‹Page 11 / 16›
Extracted text
www.rockridge.org
VOL. 22 NO. 9 ISSUE NO. 238 October 6, 2007
CIRCULATION: 5,100 Residences; 200 Businesses
Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council • 5245 College Ave. PMB 311 • Oakland, CA 94618 • 869-4200
Rockridge Community Planning Council (RCPC)
Agenda: October Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, October 18, 7:30 p.m.,
Rockridge Branch Library, 5366 College
Avenue at Manila, Community Room
Oakland’s zoning update:
What does it mean for Rockridge?
• Eric Angstadt, Strategic Planning M’ger, City of Oakland
• Jane Brunner, Oakland City Council Member, District 1
• Stuart Flashman, RCPC Board Member
• A Rockridge District Association representative
Also: an update and discussion from the RCPC’s
Planning and Project Review Committee
October 7 Rockridge Kitchen Tour:
Best Tour Ever; Spectacular Kitchens
by Jennifer Edmister
Tsolutions to space and materials
challenges, without compromising
aesthetics or quality.
Tickets: $40. Sold at the regis-
tration desk, 5951 College Avenue,
in front of the College Avenue
Presbyterian Church, starting at 11
a.m. on the day of the tour. (The
tour begins at 12:30.)
Parking: Some parking in the
Dreyer’s lot or at BART.
he 2007 Rockridge Kitchen
Tour takes place Sunday, Octo-
ber 7, from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. It is
the area’s oldest and most popular
kitchen tour, and this year’s nine
kitchens may be the most innova-
tive we’ve seen yet. See how your
Rockridge neighbors made the very
most of their varying budgets and
found interesting (and often “green”)
Considering the Rockridge/Temescal Zoning Update
for North Oak-
land, about this
zoning update
process and what
it might mean for
Rockridge. Coun-
cilwoman Brunner
will be an invited
speaker at the
RCPC’s October
18 General Meet-
ing on the topic
of the Rockridge/
Temescal Zoning Update and the future
of Rockridge.
An interview with City
Councilwoman Jane Brunner
Rockridge News: Thanks for taking the
time to speak with me about zoning in
Rockridge and Temescal. Let’s start with a
simple question – what is zoning about?
Jane Brunner: Zoning really is taking
a look at how many housing units, what
the density is going to be in the area, how
high the building needs to be in the area,
what kind of design review, and different
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC boardmem-
ber, and member, RCPC Planning and
Project Review Committee
In 1998, the city of Oakland updated its
General Plan, the fundamental document
defining the city’s land use patterns. Almost
10 years later, the city has not yet revised
all of its zoning ordinance to fit with what
the General Plan says. The Rockridge News
talked to Jane Brunner, city councilwoman
Jane Brunner
Photo courtesy of Jane
Brunner’s office
Brunner/Zoning, page 12
¬
College Avenue Owners May Form
New District; Area Impact Unknown
I
n a move that may come as a surprise
to many small business owners on Col-
lege Avenue, the board of directors of the
Rockridge District Association (RDA)
– the entity that uses annual assessments
paid by merchants for joint projects such as
marketing and beautification – is seeking to
transfer its functions to a new entity, labeled
a “community benefit district,” or CBD. The
burden of assessments for the CBD would
fall on a broad group of property owners and
tenants, many of whom would have little or
no say in the CBD’s decisionmaking.
The term “community benefit district”
is often used to refer to property-based
improvement districts, which by law must
serve the properties from which they draw
their revenue, rather than the larger com-
munity.
In a June 26 letter to property owners
within the proposed district, which encom-
passes College Avenue from Alcatraz to
Broadway and Broadway to 51st Street, the
RDA cited the need for improvements in such
things as street lighting and tree trimming.
New District?, page
¬
RDA Explores Big
Change for Merchants
For decades, Rockridge had a voluntary
College Avenue Merchants Associa-
tion. In 2000 a Business Improvement
District (BID) was enacted in conjunc-
tion with the new Rockridge District
Associaton (RDA). The BID levies a
fee on each business license to support
activities like the Rockridge street fair,
sidewalk cleaning, and supplemental
safety patrols. If a community benefit
district (CBD) is formed to replace the
BID, funding may be greater, but small
merchants would have little or no say
in decisions affecting them.
2.
October 6, 2007
Planning and Project Review Committee:
A Wealth of Experience for RCPC
ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Mon,Tues:
Weds,Thurs, Sat:
Planning Commission, drawings, and envi-
ronmental and other studies that may bear
on proposed developments. It then makes
recommendations to the RCPC board.
Residents invited to participate
12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED
by the RCPC Board of Directors
T
Friday:
Sunday:
Library program details: See Calendar, page 15.
he new RCPC board was off to a fast
start after the record-turnout election in
April, with significant development projects
spurring it to take immediate action on
several fronts. In response to time-sensitive
concerns, the board formed the Planning
and Project Review Committee (PPRC),
and appointed a technical review team
consisting of five board members and three
community volunteers.
The collective experience of the techni-
cal review team has enabled the RCPC to
participate in the review process of several
significant neighborhood projects. Among
them is an ongoing review of the proposed
33-unit “Kingfish” project on Telegraph at
Claremont Avenue (see “Kingfish Update,”
page 3). Based on its recommendation,
RCPC opposed the project with the Oak-
land Planning Commission and now has
appealed the project’s approval by the
commission.
The Rockridge News, founded in 1986 by Don Kinkead,
is published monthly in Oakland and is sponsored by
the Rockridge Community Planning Council (RCPC),
a non-profit public benefit organization founded to:
preserve and enhance the unique character of the
Rockridge neighborhood; promote the health, safety
and quality of life of its residents; furnish a forum for
community involvement, and provide leadership and
representation of neighborhood interests.
For the technical review team, the
PPRC welcomes Rockridge neighbors
and architects Ray Craun, Bob Davidson
and Glen Jarvis to serve alongside board
members Richard W. Smith (PPRC chair-
man), RCPC Chairwoman Ronnie Spitzer,
Danica Truchlikova, Stu Flashman and
Peter St. John.
Rockridge News Production
Cy Gulassa...........................Editor
Janet Somers........................Assistant Editor
Ortrun Niesar.....................The Muse
Barry Kaufman...................Food
Jo Ellis...................................Advertising &
The committee also reviewed the pro-
posed 100-plus-unit Hauser project on
Telegraph Avenue at Claremont (see “Hauser
Creekside,” page 3), met with other concerned
neighborhood groups including the FROG
Park committee and Standing Together for
Accountable Neighborhood Development
(STAND), conducted an information-gath-
ering meeting with Hauser Architects and
filed an opposition to the project based on
impacts to the surrounding housing, FROG
Park and Temescal Creek.
Community Calendar
Theresa Nelson.....................Neighborhood Merchant
Susan Montauk...................Business Manager
Don Kinkead.......................Graphics & Layout
RCPC Board of Directors, 2007-2008
Ronnie Spitzer....................Chair
Annette Floystrup ............ Vice-Chair
Gloria Bruce.......................Secretary
Susan Montauk...................Treasurer
Jennifer Edmister, Stuart Flashman, Cy Gulassa,
Ellen Peterson, Peter St. John, Jeff Small,
Richard W. Smith, Danica Truchlikova,
Stephanie Upp, Margaret Wahlberg
The chief architect and planner for
Kaiser Permanente Oakland, Craun has over
30 years’ experience in architecture and
design, with emphasis on master planning
and community planning. Jarvis, a former
RCPC board member and former Oakland
Planning Commission member, has almost
40 years’ experience in architecture and
residential design. Since 1969, Davidson has
developed many commercial, educational,
medical, religious and recreational facilities
in the Bay Area and beyond, and has served
as a guest lecturer at UC Berkeley.
In addition to these pending projects, the
PPRC will monitor the proposed mixed-use
project at 5175 Broadway, between Wendy’s
and Poppy Fabric; the anticipated redesign
by Safeway of the Rockridge Shopping
Center, on Pleasant Valley, and of the Safe-
Newsletter Subscriptions
To subscribe to The Rockridge News, send
your check for $20, payable to Rockridge News
Subscriptions, to: Rockridge News Subscriptions at
the address below.
Contacting The Rockridge News
Are there community issues you’d like to see
covered in The Rockridge News?
Do you have questions about newsletter
The PPRC reviews development pro-
posals, including materials filed with the
PPRC, page 13
¬
distribution?
Want to volunteer to be a Rockridge News
block captain?
Would you like to write a letter to the Editor?
Contact us at one of the following:
Grab Your Kids and Your
Costume: Halloween Parade,
Sunday October 28!
by Jennifer Edmister
Cparticipating merchants will host trick-
or-treating along both sides of College
Avenue, from Alcatraz to Broadway. To
join the costumed procession, meet at
Halloween Central, in front of the College
Avenue Presbyterian Church, 5951 College
Ave, at 11:45 a.m. At precisely noon, we’ll
kick off trick-or-treating, leading the
first group along the avenue. Then, at
Editor: editor@rockridge.org
www.rockridge.org
The Rockridge News, 5245 College Avenue,
PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94618
RCPC Voicemail: 510/869-4200
Articles submitted for publication may be e-mailed
to the above address. Submissions are limited to
600 words; must include the author’s name, phone
number, e-mail address, and city or neighborhood
of residence; and are subject to editing. To reprint a
Rockridge News article, please contact the editor.
ontinuing our neighborhood’s great,
ghoulish tradition, the Rockridge
District Association (RDA) and the
Rockridge Community
Planning Council (RCPC)
invite you to celebrate Hal-
loween on College Avenue!
