.

Another motivator is an 84-page report contracted by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) of Alameda County to determine the feasibility of converting not only Castro Valley but other unincorporated communities of Ashland, Cherryland, San Lorenzo, Fairview, and Hayward Acres.  

Waespi says the group is also aware that some in town do not wish to be a city. A letter to the Forum today by former East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) director Frank Mellon points to the millions of dollars needed every year to run a city, including taxes to Alameda County, operational costs for a mayor and city council, and city staff.  

However, with a county plan to add 2,900 new places to live, including apartments, homes, and multi-family homes in Castro Valley, Waespi says it's upon the community to take control of its own destiny or rely on four out of five County Supervisors to decide Castro Valley’s fate.

“What kind of services should they expect, and what kind of quality of life will we provide?” he added.