Saranap Community Association
Introducing the Saranap Jobs Network,
a new resource for Saranap residents
Looking for work? Want to help your neighbors who are in the job market? Tap into the SCA’s new Saranap Jobs Network! This is a free service that connects members who are seeking work with neighbors who know of openings or have expertise in the same sector of the workforce and can provide information and possible leads. Easy to use and open to all Saranap residents and SCA members, you can use SJN in either or both of these ways:
• Through access to a members-only LinkedIn Group, where you can view professional profiles of neighbors and network online with other Group members. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional-networking site.
• By contacting the SJN program coordinator, who can confidentially connect you with Network members who have offered to serve as resources. You don’t need a computer. (This is a good option if you want to keep your job search private.)
Interested? Download the How to Join and Use the Saranap Jobs Network and the How to Join and Use SJN’s LinkedIn Group for step-by-step instructions for both job seekers and those willing to assist other Network members in their job searches. LinkedIn users will also want to download Protecting Your Privacy and Security on LinkedIn.
A service of Neighbors Helping Neighbors, the Saranap Jobs Network is the brainchild of SCA member Jason Schwarz, who serves as Program Coordinator and LinkedIn Group Administrator.
Supervisors approve Sufism Reoriented sanctuary
On a 4-0 vote, the board of supervisors on Feb. 29 denied 10 all appeals by opponents and upheld the planning commission’s approval of Sufism Reoriented’s application to build a sanctuary on Boulevard Way.
The Feb. 29 session was the continuation of a hearing that began Feb. 21. Both were held at the Lesher Center for the Arts in downtown Walnut Creek, as it was assumed, correctly, that the supervisors’ chamber in Martinez would be too small to accommodate all those who wanted to attend. More than 700 people packed the center’s Hoffman Theatre on the 21st, and an estimated 400 people showed up on the 29th. Most of those in attendance both days were supporters.
A major point of contention was parking. Sufism Reoriented’s application includes a traffic- demand management plan (TDMP) that provides for 74 spaces, which opponents said is inadequate for a congregation of 350. Church representatives noted that the congregation has been following the plan for more than four years and that the 74 spaces have proven more than adequate. Over half of the group’s members live within a quarter-mile of the site and have committed to walk, bike, or carpool to services. TDMPs were developed by the county as a way to reduce traffic.
Some opponents maintained that the building is too large and others that the design is incompatible with the “semirural” Saranap neighborhood. Sufism Reoriented representatives countered that the building is the size it needs to be to house all the congregation’s activities under a single roof and noted that two-thirds of the building will be below ground. The above-ground portion will be about the same size as the group’s current facility, a block to the east. Dr. Carol Weyland Conner, the murshida, or spiritual leader, of Sufism Reoriented, told the supervisors that the building’s design is a reflection of the group’s beliefs.
More than 100 people spoke on the first day of the hearing. One of them was SCA President Lee Schroeder, who summarized our three community meetings on the project and noted the overwhelming support for the project by participants at those meetings. Another was SCA board member David Dacus, an architect, who praised the thoroughness of the EIR on the project.
By their vote, the supervisors upheld the county planning commission’s decision in November to certify the EIR and approve the land-use permit, a minor subdivision (combining seven parcels into one), the TDMP, and a tree permit.
Construction is expected to begin within a few months and to take 18-24 months to complete.
Supervisor Gayle Uilkema, in whose Second District the 66,000-sq. ft. sanctuary will be built, did not attend either day of the hearing. The Contra Costa Times reported that she was recovering from pneumonia. Board Chair Mary Piepho said Uilkema was following the proceedings by phone, but she did not vote.
The yellow “Save Our Saranap” signs that had dotted the neighborhood for months disappeared before nightfall on the day the hearing concluded.
Spring Children’s Boutique May 6
The SCA’s spring Children’s Toy & Clothing Boutique will take place Sunday, May 6. Through the generosity of neighbors who have donated things their children have outgrown, this is an opportunity to pick up nice toys, clothing, and books for your newborn to 10-year-old-without paying a cent. What’s the catch? There isn’t one. Everything is free, and you don’t have to donate something to take something. If you do have things to donate, though, you can bring them to the Boutique. We’re especially interested in winter clothing-things like sweaters, jackets, sweatshirts, boots, mittens, and gloves.
The Boutique happens from noon till 3 p.m. at The Meher Schools, 999 Leland Dr., Lafayette (off Old Tunnel Rd.).
Monthly Board Meetings Open to All
Monthly meetings of the SCA board of directors are held the first Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m., at the Lafayette fire station office of Supervisor Gayle Uilkema (3338 Mt. Diablo Blvd.). Everyone is welcome to attend and to bring business before the board. Meetings generally last until about 9 p.m.
New (and Former) Members, Donations Sought
Neighbors Helping Neighbors, the Toy & Clothing Boutique, and other services provided by the SCA are made possible exclusively through membership dues and donations. With a relatively small membership base and a very ambitious agenda, every membership and donation makes a difference. If you're not yet a member, we hope you ll consider joining now. Dues are only $30 a year. Or if you're a former member and didn't renew your membership this year, we hope you will now. Download a Membership Application here.
