A busy #oakmtg – BRT, zoning, parking & more

Tuesday night’s Council meeting was full of important discussions and decisions. The Council finally voted on the zoning update and the Energy and Climate Action Plan. They also had a somewhat maddening but also very productive discussion on parking. I’ll have a post up sometime in the next week with video, but for now, here are the #oakmtg tweets, courtesy of Ruth Miller and I. And if you’re not already following Ruth @mcplanner on Twitter, follow her already! She’s been doing a fantastic job tweeting Council, committee, and Planning Commission hearings. I hope she keeps it up!

New blog design, updated blogroll & plenty on the City Council agenda

If you’ve been to the Living in the O site since Sunday, you’ve probably noticed that I finally updated the look and navigation of the site. I picked this theme because of how it features photos and how it fits so much but doesn’t feel cluttered. I hope you like it.

If you haven’t been to the site (and I know from stats that most of you read via RSS feeds), take a minute and check it out, as I also updated my blogroll, which I haven’t done in a very long time. I added a bunch of Oakland, California, and transportation blogs I read regularly. If you’re looking for new blogs to read, check some of them out.

Zoning, TOD & art planning decisions at Oakland CED meeting tomorrow

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the importance of Council committee meetings and explained what each of the committees do. I also mentioned that some committees are very powerful and their new membership could change the balance of power on important policy decisions. Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 22nd will be a good chance to see this in action at the Community and Economic Development (CED) committee meeting, as the committee discusses three important and exciting issues – one very controversial and two less so.

Joyce Roy: Urge the Council to approve higher density on Broadway & Telegraph

This guest post was written by Joyce Roy, with an introduction from me. As a retired architect, Joyce has raised her sights (or sites?) to the whole city of Oakland and so has been active in advocating for better transit, the right development in the right place and the reuse of existing structures.  She is an active member of ULTRA.

Introduction:

For the past couple of years, Oakland has been working on a long overdue zoning update. As John Gatewood explained in 2009:

As some of you know the city has finally started the Zoning Update for the commercial and residential areas of Oakland. This process should have started in 1998 when the city adopted its latest General Plan but, for a number of reasons, it did not. This lack of agreement between the General Plan and the Zoning is what has led to so many conflicts over new developments in Oakland. Our existing zoning is patchwork created over decades to respond to immediate concerns rather than long-term goals. The 1998 General Plan spells out where the city wants to focus growth in Oakland. To their credit the writers of the 1998 General Plan focused this “growth and change” on the major transit corridors in Oakland.

The Zoning Update is our opportunity to bring zoning, the details of what can be built where, in alignment with the vision of the General Plan. Updating the zoning to allow for the higher density envisioned in the General Plan will be one step in turning Oakland away from the path Detroit is on. Our city is at the heart of the East Bay. We already have the public transit infrastructure to support more residents using it. We were once a denser, more walkable city. We now need to update our land-use rules so that we can build higher density housing on our transit corridors to respond to how we live today so that we can rekindle the walkability and vibrancy we had 60 years ago.

After many hearings before the Planning Commission’s Zoning Update Committee (ZUC), the zoning update is coming before the Community and Economic Development Committee this week and the full City Council next week.

Here is Joyce Roy’s post about why you should attend and/or send emails about the zoning update:

Urgent need to support higher density along Telegraph and Broadway:

Most concerns have been resolved at the Planning Commission’s Zoning Update Committee meetings. But two points of contention may be the 60-ft heights along Telegraph other than the historic districts, which are 35-ft to 45-ft, and only 45-ft rather than 60-ft on Broadway between Whitmore and 40^th.

From the staff report (warning – LARGE PDF):

Staff’s recommendation for Telegraph Avenue is consistent with citywide height mapping principals that applied a 60-foot height maximum on wide corridors that are adjacent to lower-density residential neighborhoods. This height limit creates an appropriate “wall” to contain the wide street space on Telegraph Avenue. The updated proposal also allows the density that fulfills General Plan policies encouraging development at major corridors to promote infill development, increase transit use, and revitalize retail districts. Regulations proposing a building stepback from the rear setback line of corridor sites will significantly lower the impacts of taller corridor buildings on adjacent residential neighborhoods.

