Three Citizen Groups Host “Tri-Valley @ a Crossroads” Candidate Forum

A candidate forum entitled “Tri-Valley @ a Crossroads” is scheduled on Thursday, October 13, 2016 at the Firehouse Arts Center in downtown Pleasanton at 4444 Railroad Avenue. The event, which is free to the public, takes place from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and is hosted by PleasantonVoters.com, Friends of Livermore, and Dubliners for Change.

The public can contact one of the groups to submit possible questions/topics for the forum. Submit questions to Dubliners for Change at dublinersforchange.com, and clicking on the “Contact Us” option. Friends of Livermore can be reached at friendsoflivermore.org, and by clicking on the “Contact Us” option. Questions for Pleasanton candidates can be submitted to

PleasantonVoters.com and clicking on the “Contact Us” option as well. Mayoral and city council candidates will be in attendance to answer questions focused on the rapid development that has taken place over the past five years in the Tri-Valley region of the San Francisco East Bay.

KPIX TV news anchor and reporter Juliette Goodrich, a resident of the Tri-Valley region, will moderate the event.

The schedule for the event follows:

• 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. Dublin candidates
• 7:00 to 7:45 p.m. Pleasanton candidates
• 8:00 to 8:45 p.m. Livermore candidates

The Tri-Valley region, anchored by the once agrarian cities of Dublin, Livermore and Pleasanton, has exploded with growth over the past decade and is projected to continue as one of the fastest-growing corridors in California over the next 20 years. Proximity to the job centers of the Silicon Valley and San Francisco, BART and major freeway access, and high achieving school districts are among the many amenities that have contributed to the rapid growth of the region.

Among the specific concerns facing Dublin voters is the rapid pace of housing growth and the lag in providing the necessary infrastructure to match that growth. A primary issue facing Livermore residents revolves around further development in its downtown area. Pleasanton voters will consider an economic development zone on Johnson Drive that is the possible site of a Costco store and city plans to loan $6 million in public funds to develop the project, and traffic congestion both within the city and on the adjoining freeways.

“The enormous demand for housing and the accelerated rate of growth in the Tri-Valley region finds residents battling new issues such as traffic, overcrowded schools, and maintaining a rural quality of life,” observes Kelly Cousins, President of Pleasantonvoters.com. “People move to this region seeking an alternative to a metropolitan environment, yet the difference between suburban and urban is fading quickly. How can we mitigate these challenges yet still bridge the need for new housing? These are some of the key issues facing our elected officials and candidates seeking office,” she adds.

For more information about the event, please email PleasantonVoters.com.

Announcement, photo submitted by PleasantonVoters.com