More about Safeway

The RCPC comes out against Safeway, which is taking another look.

More about zoning

Zoning is always brought up when talking about development in Rockridge. Here are some actual quotes from the Municipal Code about College Avenue’s zoning (also know as C-31).

(Of course, the city is in the middle of a process that will change this zoning system, but more about that later.)

17.48.010 Title, purpose, and applicability.

The C-31 zone is intended to create, preserve, and enhance areas with a wide range of retail establishments serving both short and long term needs in attractive settings oriented to pedestrian comparison shopping, and is typically appropriate along important shopping streets having a special or particularly pleasant character.

17.48.070 Restrictions on ground-level uses.
A. Parking and Loading at Ground Level. No off-street parking or loading area or driveway shall be located on any portion of the ground level of any lot except upon the granting of a conditional use permit pursuant to the conditional use permit procedure in Chapter 17.134.

17.48.080 Special regulations applying to Commercial and Manufacturing Activities.
The total floor area devoted to Commercial or Manufacturing Activities by any single establishment shall not exceed seven thousand five hundred (7,500) square feet, except that a greater floor area may be permitted upon the granting of a conditional use permit pursuant to the conditional use permit procedure in Chapter 17.134.

17.48.100 Use permit criteria.
A conditional use permit for any use under Section 17.48.040, 17.48.060, 17.48.070, or 17.48.080 may be granted only upon determination that the proposal conforms to the general use permit criteria set forth in the conditional use permit procedure in Chapter 17.134 and to the following use permit criteria:

A. That the proposal will not detract from the character desired for the area;
B. That the proposal will not impair a generally continuous wall of building facades;
C. That the proposal will not weaken the concentration and continuity of retail facilities at ground level, and will not impair the retention or creation of an important shopping frontage;
D. That the proposal will not interfere with the movement of people along an important pedestrian street;
E. That no driveway shall connect directly with the area’s principal commercial street unless:
1. Vehicular access cannot reasonably be provided from a different street or other way, and
2. Every reasonable effort has been made to share means of vehicular access with abutting properties;
F. That the amount of off-street parking, if any, provided in excess of the requirements of this code will not contribute significantly to an increased orientation of the area to automobile movement;
G. That the proposal will conform in all significant respects with any applicable district plan which has been adopted by the City Council.
17.48.100 Use permit criteria.
A conditional use permit for any use under Section 17.48.040, 17.48.060, 17.48.070, or 17.48.080 may be granted only upon determination that the proposal conforms to the general use permit criteria set forth in the conditional use permit procedure in Chapter 17.134 and to the following use permit criteria:
A. That the proposal will not detract from the character desired for the area;
B. That the proposal will not impair a generally continuous wall of building facades;
C. That the proposal will not weaken the concentration and continuity of retail facilities at ground level, and will not impair the retention or creation of an important shopping frontage;
D. That the proposal will not interfere with the movement of people along an important pedestrian street;
E. That no driveway shall connect directly with the area’s principal commercial street unless:
1. Vehicular access cannot reasonably be provided from a different street or other way, and
2. Every reasonable effort has been made to share means of vehicular access with abutting properties;
F. That the amount of off-street parking, if any, provided in excess of the requirements of this code will not contribute significantly to an increased orientation of the area to automobile movement;
G. That the proposal will conform in all significant respects with any applicable district plan which has been adopted by the City Council.
See also Section 17.102.210.

RCPC says ‘no’ to Safeway

My article on this will be out soon, but just briefly — RCPC has weighed in against the new Safeway plans.

Quoting from the letter RCPC sent to Safeway:

The Rockridge Community Planning Council opposes the current Safeway College
Avenue Rebuild Project for the following reasons:
• The project is too big and will cause major negative impacts on the community;
• In addition to the project’s size, its design is incompatible with the surrounding
community;
• The information provided to the public is totally inadequate for serious discussion
of the project.

Some people I spoke to last month felt the RCPC hadn’t been emphatic enough speaking out against the plans, so this is a new step.

My article on the Safeway meeting

On the Oakland Tribune’s website.

After it was published, the founders of Concerned Neighbors wrote to me and said they thought it was more like 300. They got nearly 200 on their petition, they said.

Safeway meeting

Last night I attended a meeting to hear input from neighbors on a proposed redesign of the Safeway supermarket on the corner of College Avenue and Claremont Avenue.

There were more than 80 speakers — from the audience — plus presentations. It was clear people really had something to say. Most of it was along the lines of “too big, too ugly, too much traffic, too big, too ugly.” The question, of course, is how much influence local people really have.

More when I write the article, of course, but you can see renderings of the store here.

Stories about Oakland

I’ve got some more stories up at the Contra Costa Times website. All were originally published in the Montclarion, the Piedmonter or the Alameda Journal.

One was a profile of a woman I found quite impressive — though only 27, she’s been a foreign correspondent and runs a non-profit and just won a journalism award.

I’m keeping my audience up to date with the Safeway development on College and Claremont, as well.

And I covered a very touching art exhibit by former foster youth.