Staff agrees that the same reasoning applies to Broadway, but staff needs to be able to show it has the support of the community.  The City Council has the final say. So we must fight for a 60-ft height limit on Broadway and to maintain it on Telegraph by sending emails to councilmembers. It is very important that the councilmembers receive many emails. So even if you are planning to go to the meetings, send emails.

Please come to the meetings:

• Community & Economic Development Committee mtg: Tues. Feb. 8 at 1:45 pm in Hearing Room 1
• Full Council: Tues. Feb. 15 at 7:00 pm in the Council Chambers

Here are email addresses for the Council (the first four are on the committee, but I would advise sending to all):

• Jane Brunner   <jbrunner@oaklandnet.com>
• Patricia Kernighan <pkernighan@oaklandnet.com>
• Nancy Nadel  <nnadel@oaklandnet.com>
• Ignacio De La Fuente <idelafuente@oaklandnet.com>
• Jean Quan  <jquan@oaklandnet.com>
• Desley Brooks  <dbrooks@oaklandnet.com>
• Larry Reid  <lreid@oaklandnet.com>
• Rebecca Kaplan <rkaplan@oaklandnet.com>
• Libby Schaaf   <lschaaf@oaklandnet.com>

For more background on the process, please read an article on the zoning update in the Sierra Club’s Yodeler.

June 21-27 Oakland Political & Community Events

Tuesday, June 22nd – TRANSFORUM: Problems & Solutions for Public Transportation in the Bay Area

TransForm’s next TransForum will look at the harsh realities transit agencies currently face across the Bay Area and discuss potential solutions. Speakers include Carolyn Clevenger (the project manager for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Transit Sustainability Project), Lewis Clinton (AC Transit’s CFO), Stuart Cohen (TransForm’s executive director), and Carli Paine (TransForm’s transportation program director). Joel Young, a member of AC Transit’s Board of Directors, will moderate a lively discussion and Q&A session. The TransForum will run from 6:00-7:30pm (with time for networking after) at AC Transit’s headquarters, 1600 Franklin Street. Drinks and snacks will be served. TransForums are free for TransForm members and $5 for non-members. RSVP at TransForm’s website.

CANCELED – Wednesday, June 23rd – Zoning Update Committee Meeting

At this meeting, the ZUC will review the proposed zoning text and maps, as part of the Citywide Zoning Update. The agenda includes consideration of changing the zoning to the commercial and residential areas of the neighborhoods in West Oakland, North Oakland, and the North Hills. To read the staff report and to see the maps of the proposed zoning, please visit the ZUC’s website, and look at the “Upcoming Meetings” table. This meeting takes place at 4pm at City Hall, Hearing Room 1, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Wednesday, June 23rd – Oakland Boosters & Bloggers for Libby Party

If you know Libby Schaaf, you know Libby loves Oakland! Join her fellow Oakland boosters, including some stars of Oakland’s growing blogosphere, to help out Libby’s campaign for City Council, District 4 Oaktown-style – with some great art, music, locavore cocktails, and the beautiful diversity of people that makes us love our Town. Hosted by Becks, dto510, Vsmoothe, Zennie62, Ratna Amin, Amanda Brown-Stevens, Annie Campbell Washington, Justin Horner, Doug Johnson, Adam Van De Water, and other bloggers and boosters to be named. The party takes place from 5:30pm – 7:30pm at Era Art Bar & Lounge, 19 Grand Avenue. Big Booster Host Committee: $100 / Guests: $35. To join the host committee, email libbyforoakland@gmail.com. For more information and to RSVP, visit Libby’s website. (Disclosure: I am working for Libby’s campaign.)

Wednesday, June 23rd – AC Transit Board Meeting

At this week’s meeting, among other items, the AC Transit Board will be voting on BRT (sans Berkeley) and discussing the agency’s fiscal emergency. This meeting will take place at 6pm in the 2nd floor board room, 1600 Franklin Street. You can read the agenda and see the relevant memos here and you can listen online here.

Thursday, June 24th – California Young Democrats Black Caucus Bay Area Kick Off

You are cordially invited to join East Bay Young Dems and the California Young Dems Black Caucus for the Bay Area leg of their kick off tour on Thursday June 24th. It will be a perfect opportunity to not only meet the members of the Caucus, but connect with many young and emerging leaders as well as seasoned community advocates from around the Bay Area and beyond. This event takes place from 7pm – 9pm at AIR Lounge, 492 9th Street (at Washington). RSVP and find more info on Facebook.

