Key Upcoming Dates

The next two weeks are going to be very interesting. Not just because of the prospects of a new season, but because Lew Wolff is set to make some sort of announcement around Opening Day about the ballpark effort. Beyond that, there are other key dates of which to make note, because they could have a definite impact on how each city moves forward.

• April 3 - Opening Day is the "deadline" Wolff imposed last year. After this date, it is presumed that Wolff will formally expand discussions with other cities. Since Fremont is already in some talks with the A's, it could be said that Wolff is already ignoring his own deadline. Then again, he made the rules, no? The intrigue lies in how far the search will be expanded. Will it still be confined to Alameda County? What about Contra Costa County? And what of Santa Clara County, which seems to be putting a lot of pieces in place? Sacramento? Portland? Vegas? Will Wolff make a definite statement about the A's future in Oakland? Will he impose another deadline?
• Spring '06 - Fremont's initial study should be available, as well as more advocacy-based information from Fremont.
• May 4 - San Jose Ballpark EIR review and comment period ends. Community outreach meetings are scheduled for March 28 @ 7 pm, April 1 @ 10 am, April 19 @ 7 pm, and April 26 @ 6 pm. The first three are in SJ City Hall Council Chambers, the last meeting will be in City Hall room 1446. I'll probably be at most of them.
  
• June 6 - Statewide primary elections. Mayoral offices in both Oakland and San Francisco will be up for grabs. Oakland has three candidates, San Jose has ten (!). Should either election result in a majority winner, there will be a run-off on November 7. Note: I plan to attend at least two San Jose and two Oakland debates.
• July 12 - SJ Planning Commision public hearing to consider certification of Ballpark EIR. Previously submitted comments will be made available for review 10 days prior to the hearing.
• September 30 - End of regular season.
• November 1 - Estimated end of the season including postseason.
• November 7 - General Election, including run-offs for Oakland/SJ mayors if necessary. SJ's ballpark ballot measure will not be on this ballot.
• January 15, 2007 - Estimated end of one year deadline made by Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman over the availability of Union Park ballpark parcel.

You're probably wondering why the Fremont information is so vague. There's an effort to respect the delicacy of the ongoing discussions. That's all I can say about that for now.

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