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Sponsored by = THE ROCKRIDGE COMMUNITY PLANNING COUNCIL * 5856 COLLEGE AVENUE #130" OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA® 94618
Vol. 3 No. 10 Issue No. 34
March 11, 1989
Rockridge Trash
Project Picks Up
It’s an old joke, but maybe you haven’t
heard it in awhile: What has ten wheels
and flies?
In the olden days, kids would fold up
and collapse with glee when they heard
the answer and there’s still a chance to
find some fun now while dealing with
some serious stuff,
The answer, of course, is: a garbage
truck (you didn’t peek, did you?).
Trash has a way of piling up and
Rockridge has the use of a garbage truck
of its own to collect trash for four Satur-
days coming up soon!
As reported in last month’s Rockridge
News, RCPC is taking advantage of the
special free trash pick-up available
through Oakland’s Clean Community
Service. On April 1, April 8, April 29,
and May 6 — Saturdays, all — volunteers
are invited to join in the fun and help pick
up trash bags. This is not risky work:
hazardous materials, construction debris,
used furniture, etc., will not be accepted
by the truck. Only leaves, lawn cuttings,
and tree trimmings can be collected.
But here’s the best part: you can work
on the truck on any day, regardless of your
own street’s schedule! Call Ms. Gity
Baxter, RCPC Clean Rockridge Commit-
tee Chair, at 652-8419 to sign up.
Please check the map on page 3 to see
when your street is scheduled for pick-up.
There is a flyer in this issue of the news-
letter if your street is scheduled for the
April 1 or April 8 pick up days.
See Clean Rockridge, page 3
Circulation: 4,500 Residences; 200 Businesses
City Proposes New Regulations
For Multi-Bedroom Alterations
Responding to the spread of rooming
house conversions in neighborhoods
zoned for single-family residences, the
City Council in January passed an emer-
gency moratorium on additions or altera-
tions to single-family houses in residen-
tial zones, when the conversion would
increase the number of sleeping rooms to
five or more. Planning Staff was asked to
prepare a report and
is required for Major Conditional Use per-
mit applications. In defining a “bed-
room,” City staff suggested that key con-
sideration be given to whether “the room
could be used as a bedroom if the unit
were ever sold or rented.”
OwneErR-OcCUPANT EXEMPT; PARKING
The proposed zoning regulation
changes would exempt bedroom addi-
recommendation on the
topic. (See articles in
July, 1988 and Febru-
ary, 1989 issues of The
Rockridge News.)
FirtH BEDROOM To
TrIiGGER MCUP
In its report dated
March 3, 1989, Plan-
ning Staff pointed out
that “the altered single-
family residential facil-
ity no longer serves the
space, utility
BEDROOM:
HABITABLE Room:
Any room in a living unit except a
bathroom, water closet, hall, storage
communicating hall, pantry, laundry, or
unfinished attic, basement, or cellar.
Oakland Zoning Regulations §2118 (a)
Any Habitable Room...which...may
legally function as a bedroom...(and
also which) may logically function as a
bedroom...Proposed Zoning ordinance
text change §2111 (c)
tions to houses occu-
pied by owners for at
least one year. Non-
owner occupant appli-
cants seeking to add a
fifth or more
bedroom(s) would be
required to provide
off-street parking in
proportion to the
number of “habitable
rooms” in the dwell-
ing units. The propor-
tion is one parking
room, foyer,
purpose for which it
was originally built and in effect becomes
a multi-family facility without required
planning approval from the City.”
To bring this type of housing conver-
sion back into the Planning process, staff
prepared a draft ordinance which would
change the Oakland Zoning Code city-
wide. The ordinance would require a
Major Conditional Use Permit (MCUP)
for any alteration or addition to a dwelling
unit that raises the total number of bed-
rooms to five (5) or more. A public
hearing before the Planning Commission
space for each three
habitable rooms.
Under the current proposal, off-street
parking requirements cannot be met with
parking in the front yards, nor can more
than 50% of the backyard be used for
parking, driveways, etc. A minimum of
one off-street space must be provided for
visitor parking.