Thursday, June 24th – Temescal Street Cinema

The Third Annual Temescal Street Cinema returns to 49th and Telegraph (Bank of the West Building) this summer for another year of great, free, locally made films! There’ll be live music and free popcorn at every show, with events getting started at 8 PM every Thursday from June 11-July 16. Movies will start when it gets dark, no sooner than 8:30 PM. Come early or bring a chair! This week features Etienne!, in which a young man in San Francisco learns that his hamster will soon die and decides to take the beloved pet on a last road trip. This quirky and deadpan comedy for the whole family mines several veins of unexpected poignancy as the two meet a rich cast of characters on their travels. Find out more details at the Temescal Street Cinema website.

Sunday, June 27th – Oaklavia: Come Play in the Streets

Walk Oakland Bike Oakland is hosting Oaklavía, which will shut down streets to cars and open them up to pedestrians and bicyclists, allowing residents to experience the city’s best natural and architectural assets, outdoor activities, and arts in some of our most well-loved and unique streets and neighborhoods. There will be organized activities spaced out along the route. Explore the vibrancy of Old Oakland dancing to live Latin music, and enjoy the urban landscape of West Oakland with circus arts at Kinetic Arts Center. You’ll also find dance classes provided by the YMCA, bike repair classes by Love Your Bike, bike safety classes led by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition and food carts. This event will take place from 10am-2pm from Broadway and Grand to 7th Street and Market. For more info, including route details and activity information, visit the Oaklavia website.

May 17-23 Oakland Political & Community Events

Monday, May 17th – Citywide Zoning Update Community Workshop (Central Oakland)

Three large community workshops are scheduled to give you a chance to learn about and comment on the proposed commercial and residential zoning text and maps.  In order to present the information in a manageable way, the city has been divided into three geographic areas. This workshop will focus on proposed Zoning changes to Central Oakland. The workshop will be held at the Fruitvale/San Antonio Senior Center, 3301 E. 12th Street, 2nd floor from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. For more info, visit the zoning update website.

Tuesday, May 18th – Oakland City Council Meeting

At this week’s meeting, the Council will be discussing a loan to Merritt Bakery, billboards, the City’s pension liabilities, and more. See the full meeting agenda and check out my post about how to watch and understand City Council meetings if you need some guidance on how or where to view the meeting. The non-ceremonial parts of the meeting start at 6:30pm in the Council Chambers in City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Thursday, May 20th – Oakland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Meeting

Oakland’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) meets monthly to discusses bicycle and pedestrian issues. The BPAC is extremely inclusive – any Oakland resident who attends three consecutive meetings becomes a voting member of the committee – so if you’re interested in bike and ped issues, you should consider attending. The BPAC will be meeting from 5:30-7:30pm in Hearing Room 4 of City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Thursday, May 20th – Oakland Food Policy Council Meeting

The mission of the Oakland Food Policy Council (OFPC) is to establish an equitable and sustainable food system in Oakland, California. OFPC will be going over the first round of ideas on concrete, attainable first steps toward achieving each of OFPC’s policy priorities for this year. The invited speaker this month is Tuere Anderson of Youth Radio. Should be a great conversation! The meeting will be held from 5:00 – 7:30 pm at Bay Localize conference room, 436 14th Street, 2nd floor. Find out more about OFPC at their website.

Friday, May 21st – People’s Grocery Community Open House

People’s Grocery is a community-based organization in West Oakland that develops creative solutions to the health problems in our community that stem from a lack of access to and knowledge about healthy, fresh foods. Join People’s Grocery for a late afternoon and early evening of fun, food, community, music, and more. People’s Grocery is celebrating our new office, welcoming neighbors and friends, and sharing information about our programs.  We’d love to see you.  Stop by for a while or stay for the whole party! There will be delicious food from their programs, drinks from Honest Tea, music from the Western Whistleblowers, and a great opportunity for the community to meet the staff and each other. The open house runs from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM at 909 7th Street. Find more info at the People’s Grocery website.

