January 15th, 2026

Mayor Barbara Lee and Oakland City Council

1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza,

Oakland, CA 94612

Dear Mayor and Council,

The Sierra Club writes to express our opposition to the proposed installation of electronic billboards at the Lake Temescal site. While our organization has maintained a national stance against highway billboard proliferation since 1969, we are most concerned by the profound environmental and aesthetic degradation this specific location would suffer.

The proposed placement overlooking Lake Temescal would create 24/7 light into a critical wildlife corridor, creating a significant visible impact that is fundamentally incompatible with the pastoral nature of the park. These energy-intensive installations threaten the biological integrity of the Pacific Flyway by disrupting bird nesting and migration patterns through light pollution, while simultaneously eroding the quality of life for Oakland residents who utilize the park for recreation and respite.

Furthermore, we believe the City must establish a transparent planning process for the siting of additional billboards. This process must provide clear public oversight on exactly where billboards are permitted, their light levels, and their proximity to any open space or parks. We urge you to reject the billboard development at Lake Temescal and prioritize the protection of parks.

Respectfully,

Maxwell Davis, Chair

Sierra Club Northern Alameda County Group

*Sierra Club’s national policy on billboards may be accessed here: https://www.sierraclub.org/policy/pollution-waste-management/billboards