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ies Rockridge News
Sponsored by = THE ROCKRIDGE COMMUNITY PLANNING COUNCIL * 5856 COLLEGE AVENUE #130* OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA * 94618
July 16, 1988
Vol. 3 No.3 Issuc No. 27
BART Puts Rockridge Station
Development Proposals On Hold
BART Directors unanimously agreed at their Board meeting
on June 30 to delay action on any development proposals for the
Rockridge BART station until January 1, 1989.
Approving a motion by Mr. Howard Abelson, BART Director
for District 3 (which includes Rockridge), the Board agreed to
wait unul the community completes its current assessment of
neighborhood planning goals and objectives.
At the same meeting, BART Directors voted, on a motion by
Director Will Ussery, Jr., to include the completion of a Rock-
ridge Station Plan in the Program Objectives of the fiscal year
1988/89 BART Policy Framework. Directors Margaret Pryor
and John Kirkwood also spoke of the need for advance planning
for the Rockridge station. They urged the Board to keep options
open for future allocation of BART resources in support of the
local planning efforts. Director Kirkwood remarked that Rock-
ridge is “one of the best organized neighborhoods I’ve ever seen,”
and suggested that BART might benefit from the results of the
community’s self-assessment. RCPC currently is conducting a
“Community Consensus—Building Project” via mail-in surveys
and interviews to be followed by a series of special public
meetings scheduled for the Fall. By the end of 1988, the com-
munity is expected to endorse a Policy statement of planning
Goals and Objectives which will guide preparation of the Rock-
ridge Area Specific Plan.
Director Abelson also indicated his intention “to convene a
mecting with Councilmember Marge Gibson Haskell and a
See BART Station, page 3
| m AGENDA FOR THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING @ [4
WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 1988 7:30 PM |
COLLEGE AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
5951 COLLEGE AVENUE
@ Conversions to Rooming Houses
m Art Stone Update
m RASP Survey Update
a a a aaa
Dates Calendar Events Calendar Dates
Circulation: 4,500 Residences; 200 Businesses
A Look At The Issues, Challenges
Rooming House Conversions
Spark Spirited Discussion
by John Gussman, Co-Chair, RCPC Zoning Committee
Conversions of single-family houses to rooming houses in
Rockridge and Montclair sparked a spirited discussion that
dominated last month’s RCPC General Meeting, and received
considerable attention in the press. (See articles in the June 11,
1988 issue of The Rockridge News.) Also on the agenda for the
Wednesday, July 20 RCPC General Meeting, 7:30 pm at the
College Avenue Presbyterian Church, the topic continues to
generate controversy.
Wuat’s INVOLVED?
The phenomenon involves converting existing single-family
houses to include six or more bedrooms through additions or
divisions. These rooms are then rented, with shared use of a
kitchen and living area, to a number of individuals. Typically,
the absentee owner rents to a single tenant who in tum sublets to
other tenants. Many Neighbors are concerned that these types of
facilities put added strain on the capacity and infrastructure of
residential neighborhoods, and can easily undermine the charac-
ter of a low-density, residential neighborhood.
Cope Loopuo.es
The latest rash of conversions has revealed certain limitations
and inconsistencies in the zoning code. For example, a condi-
tional use permit is required to construct a second dwelling unit
on a lot in the R-35 Single-Family Residential Zone. This means
meeting various criteria to assure 1) no unacceptable impact on
density, traffic, and street capacity; 2) appropriate landscaping,
design, and shape and siting of facilities; and, 3) preservation of
privacy and residential amenity for adjacent residences.
In contrast, the conversion of a three-bedroom house to an
eight- or ten—bedroom house, in order to create a rooming house,
is subject to no such conditions, although this type of construction
See Conversions, page 2
Tuesday July 19 7:30 pm City Council Meeting
Note: No City Council Meetings in August
Wednesday July 20 7:30 pm RCPC General Meeting
Wednesday July 27 1:30 pm Planning Commission
@ No August General Meeting & No August Rockridge News @ No August General Meeting @ No August Rockridge News &
Council Chambers, City Hall Public Hearing to
Appeal Lobby Hard Liquor Use Permit
College Avenue Presbyterian Church
Rooming Houses; see agenda box page 1
City Hall, Room 115
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The Rockridge News
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Page 2
; The RCPC Board of Directors, the RCPC Parking/Circy}
Conversions : Committee, and other RCPC members are also involved
from page 1 have been studying the public comments and the analyses pre
results in higher density, and may well have a greater impact on
the surrounding neighborhood, than adding a second dwelling
unit.