Saturday, May 22nd – Westlake Community Paint Day

Please come to the first City Canvas Community Paint Day at Westlake! Join City Canvas, a new East Bay arts organization, for painting, food, and drinks in the parking lot between Westlake Middle School and First Congregational Church on Harrison. We’ll be painting murals designed by Oakland artist David Stern-Gottfried in collaboration with eighth-grade students at Westlake Middle School. In June, these murals will be on display for First Friday (location TBD, so stay tuned!) and then installed on traffic signal boxes throughout the Westlake/Uptown area. Thanks to Westlake Middle School, Open Circle, the City of Oakland Public Art Program, Benjamin Moore Paints, and Whole Foods Oakland for their support of this project. This event takes place from 10 am to 1 pm at First Congregational/Westlake Parking Lot (entrance at light on Harrison across from Whole Foods). Find more info on the City Canvas website.

Saturday, May 22nd – WOBO Bike to the Movies Night

That’s right. It’s about time WOBO put one of these things together. And have we got a good lineup for you pedal pushers to peep! We’ll be screening Quicksilver, starring Kevin Bacon & Laurence Fishburne, and that’s not all. We’ll also be showing The Scraper Bike King, starring Oakland’s own Baby Champ. Yeah, we thought you’d like that. Oh, and did we mention this was all going down at Linden Street Brewery? Be there – and tell yo’ friends! The movies run from 7-11pm at Linden Street Brewery (95 Linden St, Suite 7/8). Free admission.

April 26-May 2 Oakland Political & Community Events

Monday, April 26th – Citywide Zoning Update Community Workshop (North & West Oakland)

Three large community workshops are scheduled to give you a chance to learn about and comment on the proposed commercial and residential zoning text and maps.  In order to present the information in a manageable way, the city has been divided into three geographic areas. This workshop will focus on proposed Zoning changes to West and North Oakland including the North Oakland Hills. The workshop will be held at the North Oakland Senior Center (5714 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. For more info, visit the zoning update website.

Wednesday, April 28th – AC Transit Board Meeting

At this week’s meeting, among other items, the AC Transit Board will be discussing further service cuts. You can read about the background of the need for further cuts at John Knox White’s excellent article on Oakland Seen. This meeting will take place at 6pm in the 2nd floor board room, 1600 Franklin Street. You can read the agenda and see the relevant memos here and you can listen online here.

Wednesday, April 28th – Gang Injunction Discussion with Chief Batts

On Wednesday, the Oakland Neighborhood Watch Steering Committee will host Police Chief Anthony Batts, and Ms. Rocio Fierro of the City Attorney’s Office, to discuss the proposed North Oakland Gang Injunction. Chief Batts and Ms. Fierro will address the following components related to the proposed Gang Injunction:

• What the Gang Injunction is, and how they have been successfully used elsewhere.
• The areas and boundaries of Oakland to be impacted by the Injunction.
• Who will be impacted, and how will they be impacted.
• The possibility of using Injunctions elsewhere in Oakland, if this one is successful.
• Statements to address the City’s positions on the ACLU’s opposition to the Gang Injunction.

This meeting takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at City Hall, One Frank Ogawa Plaza, in Hearing Room 4. Please RSVP to attend this meeting. You may send an RSVP to Felicia Verdin at fverdin@oaklandnet.com or you may contact Felicia at 238-3128. For more info, visit Today in Montclair’s event listing.

Friday, April 30th – Oakland Underground Film Screening: Major Music

The Oakland Underground Film Festival in partnership with Jack London Square presents an exciting spring and summer series of films, performances, and art installations. This week’s FREE screening is “Major Music: Sonic Youth & Kurt Cobain.” The screenings begin at 7pm at Jack London Square Pavilion Theater (formerly Barnes & Noble), 98 Broadway. More info about this screening and future screenings can be found at the event website.

Saturday, May 1st – Jane Brunner’s May Community Advisory Meeting: “Keeping the A’s in Oakland”

This month’s community meeting features Planning Commissioner Doug Boxer, Discussing Fan Support & Economic Study and Eric Angstadt, Outlining Site Options & Next Steps. This meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon at Peralta Elementary School, 460 63rd Street. To learn more, call 238-7001.

Saturday, May 1st – Jane’s Walk

UPDATE: Thanks to Dan Schulman for informing me that there are Jane’s Walks all over Oakland on Saturday. You can see the full listing at the Jane’s Walk website.

