Eric J. Kos

Sylvia Herrick steps out of her polling place after voting in the special election on the morning of Feb. 2.

Like King Belshazzar of Babylon in the Book of Daniel, SunCal saw the proverbial writing on the wall the night before voters went to the polls on Tuesday.

In a press release issued on Monday, Feb. 1, David Soyka, SunCal's vice-president for public affairs said that "despite a vigorous and intensively executed Yes on Measure B campaign, recent polling suggests that the initiative will not secure enough votes to pass on Feb. 2."

Soyka intimated that SunCal would not be leaving Alameda anytime soon. "A disappointing election result will not end our work on this effort," he said in the announcement. "We will not abandon this plan and this city."

Despite what the voters decide, SunCal's contract with the city does not expire until July 20. In the press release Soyka said that his company hoped that Alamedans would continue to stand with SunCal as it pursues the vision the company has developed in partnership with the residents and the city.

Soyka said that despite the loss on Feb. 2 his company's studies showed that some 88 percent of those SunCal polled "demand that something needs to be done about the state of Alameda Point."

Soyka said to ensure "proper reuse" of Alameda Point, SunCal submitted what he called an "optional entitlement application." He said that his company remains "actively engaged in the environmental review process."

According to Soyka, this application "contains a new framework to the successful completion of Alameda Point."

The application would enable the developer and the city to continue with the planning for Alameda Point and contains "a more traditional framework for its ultimate entitlement and construction."

While SunCal threw in the towel, Alamedans still got out the vote Tuesday.

The election may cost city taxpayers up to $325,000. One voter, Kevin Braband, said he was not against developing the Point. "My family is against Measure B; against giving over one-third of the island to a private company," Braband said. He said he'd prefer splitting the development of Alameda Point over several companies, which would give the