Extracted text · highlighting “Beth Bag-”

www.rockridge.org

VOL. 27    NO. 11    ISSUE NO. 295    December 8, 2012                     CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 BusInesses

Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council • 4123 Broadway, PMB 311 • Oakland, CA 94611 • 869-4200

Safeway, Community Groups Find Accord on College Ave Project

by Stuart Flashman, RCPC chair emeritus
A
scant five days ahead of the date when
the City Council was to hear appeals
challenging Planning Commission approval
of the Safeway on College rebuilding
project, three neighborhood groups reached
a tentative settlement with Safeway over
its plans for rebuilding the dated shopping
center at College and Claremont avenues.
The result of a 13-hour marathon
mediation conducted by outgoing District 1
Councilmember Jane Brunner, the settlement
was endorsed by the Rockridge Community
 The graphic at left – from a May
2011 posting on the architect’s web
site – shows how the 63rd Street
and College Avenue intersection
could have been affected by auto-
mobiles exiting the store’s garage
directly onto College (arrow). The
agreement reached recently with Safeway
moves the garage to the roof-top and the
store to street level. Drivers will now enter
and exit the garage from a ramp farther
north on College. Claremont Avenue will
also have garage entry and exit points.
Lowney Architects
Planning Council (RCPC), Berkeleyans for
Pedestrian Oriented Development (BPOD),
and Friends and Neighbors of College
➧➧Safeway Accord, page 12
COMMUNITY
On Jan
17
Coming in January 2013
RCPC Town Hall Agenda: January
MEETING
Report on Safeway
Settlement Negotiations
The negotiators who reached
the settlement with Safeway
on its College Avenue project will
explain the process and the resulting
settlement at a special meeting on
Wednesday, December 12, 7 p.m., at
Peralta Elementary School Auditorium/
Multi-Purpose Room, 460 63rd Street.
Building on the Foundations
of Yesteryear
How much is there to know about
Oakland’s history? Find out at the
January Town Hall.
O a k l a n d
a n d
Rockridge of today are
the result of what Oak-
landers of yesterday
built or demolished,
fostered or neglected.
Petition Process: Yea or Nay
for Soundwall Study
by Victoria Eisen, consultant to the
city of Oakland
Soundwall studies are on the agenda
of RCPC’s January 17, 2013 Town
Hall meeting, to follow up on the city-
organized community meeting held this
past September.
City representatives will review the
policy that will guide whether or not
➧➧Both announcements continued page 11

Gather Ye Tax Breaks While Ye May... New Rules May Come A-flying

These fundraising buckets at the bottom
of the page want you to place them at
the top of your year-end giving list.
Of the six buckets that appeared in the
December 2011 newsletter, the EIR Grant
and the DVD Project have been retired
as “Goal Reached,” and FORL has moved
to its own site. Great progress!
Consider one or more of the three
remaining buckets for your attention this
month. Donations are tax-deductible.

T
F
R
B
C
A
R
G
R
O
P
Cza
la
P
Par
k
RCPC General Donations
Online: rockridge.org/
donations.html. Mail/Payto:
RCPC, 4123 Broadway, PMB
#311, Oakland, 94611
FROG Park
Online: frogpark.org/donate/
Mail/Payto: FROG Park, 4123
Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland,
94611
Rockridge BART Plaza. Online:
rockridge.org/rockridgeplaza.html.
Mail/Payto: RCPC/BART Plaza,
4123 Broadway, PMB #311,
Oakland, 94611

NO
RCPC Town Hall Meeting in December. Happy Holidays!
See you in January, 2013. Best wishes for a Happy New Year!


December 8, 2012
2.

Essays on matters of local interest are invited for consideration
as Op-Ed pieces for The Rockridge News. Please limit length to
450 words and submit to editor@rockridge.org.

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH LIBRARY
5366 College Avenue
597-5017
HOURS:
Mon, Tues:
Weds, Thurs, Sat:
Friday:
Sunday:
Library program details: See Calendar, page 15.

Soundwalls, Band-Aids, and Imagination

Tue: 12:30 – 8 p.m.

