ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPCOMING MEETINGS

• Lake Merritt  Improvement Projects:
  Meetings on February 22nd and February 25th
• 1st Revive Chinatown Streetscape Project Community Meeting
• Celebrate Black History Month
• Date Change for Eva Paul’s Retirement Party
• Helpful City Phone Numbers

REPORTS ON ONGOING ISSUES

• Retail Update
• Update on Former Albertsons Site on Lakeshore
• Oak to Ninth Avenue Mixed Use Development Update
• Resolution of December Parking Crunch at Splash Pad Park and I-580 Parking Lot
• Chuc Mung Nam Moi – Tet Festival Celebration
• First Chinatown Public Safety Fair
• Chinese New Year Bazaar
• Grand Lake Neighborhood Center Update
  

ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPCOMING MEETINGS

“Trees, Trails, and Traffic” – Learn more about the Measure DD Lake Merritt Park Renovation Projects: 

Informational Meetings on    

Wednesday, February 22nd, 7 – 9 pm           
Saturday, February 25th, 10 am – noon.
Location:  City Hall, Hearing Room 1

The recent controversy over tree removals as part of the Measure DD park renovation projects around the south end of Lake Merritt has highlighted the need for more public information about what is planned there.  I strongly encourage you to attend one of the informational meetings at City Hall, where you can

-see detailed site plans,
-hear the rationale for the design decisions, and
-ask questions.

Wednesday,  February 22nd, 7:00pm  and 
Saturday,  February 25th, 10:00am.

You also can see site plans for the Lake Merritt Measure DD projects on-line at http://www.oaklandpw.com/page684.aspx   From the home page, you will need to click on one of the specific projects to see the plans.

Background on the Lake Merritt park plans:  The conceptual design for the park renovation projects came from the year-long planning process in 2001-02 which produced the Lake Merritt Master Plan.  The process included numerous design charettes and interactive community meetings.  Several hundred residents participated. The City Council adopted the Lake Merritt Master Plan in July, 2002.

During the past three years, the goals and conceptual design of the Master Plan have been translated into detailed construction plans by a design team including landscape architects, civil and transportation engineers, hydrologists, biologists, pedestrian and bicycle advocates, and more.  At the upcoming informational meetings, you will hear the thinking behind the park design features and how they reflect the community’s goals from the Lake Merritt Master Plan. 

After much study of these plans, I personally believe the park renovations will provide enormous environmental benefits, including

• 4 more acres of public green space than we have now,
• more area devoted to pedestrians and much less paved area devoted to cars at the south end of the Lake,
• more trees than we have now,
• a new wetland area along the channel,

• improved water quality from “daylighting” the Channel so it flows in an open channel into the Lake, rather than through culverts.
• pedestrian-safe intersections with crosswalks and traffic signals so people can walk safely from Laney College and the Lake Merritt BART station to the neighborhoods bordering the Lake
• new walking trails, both lakeside and streetside, so you can walk continuously from the Lake trails into a trail along the Channel,
• bike lanes along Lakeshore Avenue and 12th Street
• historic restoration of the Municipal Boat House, restoring it to public use, including a restaurant, as existed there in the 1940’s.

Councilmembers Brunner, Nadel and I have worked closely with project staff to reduce the number of trees that will need to be removed as part of the renovation.  After careful scrutiny of each area, we recommend keeping over 80 trees originally proposed for removal.  Though a significant number of trees will still need to be removed in order to complete the renovation (226 out of the 2896 trees surrounding the Lake and the Kaiser Convention Center), an even greater number of new trees, 521, will be planted.  I believe that, on balance, the environmental benefits of the park renovation greatly outweigh the loss of trees.  I hope that each of you has the opportunity to make that judgment for yourself by learning more about the proposed plans.  I welcome your comments

Lastly, the tree removal permit process is moving forward.  The decision of the City Arborist will most likely be appealed to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and from there appealed to the City Council.  The public can participate in both those hearings.  When those dates are set, they will be publicly noticed, and in addition, I will e-mail them to my distribution list. 

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1st Revive Chinatown Streetscape Project Community Meeting

On February 8th, 2006, from 4-6pm at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center (388 Ninth Street, Suite. 290, located on the second floor of the Pacific Renaissance Plaza), my office and the City of Oakland will be hosting a community meeting to present ideas and solicit feedback from residents about bulb-out, pedestrian lighting, and crosswalk designs that are part of the $2.7 million Revive Chinatown Streetscape Project.  Please join me to find out more about the significant improvements that will make Chinatown safer and more pedestrian-friendly for residents and visitors.  