Formerly Oakland’s bustling downtown district in the days of railroads and streetcars, this area’s grand, brick, commercial Victorian buildings, now restored, continue to thrive as offices, galleries and eateries. Visit the historic Washington Inn, G.B. Ratto & Co. International Grocers, Swans Marketplace and the “Friends of the Library” bookstore. The tour will also stop by Lafayette Park, where Sue Mark will talk about the 10,000 Steps historic parks project. No Need to Sign Up . . . Just Show Up. The Jane Jacobs inspired tour takes place from 10am-1pm, beginning at G.B. Ratto & Co., 821 Washington Street and ending at La Borinqueña Mex-icatessen at 582 Seventh Street, where walkers can meet owner Tina Tamale and eat lunch. For more info and to RSVP, visit the Facebook event page.

Saturday-Sunday, May 1st-2nd – OMCA Opening Celebration Weekend

If you’ve been waiting the re-opening of OMCA as anxiously as I have, you should be excited about this awesome 31 hour event: “The newly transformed Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) opens Saturday, May 1, with 31 hours of continuous, round-the-clock free programs and events. The festivities begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 1, on the street in front of the new Oak Street entrance with a Native American Ohlone blessing, a marching band, Project Bandaloop performing a spectacular aerial dance, and more. And the non-stop celebration continues through 6 p.m. Sunday, May 2. “Only in California” Saturday afternoon activities highlight the innovative and creative spirit of California. Saturday evening and overnight activities take on a more adult flavor with dancing, food, a no-host bar, flashlight tours, and conversations on unique California topics—merging into early morning yoga. Sunday is especially for families with dancing, drumming, juggling, the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, and more. The new OMCA Store will be open the full 31 hours so visitors can shop throughout the event.” All festivities take place at OMCA, 1000 Oak Street. Find specific info about the weekend’s activites at OMCA’s website.

November 9-15 Oakland Political & Community Events

Monday, November 9th – Town Hall with Mayor Dellums and Police Chief Batts

Come hear Mayor Dellums and Chief Batts share their vision of public safety. Topics include:

• Mayor Dellums — public safety strategy: PIES (Prevention, Intervention, Enforcement, Sustainability)
• Chief Batts — vision for the Oakland Police Department
• Crime statistics: crime is down double digits citywide,but more must be done
• Community policing: how can OPD work with the community to enhance public safety?

The meeting will be held from 6:30-8 pm at Cesar Chavez Educational Center, 2825 International Blvd. An additional meeting is set for  Wednesday, November 18, 6:30-8 pm, Tassafaronga Recreation Center, 975 85th Avenue. For details, call the Oaklanders Assistance Center at 444-CITY (2489) or OAC@oaklandnet.com. You can read a review of last week’s town hall at A Better Oakland.

Monday, November 9th – Citywide Zoning Update Meeting for Historic Preservation Issues

As part of the Citywide Zoning Update Staff will be giving a presentation at the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board (LPAB) meeting. Staff will present some background on existing issues of zoning and historic preservation and how the Citywide Zoning Update will work towards implementing the Historic Preservation Element of the General Plan. Staff invites you to attend to gain knowledge about historic preservation methods being considered for incorporation in the Citywide Zoning Update.  Your feedback will be incorporated into the overall Citywide Zoning Update process. The meeting takes place at 6pm at Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Hearing Room One. You can also watch it on KTOP. For more information, read the staff report on this item.

Tuesday, November 10th – East Bay Democracy for America Meetup

At their November meeting, Democracy for America will be focusing the marijuana taxation ballot initiative and higher education. The two featured speakers are both East Bay Young Democrats and good friends of mine. Abraham Kniesley from Oaksterdam University will give the status on what the next steps will be to make The Control, Regulate and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 a reality and what we can do to help out. Edie Irons is the communications director for the Institute for College Access and Success. She’ll be talking about funding for higher education here in California and what impact California’s decisions are having on students. There will be an action item that will give you a chance to walk out after the meeting feeling like you’ve done more than just get some information on education funding, you’ll know that you’ve done something to help frame that debate. The meeting will be held at 7:00 at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 2727 College Ave, Berkeley. RSVP here.