Wed, Thu, Sat: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Friday: 12 – 5:30 p.m.
12:30 – 8 p.m.
10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
12 – 5:30 p.m.
CLOSED
CLOSED: Sundays and Mondays.
Also: Sat., Dec 22 through Tues., Jan 1.
by Tony Kay, Rockridge resident
When I attended the September 27
meeting on soundwalls, I did not
have a strong opinion about them. I still
don’t. I left without a true understanding
of how much sound would be cut out (what
does 5 decibels [dB] actually sound like?)
and feeling uninspired by the proposals.
Following are some ideas to address these
issues.
Instead of explanations of dB and
logarithmic scales to describe how
soundwalls reduce sound, CalTrans could
bring a boom-box, a recording of traffic
noise, and a decibel meter to the next
meeting. Then we could actually hear what
70 dB sounds like, and how it sounds when
it is reduced by 5 dB. That demonstration
would yield a truer understanding of what
can be expected from soundwalls.
I was also struck by how little imagination
was displayed as to how soundwalls could
be implemented. It made me think of
Band-Aids. Once, Band-Aids were just
Band-Aids; bland and functional. Then
cartoon characters, patterns and color were
printed on them. Suddenly, a scraped knee
was an opportunity to accessorize.
Apparently, there are just two options
for soundwalls: concrete block or glass.
Covering parts of the walls with vines was
the only upgrade suggested. We can do better.
We are fortunate to have UC Berkeley
next door. Its College of Environmental
Design is always looking for projects for
its students. They could generate creative
ideas to solve the problems. At the least,
we can make the shape and color of these
walls more unique to Rockridge. At most, we
could do something that makes a significant
contribution to our environment.
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 nonprofit 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.
Rockridge News Production
Don Kinkead	�����������������������Editor
Ortrun Niesar..................... The Muse
Barry Kaufman	�������������������Food
Jo Ellis	�����������������������������������Advertising &
Community Calendar
Theresa Nelson	��������������������Neighborhood Merchant
Susan Montauk	�������������������Business Manager
Don Kinkead	�����������������������Graphics & Layout
RCPC Board of Directors, 2012-2013
Andrew Charman	��������������Chair
Christopher Chin	�������������Vice-Chair
Laura Schlichtmann	�����������Secretary
Cesar Angobaldo	���������������Treasurer
Stuart Flashman	�����������������Chair Emeritus
Bernard Baltaxe, Michael Kan, William Kaufner,
Don Kinkead, Ronnie Spitzer, Ann Winterman
Contact the board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
➧➧Why Not Creative Soundwalls?, page 13

RDA Brings Holiday Security to College Avenue

/Chris Jackson

by Chris Jackson, RDA manager
The Rockridge District Association
(RDA) has once again hired V.M.A.
Security to provide ambassador service to
College Avenue during the holiday season.
V.M.A., an Oakland-based company, will
provide security ambassadors to walk
the avenue greeting customers, offering
directions and generally doing all they can
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
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:
Editor: editor@rockridge.org
www.rockridge.org
The Rockridge News, 4123 Broadway, PMB 311,
Oakland, CA 94611
RCPC Voice-mail: 510/869-4200
➧➧Holiday Security, page 13
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.
Newsletter Advertising/Deadlines
Publication date of the next issue is:
  January 5, 2013
  January deadline is December 20, 2012
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.)


December 8, 2012

3.

that the Planning Commission will hold a
public hearing some time in February to
receive comments on the EIR.
The RCPC land use committee is
suggesting adding solar panels above the
project’s rooftop parking, as well as perhaps
some charging spaces for electric cars.
We also continue to hope that the project
will include some commercial tenants of
the type to restore most — if not all — of
the important community functions once
provided by the Payless/Rite Aid/Longs/
CVS variations that have cycled through
the store space over the many years of the
shopping center’s existence.
The RCPC Land Use Committee generally meets on
the fourth Wednesday of the month at the Rockridge
Branch Library, Upstairs Meeting Room, 7:30 p.m.
Note: • There will be no December meeting.
Contact Stu Flashman (652-5373 or stuflash@aol.com) for further
information about meetings or about joining the committee. Land use
committee meetings are generally open to the public.
by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use
Committee chair
There will be no Land Use Committee
meeting in December. Happy Holidays,
and see you in January!
“bookending” College Avenue, is a rebuild
of the shopping center that will add 120,000
sq. ft. of retail and office space. Darin
Ranelletti (dranelletti@oaklandnet.com,
238-3663), the Oakland planner handling
the application, now says that the draft
environmental impact report (DEIR) will
be released for a 45-day public comment
period in December or January. He estimates
■
■Rockridge Shopping Center
Rebuilding Project
Broadway and Pleasant Valley
This project, the second Safeway project

Help RCPC Accomplish its Many Goals: Join the RCPC Board

by Stuart Flashman, RCPC chair emeritus
I
’m now in my fifth year of serving on
the RCPC board of directors, including
four years as board chair. Prior to joining
the board in 2007, I’d had almost nothing
to do with RCPC, other than reading
The Rockridge News and occasionally
contributing financially to projects like the
Rockridge library. I finally found myself
feeling guilty about how much RCPC was
doing to benefit my neighborhood and how
little I was helping in the effort, so I ran for
election to the board.
So, you might ask, what has RCPC been
doing, and how could I help?
During the past four years, RCPC has
advocated for an improved and appropriately-
sized College Avenue Safeway. With last
month’s mediated settlement, it looks like
we will get a much-improved project. But
making the deal is only half the battle. We
will still need to monitor the project as it
proceeds to ensure that we get the project
we negotiated for. We’ll also need to keep
tabs on problems the project creates (there
will probably still be some) and figure out
how to use the $300,000 that Safeway has
agreed to set aside for mitigation to address
those problems.
The rebuild of the Rockridge Shopping
Center is another big project waiting to
happen. RCPC has spent four years trying
to make that project better too. There’s still
more work to be done here.
Crime is a major concern in Rockridge,
as it is anywhere in Oakland. The Greater
Rockridge Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (GRNCPC) is the primary vehicle for
addressing public safety here in Rockridge,
but RCPC has also worked with the city
to encourage formation of block groups
to improve the community’s emergency
preparedness and training. Much more
needs to be done.
Groups are also working on assisting
the Rockridge Library (Friends of the
Rockridge Library; FORL) and maintaining
FROG Park (the FROG Park Committee – a
part of RCPC), and RCPC has also taken
on individual neighborhood improvement
projects such as the Rockridge BART Plaza,
putting on the Halloween Parade with
College Avenue merchants, and assisting
Scenic Streets with relandscaping Rockridge
freeway ramps.
So you can see RCPC works in many
different ways to keep Rockridge a place we
can be proud to call home, and to make it
an even better place to live. But, this doesn’t
happen by magic.
The all-volunteer RCPC board of
directors meets monthly to consider what
➧➧How You Can Help, page 4
Help Shape the Future of Studio One
Studio One Art Center is looking
for arts-minded members of the
community to join the Studio One
Advisory Council.
Meetings are held the fourth
Wednesday of the month from 7 to 8
p.m. at Studio One. The January 23, 2013
meeting will be the kick-off to creating the
Studio One Strategic Plan. Please join us!
Studio One, a city-run, state of the
art studio facility, is located at 365-45th
Street between Broadway and Shafter
Avenue. The Studio has been a valuable
part of the Oakland community for over
60 years and offers classes in ceramics,
jewelry, photography, painting, and much
more, for both children and adults.
For more information, please contact
Alethia Walker, Program Designer,
510/597-5027.


