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January 17, 1987 Vol. 1.No.10 —

| h Circulation: 4,500 Residences; 200 Businesses : |

Rockridge News

é Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council, 6225 Ross Street, Oakland B

Planning Commission Sets
Restaurant Conditions

College Avenue Fish Co. restaurant proponents came to
a last minute agreement with RCPC concerning odor control
and limiting take-out sales to 50% of gross receipts during a
Planning Commission hearing held January 6. The
Commission then adopted RCPC recommendations for use
permit conditions.

The Commission previously had denied the application
for the Major Conditional Use permit necessary to open the
restaurant planned for 5346 College Avenue after hearing the
strong concems of immediate Neighbors and of RCPC. The
restaurateurs appealed the decison to the City Council.

At the Council meeting, held December 9, the restaurant
proponents announced they would eliminate a controversial
rear deck seating area in an attempt to meet Neighborhood
objections. The Council directed the restaurateurs to meet
again with RCPC and referred the application back to the
Planning Commission.

The restaurant partners presented their revised plans at
the December RCPC General Membership meeting, and
discussed Neighborhood concerns. Later, the applicants agreed
to comply with a City odor control
ordinance that otherwise would not have
applied to the operation of the business in
College Avenue’s C-31 Special Retail

remember!
third wednesday

Yoshi’s Neighbors Upheld

ABC Director Affirms
Liquor Sales Denial

Yoshi’s application for a license to sell alcoholic
beverages in the Nightspot has been denied by the Alcoholic

Beverage Control Board.

Acting on the recommendation of an Administrative
Law Judge who listened to Yoshi’s owner Kaz Kajimura and
Neighborhood protestors state their positions at a November
hearing, the Director of the ABC upheld the protestors
position and refused to permit the sale or consumption of
alcoholic beverages in the nightclub. Service in the
restaurant, the upstairs lounge, and the sushi bar are not
affected by the muling.

The Director accepted a “proposed decision” presented by
the judge who found that “Yoshi’s has failed to establish that
normal operation of the (nightclub)... would not interfere with
the quiet enjoyment of their property by residents living
within 100 feet of the (nightclub)”.

In his Certificate of Decision, the judge noted the
protestors’ contention that normal
operation of the nightclub brought
parking problems, patron noise and noise
from the club itself.

Commercial zone. All items of agreement

The judge also noted that Mr.

were listed in an RCPC draft letter
forwarded to the applicants and also
presented to the Planning Commission for
inclusion as conditons of operation in the
use permit.

The Commission voted to accept the
items of agreement as presented by RCPC
and to recommend that the Council approve
the restaurateur’s appeal.

Wednesday Jan 21 6:30 pm

Wednesday Jan 21 7:30 pm
Monday Jan 26 TBA
Thursday Jan 29 7:30 pm

RCPC meetings are held
the third Wednesday of
each month in the first
floor meeting room behind
the sanctuary of the College
Avenue Presbyterian Church
at 7:30 p.m. This change
enables RCPC to provide
wheelchair access.

Special Planning Commission evening meeting conceming Popeye’s

Restaurant application at 38th and Telegraph. (38th Street Neighborhood

Association.)

RCPC January General Meeting. College Avenue Presbyterian Church.

Meeting of Joint CAMA/RCPC Parking Committee.

Call Mare Beyeler, 654-6787 for time and address.

Planning Commission Evening Meeting about Telegraph Avenue.
Bananas — 6501 Telegraph.

Kajimura was agreeable to the conditions
of operation previously arrived at in
discussions with RCPC, but found “it
was not established (by applicant) that the
conditions proposed would be effective”.

According to a report in the Oakland
Tribune, Mr. Kajimura does not intend to
appeal the decision and is considering
reapplying for the license in about a year.

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Page 2

‘The Rockridge News ‘January 17, 1987

A New Year’s Glimpse of Dreams Old and New

by Andrea Gabriel

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The beginnings of Rockridge, ee
c. 1910. The sign on the hill reads
| “Rockridge Place”, the lower section of .
| Rockridge bordering Broadway. Ee

| Lots sold from $3,500 to $10,000.

Chabot Road, above College, c. 1931. B+

These photographs depict early scenes of Rockridge. These
and other photographs of historic Rockridge and other parts of
Oakland are part of the Oakland History Collection, Oakland
Public Library. The Oakland History Room is open Tuesdays and
Thursdays from 12:00 - 8:30 p.m.; Wednesdays and Fridays from
10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 1:00 p.m. - 5:30

p.m. Thanks to William Sturm, Librarian, for the use of these
photographs.

—A.G.

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Rockridge: Past...

Constructing Oakland “streets”,
Rockridge, c. 1910-1919.

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Two unidentified men outside of
Fred Reed Real Estate Offices, c. 1910.

Reed conceived of and developed Rockridge
neighborhoods.

The sign on the side of the building
Says, “Rockridge Properties, Country Club

Heights”.

The Rockridge News

January 17, 1987

Page 3

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College Avenue,
January, 1987.

The above scene
as it appears today,
viewed from close to
the same location.

Many of the same
buildings are here but
shops have changed
dramatically.