Thursday, November 12th – State Legislature Joint Select Committee on Government Reform Hearing

This year’s state budget set the record for being the latest, and probably the worst, in California’s history. This disastrous process has demonstrated loudly and clearly that the current system is not working and that major change is needed to make the Legislature more responsive to the needs of Californians. Because of this, Assembly Speaker Karen Bass and Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg recently established a new special legislative committee – the Joint Select Committee on Government Reform – which our State Senator Loni Hancock been appointed to as a member. This fall, the Committee, comprised of 10 Senators and 10 Assemblymembers, is hosting a series of hearings throughout the state and is expected to deliver a legislative reform package by January 15, 2010. The next scheduled Joint Select Committee hearing will focus on the topic of ballot box budgeting and initiative reform. They will be hearing from experts about the problems created by our current initiative process and finding real solutions to these obstacles to create better governance in California, as well as a more educated and informed electorate. The hearing will be held from 2:00pm – 7:00 pm, at the Elihu Harris State Building, 1515 Clay Street, in Oakland.

Thursday, November 12th – Community Workshops (Round 3): Zoning Draft Proposals

Are you an Oakland Resident, Property Owner, Business Owner, or Developer? Learn about and discuss proposed zoning changes for Oakland’s residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors! Planning staff will be hosting its third round of Community Workshops. This workshop will be held from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Fruitvale-San Antonio Senior Center, 3301 E. 12 St., Suite 2001 (Meeting room is on the 2nd floor). For more info, read John Gatewood’s guest post on the zoning update.

Thursday, November 12th – 2nd Annual Wellstone Club Award Reception Honoring Debra Bowen

The Wellstone Club is excited to present its second “Wellstone Award” to California Secretary of State Debra Bowen, our state leader in the fight to ensure that every citizen gets to vote, and every voter’s ballot is counted. She has set a national standard in the battle against voter suppression and illegal efforts to manipulate our democratic process. Paul and Sheila Wellstone’s oldest son, David Wellstone, will present this year’s award. Event co-hosts include Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Senator Loni Hancock, Assemblymembers Sandre Swanson and Nancy Skinner, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates and Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson. This reception will take place from 5:30-7:30 PM at the Silver Dragon Restaurant, 835 Webster Street. Tickets are $50. Find more info at the Wellstone Club’s website.

Thursday, November 12th – Mix It Up East Bay

Join us for a monthly happy hour bringing together young activists, organizers and leaders in the East Bay. California voting is an art and a science, but we’re here to help! Come out and hear (brief) presentations on proposed ballot measure initiatives by:

• Abraham Kneisley, Tax Cannabis 2010
• Courage Campaign [invited]
• Repair California [invited]

Mix It Up East Bay is held every 2nd Thursday of the month from 6-9pm at Shashamane at 2507 Broadway. It’s accessible by 19th Street BART station or by AC Transit lines 1/1R, 51, 59.

Friday, November 13th – Estuary Art Attack

First Fridays are not the only day of the month to check out art galleries. Jingle Town and Alameda artists have joined together to start the Estuary Art Attack, a monthly event held on second Fridays to showcase the area’s galleries, restaurants, and bars. The Art Attack will be held from 6-9 pm throughout Jingle Town and Alameda. Check out their website for more details.

Saturday, November 14th – Central Estuary Plan Community Workshop #6

The sixth public workshop will focus on identifying a preferred alternative for the Plan Area.  At this workshop, you will be asked to consider which alternative, or pieces of various alternatives speak to your vision for the Central Estuary Area.  Please familiarize yourself with the draft alternatives and come to the next community workshop to participate in hands-on mapping exercises in the very important task of developing a preferred alternative! Three draft alternatives for the Plan Area were presented at Workshop #5.  Information about these alternatives and all meeting materials can be found on the CEDA website in the Schedule+Meeting section. This workshop will be held from 9:00 am-12:00 pm at Beacon Day School, 2101 Livingston Street, 2nd Floor Auditorium.

Monday, November 9th – Citywide Zoning Update Meeting for Historic Preservation Issues

As part of the Citywide Zoning Update Staff will be giving a presentation at the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board (LPAB) meeting. Staff will present some background on existing issues of zoning and historic preservation and how the Citywide Zoning Update will work towards implementing the Historic Preservation Element of the General Plan. Staff invites you to attend to gain knowledge about historic preservation methods being considered for incorporation in the Citywide Zoning Update.  Your feedback will be incorporated into the overall Citywide Zoning Update process. The meeting takes place at 6pm at Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Hearing Room One. You can also watch it on KTOP. For more information, read the staff report on this item.