December 8, 2012
4.
How You Can Help

Start the New Year
Off Right: Join the
Rockridge News
Family of Volunteers
We owe our thanks to two generous
volunteers, Donna Hertz and James
Kachelmeyer, who have been delivering The
Rockridge News to neighbors on Roanoke
and Claremont Avenue. They have both
moved so we hope someone will step forward
to replace them in time to begin delivery at
the start of the New Year.
If you live in the neighborhood and can
help for 15-30 minutes a month, please call
510/547-3855 or e-mail smontauk@gmail.
com and let us know the route(s) you would
like to take on.
Peralta Kindergarten
Tours and Applications
Peralta Elementry School, 460 63rd St.,
is hosting mid-December/early January
parent-led kindergarten tours for prospective
kindergarten parents.
Forty-five minutes long, the tours start
at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays:
December 11 and 12 and 18 and 19; and
January 8 and 9. If you have kids entering
kindergarten next year, call Peralta secretary
Jan Seagren at 510/654-7365 to sign up for
a tour.
Kindergarten applications are available at
school district offices in downtown Oakland,
and on the Oakland Unified School District
(OUSD) website (address below).
Applications must be in by 2 p.m. January
18, 2013. An application must be submitted
on behalf of all prospective kindergarteners
(including those with siblings already in
OUSD) during that time frame to have
the best chance of getting in to your
neighborhood school of choice.
Assignments will be mailed in March. If
your first choice is not your neighborhood
school, you can appeal in March if you did
not get your first choice school.
More info at http://www.ousd.k12.ca.us/
site/default.aspx?domainid=18.
— Peralta PPTG
from page 3
things RCPC should become involved in.
Between those meetings, board members,
working with RCPC’s committees, help
bring those things to life.
Right now, the board is short-handed
and could use your help. Being on the board
requires neither special skills nor fancy
degrees. It does require a commitment to
helping your community and a willingness
to spend some time to make good things
happen.
Ready to join in? E-mail RCPC at info@
rockridge.org or write a letter to RCPC,
4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, 94611,
so we know of your interest.
Tell us a little bit about yourself — such
as where you live and what you’re interested
in — so we know you’re eligible (only those
residing within the RCPC boundaries can
serve on the board) and how you’ll fit in
with the board’s needs. See Rockridge.org/
boundaries.html for the boundary map.
We have several board vacancies to
fill now, and more seats will be coming
up for election in April. It’s time to give it
serious thought. RCPC can’t help Rockridge
without your help.
In January: Claremont
Science Night
Space, Robots, Science! Please join the
students of Claremont Middle School
on January 17 for a night of hands-on,
minds-on science fun.
Bring the family and interact with
scientists, learn about their jobs and
participate in student-led science activities.
Watch for more details and an official
schedule to be released in the January
Rockridge News. Mark your calendar now.
Route
 Area
02B
From Hillcrest down Roanoke
along Chabot Road to Chabot
Crest
18Ga
Both sides of Claremont
Avenue from freeway to
Clifton
Both sides 5200 Claremont,
including apartment building
at 5248, and 5400 block
Claremont Ave, west side
only from Clifton to Cavour
16D
C A L I F O R N I A  C O L L E G E  o f  t h e  A R T S
LAW OFFICES OF
KYLE M. JOHNSTON
featuring a variety of
evening classes and  weekend workshops:
Give someone the opportunity to
express their creativity with a gift
certificate for a CCA Extension course
at California College of the Arts.
5315 COLLEGE AVE.
OAKLAND, CALIF.
510.527.1880
Ceramics
Drawing
Graphic Design
Illustration
Interior Design
Jewelry / Metal Arts
Painting
Photography
Software Courses
and courses for high school students
Registration for winter/spring 2013 is
going on now. Courses are offered
year-round in San Francisco and Oakland.
CALL FOR YOUR FREE
INITIAL CONSULTATION
PROBATE LAW   ♦   WILLS & TRUSTS   ♦   FAMILY LAW
Visit CCA.EDU/EXTENSION to browse our course offerings.
To purchase a gift certificate or to register for classes, call 510.594.3710.
WWW.KYLEMJOHNSTON.COM


December 8, 2012

5.