The zoning code does not regulate
the house conversions in terms of the
type of construction and building
modifications for such a facility. The
building and housing codes likewise do
not take these types of facilities into
account as rooming houses. Thus, it is
possible to convert a house into a
rooming house, without going through
the normal Planning Commission re-
view process, and without giving any
chance for public hearing and com-
ment
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Building owners responsible for the
conversions jusufy them on the ground
that they provide affordable housing;
this is not, however, a reason for by-
passing the community planning proc-
ess.
Most people will agree that there 1s
a need for additional housing. It exists
throughout a wide geographic area, and
can be most meaningfully addressed
through the coordinated efforts of the
City of Oakland, the University of
California and California College of
Arts and Crafts, and other entities.
RCPC’s position is that housing
needs in Rockridge should be ad-
dressed in a systematic manner, €.g.,
through the Rockridge Area Specific
Plan (RASP) and the City of Oakland's
Housing program. The community
must work with the City to develop
appropriate, affordable housing in
Rockridge. Meanwhile, the conversion
of single-family houses to rooming
houses requires careful review by the |
City’s Planning and Building Depart- —
ments.
FUTURE OPTIONS
City Councilmember Marge Gibson Haskell has been work-
ing with City staff to research and refine a list of opuons address-
ing the problem of conversions to shared living arrangements.
|
Glossary Of Terms
The terms and concepts used in the accompany-
ing article are defined as follows 'in the General Pro-
visions Of The Oakland Planning Code, Ordinance
No. 7248, as amended.
§3550 R-35 Zone: _..intended to create, pre-
serve, and enhance areas containing a mix
single- and two-family dwellings in desirable set-
tings for urban living, and is typically appropriate to
areas of existing lower OT lower-medium density
residential development.
§2112(b) Collective Household: A group of at
least two, but not more than five, persons who are
unrelated by blood, marriage, OF adoption, living
together as an independent housekeeping unit.
§2114(e) Dwelling Unit: A room or suite of
rooms including one and only one kitchen...
§2115(d) Family: One person, or two or more
persons related by blood, marnage, or adoption, or
including not more than six persons placed in a foster
home or family care home by an authonzed agency,
living together as an independent housekeeping unit,
together with incidental domestic servants and tem-
porary non-paying guests.
§2118(d) Hotel: A facility, other than a motel,
designed for or occupied by Transient Habitation
Commercial Activities, where access to individual
units is predominantly by means of common interior
hallways.
§2121(b) Living Unit:
rooming unit.
§2128(a) Rooming Unit: A room or suite or
rooms, not including a kitchen, designed or occupied
as separate living quarters, with or without common
boarding provisions, but excluding such rooms
where they accommodate a total of three or fewer
paying guests within a One-Family Dwelling Resi-
dential Facility through the main portion of which
access may be had to all such rooms; provided that
in the case of student domnitones and similar group
living arrangements each two beds shall be deemed
a rooming unit.
A dwelling unit or a
— —
ture of
pared by the City Attorney's office.
Options discussed so far include: amendments to the Z
code; strengthening the Building Bir
Housing Code requirements (similar to
hotels) for construction or modification
of rooming houses; parking restrictions
in designated areas, limiting the number
of permits for each separate “hoyse.
keeping unit”; and adopting a new noise
ordinance.
Of these options, the zoning alterna.
lives are discussed most frequently,
One possibility is to designate special
districts or “overlay” zones, within
which houses could not be added onto or
divided up to create new bedrooms
beyond, perhaps, the first five. An alter-
nate possibility would permit such divi-
sions or additions subject to a require-
ment of additional off-street parking
(not in front yards), with other appropri-
ate open-space, design, and setback
conditions. (See also the related article
on page 4 on the S-12 Zone overlay in
Adams Point.)