November 2-8 Oakland Political & Community Events

Monday, November 2nd – Town Hall with Mayor Dellums and Police Chief Batts

Come hear Mayor Dellums and Chief Batts share their vision of public safety. Topics include:

• Mayor Dellums — public safety strategy: PIES (Prevention, Intervention, Enforcement, Sustainability)
• Chief Batts — vision for the Oakland Police Department
• Crime statistics: crime is down double digits citywide,but more must be done
• Community policing: how can OPD work with the community to enhance public safety?

The meeting will be held from 6:30-8 pm at Prescott Elementary School, 920 Campbell Street in West Oakland. Additional meetings are set for Monday, November 9, 6:30-8 pm, Cesar Chavez Educational Center, 2825 International Blvd. and Wednesday, November 18, 6:30-8 pm, Tassafaronga Recreation Center, 975 85th Avenue. For details, call the Oaklanders Assistance Center at 444-CITY (2489) or OAC@oaklandnet.com.

Monday, November 2nd – Keeping the Faith for Equality

“At the one year anniversary of the passage of Proposition 8, we stand with our friends in Maine and Washington State as they face ballot measures which would strip same-sex couples of relationship protections. Through interfaith prayer, song, and reflection, we are “Keeping the Faith” for equality for all people.” The event is sponsored by California Faith for Equality, Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry, California Council of Churches, Progressive Jewish Alliance, Marriage Equality USA, Courage Campaign, Equality California, and many more. It will be held from 7pm – 8pm at Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, 3534 Lakeshore Ave. For more information please contact Reverend Roland Stringfellow.

Monday, November 2nd – Women in Prison: The Real Story

Why do women go to prison and what happens when they get there?  Women generally end up in prison for relatively minor offenses-such as writing bad checks to buy food, or being called an “accomplice” when their boyfriend uses their telephone to make a drug deal.  Most have been physically or mentally abused. Some are in prison for finally standing up to their batterer. Health care is minimal or deferred, often to the point of being too late. Children are the silent victims; separation is devastating for them. You’ll also learn ways you can give support by making a donation or lending a hand. This event takes place from 6-7:30pm at Buttercup Grill, 229 Broadway at 3rd Street. The event is sponsored by the National Women’s Political Caucus.

Tuesday, November 3rd – Oakland City Council Meeting

Among other items, the Council will discuss applying to host the World Cup, park improvement projects, the Oakland Community Land Trust, adding a billboard East of the Bay Bridge toll plaza, tracking citywide performance measures, and amending the CalPERS firefighter contract. See the full meeting agenda and check out my post about how to watch and understand City Council meetings if you need some guidance on how or where to view the meeting. The non-ceremonial parts of the meeting start at 7pm in the Council Chambers in City Hall, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza.

Wednesday, November 4th – BART Police Department Review Committee Meeting

The BART Police Department Review Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. in the BART Board Room, which is located in the Kaiser Center 20th Street Mall, Third Floor, 344 20th St., Oakland, CA.

Wednesday, November 4th – Bay Area Toll Authority Hearing on Bridge Toll Increases

Via The Capricious Commuter: “Bay Area bridge operators have scheduled three public hearings on a proposed toll increase on seven state bridges. While bridge operators appear determined to raise tolls, they have many details to figure out. Members of the Bay Area Toll Authority are wrestling with how to revamp tolls to do two new things: collecting tolls from car pools during rush hour periods on all seven bridges, and structuring Bay Bridge tolls so drivers pay more during peak periods, and less during in off-peak times. The affected toll bridges are all in the region except the Golden Gate. The proposal increase would be would increase from $4 to $5 per car except on the Bay Bridge, where the proposal gets more complicated because of the plan to use congestion pricing to encourage more people to avoid the bridge during the rush hour.” The only Oakland hearing will be held at 1:30 p.m. at Joseph P. Bort MetroCenter, Lawrence D. Dahms Auditorium, (across from the Lake Merritt BART Station) 101 Eighth St. For more info, see the BATA report. You can also email comments to tolls@mtc.ca.gov until December 21.

Wednesday, November 4th – Alameda County Democratic Central Committee Meeting

Every month, the Central Committee meets to discuss party business and to make plans for the future of the Democratic Party in Alameda County. This month, Alameda County Registrar of Voters Dave MacDonald will be presenting on instant runoff voting (IRV), which may be implemented in Oakland as soon as next year. If you’re interested in getting involved with the Democratic Party, this is a great way to do so. The meeting will be held from 7-9pm in the San Leandro Main Library, Dave Karp Room, 300 Estudillo Ave., San Leandro, CA 94577.