FROG Park News: DMV Planting; Your Opinions; Park Cleanup

DMV Creekside – Restoration Update
The city of Oakland’s Public Works
Department is expected to begin
staking the locations of the planned new
trees, shrubs, boulders
and picnic table at the
DMV Creekside the first
two weeks of December.
FROG, DMV Neighbors
Association and Miles
Ave nu e  r e si d e n t s’
representatives will review the placement
and staking of the area, which is to be based
on planning and design company MIG’s
design as announced in the November 2012
Rockridge News. The plan is available for
review on our website: www.frogpark.org.
Two features shown on the plan will
not be implemented: the creek will not be
moved; there will be no new pathway from
the current greenbelt path to the DMV
parking lot. This decision was reached by
FROG, DMV Neighbors Association and
Miles Avenue residents’ representatives over
multiple meetings with our committees, the
city, and Assemblymember Nancy Skinner’s
Help Your Park: Frog
Monthly ‘First Sunday’
Cleanup Parties
office. To join us in reviewing the staked
area, please e-mail info@frogpark.org to get
dates and times within the first two weeks
of December.
During this time, we
have asked and anticipate
that the DMV will work
on an implementation
plan and work to resolve
discrepancies between
the community plan and the DMV’s plan
in the number of boulders to place. Once
the stakes are placed, agreed to by the
city and community, and we receive the
implementation plan from the DMV, we
look forward to a beautiful restoration of
the DMV creekside area for the community,
DMV patrons and staff, Temescal-Rockridge
Farmers Market patrons and other visitors
to enjoy.
Please contact info@frogpark.org with
any questions.
— Carol Behr, FROG chair, and
Misti Groves,
Miles Avenue Residents
Next FROG Meeting:
Thursday, December 13,
Rockridge Branch Library,
2nd floor, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Details: info@frogpark.org
Ronnie Spitzer of FROG, left,
Oakland Technical High School
BuildOn volunteers, and a 4-year-old
community helper at November’s
First Sunday cleanup.       /Carol Behr
F
ROG holds family-friendly monthly
cleanups the first Sunday of each
month, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. In November,
students weeded, re-planted and mulched
our butterfly garden. Community members
and students removed debris from the stream
bed and spruced up the park.
The next monthly workday has been
re-scheduled to Sunday, January 13, after
winter vacation. Meet at Big Frog Park
(Hardy Street cul-de-sac), which remains
open during the cleanup. Rain cancels.
Join your friends and bring your kids
to rake, plant and tackle child-sized tasks.
The Oakland Tech BuildOn service club
partners with FROG on these events.
Complete the FROG Online Survey
Help guide Frog Park improvements
and FROG committee decisions
by completing the brief survey now. At
www.frogpark.org, click on the survey
link, or type www.surveymonkey.com/s/
FrogPark2013Priorities-Survey into your
browser. Also, ask your community friends and
neighbors to complete the survey. The results
will guide decisions and improvements and will
ultimately help make planning, funding and
purchasing decisions for Frog Park (Redondo,
Hardy and the Greenbelt connecting them).
Results will be available early February 2013.
— Carol Behr, FROG chair

Volunteers and Donations Built, Support the Park

Please consider
s u p p o r t i n g
F RO G’s  wo r k,
either through a tax-
deductible donation
or as a volunteer.
FROG contributes money as needed
for park enhancements, maintenance,
and repairs. Projects funded to date
include approximately $10,000 toward the
2010 repairs, funds for the current DMV
Creekside restoration plan, purchasing
supplies and plants for areas needing
replanting, Maintenance Day supplies and
Earthday events. We anticipate spending
more money in the next few years on
initiatives that are a priority for you, our
community.
The Greenbelt Parks were built by
volunteers, with community donations.
Let’s continue Rockridge’s proud tradition,
and support our park.
Two ways to help:
Calendar of events: www.frogpark.org. E-mail
info@frogpark.org with questions or for information
G
O
R
Fk
ar
Pa
cross-cultural congregation
striving to partner with
         the Rockridge community
   in lifestyle and service.
■
■Monetary Donation: You can make
a tax-deductible donation using a
check, credit card or PayPal. Visit
www.frogpark.org/donate for details.
Help fill the bucket.
■
■Volunteer: We have specific short
term projects and other opportunities.
All are welcome. If you have a general
interest in the upkeep or enhancement
of Frog Park, please e-mail us: info@
frogpark.org
College Avenue Presbyterian Church
5951 College Avenue, Oakland  510 658-3665
Sunday worShip 10:30 aM • Visit: capcchurch.org
our wonderful community meal, fridays, 6-7pm
a great opportunity to serVe


December 8, 2012
6.