RCPC Boarp CONCERNS
The Board of RCPC has expressed
preliminary support for the basic concept
of the draft ordinance. The Board is
See New, page 5
EES]
Dates Calendar Events Calendar Dates
Wednesday Mari15 7:30pm
Wednesday Mar22 = 1:30pm
Wednesday Aprl19 7:30pm
—————-—--—- —— -
RCPC General Meeting
Planning Commission
RCPC General Meeting
Anna Lee Allen: Oakland Heritage Alliance
Grove Street Campus developments
City Hall, Room 115. Regular meeting
arty
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Page 2
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The Rockridge News
RCPC Asks End To
BART Station Litter
Does responsibility for litter lie with
manufacturers who insist on individual
packaging for streamlined merchandis-
ing, or with consumers of the merchan-
dise who improperly dispose of the wrap-
ping materials?
The debate continues while litter accu-
mulates at an accelerating rate throughout
Oakland and in the Rockridge district.
On College Avenue, the Rockridge
BART Station is one area that gets a lot of
pedestrian and auto traffic, thus generat-
ing a lot of debris.
In letters sent last week to BART
Director Sue Hone and BART Superin-
tendent of Grounds Bill Lane, the Board
of the Rockridge Community Planning
Council commended the BART Board’s
recently announced plans to improve
cleanliness on the transit system, pointed
out the ever present litter problem at the
entrance to the station and called for
improvements.
Two sources of litter noted at that
location by the Board are overflowing
trash cans and the high number of news-
paper vending machines clustered by the
escalators and at the bus stop. Besides
being a source of litter, the Board wrote,
the news racks are arrayed in a haphazard
way that is dangerous to pedestrians and
an eyesore.
In the letters, BART was asked to
increase trash collection and to clean up
news racks around the station to help
control the spread of litter.
The Board noted that many other
public agencies have adopted standards
and policies to control newspaper vending
machines and proposed that BART adopt
a standard design for newspaper racks and
their location away from the public side-
walk to enhance public safety and con-
venience. BART could hold vendors of
papers accountable for trash around their
machines by requiring them to post a
bond, deposit, or “clean station” fee.
Do you have comments or concems
about BART Station litter? Direct your
remarks to the BART Director for this
district:
Ms. Sue Hone
Director, Bay Area Rapid Transit District
800 Madison Street
Oakland, CA 94604-2688
Review Of Dreyer’s
EIR Nears End
elease of the Environmental Impact
Stes prepared for the office building/
commercial center proposed by Dreyer s
is coming soon, according to Associate
City Planner Willie Yee. Although ne
able to name a specific date for release O
the document, Mr. Yee thought it might
be within the coming month. “We fe-
turned it to the consultant for some fine
tuning,” he said, “and they should be
finished soon.” |
Send in the coupon below to obtain
your copy when the report 1s released.
Congratulations to
Ray and Roseanne Perman
on the birth of
Eric William Perman
February 24, 1989!
And Other Birthdays...
Happy Birthday
Rockridge News!
Long time readers will recall it
slipped by last year, but we've got a
pretty good grip on it now!
This issue marks the beginning of
the fourth year of publication of The
Rockridge News. Three years of
chronicling change in the Rockridge
district, and more to come!
It would not be possible without so
many of us working together: here’s to
more of the same.
Se ee ee
et ee ee ee ee ee
CAMA applauds RCPC's efforts to
make Rockridge a better place to live. I
recently received copies of correspon-
dence from RCPC to BART, requesung
more cleanups. The newspaper racks
were mentioned as a source of trash, and
there was talk of new, unified racks. |
As you know, CAMA has been trying
to have more litter containers placed on
College Avenue. The result of our com-
bined efforts should be a great reduction
in trash on the Avenue.
— Eddie Zeidan, CAMA President
To lean what the Draft EIR says and how the Dreyer’s proposal would affect Rockridge,
mail the coupon below to the City to order a copy of the document. 3 ee
Mail it in as soon as possible so your request is on file when the Draft EIR is officially —
released. ee
labor eo ia eee elie etris ss
i Date:
Mr. Willie Yee, Jr.