From noon to 2:00 pm
on Sunday, October 28,
1:00 p.m., return to Hal-
loween Central for spooky
storytelling and silly, scary
sing-alongs. Don’t miss
this holiday fun for kids
of all ages!
Newsletter Advertising/Deadlines
Publication date of the next issue is
November 3, 2007
November deadline is October 18.
Advertising rates are $26/column inch. Six-
month pre-pay rate available. For display ads,
call Jo Ellis at 653-3210 (after noon), or e-mail
joellis1@hotmail.com. RCPC reserves the right to
refuse any display or classified ad that it deems
inappropriate. (Classified ad contact, page 14.)
3.
October 6, 2007
City Council to Hear
RCPC ‘Kingfish’
Project Appeal
Updates: RCPC’s Planning and Project
Review Committee (PPRC)
by Richard Smith, PPRC chairman
tation by Safeway at the Presbyterian Church
on College Avenue on June 21. Safeway’s
representatives say their architect has yet
to define development options. Conclusions
from the traffic study, which is reportedly
underway but will not be completed for a
month, are necessary before any serious
conceptual design work.
5248 Telegraph Avenue —
Kingfish Co-Housing Project
RCPC’s appeal to the City Council of the
Planning Commission’s approval of this proj-
ect is likely to be heard on October 16. See
“Kingfish Appeal” at right for details.
by Stuart Flashman, member, RCPC
board and RCPC Planning and Project
Review Committee
The Oakland City Council is scheduled
to hear RCPC’s appeal of the Oakland
Planning Commission’s approval of the
“Kingfish” mixed-use project on Clare-
mont Avenue on Tuesday, October 16. The
RCPC board is meanwhile negotiating with
the developer looking for a compromise
that would allow RCPC to withdraw its
appeal.
5175 Broadway —
Mixed-Use Project
A traffic study is now being reviewed by
Public Works. Also, the toxic site mitigation
program is underway and being reviewed.
These will probably lead to a Mitigated
Negative Declaration instead of an EIR
(Environmental Impact Report), with a public
hearing not likely until November.
Safeway —
Rockridge Center
Safeway gave a brief presentation and
community attendees asked a number of
questions. Special concern was expressed
about Safeway taking over the existing Longs
store, which most of the attendees strongly
opposed. Safeway says their store needs to
be rebuilt because of obsolete equipment and
furnishings. Also, the store layout does not
represent their current retail model. Their
biggest problem is the lack of parking, the
main reason for their interest in the Longs
site, which includes a large amount of park-
ing. (See “Safeway,” page 4.)
The Planning Commission approved
the project, to be located on the site of the
Kingfish Café and Pub, 5248 Telegraph
Avenue, at its July meeting. Because of
the building’s proposed five-story height,
the Planning Commission ruled there
was a conflict between the site’s current
zoning (C-28, four stories maximum) and
its General Plan designation (“community
commercial”) and chose what it designated
as a “best fit” zoning of C-45, which has
no height limit and does not rule out even
a high-rise residential tower.
5132 Telegraph — Hauser
Creekside (Global Video site)
City planning staff is now preparing an
Initial Study document that will lead to a
Focused EIR that will likely address traffic
and certain neighborhood impacts. The Ini-
tial Study and a scoping session for the EIR
will be the subject of a public hearing to be
held by the Planning Commission later this
year. No date has been set yet. The traffic
study may not be complete by the time of
the scoping session, but the scoping process
may add topics to the traffic study. Plan-
ning staff says its report on the applicant’s
request for a General Plan Determination
is expected to be completed soon.
Under-BART —
Rockridge Escalator Plaza
Preliminary design work for this plaza, at
the northeast corner of College and Shafter,
has begun and should be available for public
review in a couple of months.
Kingfish Appeal, page 10
¬
Trader Joe’s
An RCPC board member met with the
College Avenue Trader Joe’s new store
manager to discuss neighborhood concerns.
In response, Trader Joe’s hired a landscape
contractor for new plantings, and confirmed
truck delivery times after 6am and before
10pm. The Oakland Bicycle Safety Division,
working with RCPC, developed and submit-
ted a new bicycle parking plan to Trader
Joe’s, to accomodate over 20 bikes.
Construction work on the interior of the
store replacing the old Albertsons is still
underway. Occupancy is expected in
October.
The Zoning Counter
The Zoning Counter is a compilation of re-
cent applications filed with the Oakland
Planning Department. Individuals may contact
the case planner or the Planning Department
for additional information by phone or on-line
at www.oaklandnet.com.
Zoning Update —
Lower Temescal Corridor
City planning staff is still working on clari-
fying its recommendations after the Zoning
Update Committee (ZUC) hearing. The ZUC
voted to forward the issue to the full Planning
Commission with some unresolved issues.
RCPC is waiting for the staff report. A second
hearing date has not yet been set.
5615 Miles Avenue
Proposal: Replacement and small expansion
of a garage.
Contact: Greff Architects (Curt) 510/653-
4500
Owners: J. Adachi, J. Trendler
Planning Permits Required: Design
Review and Variances to allow reconstruction
and expansion of a residential garage to be
located 16 feet from the front property line
where where 20 feet is required and 0 feet
from the side property line where 5 feet is
required.
Historic Status: Potential Designated His-
toric Property (PDHP) Survey
Rating: CD2+
Case Planner: David Valeska, 510/238-2075
or dvaleska@oaklandnet.com
Safeway Reconstruction —
College & Claremont
There is not much to report since the presen-
$5 FREE DRYCLEANING with garment orders over $28
or $3 OFF orders over $15
Dry Cleaning only Present with incoming order
Garden Cleaners
5808 College Avenue, Oakland
EXPERT
SHIRT
LAUNDERING!
601-1188
Mon – Fri 7 – 7 • Sat 8 – 6
Across from Zachary’s Pizza
4.
October 6, 2007
Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore
Report Earns Ire, Possible Suit
Letters to the Editor
The Rockridge News welcomes letters to the editor. Your
name, address, phone number and e-mail address and
city/neighborhood must be included for verification.
Only your name will appear with your letter. Letters
may be edited for clarity and brevity.
by Ellen Peterson, RCPC boardmember
On August 29, Caltrans sent to Oakland its Response to Com-
ments, a document meant to answer questions and comments
by the city about the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)
of the Caldecott Improvement Project (also known as the proposed
fourth bore). Unfortunately, the document provided no additional
analysis, nor did it answer requests for additional information.
Consequently, the DEIR remains woefully inadequate. On Sep-
tember 12, Caltrans certified its Final EIR. The Final EIR is only
slightly more responsive to the issues raised in the Response to
Comments. As a result, Oakland and various neighborhood and
environmental groups are considering filing a lawsuit.
Anti-development rhetoric obscures mutual goals
Editor:
I agree with Jane Powell (Smart Growth, Green Building, or
Historic Preservation?, Rockridge News, September 8) that historic
preservation is more culturally and environmentally sustainable
than building a new “green” structure. Reusing existing resources
— buildings, cars, or clothing — is less harmful to the planet than
consuming new materials, however eco-friendly.
The bore will have a long-term impact on Rockridge. To get
involved, e-mail Ellen Peterson at fourthbore@rockridge.org.
Safeway to Build New Store on
Longs Pleasant Valley Site
Unfortunately, this crucial point is obscured by Powell’s anti-
development rhetoric. Claiming that infill or new development is
inherently bad does nothing to advance our community debate.
When Powell insists that “historic buildings are about the only
thing that gives cities a sense of place,” she overlooks the fact that
great cities have a variety of architectural forms that developed
over decades, and by the creation of community in old and new
settings.
by Cy Gulassa, RCPC boardmember
At a packed community meeting held in September, Safeway
real estate manager Todd Paradis told approximately 80 people
that Safeway plans to build a new store “from the ground up” on
the site now occupied by Longs Drugs at the Rockridge Shopping
Center, Broadway and Pleasant Valley Avenue. Safeway, while
not the shopping center landowner, is acting as the developer to
rebuild most of it.
Powell’s characterization of “infill” is also one-sided. She
argues that infill means tearing down a historic building to build
a new and larger (and therefore, uglier and worse) one. Many
infill buildings are constructed on vacant lots, which have been
correlated with crime and low property values. Even when infill
buildings replace older structures, they can be neighborhood assets
– like Adeline Apartments in Berkeley, which blends in with its
historic surroundings and provides affordable housing for people
with disabilities
Paradis said the Longs site is essential because it provides
adequate parking and will allow Safeway to build a bigger, more
modern facility with an expanded product line. Underground parking
is impractical, he said, because the site is a former rock quarry.