third donation to Scenic Streets. Won't you
join them this holiday season?
Make your tax-deductible contribution
quickly and securely on our web site, www.
ScenicStreets.org
On behalf of the neighborhood volunteers
at Scenic Streets, thank you again for
making the gateway to our community a
bit brighter and safer.
— Peter Lund, founder and volunteer
Rockridge Merchants
Stepped Up to Support
Claremont School
On October 27, the Claremont Middle
School PTA held its annual fundraising
auction at Uptown Body and Fender. That
night, 128 members of the community
showed up to bid on items offered by over
160 donors, raising more than $29,000 for the
school. The money will be used to support
Claremont’s library, art, music, and media
programs. The PTA wishes to thank the
many members of the Rockridge District
Association who donated goods and services,
and helped to strengthen the connection
between the school and our community.
Keep the Changes Coming
Thanks to you, our Rockridge neighbors
and donors, the gateway to Rockridge
and Temescal has changed a lot this past
year. Hundreds of native shrubs now line our
freeway ramps, 17 new flowering sidewalk
trees adorn southern Claremont Avenue, and
litter has been reduced dramatically along
this busy roadway leading to our community.
We are planning more improvements for
2013. The city is reviewing our proposal
to add greenery, artwork and lighting to
Claremont Avenue’s neglected highway
underpass area. We also plan to make
needed safety improvements to Hardy Park
Dog Run. Our web site has all the details.
These proposed renovations will be our
most ambitious yet — and the most costly.
Unfortunately, the statewide budget crisis
means this new work must be funded by
neighbors like you. That’s why many of
our supporters are making a second or even
and
Lost           Found
While walking up Claremont from near
the dog park on her way to Trader Joe’s
the other day, Rockridge resident Jacqueline
J. lost her favorite cane somewhere on
Claremont, Forest or Miles. Have you seen it?
It is a slim, plain wooden cane with a curved
black handle. The shaft of the cane is plain,
blond-colored wood, and is distinguished by
a yellow, non-skid rubber tip.
If you have seen this cane or know where
it may be, e-mail The Rockridge News
at editor_rn@mindspring.com, or phone
510/499-0229. There is a small reward.
A Côté
Ackerman’s Volvo
Servicing
Agatha Rainford
Beth Greenfield
The Breema Clinic
Catherine Griffing
Morse
Cole Coffee
Commis Restaurant
Curves of Rockridge
Diesel Bookstore
Dreyer’s Grand Ice
Cream Parlor and
Café
Elizabeth H Salon
Filippos
Rockridge Masonic
Lodge
Future
Genray Salon/ Susie
Geda
Great Harvest
Grocery Outlet
Homesteader
Hudson Bay Café
Ici Ice Cream
Katrina Rozelle
La Farine
La Mediterranee
Little Rockridge
School
Maison d’Être
Marilyn Jaeger
Skincare Studio
My Own Montessori
Namaste Oakland
Nan Yang
Restaurant
Nathan and Co.
Oliveto Restaurant
and Café
Pavé
Pegasus Books
Powell’s Sweet
Shoppe
Restaurant Chu
Roberta Klugman
Rockridge Café
Rockridge Kids
Safeway
Seven 7 Salon
Snips Salon
Southie
Spasso Coffee
House
Tootsie’s
Trader Joe’s
Transports
Ver Brugge Meats
and Seafood
Vero Salon
Vino!
Wood Tavern
Zachary’s Pizza










 
­
24


 
	
D A N I E L’ S  R O C K R I D G E  L I S T I N G S !
Coming
Soon!
Coming
Soon!
Coming
Soon!
Just
Listed!
367 60th Street
5486 Kales
432 McAuley
358 Cavour
Daniel Stea
Rockridge
Broker/Owner/
Attorney
and beyond
since 1997
510.867.4094


December 8, 2012

7.

Keep the Rockridge Library Vibrant

It Takes a Village - Support Rockridge Library Friends This Holiday Season

by Sarah Washburn, FORL board member
Imagine Rockridge without a library,
without a place for children to learn or
for teens to engage, without a place to find
information with professional assistance,
without a place where anyone can enter.
Where would our neighbors get the latest
e-book, or access the Internet, or receive
free legal help, or find a quiet spot to read?
We don’t have to answer these questions
because we’re fortunate the Rockridge Public
Library is in our neighborhood. But the
library can’t do it alone. It takes a village to
sustain a library, and the reality of budget
shortfalls in Oakland makes this task that
much more difficult.
This past year, donations to the Friends
of the Rockridge Library (FORL) bolstered
teen programs, reupholstered furniture in
reading areas, and beautified the grounds;
funded maps, a globe, art supplies, story time
materials, and other children’s educational
materials; and provided support for the
library’s teen intern program that connects
Oakland schools to Oakland libraries and our
community’s youth to skills and experiences
that open doors and expand minds.
The Rockridge Public Library continues
to offer programs and services that position
the library as a vital center of public life.
Generous donations from our community
made this happen. Please help us maintain our
community’s vision for the Rockridge Branch
Public Library. Donate to the Friends of the
Rockridge Library using the form below or
visit http://www.friendsofrockridgelibrary.
org.
Your donation makes a difference.
Thank you.
Yes, I want to be
a Friend!

 Friends of the Rockridge Library 
Friends of the Rockridge Library (FORL) is a nonprofit neighborhood committee which
works to enhance the Rockridge Branch Library by providing books, magazines, equipment,
furnishings, and amenities not covered by the City of Oakland Library budget.

✁

Support Your Library:
❐	 $200 Book Lover
❐	 $100 Book Worm
❐	 $50 Book Friend
❐	 $35 Family
❐	 $ 25 Individual
❐	 $15 Senior/Student
❐	 Other $
❐	 My employer will match my
contribution.