Zoning Division 2nd Floor
1 City Hall Plaza
Oakland, CA 94612
Dear Mr. Yee:
l
|
l
Please send me a copy of the Draft Environmental Impact
[ Report (EIR) prepared for the Dreyer’s College Avenue
y Development proposal.
{Please also add my name to your mailing list and keep me
| posted on any publications, hearings, etc. regarding the Dreyer’s
| proposal.
l Thank you.
i
f
!
Name
Addr
City, St., Zip
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|
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March 11, 1989
ee
The Rockridge News
Page 3
CLEAN ROCKRIDGE Pick Up AREAS
Tr ash, from page 1
Up to five bags per household will be collected. You may use your own bags and/
or bags provided by the City. Bags provided by the City are available from the
following people:
AREA TRASH Pick Up DATE CONTACT
AREAI ROCKRIDGE SuB-AREA Apnl 1, 1989 Mrs. Nancy Dutcher 653-6018
AREA IT Fairview Park Sus-AREA April 8, 1989 Mrs. Julie Dewey 654-7136
AREA III SHAFTER I SuB-AREA Apmil 29, 1989 Mrs. Gity Baxter 652-8419
AREA IV SHAFTER II Subp-AREA May 6, 1989 Mr. Richard Benson 652-2127
Bags will also be available at RCPC General Meetings held the third Wednesday
of each month.
Donation Drive Moves Into Second Month
You've secn it before: here it is again,
at the bottom of the page.
In the donation drive that started last
month with envelopes distributed with the
newsletter, more than $1,100 has been
returned by Neighbors eager to help meet
the costs of running a neighborhood or-
ganization and producing a newsletter
dedicated to the Rockridge neighborhood
Se
|
|
|
| Ves!
|
| Name:
| Address:
|
| City/Zip:
Phone:
|
Ne a ee ee Se ee Ee SE —E—E—eE—E—EeET_E—EEeeeT SS
and distributed free to 4,500 area house-
holds.
Join those who have clipped and re-
turned their coupons! Your envelope may
even still be around, or you may use one
of your own, addressed as indicated on the
coupon.
Thanks for your help and support.
— Don Kinkead, Treasurer
ROCKRIDGE COMMUNITY PLANNING COUNCIL DONATION Form
Enroll Me as a Supporting Donor to the Rockridge Community Planning Council!
I have enclosed a check payable to RCPC for my tax-deductible donation for a year’s registration
and other support areas I have checked off:
Suggested minimum; $10 per category
. Don Kinkead
$ Registration Donation 5626 Oak Grove Avenue
Oakland, CA 94618
$ Rockridge News Donation
RCPC Committee List
What’s Going On?
Is there something going on in the
Neighborhood that you’d like more infor-
maton about? Would you like to know
who you can call to volunteer some time
or help? Want to get more involved with
a dynamic part of Oakland?
Listed below are standing committees
of the Rockridge Community Planning
Council with their respective Chairs and
Co-Chairs. Please call any of the indi-
viduals listed if you have questions or
problems with what’s going on:
CoMMITTEE Cuarr/Co-CHairs
CLEAN ROCKRIDGE
Gity Baxter
DESIGN REVIEW
Glen Jarvis
(652-8419)
(654-5953)
LIBRARY
Marc Beyeler (654-6787)
Nancy Dutcher (653-6018)
RASP
Michael Peltz (658-2713)
ROCKRIDGE NEws
Don Kinkead (655-7474)
TRAFFIC
Bill Manley (658-2419)
David Reinke (653-5312)
ZONING
John Gussman (655-8817)
Brooke Levin (653-7522)
Port Reps To Talk To
Eastshore Park Group
Port of Oakland representatives have
been invited to speak at the next meeting
of the Oakland Affiliate of the Citizens for
the Eastshore State Park (CESP) to dis-
cuss Port plans for the land it owns near
the Bay Bridge toll plaza and public ac-
cess in general to Port-owned waterfront
properties.