Paradis also said Safeway might build a discount gas station at
the site, an idea many people at the meeting opposed. Attendees
also expressed their desire that Longs remain a tenant because of its
diverse and reasonably priced wares, which appeal to a wide audience,
including lower income families living nearby. The future of Longs
is not clear because its lease is ending in 2011, Paradis said.
Powell’s equating of “infill” with “urban renewal” is also
dubious. “Urban renewal” is a term describing the government-
sponsored razing of neighborhoods, construction of freeways, and
massive rebuilding in many U.S. cities from the 1950s until the
1970s. The consequences included homelessness of thousands of
people (usually poor and of color), deserted downtowns, middle-
class flight and distrust of government. The construction of a few
condominiums in an affluent neighborhood is not comparable to
the publicly funded destruction of entire communities.
Safeway is not currently planning to build housing above the
new store – an idea that had been suggested by some neighborhood
groups – due to height restrictions in its lease.
Powell is right that population growth is driving development.
Increased intensity of land use is a reality for every urban and
suburban community, especially if we want to preserve open space
and farmland. Based on this realization, let us try to distribute the
impacts equitably, reuse before we build new, work cooperatively
with developers and keep our terms of debate clear and open.
— Gloria Bruce
Ed. Note: Bruce is a member of the RCPC board of directors.
She has submitted this letter for publication as a statement of her
own point of view, not necessarily that of the organization.
5.
October 6, 2007
Product of a Crime Wave, a Web
Magazine Flowers in Cyberspace
Within a month of its August 10 inaugu-
ration, the site was logging 75 hits per day
and boasted over 100 registered users. (Any
visitor can submit an article; registered users
have access to some additional features, like
entering reviews of businesses.)
Everything from security
systems to ancient myths
Each section’s “owner” can publish
submitted articles without going through
Bhatia. “The approach I’ve taken is a very
democratic, decentralized one,” he says.
There’s also a “Horse’s Mouth” section, for
writers who prefer bypassing section owners
or whose content doesn’t fit into any of the
established categories; Bhatia himself vets
such submissions.
by Janet Somers
During a crime wave here last spring,
Rockridge resident Vivek Bhatia, an
avid do-it-yourselfer, taught himself about
home security devices, then installed an
elaborate system in his house with nearly
70 sensors, five cameras and a host of
other gizmos and features. After noticing
an interest in alarm systems on the local
crime-watch newsgroup, he began posting
information there about his set-up.
Bhatia has spent about $500 so far for
software to run the site (much of it was free)
and pays $6 per month to a web hosting
service. He refuses to accept contributions
towards the expense, citing his aversion to
being beholden to anyone. He has spent
about 50 hours so far to set up the site, but
expects that to decrease to a couple of hours
per week as it stabilizes.
Webmaster Vivek Bhatia and his
family relax between postings on-
line. Photo courtesy of Vivek Bhatia.
sidents.org, as it is called, does contain a
section on crime and home security. But
Bhatia also scans in and posts local res-
taurants’ take-out menus. Other people in
the neighborhood are running sections on
topics like green living and finances.
“My system will page me every time
someone arms or disarms the security
system, I can log in to my server to see
where there’s motion in the house, [and] if
something is remiss I can pull up the CCTV
on my cellphone,” Bhatia wrote in one of
the ebullient, sometimes arcane messages
for which he quickly became known.
In homage to Lincoln’s Gettysburg
Address, Bhatia dubbed RockridgeResidents.
org with the motto “By the Residents, For
the Residents.”
“We have 30 columns, 40 recipes and
50 articles in 12 sections,” Bhatia said last
month on the site’s one-month anniversary,
with a mixture of pride and disbelief.
Soon, people were asking him for
advice on security equipment for their own
homes. Bhatia, who by day manages large
projects for Blue Shield, decided to hold a
seminar. “I thought, I’ll just whip together a
PowerPoint,” he says. More than 50 people
answered an announcement for his second
class, held at the Rockridge library. About
25 showed up, some from surrounding areas
like Montclair and Lakeshore.
“What’s fun about it is seeing all of
Rockridge getting engaged as a community,
even though we’re a highly diverse collec-
tion of individuals,” he says.
The eclectic site blossomed swiftly but
organically. “As soon as I brought up the
idea, I heard, ‘Hey, what about a green
section?’ ‘What about animals?’” Bhatia
recalls. “‘If you’re building it, why couldn’t
you also do this other stuff?’”
For information or to contribute visit
www.RockridgeResidents.org or e-mail web-
master@RockridgeResidents.org. RR.org’s
next “swarm” (which Bhatia defines as
a gathering of Rockridge residents who
fly around and get buzzed) is on October
19. Check the site for details as the date
approaches.
Bhatia listened to the requests. He also
accepted help from anyone who expressed
interest. “Nine people volunteered to help
me build this,” he says. (Full disclosure: I
helped out in the early stages.)
The resounding interest, combined with
the difficulty of coordinating the meet-
ings, prompted Bhatia to create a website
devoted to signups for his (free) courses
and publication of the training materials
he’d put together. “E-mails, yahoo groups
– the logistics were killing me,” he recalls.
He launched the site in August.
Chabot Elementary Plans Annual Fall
Carnival and 80th Birthday Party
Now, two months later, Bhatia finds him-
self running an online community magazine
with content ranging from ancient Indian
myths to dumpling recipes. RockridgeRe-
Mon – Fri 9:30 – 6:00
Sat 9:30 – 5:00
CHIMES
PHARMACY
Serving Rockridge Since 1909
3210 College Avenue
Near Alcatraz
652-1990
and special community celebration. The
birthday party kicks off a year of events
including an alumni reunion in 2008.
All community and alumni
invited to the celebration
Games, Food, Music, Rides and More:
The Chabot Elementary School PTA
hosts the school’s annual Fall Carnival
on Sunday, October 28, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
at the school at 6686 Chabot Road (at
Patton). Admission is free, with modest
prices for delicious food and games for
all ages.
The Fall Carnival features activity
booths sponsored by every class, from
kindergarten through 5th grade, as well
as prizes, arts and crafts, delicious
homemade food and cold beverages.
In addition to the birthday celebration,
entertainment will include music by the
band Professional Help, a visit from the
fire department, and surprise guests.
Fall 2007 is also the 80th birthday of
the school. This major anniversary will
be marked at 1 p.m. with a birthday cake
More details about the Fall Carnival are
available at www.chabotelementary.org.
.
October 6, 2007
New District?
“The term ‘community benefit district’ is often used to
refer to property-based improvement districts, which
by law must serve the properties from which they draw
their revenue, rather than the larger community.”
from page
It said the current $150,000 per year which
the RDA receives through the existing Busi-
ness Improvement District (BID), from set
fees for each business license, is not enough
to support needed projects. The letter went
on to suggest that a CBD, financed through
property assessments, would be a good way
to produce the needed funding. The RDA’s
letter to property owners, signed by RDA
President Sara Wilson and RDA consultant
and Executive Director Marco Li Mandri,
cited as a further reason for the CBD “the
need for ongoing input into land use deci-
sions that affect properties in the area.” It
did not specify what land use decisions
these might be.
The process of forming the CBD, the
letter explained, entails a survey
(included with the letter), adoption of a plan
specifying the services to be funded, a peti-
tion drive to win endorsement of the plan,
and formal polling of property owners by
mailed ballot. It said the process would be
completed by July 2008. The creation of the
CBD would require the support of at least
half the property owners – not merchants
– within the proposed district boundaries,
with the votes to be weighted according to
parcel size plus building square footage
and street frontage. The largest landowners
on College Avenue are BART/CalTrans,
Safeway, ASR Tx Lease (the Trader Joe’s
site), the Wilson Associates (Market Hall,
etc.) and Dreyer’s. The California College
of the Arts owns significant square footage,
including property at College Point and the
Poppy Fabrics building, but its total amount
is unknown.
The RDA board allocated $15,000 of its
budget this year — money collected from
the businesses that make up the current
BID — toward exploring replacement of
the BID with a CBD. To date, the RDA’s
communications appear to be aimed at
property owners who would be voting on the
new district. Several small College Avenue
merchants, when interviewed for this article,
expressed shock at the news of the possible
CBD, though none wished to be quoted.
The June 26 letter regarding the proposed
CBD was not sent to non-property owning
merchants, who constitute the large majority
of business owners in the district.
In a CBD, property ownership is the
determining factor in both assessments and
decision making. Currently, merchants vote
for the board of directors of the RDA, which
serves as the advisory board of the Business
Improvement District. With a CBD in place,
College Avenue merchants who do not own
the properties where their businesses are
located would bear much of the financial
burden of the assessments, because of the
standard “pass through” clause contained
in most commercial leases; yet they would
have no say or representation in decisions
about which projects are undertaken, or the
size of the annual assessments. All these
matters would be decided by the advisory
board of the CBD – e.g., a reorganized RDA
– which in turn would be responsible to the
property owners, who would be weighted
in the manner described above. The non-
property owning merchants would also be
powerless to vote to dissolve the district.