____________________________________________________________________

  Name   (as it should appear on the donor roll inside the front door)

___________________________________________________________________________

  Street                                                                                              City                                                          Zip

___________________________________________________________________________

  E-mail    (please include for library news and FORL up-dates)

Make a donation online at www.friendsofrockridgelibrary.org or send this
completed form and your check made payable to FORL to: Friends of the
Rockridge Library, Post Office Box 3723, Oakland, CA  94609
Friends of the Rockridge Library (FORL) is a tax exempt organization
under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Tax ID No. 45-3951826
Specializing in Real Estate in Rockridge
As the agent with the most real estate transactions in Rockridge 2011-2012,
 let me use my local expert experience to guide you.
Tip of the month -  Inventory of homes available for sale in Rockridge remains historically low, down as much as 40% from peak times over
the last 8 years, partially causing prices to increase by nearly 10% over last year.  Interest rates have held steady at near all time lows.  Basic
real estate economics of supply and demand combined with low interest financing makes it a great time for those considering selling.  At the
same time, with cost of money so low and prices on the rise, it is a good time to buy before rates and prices continue to go up further, a rare
mutuality in the market.  Fiscal cliff worries?  Rockridge sustained values better than most areas with mostly single digit vs double digit losses
during the worst of the prior 3 year financial meltdown.  The key is being able to sell your home when the market is ‘right’, rather than feeling
forced to sell during a down market.  I had a client relocating from Rockridge to the east coast and instead of selling their home last fall, we made
the strategic decision to wait until this spring.  They sold their home for over $200,000 more in the spring than the market in the fall would have
yielded, based on reliable market data.
Pending

•
Triplex in Rockridge, One 3BD 2BA, Two 1BD 1BAs.  Listed at $749,000. Representing buyers.
What’s coming?

•
2BD+, 2BA in Chabot District w/ FP, large bonus room, yard, detached garage, price and timing TBD.

•
3BD++, 3BA in Chabot District, Grand estate, price and timing TBD.

•
Large multiunit investment property in the heart of Rockridge, price TBD.

•
3BD 2BA apartment for Lease @ $2,895/mo, 1BD 1BA apartments for Lease @ $1,595/mo January 2013.
L A W T   O   N
Happy Holidays!
LAWTON ASSOCIATES REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE
Call for a real local expert opinion.
Perry Riani, Senior Real Estate Specialist
Lawton Associates DRE# 01402540
510.813.3799 priani@earthlink.net
A  S  S  O  C  I A T  E  S
R  E A  L    E  S T A T  E
B  R  O  K  E  R A  G  E

Rockridge
Optometry
Your neighborhood 
family eyecare providers
since 1947
Dr. Donald Sarver
Dr. Larry Sarver
Dr. Scott Yokoi
Dr. Cindy Sakai
5321 College Avenue, Oakland
510-655-3797
www.rockridgeoptometry.com


December 8, 2012
8.

Daniel T Jew, AAMS®
Financial Advisor
.
490 Grand Avenue Suite 100
Oakland, CA 94610
510-663-0196
G
Letters to the Editor
The Rockridge News welcomes letters to the editor. Your name, address, phone
number, 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 at the editor’s discretion. Views expressed in any letter are the
writer’s own, and may not necessarily be shared by the editor, or by RCPC.

GRUBBCO.COM
Stop Dragging Out

Rockridge Snow Day Should be
the Safeway Renovation
Editor:
a Tradition
Editor:
I’m tired of people dragging out the
process of Safeway renovation. It’s already
been vetted to multiple community groups,
it’s in a weird part of the neighborhood
anyway, traffic will be fine, and directed
to Claremont Avenue.
So stop dragging your heels! Visit
the North Berkeley renovated store; it’s
awesome!
— Rob Selover
Was this the first snow day or is it a
tradition? If not a tradition, it should be.
Good job Chris Jackson, who brought the
truck load of snow from Fremont.
Use this link to read a story I wrote
for the examiner.com site on the event:
http://www.examiner.com/article/
christmas-snow-day-at-rockridge-bart-
oakland-california-for-kids-and-dogs
— Cindy Warner
$5 FREE DRYCLEANING with garment orders over $28
or $3 OFF orders over $15
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Across from Trader Joe’s and Zachary’s Pizza
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3070 Claremont Avenue • Berkeley
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LIFE DOESN’T STAND STILL
AND NEITHER SHOULD
YOUR INVESTMENTS.
You can’t stop time, but
your investments should
still match your goals.
Fortunately, a free Edward
Jones Portfolio Review can
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To schedule a compli-
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December 8, 2012

9.