If you don't feel that you can afford to join but would like to support the SCA's work, we gladly accept donations in any amount. If you're a member and can see your way to an additional gift, your contribution would be greatly appreciated. Memberships are vital to the SCA, and so are donations.
a new resource for Saranap residents
Looking for work? Want to help your neighbors who are in the job market? Tap into the SCA’s new Saranap Jobs Network! This is a free service that connects members who are seeking work with neighbors who know of openings or have expertise in the same sector of the workforce and can provide information and possible leads. Easy to use and open to all Saranap residents and SCA members, you can use SJN in either or both of these ways:
• Through access to a members-only LinkedIn Group, where you can view professional profiles of neighbors and network online with other Group members. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional-networking site.
• By contacting the SJN program coordinator, who can confidentially connect you with Network members who have offered to serve as resources. You don’t need a computer. (This is a good option if you want to keep your job search private.)
Interested? Download the How to Join and Use the Saranap Jobs Network and the How to Join and Use SJN’s LinkedIn Group for step-by-step instructions for both job seekers and those willing to assist other Network members in their job searches. LinkedIn users will also want to download Protecting Your Privacy and Security on LinkedIn.
A service of Neighbors Helping Neighbors, the Saranap Jobs Network is the brainchild of SCA member Jason Schwarz, who serves as Program Coordinator and LinkedIn Group Administrator.
Supervisors approve Sufism Reoriented sanctuary
On a 4-0 vote, the board of supervisors on Feb. 29 denied 10 all appeals by opponents and upheld the planning commission’s approval of Sufism Reoriented’s application to build a sanctuary on Boulevard Way.
The Feb. 29 session was the continuation of a hearing that began Feb. 21. Both were held at the Lesher Center for the Arts in downtown Walnut Creek, as it was assumed, correctly, that the supervisors’ chamber in Martinez would be too small to accommodate all those who wanted to attend. More than 700 people packed the center’s Hoffman Theatre on the 21st, and an estimated 400 people showed up on the 29th. Most of those in attendance both days were supporters.
A major point of contention was parking. Sufism Reoriented’s application includes a traffic- demand management plan (TDMP) that provides for 74 spaces, which opponents said is inadequate for a congregation of 350. Church representatives noted that the congregation has been following the plan for more than four years and that the 74 spaces have proven more than adequate. Over half of the group’s members live within a quarter-mile of the site and have committed to walk, bike, or carpool to services. TDMPs were developed by the county as a way to reduce traffic.
Some opponents maintained that the building is too large and others that the design is incompatible with the “semirural” Saranap neighborhood. Sufism Reoriented representatives countered that the building is the size it needs to be to house all the congregation’s activities under a single roof and noted that two-thirds of the building will be below ground. The above-ground portion will be about the same size as the group’s current facility, a block to the east. Dr. Carol Weyland Conner, the murshida, or spiritual leader, of Sufism Reoriented, told the supervisors that the building’s design is a reflection of the group’s beliefs.
More than 100 people spoke on the first day of the hearing. One of them was SCA President Lee Schroeder, who summarized our three community meetings on the project and noted the overwhelming support for the project by participants at those meetings. Another was SCA board member David Dacus, an architect, who praised the thoroughness of the EIR on the project.
By their vote, the supervisors upheld the county planning commission’s decision in November to certify the EIR and approve the land-use permit, a minor subdivision (combining seven parcels into one), the TDMP, and a tree permit.
Construction is expected to begin within a few months and to take 18-24 months to complete.
Supervisor Gayle Uilkema, in whose Second District the 66,000-sq. ft. sanctuary will be built, did not attend either day of the hearing. The Contra Costa Times reported that she was recovering from pneumonia. Board Chair Mary Piepho said Uilkema was following the proceedings by phone, but she did not vote.
The yellow “Save Our Saranap” signs that had dotted the neighborhood for months disappeared before nightfall on the day the hearing concluded.
Spring Children’s Boutique May 6
The SCA’s spring Children’s Toy & Clothing Boutique will take place Sunday, May 6. Through the generosity of neighbors who have donated things their children have outgrown, this is an opportunity to pick up nice toys, clothing, and books for your newborn to 10-year-old-without paying a cent. What’s the catch? There isn’t one. Everything is free, and you don’t have to donate something to take something. If you do have things to donate, though, you can bring them to the Boutique. We’re especially interested in winter clothing-things like sweaters, jackets, sweatshirts, boots, mittens, and gloves.
The Boutique happens from noon till 3 p.m. at The Meher Schools, 999 Leland Dr., Lafayette (off Old Tunnel Rd.).
Monthly Board Meetings Open to All
Monthly meetings of the SCA board of directors are held the first Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m., at the Lafayette fire station office of Supervisor Gayle Uilkema (3338 Mt. Diablo Blvd.). Everyone is welcome to attend and to bring business before the board. Meetings generally last until about 9 p.m.
New (and Former) Members, Donations Sought
Neighbors Helping Neighbors, the Toy & Clothing Boutique, and other services provided by the SCA are made possible exclusively through membership dues and donations. With a relatively small membership base and a very ambitious agenda, every membership and donation makes a difference. If you're not yet a member, we hope you ll consider joining now. Dues are only $30 a year. Or if you're a former member and didn't renew your membership this year, we hope you will now. Download a Membership Application here.
If you don't feel that you can afford to join but would like to support the SCA's work, we gladly accept donations in any amount. If you're a member and can see your way to an additional gift, your contribution would be greatly appreciated. Memberships are vital to the SCA, and so are donations.
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