Still a_ thriving
commercial district!

photo by Don Kinkead

+7

College Avenue,
c. 1930.

Looking North to-
ward Shafter Avenue.

Signs for a hardware
store, Piggly Wiggly
market, shoe _ store,
snack and smoke shop,
and the Uptown Theatre
indicate a thriving com-
mercial district.

The banners across

the street say, “Merry
Christmas”.

— — a

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The Rockridge News January 17, 1987 Page 4

Out of the Mouths of Children

...And Future!

by Barbara Anderson

Last month, Oakland Public Schools teacher Mrs. Joann Fuller asked each student in her fifth and sixth grade
class at Anthony Chabot Elementary School to write an essay on “How We Can Make Oakland a Better Place”.
Representative excerpts from the students’ essays follow, arranged according to important issues facing Oakland and
the Rockridge Area in the New Year:

Environment

“We could try and have everyone pick up in their own neighborhoods... Neighbors can get together and have
big block garage sales to raise money to buy garbage cans for their street... We should pick up a bag of
trash once a week.”

“If everybody helps to make their block a better place to live on, then the whole city will be a better place to
live in.”

“We can cut down on pollution by walking short distances and not driving them and using public
transportation more often.”

“Teaching children about their environment and how to care for it better is a start. Teach them respect for laws
and about drugs. Then, hopefully, when they grow up, they will continue to care about their friends and the
earth around them.”

Community Services

“We should find homes... and jobs... for the homeless and not have them on the street where they don’t have
good food to eat and where some people are afraid of them so they don’t have a lot of friends.

“Help the homeless... by having shelters and soup kitchens... lower prices for housing and rent... ”

“Get better facilities for the elderly so when they get to be eighty and can no longer take care of themselves,
they can have somewhere to stay and feel comfortable.”

“Kids need a good place to hang out where people are nice. They can do what they want to do without getting
into trouble. They might be able to talk to their friends about their problems without feeling
uncomfortable.”

“One way... is by having more police on the street so there will be less crime. Longer and better penalties can
reduce crime also.”

Community Resources

“Bring back the Oakland Symphony.”

“Oakland would be better... if we had a professional football team... the football stars would make excellent
role models for the children.”

“To improve schools, Oakland should find better teachers and pay them higher salaries and we should also give
the existing teachers better salaries.”

“The classroom size should be limited to no more than 23 students so we can get a better education.”

Neighborhoods

‘“‘We could install more parks, playgrounds and maybe even more schools.”

“We could put away some land for a park... where there are benches and garbage cans... if you wanted to sit
down you could on a moss bed. It would be nice to have a place to picnic.”

“We should set aside space... for safe, lighted supervised playgrounds so children can play at night.”

“Less junk food places would be better for the city. They create bad eating habits. They also contribute to
littering because wrappers are dropped all over the streets.”

‘“‘We should all work together to get nd of the street gangs and drug gangs and dealers because all they do is
cause trouble.”

The Students

Grade § Grade 6
Allison Anderson Daniel Freeland Dajasha Love Peter Schreiber Jason Boykin
Benjamin Barber Luisa Grillo-Chope Roxanne Masters Charles Taylor Dedra Goodson
Micah Cohen Schuyler Harrison Miriam Nakamoto Rachel True Donald Grisafi
Allegra Da Silva Eric Hatcher Anana Reguzzoni Manah Zeisberg Amy Halvorsen
Forrest Emory-Gomez Jameelah Hodge Kayley Rhett Rachel Sanchez
Joey Ferlatte Nick Kiele Aliza Rood Christen Tortorice

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January 17, 1987 Page 5

The Rockridge News

ROCKRIDGE AREA SPECIFIC PLAN:
ITS TIME HAS COME

By Barbara Anderson
RCPC Chair

In the July issue of the Rockridge News, Andrea Gabriel
examined the origins of the Rockridge Community Planning
Council dating back to 1970 when cooperation between
RCPC, College Avenue merchants and the Oakland City
Planning Department resulted in new land use policies for
Rockridge as well as the R-35 and C-31 zoning controls still
Operative today.

The R-35 and C-31 zoning regulations were a major
improvement over past controls. They contributed much to
the vitality of our commercial district and adjacent residential
areas. However, these new controls did not fully anticipate
the major growth pressures that would occur on College
Avenue, especially around BART. Nor did they anticipate the

consequences of these pressures on the increasingly attractive
residential livability of Rockridge.

R- - nin

Especially during the past five years, many residents and
merchants have questioned the adequacy of the R-35 and C-31
controls for Rockridge. They are finding current zoning laws
inadequate to address pressing problems such as traffic
congestion, parking shortage, noise and litter. Current
controls have not prevented the excessive proliferation of
eating and drinking establishments. Nor have they slowed the
increase of large-scale and franchise outlets which are
displacing the small-scale, independently-owned and

neighborhood-serving retail uses so typical of College
Avenue.

Existing zoning controls also have failed to address the
inappropriate conversion of dwelling units to commercial
uses, the demolition of residential properties to make way for
commercial use, provision of sufficient public noticing
procedures, off-street parking requirements (especially within
600 feet of BART), and regulation of business signage and
removal of billboards.