Meet Dan Kalb: Up
Close and Personal
by Judith Doner Berne
I
must say, I was super impressed with
Dan Kalb after sitting down with him at
Hudson Bay Café on a sunny afternoon a
week after the election.
The Rockridge resident still hadn’t heard
for sure that he was the winner among seven
candidates vying for the District 1 seat on
the Oakland City Council.
 “I feel good,” he told Rockridge editor
Don Kinkead and me that day. “But I want
to respect the process.”
Respect for process seems to color his
approach – first in deciding to run for office,
then in conducting his campaign and now
in envisioning his new position as the vote
totals confirm his win.
“We will see in Dan as a councilmember
the same qualities that he exhibited during his
campaign: hard working, creative, strategic,
respectful and filled with integrity,” predicts
Bob Franklin, a friend and neighbor.
Kalb, 53, grew up in Los Angeles. But
like a lot of UC Berkeley graduates (B.S. in
Conservation of Natural Resources) “once
you come to the Bay Area, you don’t want to
leave,” he says. He went on to get a master’s
degree in non-profit administration from
the University of San Francisco.
He and his wife, Valarie Kalb, met at a
community picnic and married, each for the
first time, in their 40s. She’s an attorney for
the California Supreme Court and an avid
swimmer and cyclist. He goes to the gym
and joins her on easier rides. They moved
to their Rockridge house seven years ago.
Valarie’s approval was crucial to his
decision to run, Kalb says. “I wanted to
make sure she was okay with it. I would
be taking a pay cut. She told me, ‘It means
a lot to you. Let’s do this thing.’”
“I did a lot of exploration to find out
who else was running and what people are
concerned about. I didn’t want to run unless
I had a realistic chance of winning.”
He hired a professional campaign
consultant known, Kalb says, for running
“positive campaigns.” He picked Rockridge
resident Olga Bolotina as his campaign
manager, enlisted “a lot of volunteers,” and
began the work of campaigning.
He saw it as “a blessing in disguise” when
his job of nine years as policy director at the
Union of Concerned Scientists in Berkeley
was eliminated this summer. It meant he
could campaign full-time.
Kalb was backed by the Sierra Club
and spent the second highest amount in his
race. But, like President Barack Obama’s
reelection experience, it may have been his
ground game that made the difference. “I
knocked on a lot of doors and made a lot
of phone calls,” he says.
I first met Kalb as he went door to door
in early summer. I do live close by, but he
was the only council candidate to come to
my door. My daughter got a personal phone
call shortly before Election Day. “His call
made a difference in my mind,” she says.
“That’s serious commitment.”
Like the President who was faced
with Super Storm Sandy, Kalb also got an
“October surprise” that, frightening as it
was, may have helped him in the long run.
Kalb, who campaigned on hiring more
police and crime investigators, was mugged
near his Rockridge home on the way back
from a crime prevention council meeting
in the Golden Gate neighborhood.
“It was scary. The guy had a gun,”
he says. The mugger took his wallet and
phone and sent him high-tailing down the
street with an order to “Run!” The incident
brought the police (three patrol cars within
eight minutes) and local television stations
and press to his door.
“It wasn’t exactly the publicity I was
looking for,” Kalb says. “Before that, you
struggled to get a reporter to cover your
views. It gave me an opening to talk about
crime prevention,” he says. “It could have
had an impact.”
“I plan to be a full-time councilman,”
Dan Kalb,
District
One's new
Council-
member
and
chocolate
aficionado,
stops by
Bittersweet
Café, one of
his favored
College
Avenue
haunts,
after his
interview
with The
Rockridge
News.
Kalb says. But he has no plans to take the
city by storm. As one of three newly elected
members, he will start out cautiously.
He anticipates holding a series of
“listening sessions” in different parts of
his district over the first few months. “I’ll
also do outreach to neighborhood groups.”
Part of Kalb’s platform is strengthening
the city’s ethics commission. He also firmly
believes in public access to the council. “If
you want to do big things, you need to have
the public behind you. I feel strongly about
involving the community.”
“I get along with the mayor,” he says.
“If I want to do what I want to do, I need to
get along with the other council members. I
want to find a way to get to ‘yes.’”
Before Kalb knew that his predecessor,
16-year-councilwoman Jane Brunner, had
successfully mediated the proposed College
Avenue Safeway project (see story, page 1),
he told us he wants to meet with the San
Francisco owners of the Safeway shopping
center property at Pleasant Valley and
Broadway, also awaiting the bulldozers.
“I’m not a NIMBY and I’m not a rollover,”
he says. “I’m a tough negotiator. It’s an
opportunity to make that corner a shining
example of development. It could set the
tone all the way down Broadway.”
Noting that the council district
encompasses many North Oakland
neighborhoods, Kalb also talks of the
importance of revitalizing the San Pablo
corridor as an example of other plans he
has. “The neighborhoods west of MLK have
become the stepchildren of the city. Within
➧➧Dan Kalb, page 11


December 8, 2012
10.