The meeting starts at 11 Am Saturday,
March 25th, at Ti Bacio Restaurant, 5301
College Avenue.
Thank you!
Page 4
The Rockridge News
March 11, 1989
From The Zoning Counter
Application For
Variance Denied
5995 Chabolyn Terrace
Planning staff denied this application
for a variance in height requirements to
allow construction of a two story addition
above an existing one story detached
garage. The Planning Commission heard
the case on appeal at its February 22, 1989
meeting and, on a 6-0 vote, denied the
variance. There is no appeal to the City
Council.
During staff's review on this case, a
possible zoning violation was discovered.
The housing conservation department is
currently investigating the allegation that
there are currently two units on the prop-
erty, when only one is permitted.
City Halts Lawton
House Expansion
5819 Lawton Avenue,
between McMillan and Broadway.
Over the last year, construction activ-
ity at 5819 Lawton Avenue included
excavation of a basement area, installa-
tion of an additional water meter and
miscellaneous interior alterations.
On Friday, February 10, the owner
removed the roof of the structure, and
over the three day weekend, framed up a
full third story. Prior to that time, the
structure had been a converted two story
house with an attic space.
Apparently the building was con-
ARMEN
GALLERY OF
ORIENTAL Rucs
Personally Selected,
Handwoven,
Rugs and Kilims
6015 College Avenue
Oakland, CA
Open Tues — Sun 11-6 PM
(415) 655-0167
structed originally as a single story house,
i.e., one unit. Later, a second unit was cre-
ated by raising the roof and adding a full
second story. 3
Not known is how a third unit was
established in the attic. According to
letters written to the City by former ten-
ants of the building, the attic unit has not
been rented since 1973.
The owner had a building permit to do
some work on the property, but was found
by the City not to be building in accor-
dance with the plans originally submitted
for the permit. In addition, questions re-
garding the expansion of a non-conform-
ing use, height limits, legality of the third
unit and the basement construction activ-
ity were also brought to light. On Febru-
ary 15, a stop work order was issued and
the owner was cited for non-compliance
with Workman’s Compensation regula-
tions.
City Staff has since met with the
owner and conducted an on-site inspec-
tion. As a result, staff determined the
building to be only a two unit building.
The owner has indicated he will appeal
that decision to the Planning Commis-
sion. He may also request a variance to
height.
Once a formal application has been
filed, RCPC will review it with neighbors
of the project and make a recommenda-
tion to the Planning Commission.
It seems likely this application will be
on the March 22, 1989 agenda.
Call Brooke Levin at 653-7522 —
evenings — for further information.
FAVE
FINE GEMS
CUSTOM DESIGN
REPAIRS
ESTATE JEWELRY
5482 COLLEGE AVENUE
OAKLAND
TUES.-SAT. 10:30-5
415/547-7181
Expansion Possible
For Medical B uilding
6250 Claremont Avenue
A representative of the Medical Ingur-
ance Exchange of California, (MIEC)
contacted RCPC regarding a proposal for
a new structure on the property between
the MIEC and Blood Bank buildings,
This lot, formerly referred to as the
“duplex” lot because it once housed a two
unit structure, is currently a parking lot,
The proposal is to construct a 30,000
sq. ft. building which would include a two
story parking garage and 6,000 sq. ft. one
story office building with basement. The
garage would accommodate 38 cars. No
formal application has been made to the
City, as the project is still under design
and no formal timetable has been set.
It is expected that at a minimum, an
application for a Major Conditional Use
Permit would be needed in order to have
a parking structure along the Claremont
Avenue street frontage, rather than the
required retail commercial use. The City
will also require an environmental assess-
ment in order to determine if an Environ-
mental Impact Report (EIR) will be nec-
essary.
Send donations to the
Danny Bergstedt Burial
Fund in care of:
The College Avenue
Presbyterian Church,
9951 College Avenue,
Oakland, CA 94618.