The advantage of the zoning options
is that they can be applied locally to the
specific needs of the R—35 zone.
TOWARD CONSENSUS
The matter is still in the exploratory
stages. City staff is studying the legal
issues involved in regulating rooming
houses. RCPC will continue to provide
a forum for discussion of the matter,
both in The Rockridge News and at
public meetings. The conversions, as
well as other housing issues, will also be
discussed as part of the “consensus-
| building” process in preparation for the
Rockridge Area Specific Plan. If com-
| munity opinion favors amendments to
the Zoning Code to respond to the
impact of conversions to rooming
houses, the next step would be consideration of such amendments
in public hearings before the Planning Commission and the City
Council.
Plan to attend the July RCPC General Meeting to contunue
discussion of this issue.
Planning Commission Update: Edible Complex
The Planning Commission has approved the applicauon by
the Edible Complex Cafe to place tables and chairs for outside
dining on the College and Ocean View Avenues sidewalks. City
staff originally had recommended approval only for the Ocean
View side, but not on the College Avenue side. However, when
Co-owner Martin Aston agreed to provide the required 5-1/2 foo!
wide right-of-way clearance by removing the flower planter
which he had installed earlier, staff had no objection and cleared
the way for approval.
July 16, 1988
The Rockridge News
Page 3
Broadway Neighbors
Oppose Conversion
Of Home Into Office
Neighbors in the Upper Broadway
residential neighborhood have learned
that the owner of an accountant’s office
operating illegally in a residence located
at 5714 Broadway is planning to seek a
major variance from the Oakland Plan-
ning Commission to continue the use.
This application follows on the heels
of a successful neighborhood effort be-
fore the Planning Commission and the
Oakland City Council to defeat a request
for a major variance to convert a home to
law offices at 6000 Monroe, a few blocks
away.
The application by the owner of 5714
Broadway for a variance apparently was
prompted by a notice from the Housing
Conservation Department that this con-
version of a home to an office was illegal.
Residents in this neighborhood have
long fought conversion of homes to of-
fices, citing the problems that businesses
bring to areas zoned for residential use,
the lack of available housing in Oakland
and the well-known surplus of office
space in commercially zoned areas of
Oakland.
Although RCPC has not yet been
asked to take a position regarding a zon-
ing variance to allow this use to continue,
RCPC opposed the conversion of the
home at 6000 Monroe to law offices.
Similarly, the College Avenue Merchants
Association has indicated it does not
support the conversion of homes into
offices in residenually zoned neighbor-
hoods.
Those interested in finding out more
about the neighbors’ effort to uphold the
current zoning and keep this area residen-
tial should contact Mr. Steve Parmelee at
653-6020, Mr. Ted Radosevich at
658-1150, or Mr. Gary Lippman at
653-9231.
—Ted Radosevich
BART Station
Excellent Residents’ Survey Response
Thanks to all Rockridge residents and
commercial property owners who re-
sponded to last month’s surveys. As of
June 30, we had received 611 residents’
responses, and 19 responses from com-
mercial property Owners, response rates
of 14% and 20% respectively. These are
excellent numbers! However, if you've
been on vacation, or working on a crash
project and haven’t yet turned in your
survey, please do. The more we receive,
the more credible the results.
Later this month, we will begin to
tabulate the responses. A summary of the
results will be published in the September
Rockridge News. The “personal” ques-
tions you answered — such as what section
of Rockndge you live in and whether you
own or rent — will help us to determine
how representative a sample of Rockndge
residents our respondents comprise, and
also whether preferences tend to vary
from one group to the next.
This survey is the first step toward a
new Specific Plan for Rockridge. The
results of the surveys will be used to
develop a draft set of goals and objectives
for the Plan which will then be brought
back to you, at one or more community
forums, for your review and critique.
Once we have reached a consensus,
the goals and objectives will be incorpo-
rated into a work program to guide the
City’s preparation of the Plan itself.
If you have any questions on the sur-
vey or other aspects of the Specific Plan,
please phone Mr. Kerry O’Banion at
658-1608.