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Celebrate Black History Month in February

February is Black History month and I encourage residents to attend some of the many events in the City of Oakland that recognizes the history and struggles of African Americans. Among the many interesting events, the “New Era, New Politics” Walking Tour scheduled for 10am on Wednesday, 2/15. The free tour starts at African American Museum and Library at Oakland, 659 14th Street.

Conducted by the City of Oakland's Oakland Tours program, the two-hour walking tour highlights the historic points of interest in African American history in downtown Oakland. The tour will also recount Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s visits to Oakland. If you have you any questions about the tour, please call (510) 238-3234. I also encourage residents to visit the new African American Museum and Library (AAMLO) at 659 14th Street, where you will find a variety of free performances, book signings, and workshops for all members of the family.

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Date Change for Eva Paul’s Retirement Party
 
Previously we announced that Eva’s retirement party would be on Sunday, February 5 but it has been changed to Sunday, February 12, from 2 to 4pm.  If you would like to attend and need the details, please contact Kathy Dwyer at 510-238-7246 or kdwyer@oaklandnet.com.

Helpful Phone Numbers

Have you ever seen a clogged sewer, an abandoned car on your block, or what appears to be an unsafe building but didn’t know who to call?  Here are a few helpful phone numbers for your reference. 

For a full list please go to http://www.oaklandshines.com.

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Update on a Retail Strategy for Oakland

On January 31, the City Council held a special meeting to discuss land use policy in the city with regard to industrial use and retail use.  The issue is an important one, as industrial land is increasingly being sold to build housing.  Similarly, the best potential sites for retail are also likely to be sold for housing development unless zoning changes are made.  Due to the urgency of protecting sites for retail use, I moved that staff return to Council within 60 days with zoning changes for land along the Broadway corridor, including the Broadway Auto Row area.   My motion passed unanimously.  I also successfully moved that an additional Economic Development staff position be considered for approval in the Mid-Cycle Budget Review to work exclusively on attracting retail to Oakland. 

The Council also approved the staff recommendation for a consultant to do a retail study for Oakland and recommend a strategy to develop both “destination” retail (notably clusters of stores selling clothing and household goods—which is what Oakland is missing), as well as to strengthen our neighborhood-serving retail areas. 

I am delighted that the Council is finally taking action to promote retail development.  We’ve got a long way to go, but it’s a beginning.  I also want to thank Councilmember Jane Brunner, Chair of the Economic Development Committee, for supporting my efforts to bring the retail issue before the Council.

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Update on Former Albertsons Site on Lakeshore Avenue

Despite rumors flying around the neighborhood about what stores are coming, I am told by the new owners of the Albertsons lease that they have not yet leased the space.

The future of the old Albertsons store on Lakeshore is definitely the hottest topic in the Crocker Highlands/Grandlake area.   Over 400 residents signed my on-line petition to bring a quality tenant to the site and over 100 have e-mailed me directly with their thoughts.  The overwhelming majority, 72%, said their first preference was a Trader Joe’s, and 91% listed that store among their top three choices.  If wishing (and consumer demand) could make it so, a TJ’s would rise from the asphalt, cash registers ringing.  But the reality is that the economic interests of the owners of the property are the key factors right now. 

I am in communication with all the principals and have told them emphatically what the community wants at this site.  The current legal and economic relationship between the  land owners and the lease owners is not advantageous for them or for us.   They are currently talking with each other and hopefully will reach an agreement which changes the economic relationships in a way that increases the feasibility of leasing to a quality grocery store, including Trader Joe’s.

In addition to the fervor for a Trader Joe’s, residents also mentioned other food stores as good candidates and some are interested in exploring a major renovation of the entire site.  Several said they would like to see the entire site, including the parking structure, torn down and redeveloped entirely.  There is much food for discussion here, so I will be calling a community meeting in March about the future of the site.  I will advertise the meeting via email and in the Montclarion when we finalize the date and time.

It’s not too late to sign the petition and provide your feedback, too, at www.patkernighan.com.

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Oak to Ninth Avenue Mixed Use Development Update

The Final EIR has been filed on the proposed Oak to Ninth project, and dates will soon be set for the various hearings to follow, which will be posted at the City’s website for the Oak to Ninth project.

Coming up on February 8th is the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission’s hearing at 4:30 pm at the Lakeside Park Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Avenue.                   