The existing Business Improvement Dis-
trict, as the name implies, includes and
assesses only businesses and professionals
with business licenses. The proposed CBD,
on the other hand, would include and assess
by size all property within its boundaries,
including residential properties and publicly
owned properties like the Rockridge Branch
Library. There are about 200 residential
units on College Avenue that could face
rent increases if landlords pass the cost of
assessments on to their tenants.
Li Mandri’s consulting firm, San-Diego
based New City America, specializes in
“the facilitation and growth of street-based
urban business districts,” according to its
website, www.newcityamerica.com. New
City America acts as consultant to many
BID and CBD groups. An alliance of West
Berkeley residents and small business people
recently protested a proposal, developed by
Li Mandri’s firm, to form a West Berkeley
CBD headed by developers and large prop-
erty owners including Bayer. The proposed
West Berkeley CBD would allocate $60,000
to lobby on land use issues like zoning. West
Berkeley residents expect heavy lobbying
paid for by CBD funds on behalf of develop-
ment-minded property owners to challenge
their current zoning. Because they do not
want to see Emeryville-scale development
occur, they have formed a coalition with
the small businesses in their area to stop
formation of a CBD.
The Rockridge News will continue to
report to the community on the impacts of
replacing the current Rockridge area BID
with a property-based assessment district.
SIMPLIFY!
a
Clutter Control
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
the Rockridge community
in lifestyle and service.
Paper/Filing Systems
Kitchens/Closets
Space Planning
Packing/Unpacking
Solutions for the critical mess
College Avenue Presbyterian Church
Non-Judgmental & Confidential
5951 College Avenue, Oakland 510 658-3665
Sunday worShip 10:30 aM • ViSit: capcchurch.org
www.SummersOrganizing.com
Barbara ✔ 415-381-0707
our wonderful coMMunity Meal, fridayS, 6-7pM
a great opportunity to SerVe
.
October 6, 2007
Rockridge
Photographers on
and Emeryville. Their books will be
available for purchase. If you are keen
on local history, don’t miss the “Second
Thursdays” lecture series at the Chapel
of the Chimes on Piedmont Avenue.
Go to www.oaklandheritage.org for
subject information. While there, check
out this year’s OHA (Oakland Heritage
Alliance) House Tour program slated
for Sunday October 28.
Call OHA at 510/763-9218 now to be
a tour volunteer. It’s a nice way to see
The
Rockridge
Muse
Display
The annual Rockridge Photography
Show is underway, October 1-31
at the Rockridge library. Participants
include Martha Snyder, Lydia Gans, Karena
Doan, Robert Hofmann , Susan Olmsted
and Irving Wiltshire. There will be a
reception for the artists on Tuesday,
October 9 6-8 p.m. at the library gallery,
the hospitality to be continued
across the street at Hudson
Bay Café to satisfy those in
a party mood.
by Ortrun Niesar
the featured homes for free and
meet fellow history buffs.
Poetry Readings
Last year I wrote an article
about Murray Silverstein and his
new collection of poetry entitled
“Any Old Wolf,” which had been
chosen in 2005 for publication
by Sixteen Rivers Press. 2007
has brought us two additional
Rockridge poets selected by
their peers at Sixteen Rivers:
Helen Wickes and Nina Lindsay.
Both poets have been published
in numerous national quarterlies
and journals, but these are
their first books of poetry. They will be
reading from their collections, positively
deep hued and delicious, entitled “In
Search of Landscape” and “Today’s
Special Dish,” at Diesel Bookstore on
Sunday, October 7, at 3 p.m. Sixteen
Rivers Press is a cooperatively run press
dedicated to publishing the work of Bay
Area poets. It was founded by a group
of seven writers in 1999. By now they
have 15 excellent publications and much
literary acclaim to their credit.
Learn more about them at www.
sixteenrivers.org
House Concerts
Hang up your iPod and
rediscover the joy of live
acoustic music listened to
among a circle of like-minded
friends in real spaces. House
concerts are a Rockridge
tradition. You need to look
for them, ask around, but
eventually you will be amply
rewarded for your efforts. Here
are two venues for starters.
KATastroPHE’s Florio Street Concerts
are back in action this year, beginning
on October 14 with a presentation of
the Peter Horvath Jazz Trio. Call Kathy
Westine at 601-9631 for information
and reservations.
Also, Wisteria Ways has been holding
forth for the past year in a lovely home
and garden setting at 383 61st Street.
There will be a concert on Sunday,
October 14 at 3 p.m., by Blame Sally
(Americana/Pop) with Pam Delgado, Renee
Harcourt, Jeri Jones and Monica Pasqual.
Check it out at www.WisteriaWays.org.
or call 510/655-2771. Reservations are
recommended.
Rockridge as History
Perhaps you have already picked up a
copy of “Rockridge,” compiled and written
by Robin and Tom Wolf for Arcadia’s
Images of America series. Look for the
distinctive sepia-toned cover at Diesel
or Pendragon and at Chimes Pharmacy,
Bosco’s, Village Market and even at the
College Avenue Union 76 station. To
celebrate, the Rockridge library will hold
a History Fest on Saturday, October
27, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. with a talk
and slide show by three local history
authors. Robin Wolf, Annalee Allen
and Don Hausler will present tales and
images of historic Rockridge, Oakland
Ortrun Niesar can be reached at oniesar@sbc-
global.net or 510/652-6664.
YOU MAY LIVE 30 YEARS
PAST RETIREMENT.
ARE YOU PREPARED?
Rockridge Resident
[24778-v1-0668]RP-260-0805
Leila S. Gough,AssociateVice President-Investments
1999 Harrison, Suite 2050 • Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 452-8060
www.agedwards.com/fc/leila.gough
2004 A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. • Member SIPC
8.
October 6, 2007
Elizabeth Opalenik Transformed the Art of ‘Mordançage’
three-dimensional effect
often resembling super-
imposed veils.
how one would photograph
those concepts, she answers,
with a smile, “That’s why pho-
tography is a metaphor and a
self-portrait.”
“It’s slime, basically,”
she says of the goop,
which is thinner than
eggwhite and which she
manipulates, drop by
drop, with an eyedrop-
per, sometimes spending
dozens of hours to pro-
duce one image. “You rock
the tray, move the water;
rock the tray, move the
water,” she says. “It’s like
a meditation.”
Opalenik’s book, which
sells for $75, is available in local
bookstores and through her
website, www.opalenik.com.
Images by Elizabeth
Opalenik from her
recently published book
“Poetic Grace: Elizabeth
Opalenik Photographs
1979 – 2007.” Left: “I’ll fly
away” (mordançage black-
and-white photographic
image); below: “Cala with
heart” (black-and-white
photo).
Elizabeth Opalenik in her
Rockridge studio.
Photo: Rockridge News staff
by Rockridge News staff
P
Opalenik believes
all photography is self-
portraiture. That makes the
contrast between her tough
persona and her tender artwork
seem all the more incongruous.
But she says it’s the inner image
she’s after.
hotographic artist Elizabeth
Opalenik favors cowboy
boots and jeans, speaks in an
earthy voice and once worked
as a handywoman and car-
penter. But the 60-year-old
Rockridge resident’s photo-
graphic images, a sampling of
which have just been released
in her book, “Poetic Grace:
Elizabeth Opalenik Photo-
graphs 1979 – 2007,” exhibit a
surprising delicacy.
workshops all over the world,
including yearly courses in
Provençe and for National
Geographic Expeditions. She
also teaches privately, and
paid for self-publishing the
book – which she says devoted
students urged her to put
together – through pre-sales
of 500 copies to them.
“It’s a self-portrait about
who you think you are and how
you see yourself,” she says. “All
photographs are metaphors for
your life experience. We don’t
see the world as it is; we see it
as we are.”
“I always ask my students,
‘If you were going on a space
ship and all you could take
were four images, what would
you choose?’” When asked the
question herself by one of her
teachers early in her career, she
chose “love, kindness, my child-
hood and knowledge.” Asked
Opalenik specializes in, and
has transformed, a process
called “mordançage,” wherein
the silver emulsion on a photo-
sensitive page is removed — or,
in her contribution to the art,
moved around — to create a
Opalenik’s work has been
shown in more than 60 interna-
tional exhibitions and profiled
in many major photographic
publications. She teaches
2ELEASE TENSION AND
REVITALIZE YOURSELF WITH
%XPERIENCE
4HE !RT OF
"EING 0RESENT
3UPPORT BODY
MIND AND FEELINGS
%VMXJDI3PBE
0BLMBOE
$"
3ELF
"REEMA
EXERCISE CLASSES
IUUQXXXBVSPSBTDIPPMPSH
.POEBZTQN
8FEOFTEBZTBN
"VSPSB4DIPPM
*OGPSNBUJPO/JHIU
TO WORK TOGETHER
4BUVSEBZTBN
QFSDMBTT ZPVSmSTUDMBTTJTGSFF
QN
/PWFNCFS
BY PRACTICING
3ELF
"REEMA
$PNFNFFUUIF"VSPSB5FBDIFSTBOE
4QFDJBMJTUTUPIFBSBCPVUPVSXPOEFSGVM
QSPHSBNT7JTJUPVSCFBVUJGVMDMBTTSPPNT
XIFSFZPVDBOTQFBLEJSFDUMZXJUI"VSPSB
TUBGGUPIBWFZPVSRVFTUJPOTBOTXFSFEBOE
5IF#SFFNB$FOUFS
EXERCISES
$MBSFNPOU"WF
!$PMMFHF
XXXCSFFNBDPN
MFBSONPSFBCPVU"VSPSB4DIPPM
+PO4DISFJCFS
%$
%JSFDUPSt*O3PDLSJEHFTJODF
'PSNPSFJOGPSNBUJPODPOUBDU-JTB1JDDJPOFBU
YPSMJTB!BVSPSBTDIPPMPSH
9.
