Extracted text · highlighting “Glen Jarvis”

April. 12,1986 .Vol. 1 No. 2

“Roekhage News

Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council 6225 Ross St, Oakland

Neighborhood Changes?

New Buildings,
New Businesses,
Public Hearings

College Avenue

John Catanho, owner of Mr. John's Dog
Grooming on College Avenue, has discussed plans
he has prepared for a new building he wants to
construct on the site of the small parking lot
immediately South of the Burrito Shop. The
proposed building would be one story high, approxi-
mately 1400 square feet, and the same general style
as his current building. He plans to lease the newly
constructed space to two retail businesses.

Mr. Catanho has shown the plans to the City and
to RCPC. RCPC will discuss the plans at the General
Meeting April 19. If you are interested but unable to

~ attend the meeting, call Richard Smith (981-6076) or

Nina Robinson (658-9523) to see the plans.

Claremont Avenue-Yoshi’s

The last major changes Yoshi's Restaurant made
were approved by the City subject to a Conditional
Use Permit Review. A Review Hearing set for April
30th at the Planning Commission will consider
Yoshi's compliance with the Use Permit. The
adequacy of Yoshi's parking and landscaped
screening are two of the items scheduled for
consideration.

One aspect of Yoshi's operation that may also be
considered is the nightclub. Advertisements put out
by Yoshi's invite people to the nightclub for hours
well into the evening. This usage constitutes
General Assembly and is apparently operated by the
owners without the proper permit.

The nightclub operation has upset many people
living nearby because of late night noise and parking
problems. Watch for details of this hearing and plan
to attend to tell the Commission of your views.

See "Changes" page 2

Dreyer’s Presents Plans to
Neighborhood Forum

City Calls For Full EIR

More than seventy-five interested and skeptical
neighborhood residents attended a Neighborhood
Forum March 27 to listen to Dreyer's Ice Cream
Corporation representatives present the company's
plans for a proposed development on College
Avenue.

Dreyer's submitted the same plans to the City of
Oakland along with its formal application for building
approval about two weeks prior to this neighborhood
presentation.

The proposal, largely unchanged from the
Corporation's earlier plans, calls for the demolition of
the current Dreyer's building on College, the
demolition of three homes on Chabot Road, and the
demolition of three commercial buildings on
Claremont Avenue. A three-story office building
with elevator tower on College Avenue, a Research
and Development building on Chabot Road, and a
three story, four level garage on Claremont Avenue
are all proposed to replace the demolished
Structures. The ice cream store will be reduced in
size and moved closer to the Church, and retail
space approximately equal to the travel agency
space will be located at the corner of Chabot and
College. There will be a wall facing College Avenue
between Chabot Road and the Church.

(Sheaff's Garage at 5930 College — directly across
from Dreyer's— has posted copies of the plans in their
window as a community service.)

On March 24, RCPC Board Members Barbara
Anderson and Richard Smith met with Planning
Director Alvin James, other City officials, and
representatives of the Corporation, to discuss the
scope of the Environmental Review the project will
require.

Based on that meeting and on an initial study
prepared by Associate City Planner Willie Yee, the
City determined that Dreyer’s must prepare a full
Environmental Impact study. Environmental impact
Planning Corporation has been hired by the
Corporation to conduct the study. Topics of the
study include: traffic, circulation and parking
problems; visual impacts; noise; air quality; land use
and relationships to City policies; geology and

—See "EIR" page? _

Market Hall Design Review

Tony, Peter and Sarah Wilson attended the RCPC
General Meeting March 20 to present a model and
plans propsing design changes to the College
Avenue Market Hall, currently under construction at
College and Shafter Avenues.

The Wilsons indicated there would be slight
changes in facing materials and window design and

ihe addition of false walls at the ends of the building, }

raising the effective maximum height of the building
by several feet.

A change in building height called for a referra! to
RCPC’s Design Review Cornmittee. The Committee
studied the plans, researched zoning and builcing
regualtions, and met with the Wilsons this last
Wednesday evening. The Result? The Wilsons
agreed to redesign the height-adding walls, and to
review proposed landscape plantings. They also
agreed to determine the impact of the building's
roof-top structures on the view irom Ocean View
Avenue homes.