Most of the development proposals for new uses or new
construction on College Avenue in the past four or five years
have been treated as “conditionally permitted” activities. That

is, the activity is allowed if special conditions are imposed on
the applicant which mitigate potential adverse effects on
surrounding areas. Often, however, the community finds that
the use permit criteria are subject to personal judgments and
interpretations. It seems that the use permits, even with
conditions, get approved at the expense of the adjacent
residential areas.

for a Rockn . ific PI

During the past year, Rockridge community members,
design and planning professionals, RCPC Board members,
Vice-Mayor Marge Gibson and City staff have voiced growing
interest in conducting nothing less than a comprehensive re-
examination of the overall goals and objectives for land use in
Rockridge. One product of such a re-examination could be a
Rockridge Area Specific Plan. Such a document would
become an amendment to the Master Plan for Oakland. A
similar document, the North Oakland Hills Area Specific
Plan, was recently adopted after many months of hard work
and cooperation between the community, City staff and elected
officials.

A Rockridge Area Specific Plan would identify the
unique qualities, specific concerns and major needs of
Rockridge now and in the future. It would promote the long-
range stability and vitality of the College Avenue commercial
district. It would help to define specific mixed-use
development opportunities compatible with surrounding
residential uses and ground-floor retail activity. It would
provide a precise tool to assist in maintaining the delicate
balance between commercial activities, essential economic and
community services, and an attractive and livable environment
for residents and businesses alike.

A Rockridge Area Specific Plan (RASP) also would
provide the legal rationale for a new set of zoning regulations
which would replace the R-35 and C-31 controls. The new
controls would be more comprehensive, and yet tailored
specifically for Rockridge. The new regulations would
strengthen further the ability of the Rockridge community to
enhance and protect the neighborhood character, environmental
quality, and economic vitality of College Avenue.

Pr ion of the Rockndge Ar ific Plan
Anyone who has followed the progress of the North

See Specific Plan, page 6

RCPC Registration — Donation Form

l Ve CS / Enroll Me as a Registered Member of the Rockridge Community Planning Council!
[ I have enclosed a check for my tax-deductible donation for a year’s registration and other support areas

[ I have checked off:

Suggested minimum; $10 per category

— oe oe oe oe

Registration Donation Don Kinkead
: 5626 Oak Grove Avenue
Rockridge News Donation Oakland, CA 94618

Legal Fund Donation

Thank you!

r

|

“

The Rockridge News

January 17, 1987

Parking Committee To
Consider Art Stone Option

All Rockridge Neighbors are invited to the next
RCPC/CAMA Parking Committee meeting to present their

views on the proposal to develop the Art Stone property for
parking.

Marc Beyeler, Chair of the Joint Parking Committee of
the Neighborhood and merchant groups, asked interested
Neighbors to attend the January 26, 1987, evening meeting of
the committee at his home. “We will discuss the work plan
the Bay Area Partnership is developing in its role as

consultant for the project,” he said. “We want to give them as
much information about community interests as we can.”

Plan to attend this important meeting!
Mr. Beyeler at 654-6787 for meeting time and address.

Initial findings and recommendations of the Committee

and the Bay Area Partnership will be presented at the February
RCPC General Meeting.

Call

What About Telegraph?

Three Neighborhood associations are banding together to

work for the downzoning of Telegraph Avenue from
MacArthur to Alcatraz Avenue.

RCPC Vice-Chair Annette Floystrup met recently with
some members of the nearby associations and reported that the
Telegraph Avenue Neighborhood Group (TANG), the 38th
Street Neighbors, the Mosswood Association, and the
Telegraph Avenue Merchants Association (TAMA) want to

develop a plan for Telegraph that will bring a whole new
appearance to the street.

The Planning- Commission has scheduled a public

meeting for January 29, 7:30 pm at Bananas, 6501 Telegraph,
to meet with interested residents to discuss the plan.

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Page 6

Specific Plan from page 5

Oakland Hills Area Specific Plan is aware that a long decision.
making process is involved. First of all, funding for the
project must be secured. Also, local resources must be
identified: we would need residents with backgrounds ip
planning, zoning, law, environmental assessment, economics,
design, community affairs, etc. who would volunteer some of
their time and expertise. Then, many committee meetings,
study groups, community surveys, initial — studies,
environmental reviews, public hearings and multiple revisions
of draft proposals would pave the way to the final document.
The process is certain to be arduous. However, we are
fortunate that others have gone before us. We can draw upon
the experience of the North Oakland Hills community and the
San Francisco City Planning Commission, which currently is
in the final review stages leading to adoption of the
Neighborhood Commercial Rezoning ordinance to be
implemented in 210 neighborhoods in San Francisco.

Rockridge residents and merchants who are interested in
helping to get the RASP ball rolling should get in touch with
Barbara Anderson, 655-3499, or Richard Smith, 981-6076
(work).

Information for this article was drawn from a detailed
report prepared by staff of the San Francisco City Planning

Commission as background material for the proposal to rezone
the city's neighborhood commerical areas.

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(Chimes Grocery

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