October 6, 2007
rk Corner
a
Pgreenbelt. To keep the water flowing (liter-
ally), we have to prevent dams and clogging
and flooding by keeping the culverts and
grates clear. Removing dams can actually
be nearly as fun as making them. If you see
others putting things into the creek, remind
them that what goes in our faux creek must
come out. FROG has organized volunteers
to keep the creek and the grates clear. Want
to volunteer? Please contact FROG chair-
woman Jennifer Cooper at 653-6581.
G
A monthly update on
what’s happening at the
FRO
best community-built
and maintained
park in Oakland
by Jennifer Cooper
Picnic and Cleanup Day Brings
Community Together
M
Why Isn’t the Creek Flowing?
End of Volunteer
Wisteria Pruning at
Rockridge Library
The creek was shut down last month due
to maintenance and an electrical problem.
The current arrangement with the city and
Alameda County Flood Control has the
creek running from April 15 to October 15.
It does not run during the winter months due
to flooding, mechanical problems and other
issues. A committee from FROG is working
to get the creek flowing year round.
ore than 100 people gathered for the
first Picnic in the Park on Sunday,
September 9. With rakes and brooms
donated by Rockridge Kids, children and
adults tidied up the park before enjoying a
picnic, fresh from the Temescal Farmer’s
Market. For children, it was a way to “give
back” to the park that welcomes them all
year. Apple bobbing, ice cream, spoon races
and even children’s yoga helped make it a
spirited day. Look for the next Picnic in the
Park in the spring.
Maintenance Day
by Pat Lichter,
Rockridge library branch manager
Falling down on the job? Not horticultural-
ist Peter Bowyer and his colleagues, all
members of the Merritt College Aesthetic
Pruning Club (www.aestheticpruning.org).
For the past six years, these professionals
and trainees have volunteered to prune and
train the wisteria fronting Rockridge library
– a TALL order!
The creek flowing through the Rockridge-
Temescal Greenbelt is a faux creek. Water
from Temescal Creek is pumped up to the
surface at Hardy Park, where the pond is
located. The water then travels below ground,
under the greenbelt, to the other side of Clifton
Street, where it surfaces. It travels along the
surface in the greenbelt by the DMV, under
Cavour Street, then above ground along
Clarke Street all the way to Redondo Park,
at the corner of Redondo and Clarke.
Why does FROG park look so great?
Because of volunteers! We had a very suc-
cessful Fall Maintenance Day on September
15, with a large part of the work done by
freshman and senior volunteers from College
Preparatory High School. Many important
tasks were completed, including cleaning
and resealing the play structures, turning
over all the wood chips and putting in new
plants. Thanks also to Clinton Pugh of the
City of Oakland, our favorite park main-
tenance employee, for his help in keeping
our greenbelt looking great.
However, the city’s concern about liabil-
ity for volunteers on ladders has ended this
project. Our local city garden crew, com-
mitted to keeping up Peter’s good work,
will be taking over.
Temescal Creek used to flow along the
area where the greenbelt currently is. Back
in the ’70s, Temescal Creek was put below
ground in a large concrete culvert. Later,
Alameda County and the city of Oakland
agreed to create a faux creek for our area,
which evolved into today’s greenbelt.
Peter, who trains horticultural students
through volunteer projects throughout
Northern California, specializes in aesthetic
pruning and bonsai and Japanese gardening.
A longtime volunteer in city of Oakland
gardens, he will continue his oversight
of volunteer projects at the Lake Merritt
Japanese Garden.
The creek is an important part of the
Peter and friends put in years of TLC and
expertise – and it shows. Rockridge library
extends a huge thank you to Peter and friends
for all that TLC for our wisteria. The com-
munity appreciates the beautiful results.
Regency Antique Restoration
Professional and Experienced
ALL Furniture Repairs
In-Home Services
New finishes & waxing
FREE ESTIMATES
Pickup & Delivery
534-0603
Bruce Wagg
bruce@bayareaantiques.com
10.
October 6, 2007
be extended up Claremont through the rest
of Rockridge.
gets closer. Unless an acceptable compro-
mise on the project can be reached, RCPC
encourages Rockridge residents to attend
the council meeting on October 16 and
express their opinions about whether this
project should go forward as approved, or
should be modified to be more compatible
with the surrounding neighborhood.
Kingfish Appeal
The board is also concerned about vari-
ances that have been approved for the project,
reducing its setbacks from neighboring
properties below the minimum allowed by
current zoning. If neighboring properties
are later redeveloped similarly, the closely-
spaced buildings could end up looking and
feeling like tenements rather than an attrac-
tive residential neighborhood.
from page
Commercial use is planned for the
building’s first floor, with the upper four
stories devoted to 33 condominium units
currently intended as “co-housing” (shared
living space).
Council meetings are held at Oakland
City Hall, One Frank Ogawa Plaza, 3rd
Floor, 7 p.m. Call 510/444-CITY(2489) for
additional information, or Councilwoman
Jane Brunner’s office at 238-7001.
The RCPC board does not object to a
mixed-use project on the site and supports
co-housing for the residential portion.
However, the board opposes the five-story
height (almost 60 feet) as too tall for Cla-
remont Avenue. The building’s five stories,
as well as the C-45 zoning, set an unwise
precedent for future development that could
Check the RCPC website (http://www.
rockridge.org) for updates as the appeal date
Small Office Specialists
Small Office Specialists
For a kitchen,
consult a kitchen expert.
For a closet,
find a closet designer.
For your office,
come to us.
5933 College Ave. (off Claremont) Oakland, 510-654-9500
WWW.GALVINS.COM
1265 Veterans Blvd., Redwood City, 650-365-7800
For Sale
3877 Howe St. #206, Oakland
New Market Strategies
Jeff Auen, Realtor
Reduced to $339,000
Seller Motivated : Incentives
for Buyers and Sellers
Residential and
Income Properties
Jaoffice@comcast.net
• Comprehensive Market Strategy
2BR/1BA, 935 sq ft;
new paint, new carpet;
walk to Piedmont Avenue
for Sellers and Buyers
• Renovation Consultation for
Straight Talk
Resale and Purchase
• Over 200 Vendor References
Fatima N. Ali
E-MAIL: Buyali@aol.com
Creative
Solutions
www.JLAHomes.com
510-207-3711
from floors to kitchens
• 60-Step Marketing and
Pre-Sale Plan for Owners
• Over 30 articles free at:
1-800-805-8827
Results
Jeff Auen
www.JLAHomes.com
THE COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Norman H. Burg, DDS
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
Saturday, November 3, 2007 1pm
Sunday, November 18, 2007 1pm
Sunday, December 2, 2007 1pm
RSVP not required. Everyone welcome.
A Prevention Oriented Practice
6100 Broadway Oakland CA 94618 (510) 652-4364 www.college-prep.org
11.
October 6, 2007
Susan Bernosky LUTCF
Insurance Agent
(510) 450-9050
5940 COLLEGE AVE #A
OAKLAND
susanbernosky@allstate.com
CA Lic: 0738807,0D34069
Call me today to see how you can save
when you combine your auto policies.
(Spend more on your honeymoon).
Notary Public available
Insurance and savings subject to availability and qualifications.
Savings applies to most major coverages. Allstate Indemnity
Company: Northbrook, IL.
©2004 Allstate Insurance Company.
Over-the-Top Satirical Musical
Comedy Featuring Bush and Co.
Opening at La Peña
by Rockridge News staff
“B
ovation in Bolinas in 2004. Polissar has
updated it with a second act covering Bush’s
re-election and the war itself.
y George, It’s War!,” an antiwar
satirical musical comedy by Bolinas
composer Dale Polissar, opens in its second
incarnation for four performances at La Peña
in Berkeley starting October 14.
Polissar has a master’s in music composi-
tion from Stanford and is a jazz clarinetist
and former reporter for the Lodi News Sen-
tinel; he received a Marin Arts Foundation
grant for the original show. Choreography is
by Doree Clark, of Stag Door Dance Studio
in Sausalito. The band includes Bolinas and
former Rockridge resident Tom Williard.
The over-the-top satire includes scenes of
Bush and Cheney eavesdropping on lovers
(“Listening to the People”), a magic wizard
changing election results with a wave of
his computer-mouse wand (“Hacker to the
King”), and the “Republican Men’s Chorus”
in a dark number, menacingly waving their
golf clubs.