March 11, 1989
New
from page I
expected to recommend before the Plan-
ning Commission several changes to
strengthen and clanfy the language of the
ordinance. Board members also have
expressed concerns that the owner-occu-
pancy period should be longer, i.e., two
years, that verification of exemptions
claims should be tghter, that there should
be a minimum lot size requirement.
Additional items not addressed ade-
quately by the draft proposal, according to
the RCPC Board, include situations
where the increase of bedrooms is accom-
plished by subdividing existing rooms, or
when an owner-occupant suddenly de-
cides to rent out the altered dwelling.
The emergency moratorium on the
mult-bedroom additions is due to expire
on March 24. The Planning Commission
has scheduled a public hearing for March
8, 1989, to consider a permanent legisla-
tive response. If the Commission does not
take action on the proposed legislation on
March 8, then the City Council would
need to extend the moratorium or take
some other emergency action to forestall
resumption of multi-bedroom alterations
to dwelling units.
The Rockridge News
Page 5
Neighbors Working With Neighbors
Home Alert Expansion Has Grant Support
by Jolyon Wurr
Rockridge Community Planning
Council boundaries fall within Police
Beat 13 where, unfortunately, the crime
rate is up sharply! Also up sharply are
hopes for the reduction of crime as the
Community Services Division of the
Oakland Police Department applies its
recently won State grant to organize 21
new Home Alert groups in the Beat 13
area. According to Dorlista Dawson, staff
consultant to the citizen committee imple-
menting the grant proposal, it is now
easier than ever to organize your block
against crime.
The new State grant provides $65,902
in Federal funds and $7,323 in City
matching funds to provide promotional
Support and greater visibility for the work
of a group of neighbors who have already
successfully organized their blocks and
are now volunteering help and sugges-
tions to other people who want to start
their own Home Alert groups.
Home Alert is a program that teaches
neighbors how to watch out for each
other, how to help the police, and thus
how to help the neighborhood keep crime
rates low. Normally, forming a Home
Alert group requires a single individual to
organize a meeting between his/her
neighbors and the police. The Depart-
ment then sends a specially trained Home
Alert educator who suggests effective tips
for deterring neighborhood crime.
Says Consultant Dawson, “One of the
good things about having the committee
members help people is that they are just
regular people who decided that they
could spare a little time to make things
better on their own streets. They can
empathize with people’s inhibitions about
becoming organizers and encourage them
not to be shy or intimidated. It’s really not
much hassle and the program produces
results, something the committee mem-
bers can communicate well.”
Now is the time to activate your block!
Call the Oakland Community Services
Division at 273-3066 and tell them you
are interested in forming a home alert
group on your block. They will provide
professional and neighborhood help to
answer questions and help get your
block’s group started.
428-0757
Oakland CA 94609
437 Alcatraz Avenue
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Principal Brokers: Harold (Hal) Feiger and Rockridge resident Brett Weinstein.
-eee~-
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Page 6
In My View...
Comments by Marge Gibson-Haskell
City Council, District 1
Permit Parking
The Permit Parking process has been introduced and takes
effect as each participating block buys enough permits to
support installation of the parking signage. To date, I have
received about a dozen letters in Opposition to the program. I
believe it may be necessary to develop alternatives that are
viable for those who must drive due to hours of work or lack
of alternative transportation. (Ed. Note: See box at right.)
Public Art City-Wide
As an outgrowth of the Cultural Plan, the City has adopted
an ordinance requiring that 1-1/2% of Capital improvement
money be spent on public art. That won’t be a lot of public
money but are there any thoughts or ideas for the Rockridge
area?
Mini-marts
The City Council has decided that mini-marts which mix
food and gas constitute a major headache for neighborhoods —
the Alka-Seltzer was a motion that planning staff develop a
proposal for interim controls over such unwholesome combi-
nations. This item should be returned to the Council in about
30 days.