—Kerry O'Banion, Chair,
RASP Steering Committee
RCPC Committees
Parking and Circulation
Why We Exist And What We’re Doing
The RCPC Parking and Circulation
Committee was formed to address the
multitude of problems associated with
parking and transportation within our
area.
Many of our concerns are with
short-term issues, such as alerting au-
thorities to parking space abuse, or speed-
ing through residential areas — in gen-
eral, assisting merchants and residents
with their day—to—day problems. If we
can’t provide an answer, we try to put the
caller in contact with someone who can.
We are also exploring long-term prob-
lems and plans for parking and circulation
in Our area, including changes in zoning
from page 1
designated RCPC representative to define a process by which
BART could go forward in 1989 with its evaluation of the
proposals with RCPC support.” Director Pryor reiterated the
necessity of including City of Oakland planning staff in the
process.
According to BART staff, Station Plans address a variety of
laws, improvements in AC Transit Serv-
ice, problems associated with BART and
casual carpooling, reducing the negative
effects of traffic on our environment, and
development of a circulation element for
the Rockridge Area Specific Plan.
ATTENTION MERCHANTS AND RESIDENTS!
We need your help! If you are inter-
ested in helping solve some of the
above—mentioned problems, please con-
tact one of the individuals below:
Kathy Herman 652-3160
David Reinke 653-5312
Bill Manley 658-2419
Also if you have a problem we can
assist you with, please let us know!
issues: types and amount of development, vehicular and pedes-
trian circulation, required changes in land-use policy, area-wide
impacts, etc. Development of the Rockridge BART Station site
would be confined to a one-acre parcel along Miles Avenue,
which, according to BART, has a development potential of 30-
50,000 square feet.
Page 4 The Rockridge News July 16, 1988
Parking Solution : The S-12 Zone
Once of the several pressing issues associated with conversions
of single-family dwellings into rooming houses (see related ar-
ticles, pages 1 and 7) is the problem of increased parking demand
and inadequacy of off-street parking space.
Recently the Adams Point community together with the City
Planning Department studied on-street parking congestion in
their neighborhood. Their solutions, adopted April 1988, are
thorough, detailed, and sensitive to a multitude of interests and
needs. They warrant further study by citizens of Rockridge. A
brief overview of the ordinance follows. The RCPC Parking/
Circulauon Committee as well as the Upper Telegraph Avenue
Coalition are studying the appropriateness of the ordinance for
our North Oakland neighborhoods.
The purpose of the S-12 Residential Parking Combining Zone
is “to create, preserve, and enhance areas with high concentra-
tions of residential facilities; to ensure that adequate off-street
parking is provided for those facilities, and to maximize the
general availability of on-street parking.”
The basic requirement for off-street parking in the S-12 zone
is “one off-street space per three habitable rooms or one space per
dwelling unit, whichever is greater.” By comparison, the current
requirement in Rockridge’s R-35 zone is 1-1/2 spaces per dwell-
ing unit.
{Oakland Planning Code, §2118(a) Habitable Room: A space in a
living unit intended for living, sleeping, eating, or cooking, including,
but not limited to, living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, dens,
family rooms, finished recreation rooms, and enclosed porches suitable
for year-round use...]
The new S-12 Zone also regulates the kinds, shapes and sizes
of spaces, maneuvering aisles, driveways, clearance, obstructions
and siting. For example, the off-street space may not be located
between the front wall of the building and the front lot line unless
“>
See S-12 Zone, page 5
mg Fall Semester Music and Art
Adams Point Finds Neighborhood Oakland Heritage Alliance
Summer Walking Tours 1988
- Saturday July 23 Mountain View Cemetery
Meet in front of the Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Avenue.
¢ Sunday July 24 Fernwood Drive
Meet at the southern end of Fernwood Dnve at Mountain Boulevard.
¢ Saturday July 30 Temescal Neighborhood
Meet in front of Genova Deli, corner of 50th St. and Telegraph.
¢ Sunday July 31 Downtown Art Deco
Meet under the Camera Corner sign, 13th Street and Broadway,
- Saturday Aug.6 Golden Gate Neighborhood
Meet in front of the Golden Gate Branch Library, 5605 San Pablo.