“By George, It’s War!” plays at La
Peña three Sundays, October 14, 21, 28
and Thursday, October 25, at 7:30. Tickets
are $14-$20. La Peña is at 3105 Shattuck
Avenue, Berkeley. The show moves to 142
Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley for
four performances in November, where all
tickets are $20.
Polissar says the piece is not just against
the war but also expresses hope for saving
the beauty of the world we live in. The show,
originally written as one act covering the
run-up to the Iraq war, received a standing
YOUR FINANCIAL LIFE GOES BEYOND
STOCKS AND BONDS. SHOULDN’T YOUR
Pilates Plus
FINANCIAL STRATEGY DO THE SAME?
HALLIE HART, CFP®, FINANCIAL ADVISOR
Pilates
Gyrotonic
Strength and Flexibility Training
510-208-3823
MERRILL LYNCH
1111 BROADWAY, 22ND FLOOR
®
OAKLAND, CA 94607
5255 College Avenue
Oakland CA 94618
www.pilatesoncollege.com
CFP® is a certification mark owned by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.
Total Merrill (design/words) is a registered service mark/service mark of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
© 2007 Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated. Member, SIPC.
510 . 420 . 1412
3rd Quarter Sales In Rockridge Look Good Compared To Last Year!
Sale Date
Address
bed/ba
Original List
Final SP
DOM
09/12/07
5923 Colby St
3/1
$799,000
$1,000,000
12
09/27/07
5905 Claremont Ave
4/2
$1,200,000
$1,200,000
14
09/29/07
373 63rd Street
3/1
$749,000
$855,000
8
15% of the sales were priced reduced 3rd quarter 2007 compared to
22% last year. Currently there is a 3 month supply of inventory in
Rockridge for an average of 6 buyers who are purchasing per month.
Median Sales Price increased by 1% from 895,000 last year to $901,000
this year. However, unlike most of the Bay Area, sales in Rockridge
did increase from 27 last year to 33 this year – a 22% increase
2007 3nd Qtr Stats:
Avge days on market:
17 days compared to
24 days in 2006
Average List/Sell:
107% compared to
103% in 2006
12.
October 6, 2007
Brunner/Zoning
will change with this zoning update?
JB: I don’t believe that the majority of
Rockridge is going to change at all. Nobody
has talked to me about changing the zoning
for College Avenue.
RN: How about Claremont Avenue?
JB: Claremont, only going up a little from
Telegraph, and that became part of the
Temescal zoning discussion; and I know
that you consider that part of Rockridge.
RN: Right now, the General Plan shows
all of Claremont being residential, and I
understand that the current zoning update
proposal would change that.
JB: When we started the Telegraph zoning
project, we did not really discuss Clare-
mont very much, and then [when] we got
the proposal from staff, they had added
Claremont.
RN: Was there a rationale for adding
that in?
JB: You really ought to ask staff about that,
but what I recall is that it had to do with
the connection to Telegraph Avenue, the
width of the street, the types of businesses
but the General Plan says something
different?
JB: Well, that is what I was explaining
before: what has been happening is the
Planning Commission that we have, that
was put in by Mayor Brown, has generally
used the fact that the General Plan says to
do major development along major cor-
ridors to say that the General Plan gives
them the right to approve these various
developments regardless of the zoning.
That’s why I asked, a year ago, to start the
zoning update on Telegraph and Broadway
– two areas where we’re starting to see big
development.
RN: So if the zoning isn’t being followed,
then there’s no guidance about what should
be approved.
JB: Right. There’s ambiguity; so you’re left
with whoever happens to be at the Plan-
ning Commission and the City Council at
the time. The Planning Commission has
been clearly stating, “We want develop-
ment along the major corridors,” and that
means height. They believe that is where
it belongs.
RN: Do you think the zoning for Rockridge
from page
things like that.
RN: So, essentially it’s looking at what
ought to be happening in the future for
land use in the area.
JB: Right. Right now you have the Gen-
eral Plan. That has very broad statements,
like we want building to occur along the
major [transportation] corridors, and we
want density along the major corridors.
And then you have zoning which says, on
Telegraph Avenue, for example, that there
should only be a maximum of three or four
stories. And they contradict each other. So
what the Planning Commission has done is
follow the General Plan and give variances
to some new construction. So what we’ve
been trying to do for the last year is have
a dialogue about what exactly the General
Plan is saying and what exactly is the zoning
that the city is going to propose — the city
being [Planning Director] Claudia Cappio
and the Planning Division, having talked to
developers and talked to neighbors.
RN: This is a bit of an aside, but why did
it take ten years for the city to get around
to doing the zoning update?
JB: The main reason is that the mayor at the
time gave direction to the planning staff to
work on major development projects and
not to take time to do the rezoning. The
City Council, and particularly [Council-
man] Henry Chang, has been asking for
eight years to do the rezoning. Since there
wasn’t that much development going on in
North Oakland, it wasn’t until the develop-
ment really started about a year ago that
it became clear, in North Oakland, how
important it was to do the rezoning.
RN: So what does happen now in North
Oakland, when a development project is
proposed and the zoning says one thing,
Brunner/Zoning, next page
¬
Based here in Rockridge,
we specialize in:
Architectural remodels/additions
Gardens/outdoor spaces
New construction
www.AboutInsideOut.com 510.655.7674
13.
October 6, 2007
Brunner/Zoning
and that’s the discussion.
RN: I think that in the back of many
people’s mind, when they think about
all this extra density, is the traffic issue:
whether the streets can handle all the
traffic if you build up all this density. Is
the city thinking about this at all?
JB: The city is, and I haven’t heard yet what
the proposal will be from the city about
dealing with the cumulative effect of all
these projects; and that could be good or
bad. The good thing is they’ll do a traffic
study and take whatever actions need to
be done to address traffic problems. But
that may also mean that we don’t redo our
zoning until the study is done, which could
mean another year or two in the meantime
with no rules.
RN: I take it from all this that you feel the
zoning update is pretty important.
JB: I basically think that what’s needed from
all of us is that we really need to finish doing
the zoning because I think this deciding it
project by project is very contentious and
is not helping to bring the neighborhood
together. So I am concerned that we get the
zoning done as fast as possible, so that we
can have rules and guidelines and so the
Planning Commission knows, “These are
the rules and guidelines.”
RN: Any final thoughts about the future
of land use in Rockridge?
JB: You know, every once in awhile,
developers come and say, “You know, the
Rockridge BART Station – we really should
develop that.” Basically, my answer is,
“People are pretty happy with the Rockridge
BART Station.” It is the model that is used
nationally; whenever there is one of these
big conferences about transit villages,
they point to Rockridge as an example.
Rockridge happened naturally, so you
have to be very careful if you’re going to
change it. On the other hand, in Temescal,
the MacArthur BART could really use a
transit village, and I’m really excited that
that’s what we’re doing there. We have a
private developer, it’s going to be a major
development, and it’s very exciting.
from previous page
there now, those kind of things.
RN: What about the upper segment of
Broadway, above College Avenue?
JB: Upper Broadway is currently residential
and consistent with the General Plan, so
there’s no need to make changes.
RN: There has been a lot of talk about
“smart growth,” and there are a fair number
of people in the Rockridge/Temescal area
who believe that we should be pushing for
higher density in the area.
JB: Yes, there are, and it’s split, actually.
It’s interesting, because I hear from both
sides. There are a lot of young people in
the Temescal area, and their argument is
that they can’t afford houses; they’re going
to have to live in condos, and they believe
that in order to live in our neighborhood
we need to have more building, and they
don’t mind the height. And then there are
other people who’ve lived there much
longer, who live in single-family homes
and are concerned about how high the
buildings on Telegraph are going to be.
I think the debate is between people who
want to see four stories max and those
who want to see heights up to five stories
with a setback, or maybe even six stories,
PPRC
from page
way on College Avenue; and the incoming
Trader Joe’s, at the former Albertsons site,
on College Avenue. PPRC volunteers will
also monitor planning commission activity
for zoning changes that could affect build-
ing height and other regulations.
Faced with these and other development
projects, RCPC urges interested neighbors to
attend the Town Hall meeting on Thursday,
October 18, at 7:30 p.m. at the Rockridge
library. The meeting will include a discus-
sion about the PPRC and pending projects,
and seek community input. The PPRC will
also discuss recent activity on the city’s
Zoning Update Committee (ZUC).
Rebecca Lueck, LCSW
Individual and
Family Counseling
COLLINS ROOFING
(415) 235-1071
Located at College and Alcatraz
Family Owned & Operated
Rockridge
Located on Market Hall’s Lower Level
Treating relationship issues,
anxiety, depression, panic disorders,
482-2227 Seamus
www.collinsroofing.com
Quality Work • Free Estimates
Entry on Shafter Avenue
510-655-8808
childhood trauma, grief, infertility
and adoption, and addictions.
Open 7 Days
Mon- Fri 6:00 -7:30
Sat & Sun 8:00 - Noon
Free Parking!