A Final Thought
Testifying Before The City Council
Or Planning Commission
To better formulate their opinions, many Councilmembers
and Planning Commission members visit the site of a project
Residential Permit Parking
a The Residential Permit Parking Program (RPP) is a City
program established in 1986. Neighbors who wish to take
advantage of the program follow a specific process
involving the collection and submission of valid petitions, a
City survey of parking space usage, a public hearing, and
other steps. Testimony is heard from neighbors on a
particular street who favor or who oppose establishing RPP
on the street. Approval is ratified by the City Council, but
the program only goes into effect when parking stickers are
bought by 50% of the residents or when 15 stickers are
sold, whichever is less.
RCPC has not taken a position for or against the program
but supports self-determination of the neighbors on a given
street.
s RPP is part of a bigger effort to address the whole issue of
parking and circulation and is one of a variety of solutions
that will be considered in the RASP work groups.
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Strong, Handcrafted Hardwood Units
brought to them for consideration. This helps give the member Low Prices
a view of the issues and impacts involved when the matter is
publicly debated. In addition to their own observations, Direct vo a
Council and Commission members depend on the views 655-1591
expressed at public meetings to help frame their decision.
Whether you support or oppose a given project, there are ways
you can ensure your point of view is heard.
I witnessed testimony from another neighborhood last
week that made me feel the following comments might be
helpful to anyone called upon to publicly address project is-
sues.
Effective testimony on land use issues should focus on the
specific impacts of a proposed project. For instance, would
building the project help or hinder traffic flow, add to or detract
from parking, make an area less or more congested, be consis-
tent with existing uses. Also, it is important to plan your
testimony for impact, consistency, and thoroughness. Select
speakers who are familiar with the project so they can respond
knowledgeably to questions about the issues and impacts. If
graphics or photographs will help to illustrate your point,
prepare them to pass out to Council or Commission members,
or make them big enough to be visible at the podium.
Good luck with your presentations.
If you wish to discuss these or other matters,
please call me at 273-3266.
————_ ae “Ee eee
Custom Built Projects Welcome
— Your Design Or Mine —
When buying and selling in the Rockridge District,
it makes good “cents” to call Rockridge Realtors.
Have you checked
the battery in your
smoke detector lately?
———— ee
Kockridge Realtors
655-2330
March 11, 1989
The Rockridge News
Page 7
Letters To The News
Editor:
Congratulations to RCPC on a hard-fought victory in the
January election. The turn out and enthusiasm of the community
shows unparalleled interest in the issues facing Rockridge and
Oakland.
[ am still concerned that the RCPC Board does not reflect the
overall make-up of the neighborhood it represents. Although a
large number of students attend the General and RASP meetings,
not a single student is represented on the Board. Although
Rockridge consists of over 50% renters, the number of renters or
those sympathetic to the concerns of renters on the RCPC Board
is drastically less than 50%,
I believe RCPC needs to reach out to students, renters, and
citizens of modest incomes. I personally don’t consider Rock-
ridge as a neighborhood exclusively for single family property
owners. I hope that the Board is also a little bit more open minded
as well.
I would suggest that the RCPC Board consider expanding its
membership to 12 or 14 to include alternative perspectives. As
the election showed, a huge minority believes in the views es-
poused by Jolyon, Michael, Russ and myself. Why not reach out
to those underrepresented elements of the community by expand-
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ing the board to 14 members. After all, everyone involved in the
election wants to work for a better Rockridge.
— John Steuart
Editor:
Please accept our contribution [to RCPC] as an acknowledge-
ment of your competent assistance in assuring that the 5819
Lawton construction will continue to comply with lawful require-
ments.
— Robert Stein
Editor:
I went to [a local café] as usually I do to find the monthly news
letter. I did not see them and had to ask for one. I feel this is
an important enough newsletter not to be hidden from people.
What can be done to make the newsletter more available?
— Anonymous
Editor’s Note: It is the policy of The Rockridge News not to
print anonymous letters, but this particular one raised an impor-
tant point. Delivery of the News is by a volunteer network of 150
neighborhood people, and occasionally things go awry.
If you do not receive your copy, call Rockridge News Editor
Don Kinkead at 655-7474 to learn how you can get one. In ad-
dition to home distribution, the News is available at several
College Avenue coffee shops, restaurants, markets, and laser
parlors.
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