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Hayward residents urge council to preserve SkyWest golf course as open space amid airport and data‑center plans
Summary
Residents told the Council of Infrastructure and Good for Committee on April 23 they want the 26‑acre SkyWest site protected for monarch habitat, recreation and community benefit. Speakers sought a city nomination to regional conservation programs and asked the city to seek community benefits tied to an anticipated nearby data center.
Hayward residents urged the City of Hayward’s infrastructure committee on April 23 to preserve the SkyWest golf course as publicly accessible open space and wildlife habitat rather than allow development tied to airport or data‑center projects.
At the public‑comment period, several speakers described the site as important overwintering habitat for western monarch butterflies and as supporting the western pond turtle. “SkyWest is a 26‑acre open space that is zoned open space in Hayward’s general plan,” said Mimi Dean, a San Lorenzo resident, adding the site is “the fifth largest site in the state” and “the number one overwintering site in the East Bay,” remarks made during public comment. Melissa Milliman, who identified herself as a Hayward resident, described experiencing jet‑fuel odors and urged the city to seek more community benefit from airport users and incoming data‑center development.
Speakers said the community has organized a petition: “We have about 600 signatures so far,” Dean said, and she described outreach with students and colleges to build a broader coalition. Rob Bennington, formerly with Cooperative Extension, urged the city to pursue grant and planning tools that could support conservation or urban agriculture at SkyWest and noted the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) had a Priority Conservation Area nomination cycle with a May 2 submission deadline that could make the site eligible for grant funding.
Why it matters: commenters tied SkyWest to neighborhood equity and public‑health concerns near Hayward Executive Airport and framed the site as scarce open space for communities east of the airport (Hayward Acres, Ashley, Cherryland and San Lorenzo). Several speakers asked the committee to treat SkyWest as part of any negotiations over community benefits tied to an expected data‑center project in the area.
What was said and next steps: staff recorded the public comments during the meeting. Petitioners asked the city to nominate SkyWest for regional conservation programs, to incorporate the site into negotiations for community benefit packages related to incoming development, and to prioritize the site’s habitat values in future planning. Speakers repeatedly referenced the federal comment process on monarch protections and asked the city to weigh in.
No formal council action on SkyWest occurred during the committee meeting; the remarks were offered during the public‑comment portion of the agenda. Petitioners and advocates noted the ABAG nomination deadline (May 2) and asked staff and elected officials to consider the time‑sensitive filing opportunity.
Community claims and attribution: the article quotes public commenters as recorded in the April 23 meeting. Claims about SkyWest’s rank among statewide habitat sites and exact ecological rankings were made by commenters and are reported here as such; the city did not take a formal position during the meeting.
Looking ahead: speakers said they will continue collecting petition signatures and outreach; they asked the city to explore ABAG nomination and to include SkyWest in community‑benefit discussions for upcoming development.
