On December 16, 2008, the Board of Supervisors adopted the County’s Municipal Advisory Council Policies, which include criteria for establishing MAC boundaries. Each of the three criteria is listed below, with its application to the proposed boundary revision:
a. Use of Borders: The unincorporated community of interest may be bounded by established borders such as county and city limit lines, special district boundaries (including, but not limited to, park and water districts), census tracts, geographic features such as highways or waterways, and/or the adopted Urban Limit Line.
The North Arlington neighborhood is an unincorporated island, bordered to the north and west by the City of San Pablo and to the east and south by the City of Richmond. The neighborhood lies close to the edges of, but doesn't touch, the unincorporated communities of El Sobrante and East Richmond Heights, which each has a MAC. From a proximity standpoint, inclusion in either MAC’s territorial area could be appropriate.
b. Population Density and Community Affiliation: Population density and recognized population centers should be considered in determining boundaries (where established borders do not exist). The unincorporated community of interest should also include the neighborhoods or residential areas commonly or traditionally affiliated with the name of the community.
The North Arlington neighborhood shares characteristics and is logically associated with the East Richmond Heights community. The topography, development pattern, architecture, and population density of the North Arlington neighborhood are similar to those of the East Richmond Heights community; the North Arlington neighborhood is generally oriented westward and enjoys sweeping views of San Francisco, the Bay, and Marin County, making view protection a shared and primary issue of concern, as is the case with East Richmond Heights; and Arlington Boulevard, the main thoroughfare through East Richmond Heights, lends its name to the North Arlington neighborhood.
c. Areas of Special Interest: When an unincorporated community of interest is adjacent to industrial areas or facilities (e.g., refineries, power plants, gas fields), these areas should be included if there are known or anticipated matters of public health, safety, welfare, public works, and/or planning. When an unincorporated community of interest is adjacent to government-owned lands (e.g., airports, special district lands, transitional military bases, etc.), these areas should be included only if there are known or anticipated matters of public health, safety, welfare, public works, and/or planning.
The North Arlington neighborhood is not adjacent to industrial areas or facilities. The neighborhood is adjacent to Alvarado Park and Wildcat Canyon Regional Park; however, at this location those public facilities are within the City of Richmond and therefore are not included within any MAC’s territorial area.
Application of the foregoing criteria demonstrates that it is appropriate to amend the El Sobrante MACs boundaries to exclude the North Arlington neighborhood, and amend the East Richmond Heights MACs boundaries to include the North Arlington neighborhood, as requested by North Arlington neighborhood residents.
If the Board does not adopt the proposed resolutions, then the North Arlington neighborhood will remain within the El Sobrante MAC boundaries.