DEBATE: Environmental Group Spars with Development Designer over Salt Ponds Construction

Both sides of the highly controversial Cargill Saltworks project sat down Tuesday night to civilly debate the merits and concerns of the project. The Bay Citizen and SPUR (San Francisco Planning and Urbanization Research Association) hosted the "Debate Worth Happening."

Peter Calthorpe of Calthorpe Associates, lead designer of the project, listed the several solutions the development project would provide, such as filling a housing dearth, levees to prevent sea rise, open spaces and necessary jobs in the recession.

David Lewis, the Executive Director of Save the Bay, countered that once the land was developed, residents would forever lose the opportunity to restore the site. There are many other locations that can be developed, he said, and the Association of Bay Area Governments [ABAG] and the Greenbelt Alliance didn't even list the Cargill Saltworks site on the lowest tier of possible priority sites for development. State and federal agencies did list the site as a very high priority for restoration back to wetlands.

But restoration comes at a price, Calthorpe argued. "Where would these funds come from?" he asked.

Lewis acknowledged that the money couldn't be produced at that exact moment, but he offered a few long-term financial options, such as a 50-year plan and a number of ongoing efforts by various agencies.

Watch our video to learn more.