Congratulations to Design Review Committee
members Richard Smith, Glenn Jarvis, Barbara
Anderson, Bill Dutcher, anc: others ter a job well
done!

“Chanyes”, from page 1

Pubiic Hearings Scheduled

‘i least two iterns- a Public Hearing and an
Ppyaal- concerning Rockridge Area issues are on
the =yenda for the. next meeting cf-the Planning
Cor:mission, Wednesday, April 16, 1986, Room
jall, Degirining at 1:00 pm. Plan to attend
ny io fet your views be known on the
issues. tf you cannot attend, send your
its to:

Tom Doctor, Zoning Administrator, City Hall, 1 City

Hall Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612. You may also cail
273-3911.

Public Hearing— College Avenue
Fast Food

Hanee Alhakeem, et. al., has filed an application
for a Major Conditional Use Permit to establish a fast-
food (take-out pizza) restaurant at 5295 Coliege
Avenue in the C-31 Special Retail Commercial Zone.
This is Agenda Item No. 15 andis a Public Hearing.

John Allen, the property owner — available by
phone at 339-2089 —- states that business hours are
to be determined, venting of the kitchen and ovens
will comply with City Codes, and this small
owner-operated restaurant will provide the
neighborhood with “a much-needed inexpensive
alternative restaurant.”

Appeal-Benvenue Avenue

Sheila Keppel is Appealing the Approval With
Conditions of a Minor Conditional Use Permit granted
by the Commission to Frank Werblin to add two
residential units to an existing single family residence

at 6490 Benvenue Avenue in the R-50 Medium

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DGisny SoU ar LUTE. bees Be yore te

25 and is an Appeal.

What’s Happening In
Other Neighborhoods?

Is there life after Dreyer’s?

Many people are concemed about the eventual
outcome of the Dreyer’s versus Rockridge
controversey, and fear there may not be much hope
for the Neighborhood. Others have been
encouraged by recent decisions the City’s offices
have made in favor of several other neighborhood's
wishes.

Still, it can be an uphill struggle and can take a
great deal of time and effort by residents to protect
their neighborhoods. One example is the struggle
the Thirty-Eighth Street Neighborhood Association
and the Mosswood Community Organization have
been waging against the construction of a Popeye’s
iast-food restaurant at Telegraph Avenue and West
MacArthur.

Following initial City approval of the project, these
Neighborhood Groups challenged the adequacy of
the Cky’s notice procedures and are questioning
how closely the City made the developer conform to
Zoning regulations for fast-food outlets.

At first the challenges were through standard
appeal and review processes, but these failed to
provide the relief the neighbors felt proper.

The neighbors have tumed now to legal
rernedies. Linda Bitoff, a resident of the neigh-
borhood and an attorney, says a Writ of Mandate
requesting the overturn of the Planning Commission
-action was heard in Superior Court March 10, and the
neighbors are waiting for the judge’s ruling. The Writ
followed other legal filings including a Temporary

i Restraining Order. “It is too soon to know how this

will turn out,” Ms. Bitoff said, “but we feel at the very
least the judge will look closely at City Planning
Commission procedures.” Other residents working
on this project are Elin Hansen (654-7664) and
Deirdre Snyder (658-4401).

Time and effort, esor ure.
more ingredient - Suppovrc.
met with other ricigh.
meetings and have. 4:
Planning Commissis;
groups as much as po:
these situations.

Take a moment nov to write te the City or
telephone your opinion fi e.p p64 of these groups.
Watch for newsletter and newspaper announce-
ments and plan to atier <: hearings. If they
have our support now, ¥ve"i rtheirs later!

Find The *un In
Fund-Raisiiia tn June!

Well, folks, hang on to your hats. And your old
kitchen appliances. And your old hi-fies. And your
Od outfiis. And your baked gouds.And anything
‘else you might want to contribute to a good,
old-fashioned fund raiser.

mae. Add at least one
ROPC mambers have
ot oye>ups at their
ety Council and

> support those