Across from BART
Sliding scale : Insurance accepted
Lic # 695711
WINSTON’S PLUMBING
HEATING & ELECTRICAL
lic.# 537739/554406
Since 1979
• Trenchless Sewers
• Earthquake Protection
• Tankless Water Heaters
• Remodel & Repair
510-652-8014
www.winstonsplumbing.com
“”May your toilet never runneth over!”
14.
October 6, 2007
Educational Therapy for
Adolescents and Adults
Shawn Usha provides assessment, intervention,
and tutoring to set the challenged learner on
the path to learning success by developing
the necessary tools, self-knowledge, atti-
tude, and skills. www.iknowhowtolearn.com
510/450-0646.
Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message is $20. (Phone number
counts as one word). Mail to: RN Classifieds,
Pop Singing Classes for Girls
New eight-week session – “A Pop Xmas”. Girls,
9-13. Popular holiday tunes, vocal technique,
group dynamics. Thursdays, 6:45-7:45, Oct
18-Dec 6. Performance Friday, Dec 7. Classes
held at Harmony Road Music School, Oakland.
Lisa 510/653-0107.
5245 College Avenue, PMB 311, Oakland,
CA 94618. November deadline is October 18.
For information: e-mail smontauk@gmail.com
Home Repair Expert
Carpentry, remodeling. Doors and windows,
glass and locks, small electrical, plumbing jobs,
drywall, painting, fences, decks and other odd
jobs. Good rates. Rick 510/761-7168.
St. Augustine Roman
Catholic Church
Fr. Mark Wiesner, Pastor, 400 Alcatraz Avenue,
Oakland, CA 94609, Parish Office: 510/653-
8631, Saintaugustinechurch@comcast.net.
Saturday Sacrament of Reconciliation – 4:00-
4:30 pm; Saturday Vigil, 5:00 pm; Sunday
Eucharist—8:00 am. and 10:30 am.
Housecleaning Cooperative
Reasonable rates. Expert & reliable service
from local employment cooperative. Call
499-5836 and we’ll send someone to spiff
up your home. Ask for our references from
Rockridge clients.
Decorative Painting
Faux finish, murals, wood graining, color con-
sultation, fireplaces and cabinetry. Beautiful
creative interior finishes in Rockridge since
1990. Painting workshop September 23. Deco-
art, 652-0683. Carolinestern.com.
Low Stress Carmel Getaway
Comfortable, cheery 3BR+2BA family home
available for short-term rental. Fully fur-
nished from piano to ping pong, sunny patio.
Quiet, peaceful—pines, oaks, birds. Only
two hours away. Reasonable weekly rates.
510/547-1856.
Seniors in Transition
Moving On provides personalized service
designed to assist and support seniors who
are ready to sort their lifetime possessions in
preparation for moving. Ten-hour minimum.
Call Lynn, 510/527.7732.
Jazz & Classical Piano Lessons
Rockridge jazz pianist with UC Berkeley
music B.A. offers lessons in jazz, blues, clas-
sical, music theory, ear-training, technique.
Experienced, patient teacher, all ages/levels.
Janet 510/653-6783.
Do You Need a Petsitter
for Vacation or Holiday?
Our service provides your pet(s) and property
with care by a loving pet professional. Bonded
and insured. Call 510/386-3163.
Unexpected Guests?
Short-term rental, lovely room 2 blocks from
Rockridge BART in owner’s flat. Wi-fi, cable,
TV. Suitable for one person. Photos available.
Barbird@aol.com 510/652-7044.
Kitchens
Handyman
Carpentry, electrical, Kitchen, bath, decks,
fence, drainage, foundation repair, windows,
walls, dry rot, termite damage. Lic#458473
Don 510/812-0310.
• Design
• Remodeling
• Showroom Sales
Manicure & Pedicure
We use Zoya polish which does not contain
formaldehyde or toluene or DBT. Call Halina
@ Milagro Salon, 5269 Broadway @ College.
510/593-5080. Mention this ad and receive a
10% discount.
www.acornkitchens
andbaths.com
KITCHENS & BATHS
Quality Gardening
Skilled maintenance and fine gardening. Planting
and design, pruning, irrigation, outdoor light-
ing, clean-ups. Ecological practices. 14 years in
Berkeley/Oakland. Local references. Green’s
Gardens. 510/593-3490.
510
547-6581
4640 TELEGRAPH AVE • OAKLAND
HOURS: T-F 10-5 • SAT. 10-4
G
R E A L T O R S
The GRUBB Co.
510.339.0400
1960 Mountain Boulevard •Oakland
510.652.2133
3070 Claremont Avenue • Berkeley
Energize yourself at your friendly,
independent, neighborhood gym!
Formerly Inside Out -
new owner, new look,
new classes, new energy!
This is not your typical gym!
Pay-as-you-go memberships. Light, airy space.
Over 45 classes a week.
Motivating instructors & trainers.
Group Classes, Personal Training, Childcare
4444 PIEDMONT AVE, OAKLAND (510) 655-8308
WWW.INSIDEOUTSIDEFITNESS.COM
watch for fall
furniture sale!
$PMMFHF"WF
f h k f v k p
15.
October 6, 2007
E-mail Rockridge News Community Calendar items to: joellis1@hotmail.com, phone 653-3210 (after noon), or mail to: Rockridge News
Community Calendar, 5245 College Avenue, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94618. Deadline is the next to the last Tuesday of the month.
Community Calendar
Compiled by Jo Ellis
Councilmember Brunner’s
Community Advisory Meeting
NOTE: no meetings on Nov. 6: the meeting room
will be a polling place.
ART EXHIBITS
Gallery October: Rockridge Community Photo Club.
November: M.E. Foster and Chris Rockwell:
etchings and paintings.
Lobby Display Case:
October: Ann Daniels and Naomi Zuger-
man-Daniels: “Dolls for Darfur.”
November: Robert Draheim: children’s
books.
expenses. Hosted bar and buffet. Sunday, Oct 14, 4 to
6pm at 449 49th Street (corner of 49th and Clarke). $25
or $40/couple. Send other donations to STAND, P.O.
Box 20486, Oakland, CA 94620. Info: Bob at 655-3841
or Virginia at 654-8925.
Chabot School Annual Fall Carnival
Saturday, Oct 13, 10am to noon. Topic: North Oakland
Town Hall with guest speaker Mayor Ron Dellums.
Peralta Elementary School, 460 63rd St. (parking on
Alcatraz, east of Telegraph or AC Transit #1). For more
info, (and info on all District One issues): 238-7001 or
www.oaklandnet.com (the site for all City-related
information).
Fun for everyone: games, arts and crafts, entertainment.
Food and drink available. Includes a special community
celebration of Chabot’s 80th birthday at 1pm. Fundraiser
and community building event by the PTA supports
music, art, garden, school library and other school
improvements. Sunday, Oct 28 from 11am to 3pm on
the lower yard of Chabot School, 6686 Chabot Road.
(at Patton St.). For more info: Polly Ikonen; 658-2085
or pollywiko@yahoo.com.
Jazz at The Chimes
The Greater Rockridge N’hood
Crime Prevention Council
LIBRARY HOURS:
Mon. and Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed., Thurs. and Sat. 10am to 5:30pm.
Residents and business members of NCPC’s 12Y and
13X areas are invited to voice their concerns about crime
and public safety. Meets 3rd Tuesday each month, 7 to
8:30pm at California College of the Arts (CCA), 5212
B’way at College Ave. Directions and more information:
www.rockridgencpc.com.
Fri., 12 to 5:30pm. Closed Sundays.
Diesel Readings and Events
Featuring The Mo’Rockin Project: exotic mix of North
African melodies, jazz and more. Sunday, 10/21, 2pm.
Ticket sales at the door begin at 12:30pm: $10 (cash
only) for concert and artist’s reception and refreshments.
Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Wheelchair
accessible. Info/Reservations: 228-3218. www.life-
markgroup.com/oakland/special_events.asp.
NOTE: Celebrate Dios de los Muertos and Halloween
with a variety of free events, including arts and crafts,
processions, music, stories and refreshments from Oct.
17 through Nov. 6. For a schedule of events and more info:
228-3207 or arodman@lifemarkgroup.com.
Wisteria Ways Concert Series
All events are FREE and open to the public.
Sunday, 10/7, 3pm: Oakland poets Nina Lindsay:
Today’s Special Dish, and Helen Wickes: In Search
of Landscape.
Monday, 10/8, 7:30pm: Amnesty International
Meeting: exchange information and ideas on action.
All welcome.
Sunday, 10/14, 3pm: Michael Krasny (host of NPR’s
Forum): Off Mike: A Memoir of Talk Radio and Liter-
ary Life.
Tuesday, 10/16, 7:30pm: Dr. Jerry Rule: Living Your
Unlived Life: Coping with Unrealized Dreams and
Fulfilling Your Purpose in the Second Half of Life
(co-authored with Robert A. Johnson).
Wednesday, 10/17, 12:30pm: Frank Warren: A Lifetime
of Secrets.