¢ Sunday Aug. 7 Lakeshore/Trestle Glen
Meet at the Lakeview Branch Library, 550 El Embarcadero between
Grand and Lakeshore Avenues.
- Saturday Aug. 13 Produce Market And The “SONI”
(South Of The Nimitz) District
Meet in front of the Oakland Grill, 3rd and Franklin Streets.
«Sunday Aug. 14 Rose Garden Neighborhood
Meet at Monte Vista Avenue and Vernon Steet.
- Saturday Aug. 20 Richmond Boulevard
Meet at the MacArthur Boulevard end of Glen Echo Park on
Richmond Boulevard.
- Sunday Aug. 21 Brooklyn Neighborhood
Meet at the comer of 10th Avenue and East 21st Street.
- Saturday Aug. 27 Fruitvale and The Kennedy Tract
Meet in front of St. Joseph's Professional Center, 2647 East 14th
Street.
«Sunday Aug. 28 F.M. “Borax” Smith Estate
Meet at the comer of 8th Avenue and East 24th Street.
All tours are from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Cost is $3 for OHA members or $5 for non—members.
Call for additional information.
Office: 1418 Lakeside Drive, Oakland « 763-9218
ArT | Comprehensive Art
Jewelry Making
_ Cartooning/Animation
| Ceramics
Mask Plays, Storytelling
1501 Powell Street » Emeryville « 94608
DIRECTOR: JANET BLAIR
NLL LISLE EL ERLE LLL LEAS ELI FSSC INS ED. TITRE IEE TOLD MOLY ELLIE A AEDES TIS SIIB LEBEL EEE BETS OS 5 Fo LP AT EELS VES, EM TRE TRIES STG FBLA TEA OL LA EP OE EAE F SRE
Music | Orff—Schulwerk, Choir, Group and Private Instrumental Lessons
Piano, Percussion, Brass, Woodwinds, Recorder, Guitar, Jazz Ensemble
DAaAnNcE | Creative Movement, Pre—Ballet, Modern Dance, Jazz Dance
Painting, Drawing, Clay Work, Sculpture, Collage, Print-Making
DRAMA | Theater, Musical Theater, Swashbuckling (fencing for the stage),
Circus a } ic
Arts | Juggling, Tumbling/Acrobatics, Balancing, Tightrope, Unicycle awe esident |
VIDEO * Experience
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ast Bay School of the Arts * Top Producer
Just three miles and seven minutes from Rockridge
CALL 652-3727 For FALL SEMESTER INFORMATION AND SCHEDULE Home Office
Mason McDuffie Realtor
547-5752 526-5143
July 16, 1988
The Rockridge News Page 5
CAMA Report
Goals: 1987, 1988
As | approach the start of my second term as President of
the College Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA), our
1987 goals come to mind:
Increasing membership in CAMA
Serving Our members better by:
having an active voice at City Hall;
aclive participation in RCPC;
sponsoring quality events and promotions;
increasing security for our area.
1987 was a very good year for CAMA. Our newsletter —
the CAMA News — became a monthly source of information
and ideas for ALL merchants. We took an active role in every
major issue facing our members. Together with our Police
Department, we conceived and installed the first Business
Crime Watch program in Oakland. We appointed Jean As-
trinsky to be an active, voting Board member of RCPC. Our
two Sidewalk Festivals were the most successful ever. Our
membership count of 85 remained approximately the same as
1986.
Our goals for 1988 are to continue the progress made in
1987. Our goal of increased membership led us to institute a
computerized membership program, which helps to get and
retain members. A new Brochure is in the works and will be
out this Fall. We are working with RCPC on the merchant’s
survey, which will provide important information for RASP.
We welcome your comments about CAMA.
—£ddie Zeidan 428-9256
Your Family Deserves America’s Best!
Maybe your family owned a library when you were
a child— maybe not. Now your family can build its own:
with a set of the Encyclopedia Americana.
Many other fine educational resources, too. All at
family prices from your Amway distributor.
Call 655-8509 Mike & Gloria Rourick
When buying and selling in
the Rockridge District,
it makes good “cents”
to call Rockridge Realtors.
