De La Fuente tweaks map proposal
New plan reunites Dimond district with Councilmember Quan, combines Glenview neighborhood
By Cecily Burt, Oakland Tribune, April 3, 2003

Oakland City Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente did an about-face Monday and reunited the lower Dimond district with his colleague Jean Quan, delaying by two weeks the city's final approval of newly drawn political boundaries.

De La Fuente had taken a portion of Quan's district during the city's redistricting process, causing an uproar among some of his new constituents when the council approved the new boundaries two weeks ago. His latest revisions, announced Tuesday night, delighted those who got their way and left others fuming.

The city's seven political boundaries are redrawn every 10 years to reflect population shifts based on the last U.S. Census.

The city sponsored two outreach meetings late last year and paid the consulting team of David Ely and Sandi Polka $100,000 to redraw district maps based on public comments and population data.

In the end, the council considered maps drawn by four elected officials, and its final choice was a map drawn by the team of De La Fuente (Fruitvale-San Antonio) and Councilmember Larry Reid (Elmhurst-East Oakland).

Among other moves, Reid and De La Fuente's map reunited the Glenview neighborhood, which had been split along Park Boulevard. One half is in District 2, represented by Danny Wan (Grand Lake-Chinatown), and the other in District 4, represented by Quan (Montclair-Laurel).

The reunited Glenview is now part of District 5, represented by De La Fuente. The feat was accomplished by moving his district north of Interstate 580 for the first time.

Some Glenview residents had applauded the shift and said they thought De La Fuente would represent them well, despite competing interests between their neighborhoods and those south of the freeway.

But others weren't so happy. They gathered signatures opposing the shift and showed up at City Hall to express their displeasure over being told they would no longer be represented by someone they just elected. Residents of lower Dimond pleaded to stay with upper Dimond because they shared common interests.

Quan also opposed the new lines, which moved Fruitvale Elementary School out of her district. But De La Fuente stood firm. He had the votes and Quan promised to work with him to smooth the transition.

So it came as a surprise to many when after a community meeting at Dimond Library on Monday evening, De La Fuente told Quan he wanted to adjust the map. The changes were added as a friendly amendment Tuesday and approved by the council 6-2.

Quan keeps Canon Avenue from Wellington Street to MacArthur Boulevard, and the area south of I-580 bounded by Champion and School streets, including Fruitvale Elementary.

The concession pleased residents who got their wish, such as Joseph Milton and Franklin Hall. But others said the changes didn't go far enough.

"I'm one of the 230 people who signed the petition," said Sukey Wilder, who now lives in District 5. "I think we all see that communities are much more than lines on a map."

The latest revisions also tweak the boundaries between districts 4 and 1, represented by Councilmember Jane Brunner (North Oakland), between Sobrante Road and Highway 13. The council will vote on April 15.