Tuesday, 10/30, 7:30pm: Rebecca Curtis: Twenty
Grand and Jonathan Selwood: The Pinball Theory
of the Apocalypse.
5433 College Ave. 510/653-9965 or www.diesel-
bookstore.com.
ó
Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
FOR CHILDREN:
ó
Toddler Story Time: 1st and 2nd Saturdays, 10:30am:
10/6, 10/13, 11/3
Pre-School Story Time: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays,
10:30am: 10/17, 11/7.
Pajama Story Time: 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 7pm:
10/9, 10/23.
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES:
ó
ó
ó
ó
ó
Mask-Making Workshop: materials provided to make
a skull mask to celebrate Day of the Dead. Thurs.,
10/18, 4pm. All ages welcome.
Halloween Story Time: Tuesday, 10/23, 7pm. Come
in costume.
Truly Scary Stories: Tues., 10/30, 7pm.
FOR TEENS:
ó
Blame Sally: Americana/Pop quartet. Sunday, 10/14,
3pm, (yard gate opens at 2;30pm). Outside venue
(wheelchair accessible). Bring blanket or lawn chair
and a picnic.
Ellis Island: Old World Klezmer band. Sunday, 11/4,
3pm. Inside venue (not wheelchair accessible).
383 61st Street. $15 suggested donation for musicians.
For more info or reservations, RSVP to info@Wiste-
riaWays.org or 655-2771.
Peace Corps Information Session
ó
ó
ó
ó
ó
ó
Anime Club: Teens 13 and up, watch and talk about
anime (Japanese animation) with other teens. 2nd
Tuesday of each month, from 5 to 6:30pm, upstairs
meeting room. Meet 10/9 to watch Trinity Blood. More
info: Susy, Teen Specialist Librarian, 597-5017.
FOR ADULTS:
ó
LiveTalk@CPS
College Preparatory School Lecture Series: open to
all. • Thursday, 10/18, 7:30 to 9pm. Dr. Arlene Blum,
environmental scientist and mountaineer leader of the
1st all-woman ascent of Denali. Lecture and slide slow
presentation of her latest book, Breaking Trail: Mountains,
Molecules and Motherhood. • Thursday, 11/8, 7:30 to
9pm. Performing storyteller Joel ben Izzy discusses
The Stories of Our Lives: how we can share and preserve
our own stories. Tickets: $15 ($5 students). Proceeds
support the endowment fund and financial aid program.
CPS Buttner Auditorium, 6100 B’way (at Brookside).
Wheelchair accessible; free parking. More info: 420-2351
or www.college-prep.org/livetalk
No upper age limit. Volunteers work in 73 countries in
education, health, business, computers and more. Tues-
day, 10/23, 6-7:30pm. Rockridge Library, 5366 College
Ave. Contact Nick Bosustow, 452-8444, nbosustow@
peacecorps.gov, or www.peacecorps.gov.
Purr-casso Art Sale and Gala
Writers’ Support /Critique Group: ALL writers
welcome. Third Saturday of each month (10/20)
from 1 to 5pm. Bring up to 5 pages of your prose
for on-site reading/discussion. Sponsored by the
California Writers Club, Berkeley branch (www.
berkeleywritersclub.org/). For more info: 420-
8775 or Writefox@aol.com.
Knitting Classes for Seniors (50+): with instructor
Teri Barr. All levels welcome. Beginners bring light
color yarn and a pair of size 8 needles. If experienced,
bring projects to work on. Tuesdays, 12:30-2:30pm,
upstairs meeting room.
Alexander Technique Free Introductory Workshop:
exercise and hands-on guidance with professional
teachers. Saturday, 10/13, noon to 2pm.
Travel With Children: Lonely Planet author Jay
Cooke: discussion and book signing. Monday,
10/15, 7 to 8pm.
Local Authors: Robin and Tom Wolf, Annalee
Allen and Don Hausler will discuss their books on
the history of Rockridge, Emeryville and Oakland.
Saturday, 10/27, 2:30 to 4:30pm.
Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice. First
Tuesday of each month, 6-8pm. Advance sign-up
starts 5pm.
ó
Benefit for East Bay Humane Society. Cat-themed art
sale featuring decorative, wearable and functional art
pieces celebrating our feline friends. Hors d’oeuvres
and beverages served. Free parking and admission.
Sunday, Nov 4, 12 noon to 4pm at the Hollis Street
Project, Grand Hallway, 5900 Hollis Street, Emeryville.
For more information call 845-7735 or www@berke-
leyhumane.org.
North Oakland Senior Center
ó
College Avenue Halloween Parade
ó
Kids of all ages, put on your costumes and join the
Trick-or-Treat procession which starts at noon from
“Halloween Central” in front of the College Ave, Presb.
Church, 5951 College Ave. Participating merchants will
give out treats along both sides of College Ave. from
Alcatraz to B’way. Return to “Halloween Central” by
1pm for spooky storytelling and silly, scary sing-alongs.
Sunday, October 28, noon to 2pm. Sponsored by the
Rockridge District Association (RDA) and RCPC.
ó
Program Highlights: Computer classes; Health Insurance
counseling and advocacy program; trips, tours and
theater outings; Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group;
AARP driver Safety classes; Farmers Market every
Wednesday from 10:30am to 2:30pm. Center Hours:
Monday – Friday, 8:45am to 4:45pm. 5714 Martin Luther
King, Jr. Way. “North Oakland Senior Times” provides a
class schedule and a monthly lunch menu ($2.25 to $4.).
For details about events, membership, and opportunities
to become a volunteer, call 597-5085.
ó
Garden Reception/Benefit
ó
STAND (Standing Together for Accountable Neighbor-
hood Development) fundraiser for legal and operating
16.
October 6, 2007
VINITA GOKHALE
ROCKRIDGE REALTOR AND HOMEOWNER
ROBERTS ELECTRIC
Happy
RECO
COMMERCIAL
RESIDENTIAL
INSTALLATION • REPAIR • 220 WIRING
Visit my new
interactive Website for
New
NEW CONSTRUCTION • REMODEL
FREE ESTIMATES
Year!
2408 Webster St. 834-6161 Oakland
Rockridge Neighbors:
SERVING THE EAST BAY SINCE 1932
CA. LIC# 728215
www.myrockridgeneighbors.com
510-717-0630
510-428-0757
Email: Vinita@realtyadvocates.com
510-717-0630
SPY
PI PE
™
• Trenchless Sewer Pipe
Replacement
• TV Pipe Inspections
• Drain & Sewer Service
Coming Soon – Rockridge
Free Estimates
Over 25 Years Experience
Perfect Bungalow on Cavour Street
2 bedrooms, 1 bath, remodeled kitchen,
IMMEDIATE RESPONSE
(510) 465-3000
sunny deck and huge backyard
License #754966
Green Condos in Temescal
The
Convenient Truth.
aboutface&body
dayspa oaklandberkeley
Convenient to
everything and truly
serving you since 1981
built green.
New release and pricing of condos
coming soon at this smart urban complex.
Specialists in
Brazilian waxing
www.Gate48.net
3190 college avenue
at alcatraz
berkeley, ca 94705
Ron Kriss, Broker
L A W T O N
Lawton Associates
510-547-5970 Ext. 55
p 510.428.2600
www.aboutfaceandbody.net
ronkriss@jps.net
sun-tues 10:30-5:30
wed-sat 10:30-8:00
A S S O C I A T E S
“#1 in Rockridge Real Estate”
R E A L E S T A T E
B R O K E R A G E
6129 Hillegass
Adorable 4++ bedroom 1½ bath home in prime
Is there a move in your future?
Talk to me about featuring your home
For Sale in this ad space as well as other
creative marketing ideas
Rockridge location with a flexible floor plan,
an impressive yard and just blocks to BART
and College Ave shops.
Asking $869,000
Terry Kulka 510/339-4789
terrykulka@att.net
http://www.terrykulka.com
With over 300 homes sold –
Experience Counts
Jan Fougner
OWNER – BROKER
BUYING OR SELLING IN
ROCKRIDGE? IF YOU
NEED THE SERVICES
OF A REALTOR, CALL
29
ME. I HAVE 28 YEARS
OF ROCKRIDGE SALES
EXPERIENCE AND THE
EXPERTISE YOU NEED.
6 5 5 - 2 3 3 0
ROCKRIDGE
R
E
A
L T
Y
6 0 1 9 C O L L E G E AV E N U E
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL
ABOUT
ASHBY LUMBER?
1,458
years of
Experience,
…as of today.
ASHBY LUMBER
HARDWARE & BUILDING SUPPLIES
824 ASHBY AVE
BERKELEY
(510) 843-4832 OPEN 7 DAYS
2295 ARNOLD INDUSTRIAL WAY
CONCORD (925) 689-8999 Mon-Sat
KEVIN BROWN
Broker
654-8707 or 593-4780
PROVIDING
Professional,
Full Service
Real Estate Brokerage
To Rockridge Clients
For Over 26 Years.
SPECIALIZING IN
27
W Residential Sales
W Income Property
W Commercial
W Property Management
Better Homes
Realty
5353 College Avenue
Oakland