San Leandro Bytes

The Alameda County Democratic Central Committee unanimously endorsed the San Leandro Unified School District's bond and the City of San Leandro's 0.25% sales tax increase at its meeting on September 1, 2010.

The school bond would fund modernization of Burrell Field and the swimming pools at San Leandro High School in addition to athletic facilities throughout the District. The sales tax increase would increase the sales tax from 9.75% to 10% and provide an estimated $4 million in annual revenue.

Wimax wireless broadband is set to come to San Leandro with the installation of an antenna on the top of the Foursquare Church at 525 Manor Boulevard. Wimax stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access and provides mobile broadband service and an alternative to cable and DSL for residential broadband service.

The Foursquare Church lost a lawsuit against the City of San Leandro in 2008 after claiming that the City of San Leandro violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) by not agreeing to change the zoning of an industrial-area property that the church wanted to use for a new location.

According to the conditional use permit application, which will be considered by the Board of Zoning Adjustments on September 2, 2010, the antenna will be operated by Clearwire. Clearwire, which offers Wimax service as Clear, has merged its wireless spectrum with Sprint Nextel, Google, Intel, Comcast, Bright House, and Time Warner.

Currently, Clear only offers coverage in Merced, Modesto, Stockton, and Visalia, but is expected to make an announcement today about additional service areas. Clear's prices ranges from $44 per month for mobile broadband to $64 per month for mobile and home broadband.

Clearwire has not yet responded to a request for additional information.