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Planning Commission Update:
The Lobby
Ocean View, Keith and Lawton Avenues, and Chabot Road
residents are appealing the June 15th Planning Commission ap-
proval of The Lobby’s request to include hard liquor sales. The
City Council will hear the appeal at its meeting July 20 at 7:30
pm in the Council Chambers, City Hall.
At its July 6, 1988 Board meeting, RCPC Directors voted to
support the neighborhood’s appeal based on the fact that the
findings for approval were not established.
The appellants have expressed concern about the proliferation
of hard liquor sales on College Avenue, and the possible aggra-
vation of existing problems of vandalism, drunken behavior and
reckless driving. Other concerns include excessive noise from
amplified music, on-street parking shortages, and noise after
closing hours from patrons returning to their cars on residential
streets.
Neighbors who wish to attend the City Council hearing may
call Ms. Carol Kizziah at 655-6589 for carpooling information.
S-12 Zone
from page 4
certain criteria are met, and buffering and design impacts are
mitigated. The ordinance also regulates new construction with
regard to how spacing of driveway cuts, placement of fire hy-
drants, etc. will affect on-street parking spaces. The idea Is to
plan a configuration allowing the maximum number of spaces.
‘ AN AMAZING ARRAY OF ORNAMENTAL
RESOURCES FOR OCSIGNING PEOPLE
THE ORBWEAVER
5326 COLLEGE AVE.
AKLAND. CA. 9496/7”
Shop Oakland
Shop With College Avenue Merchants
THAN JUST A...
GREAT BEADSTONE
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Page 6 The Rockridge News
Of General Interest:
Rockridge And Three Issues
For this Rockridge News issue, I find that I really can’t stay
on One issue when three deserve attention: Measure M results:
“Tenements in North Oakland”: and the proposed strong Mayor
ballot measure.
Measure M Resutts
A respectful thank you should be addressed to all of you (and
there were many) who supported and were willing to pay for
maintaining City services. In the ten precincts fronung on College
Avenue, Measure M passed overwhelmingly!
TENEMENTS IN Nortu OAKLAND
Rockridge has led the City in neighborhood preservation. It
has resisted high-rise rezoning and commercialization of its resi-
dential area. Now, this preservation effort has met the most
insidious development challenge to date— the commercial exploi-
tation of its housing stock by the addition of a substantial number
of bedrooms to existing houses.
The resulting increase in density affects the neighborhood in
a number of ways: there will be more water use, thus adding to the
burden on pipes and sewers; there will be more garbage, necessi-
tating more cans and pick-ups; and there will be more cars, causing
less parking and more traffic.
The Rockridge Community needs to decide how these impacts
should be addressed and whether it is desirable to use the planning
process to regulate the number of bedrooms that may be con-
structed. These approaches are considered in other articles in the
newsletter.
Some concerns raised in conncection with this neighborhood
preservation issue really are not relevant. First, this is not an issue
of lifestyle— no one is concerned with whom one is living. The
real question is how _ many more rooms are being added to one
dwelling and the impact this has on the existing neighborhood. We
need to be concemed with how best to manage the physical space
that is Rockndge. Second, this is not an issue necessarily to be
addressed by groups with a City-wide perspecuve. Rockridge has
been particularly affected by the housing policies of Berkeley, our
neighboring city. Also, there may be areas in Oakland which will
tolerate a higher density and may be able to insumte appropnate
controls on resultant impacts. Of course, any higher densities
should be achieved in a planned fashion rather than through the
commercial exploitation of housing stock.
Stroxnc Mayor BALLoT MEASURE
The final matter I wish to bring to your attention ts the debate
on the strong Mayor form of government which raises all the kinds
of issues government majors love to debate.
As far as I am concemed, we need to focus not just on the
strong Mayor aspect but also on the questions of what roles do we
wish the Council and the City Manager to perform. These should
be determined not by rhetoric but by a pragmatic anzlysis regarding
the timing of budget submissions and the type of appointment
review by the different entities. Stay u:ned in!
If you wish further information on these issues, you can
contact me at 273-3266.
