Animal Shelter Building Gets an F
I am not sure how I missed this, but I want to thank Tracy Jensen for bringing an important topic to my attention. Last October, the City’s independent consultant alerted City Council that the animal shelter building where the Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter (FAAS) takes care of all kinds of animals was a failed building.
Now, I was a guest at FAAS for more than seven months, and I can say that the accommodations were not at the Ritz-Carlton level, but it sure was better than being on the street. And the staff and volunteers were great. A predictable healthy meal and several walks a day were great amenities. Looking back, maybe the kennels were kinda small for a big 90-pound shepherd/husky mix, and the play area was really small. No room for zoomies?
According to the presentation, “Facilities are generally outdated, undersized, and insufficient for modern operational efficiency and effectiveness, and to meet future needs.” The consultant determined that FAAS needed three times the amount of its existing space in order to have adequate room for all the animals it serves and to house the support staff and volunteers.
The presentation concluded with a recommendation to “Relocate and build new Animal Shelter at combined civic facility at Alameda Point or separately at another location in the City.”
The report suggested that Building 5 out at Alameda Point was “underutilized” and had “limited private reuse potential” as a possible location. I plan on doing a walk-by of Building 5 in the coming weeks once my human companion (HC) is back on his feet (and knee) after the partial knee replacement. I am also going to revisit my alma mater to check out the digs.
In case you are wondering what the price tag is for a new “adequate” shelter, try $26 million. It’s going to take a lot of bake sales to raise that kind of money. Any thoughts on how the City of Alameda can raise that amount?
Alameda residents’ front yards were full of interesting things. Let’s start with the giant white elephant sculpture in one yard. When I say “white elephant,” I mean a real white elephant sculpture and not a “possession that is useless or troublesome that is expensive to maintain.” Other oddities included a collection of insect-looking sculptures made from hose bibs.
On Grand Street, an ambitious gardener has started planting this year’s food crop.
The Alameda Avenue chalk artist was out this week with a weather prediction. Let’s hope they are right.
Can someone tell me what Stoneleigh is? It looks like a movie set for Lord of the Rings. It’s all gated and has PRIVATE PROPERTY signs everywhere. This inquiring canine reporter wants to know more.
I was very moved by the memorial banner I came across on a walk in the Gold Coast area. I want to recognize the human companions that took the time to create this memorial. I, for one, appreciate the sentiment.
It took me a while to figure out what this personal license plate was trying to communicate. Can you figure it out? Answer in next week’s report.
Speaking of next week’s report. Since HC will be recovering from his knee replacement surgery, I will be using a few “evergreen” reports I have put together in preparation for his hiatus as publisher. I will still be getting my walks, but his replacement walkers are not publishers.
I plan on saying “Break a leg” to my HC as he heads to the hospital on Monday. Hope he appreciates the humor… or at least the irony.
Mouf, Roving Reporter
Bear’s-Eye View of Alameda
Mouf and his human companion can be reached via [email protected]. Their stories are collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jeff-Cambra/. All photos and videos by Jeff Cambra.