I have formally requested a Special City Council Meeting to discuss the many issues of public interest in relation to the project.  Among them are compliance or variance with the Estuary Policy Plan, density of housing, height of buildings, traffic impacts, design of public spaces, historic preservation issues for the Ninth Avenue Terminal and potential community benefits such as affordable housing, local construction jobs, and public parks.

The date and time of the Special Council Meeting will be decided this week, and will likely be in late March.   I will let you know well in advance to ensure that interested residents and organizations can be involved in this discussion.

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Resolution of the December Parking Crunch at the Splash Pad Park and I-580 Parking Lot

Thank you to everyone who wrote in or attended my community meeting concerning the wintertime space crunch at Splashpad park and the under-freeway parking lot.  At issue was how to accommodate the Farmers Market, Brent’s Christmas Trees and still keep the parking spaces available for permanent neighborhood merchants and the Grandlake Theater.

Of the votes that came in by email, 19 thought that Brent’s ought to cease operations in that spot, while 11 were fans of Brent’s Trees and wanted to keep them in this location.  At the community meeting, attended by more than 50 people, a strong consensus emerged that Brent’s Trees should be allocated some space in the park during the month of December.  I proposed a division of space on the site map, which was generally agreeable to both Brent’s and the Farmers Market. The two parties wanted to talk further about the exact boundaries, so in a couple of weeks they will present to me the site plan they have agreed upon.

I am pleased that a compromise was reached that all parties can live with, and I really appreciate the community input, which I believe was extremely helpful in moving the parties toward agreeing on a solution.

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“Chuc Mung Nam Moi”– Tet Festival Celebration


Community leaders, Supervisor Alice Lai-Bitker, Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, Councilmember Jean Quan, and Councilmember Pat Kernighan

On January 22, the Oakland Vietnamese American community celebrated the Lunar New Year in cheerful spirit and sunny weather at Clinton Park.  I was delighted to join them and enjoyed the wonderful festive atmosphere.  For the past 3 years, District 2 City Council office has been supporting this major event in the Vietnamese American community, and I’m happy to say that we were able to provide assistance this year too.  My staff facilitated between the Public Works agency and the festival organizers to create a smoother and more successful event.

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First Chinatown Public Safety Fair

On Saturday, January 21st, when many Chinatown residents were shopping for groceries for their new year’s celebrations, over one hundred Cantonese-speaking residents joined me in learning about how to stay safe during the new year at the first Chinatown Public Safety Fair.  Participants, who spanned a wide age range and included many seniors, practiced how to fend off attackers and use self-defense techniques.  I was pleased to co-sponsor the event with the Asian Advisory Committee on Crime. 

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Chinese New Year Bazaar

Immediately following the Public Safety Fair, I joined elected officials and members of the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce at the opening ceremony of the Chinese New Year Bazaar. Despite the gray skies, thousands of people flocked to the Bazaar to participate in the festivities. A common new year’s greeting, "gong hai fat choy, sun ti geen hong" (Cantonese) or "gongxi facai, shenti jiankang" (Mandarin) can be heard around the new year and means "best wishes of prosperity and health".

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Grand Lake Neighborhood Center Update

The cozy Grand Lake Neighborhood Center is enjoying a new heating system, the first since they opened in 1998. They also have a new kitchen area with double stainless steel sink, microwave, and small fridge.

They are busy these days with regular tutoring sessions since the nearby Reading Revolution closed. The Center is thrilled that they can make a difference to assist hardworking schoolteachers of the Bay Area. They are very proud to house the East Bay Children’s Book Project, which gave away over 12,000 books last year and they continue to be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-6 P.M. for anyone who works with disadvantaged children. There are drop off bags for collection of gently used books at Lakeshores Starbucks, Lakeshore Baptist Church, and the Center.

Come by the Center to pick up our monthly calendar or look on our website for our activity calendar listing all the group meetings and events going on.

Another reason to come by the Center is to see the latest project Peter Lee’s Children’s Art Class has created, usually displayed in the window. The Children's Art Class meets on Wednesdays from 4 P.M. until 6 P.M. Peter also offers a watercolor class on Sunday afternoons.

With having met so many of their goals in 2005, they are concentrating their efforts in 2006, on their public-use computer area. They are currently looking for an in-kind donation of six new computers from computer manufacturers.

Their most difficult search continues to be for a couple of moveable sound absorbent room dividers. (Much like computer module walls.) This would allow them to hold more than one meeting at a time. For more information, please call the Grand Lake Neighborhood Center at (510) 238-2302.

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