Friday, November 6th – Art Murmur

Check out the monthly evening of art gallery shows and entertainment in Uptown. Read my review of the art murmur here. The Art Murmur runs from 6-10pm but individual art gallery times vary. The galleries are mostly located in Uptown, between Broadway and Telegraph, and Grand and 29th. Visit the Murmur’s website for more info.

Saturday, November 7th – Community Workshops (Round 3): Zoning Draft Proposals

Are you an Oakland Resident, Property Owner, Business Owner, or Developer? Learn about and discuss proposed zoning changes for Oakland’s residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors! Planning staff will be hosting its third round of Community Workshops. This workshop will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon at Peralta Elementary School, 460 63rd Street. For more info, read John Gatewood’s guest post on the zoning update.

Saturday, November 7th – Pro Arts 35th Anniversary Party

Pro Arts announces its 35th Anniversary Party and Box Art Exhibition & Benefit Auction. The event celebrates Pro Arts’ rich history serving regional artists and public audiences, and showcases over 80 original artworks created by artists throughout the greater Bay Area. Pro Arts’ 35th Anniversary Party is free to the public, and includes both a live and silent auction supporting Pro Arts’ Youth Fellows Initiative and annual programs. Artists were invited to create new works with found materials that reflect their own artistic practice. The materials for this year’s Box Art are recycled wooden cubes cut from 6” x 6” wooden beams provided by The ReUse People (TRP). This event highlights the diversity and creativity of Bay Area artists – with sculptors, painters, photographers, printmakers and others all adapting their work to a 6” wooden cube. The party takes place from 6:00pm – 9:00pm at Pro Arts and Oakland Art Gallery, 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza. For more info and to RSVP, visit the Facebook page.

John Gatewood: Oakland is a Rust Belt City and what the Zoning Update can do about it

This guest post was written by John Gatewood, one of the co-founders of ULTRA (Urbanists for a Livable Temescal Rockridge Area), which supports higher density mixed-use development along the major transit corridors of north Oakland. John works in the Graphic Arts Industry and is a resident of Temescal.

Oakland is a rust belt city that just happens to be on the west coast. In some respects we have more in common with Detroit than we do with San Francisco. For example, our city is about 20% larger than San Francisco, so on a fundamental level we have greater infrastructure needs than SF – more miles of streets to maintain, greater amounts of parks and public spaces to maintain, greater fire and police protection needs, greater lengths of sewer and water service infrastructure to maintain, etc. Yet we have slightly less than half the population of SF and nowhere near the commercial and retail tax base that SF has. Furthermore, like Detroit, our industrial base has faded away over the decades. And according to the US Census Bureau American Community Survey estimates, our population today has dropped about 7% from what it was in the 2000 census. It is unsustainable how we have let Oakland develop over the last few decades.

As some of you know the city has finally started the Zoning Update for the commercial and residential areas of Oakland. This process should have started in 1998 when the city adopted its latest General Plan but, for a number of reasons, it did not. This lack of agreement between the General Plan and the Zoning is what has led to so many conflicts over new developments in Oakland. Our existing zoning is patchwork created over decades to respond to immediate concerns rather than long-term goals. The 1998 General Plan spells out where the city wants to focus growth in Oakland. To their credit the writers of the 1998 General Plan focused this “growth and change” on the major transit corridors in Oakland.

The Zoning Update is our opportunity to bring zoning, the details of what can be built where, in alignment with the vision of the General Plan. Updating the zoning to allow for the higher density envisioned in the General Plan will be one step in turning Oakland away from the path Detroit is on. Our city is at the heart of the East Bay. We already have the public transit infrastructure to support more residents using it. We were once a denser, more walkable city. We now need to update our land-use rules so that we can build higher density housing on our transit corridors to respond to how we live today so that we can rekindle the walkability and vibrancy we had 60 years ago.

Please come to the next zoning update community meetings scheduled for –

Saturday, November 7, 2009
10 am – noon
Peralta Elementary School
460 63rd St.

OR –

Thursday, November 12, 2009
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Fruitvale-San Antonio Senior Center
3301 E. 12 St., Suite 2001 (Meeting room is on the 2nd floor)

Find out more about the zoning update process at the City’s website.