Marge Gibson—Haskell
—_
July 16, 1988
Rockridge Avenue
You THINK
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IT WILL AFFECT OVUR
Potato Pie
Pre—School/Day Care
¢ Quality Teachers / 6:1 ratio
* Spacious, Nurturing Home & Play Yard
* Lightly Structured, Individualized Program
* Multi-Ethnic Enrollment & Learning Materials
* Across from Chabot School
658-9579
City Council Dismet |
Donald M. Coelho, Realtor
Col
dwell Banker
serving the Rockridge Community with
trustworthy, professional service since 1976.
Phone for estimate
without obligation.
339-1174 Office
of value,
934-0889 Evenings
a eh ek G
July 16, 1988
The Rockridge News
Page 7
Letters To The News
Housing Conversions And Zoning
Ep. Note: Controversy has developed around the recent activities of property developers who
add multiple bedrooms to existing homes in the Rockridge Area to generate increased rental
income. A large part of the July RCPC General Meeting was devoted to wide-ranging discussion
of different aspects of this practice. Some observers see the creation of additional housing and
say it is a benefit to the community. Others feel this type of construction evades the planning
process and creates a neighborhood inconsistent with established zoning.
In addition to discussion at the meeting, RCPC Chair Barbara Anderson invited further
comment from the community. One letter was received and is printed below. If you have com-
ments you wish to add or remarks to make, please send them to: Rockridge Community Planning
Council, 5856 College Avenue, #130, Oakland, CA 94618. If you wish your letter published in
The Rockridge News, please include your phone number so we can discuss publication details.
Permit Parking
And Dreyer’s
Editor:
I was surprised and disturbed to see
that the Dreyer’s Corporation is vigor-
ously opposing efforts to establish permit
parking on Chabot. Despite its obvious
interest in the issue, it has no legal nght to
comment because its business address is
on College Avenue and its houses on
Thank you.
Editor:
After hearing the remarks about the
group household issue made at the last
RCPC General Meeting, and having had
time to reflect on the issues, I would like
to present the following comments:
CRITICAL ISSUE
The critical issue 1s the coherence with
neighborhood standards. In general, large
(6+ persons) all-adult households are not
in keeping with the historical or current
composition of this neighborhood. Note
that this exempts extended families —
which include children, gay couples, and
small group households. It is not a life-
styles issue, because all of those groups
are accommodated within my concept of
the problem. Extended families include
not only children (who generally do not
own cars), but also have some sort of
authority structure controlling the home
and its environment. Gay couples are for
all intents and purposes no different than
a heterosexual couple without children,
and any regulations could accommodate
that fact. Small group households, while
having more of an impact on parking,
garbage and waste disposal, and noise, are
by their very size less likely to cause
problems. A regulation about four or
more unrelated individuals would not
cers specifically raised during the meet-
ing.
CONVERSIONS AFFECT HousING STOCK
The action of the developers who buy
three-bedroom houses to turn into
eight—-bedroom rentals work against rent
control and expansion of the housing
stock. By taking a three-bedroom build-
ing which could house three or four
people for $1,200 and making it into an
eight—bedroom building housing 8 to ten
people for $2,500, the price of renting a
home in this neighborhood increases, and
will push the rental market even higher,
even more out of reach of the young fam-
ily, the young workers just out of college,
and others who depend on inexpensive
rentals in an affordable neighborhood. In
the long run, this will hurt housing oppor-
tunities for students, minorities, the eld-
erly, handicapped, and people with chil-
dren — precisely the people who need
considerauon.
DEALING Wit Tie SITUATION
I have lived in group households of 3
to 4 people in the past, households which
do not cause the kind of problems we now
encounter. Whatever regulations there
are restricting building out to the property
line should be utilized, but I urge more
specific guidelines, possibly even a test of
the Santa Barbara case.
cause harm to any of these groups, con- —T. Nelson
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Chabot are neither residences nor legal
corporate offices.
My own experience on Oak Grove has
been that Permit Parking is a good thing.
Although initial permit costs are higher
than I would like, renewal isn’t as bad,
and the luxury of being able to actually
park somewhere near my house is won-
derful. Until the major sources of over
parking (such as BART and the bigger
College Avenue offices/shops) take more
responsibility for their share of the prob-
lem, Permit Parking is one of our few
solutions.
—Lincoln Cushing
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The Rockridge News
July 16, 1988
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