chanticleer.org/), not cheap, but how
wonderful to be able to hear this fabled
group in person.
The Rockridge Muse
by Ortrun Niesar
A Silent
Christmas —
Not
During the December holidays, the
sound of song, joyful and festive,
sacred or secular, will once again fill
the air. There is something wonderful
and exhilarating about human voices,
young and old, male and female, raised
together in song. For those who would
like to give vocal music other than the
ubiquitous pop tune variety a try, here
is a selection of vocal performances that
will be taking place in our area. Enjoy!
“Wild Woods and
Starry Nights”
Songs, motets and hymns from the
middle ages to the present will be brought
to you by the San Francisco Choral
Artists at 4 p.m., Sunday, December
9, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 114
Montecito Avenue, Oakland. Price for
tickets at the door is nominal.
of future young singers.
The Piedmont East
Bay Children’s Choirs
These young singers have a full plate
before them as well. But then there are
about three hundred singers to do the
job. On December 15 there will be two
different concerts performed by the
training groups at the Park Boulevard
Presbyterian Church (2 and 5 pm) .
These concerts are free. Other more
experienced groups of singers will be
performing in Mark Morris’ “The Hard
Nut” at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Theater
this year.
“Yes: The Sing-along
Messiah”
For those who can’t do without, I
found a posting for a sing-along Messiah
performance with soloists and orchestra
under the direction of Dr. Bryan Baker
at the Unitarian Universalist Church of
Berkeley, 1 Lawson Road, Kensington,
phone 510/525-0302. Soloists include
Marcella Dronkers and Michele Voilleque,
sopranos, Rod Lowe, tenor, and Barry
Zuckerman and Richard Fey, baritones.
The event is scheduled for December
16, 6 p.m. Tickets are $10. If you don’t
own your own score, that’s no reason
for despair; there will be loaner copies
available at the door.
Happy singing, happy listening and
Happy Holidays, one and all!
The Christmas Revels
This will be the 27th year for this
long-running annual musical revelry,
brought to you through the incredible
energy and dedication of our talented
local performing volunteers, together
with professional lead actors. You have
to see this wonderful smorgasbord of
color and sound at least once. Remaining
performances are December 14-16.
Call 510/452-8800 or go online (http://
californiarevels.org/) for more information
and tickets.
“Let us Break Bread
Together”
The Piedmont Choirs will also be
participating in “Let us Break Bread
Together,” Oakland’s annual gala choral
and orchestral holiday celebration with the
East Bay Symphony under the direction
of Michael Morgan at the Paramount
Theater. The event includes numerous
other choral groups, such the Oakland
Interfaith Gospel Choir, and the Klezmer
Band Kugelplex. The date is Sunday,
December 9, at 4 p.m. You will need
tickets for that one. They can be purchased
online.
Oakland Youth Chorus
The Oakland Youth Chorus (OYC),
featuring our city’s children ages 15-18,
will perform their annual holiday concert
Saturday, December 15, 6 p.m., at First
Presbyterian Church, 2619 Broadway.
Tickets can be ordered on-line: http://www.
brownpapertickets.com/event/287903.
Consider making an extra donation to
help sustain the chorus for the benefit
Design, Installation and Maintenance
Native Plant Gardens & Stonework
“A Chanticleer
Christmas”
The Bay Area’s marvelous Chanticleer
singers will per form at the First
Congregational Church of Berkley, corner
of Durant and Dana, December 10 at
8 p.m. Tickets are online (http://www.
Andrea Hurd, Horticulturist and Stonemason
License #883905 h tel. 510.558.8429
www.mariposagardening.com
Christmas Eve, Monday, December 24th,
Christmas Carols, 4:45 p.m.
Family Christmas Mass, 5:00 p.m.
And then...that evening...
Lessons & Carols, 11:30 p.m.
Midnight Mass,12:00 a.m. (midnight)

Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 25th,
Tuesday, Christmas Day, Dec 25th, Mass – 10:30 a.m.
Saint Augustine Catholic Church
INTERIOR-EXTERIOR LEAD
CERTIFIED PAINTERS
Professional preparation. Many local
references. All work Guaranteed
(510) 654-3339
400 Alcatraz Ave • Oakland, CA 94609
Powerful & relevant liturgy
Contemporary music • Located between College and Telegaph avenues
Watch us live via webcam every Sunday (8:00a.m. and 10:30a.m.)
“Young Adult,” Evening Mass, Sunday, December 16th, 6:00 p.m.
 At http://www.staugustineoakland.com


December 8, 2012

11.

Dan Kalb
from page 9
District 1, they have more challenges. They
are more diverse racially and economically
and they have more crime. I have that
responsibility.”
“The Oakland City Council has been
beset by so much conflict,” says Gretchen
White, president of the Metropolitan Greater
Oakland Democratic Club where Kalb
serves on the board. “Dan’s basically a
scientist. A lot of time data doesn’t support
gut feelings. He’ll look at the data.
“He can bring a process of rationality,
calm and reasonableness to the council,”
White, a Rockridge resident, says.
Rational, calm, reasonable – hmm,
who else does that describe? I hope that
approach works for both Barack and Dan
– and for all of us.

January 2013 RCPC Town Hall Topics
Oakland History
Soundwall Process
from page 1
from page 1
Long time Rockridge resident Annalee
Allen discusses the origins of the Oakland
Heritage Alliance (OHA), a non-profit
group dedicated to the study and pres-
ervation of the city’s history.
Allen will speak about Beth Bagwell,
an early key OHA leader and a Rockridge
resident when the group formed in the
early 1980s. Bagwell’s book “Oakland: A
Story of a City” has been reissued and
will be available to buy at the meeting.
Oakland will go forward with a full
study of potential soundwalls (known
as a Noise Barrier Scope Study Report
or NBSSR) on either side of SR 24
between approximately Broadway and
Telegraph Avenue.
The presentation will focus on the
petition process Oakland will use to
make this determination.
In Memory
Ronald Eugene Ciraulo, a well-loved
Ocean View resident since 1968, left this
life on September 29, 2012. Ron had an
infectious personality
and was truly one of
a kind.
A native of San
Francisco, Ron and
his twin brother, Lt.
Col. Robert (Bob) L.
Ciraulo, were born
to Mary and Frank Ciraulo at St. Mary’s
Hospital on May 31, 1935. Ron graduated
from Saint Ignatius College Preparatory
(S.I.) in 1953. He continued his Jesuit
education at Santa Clara University (SCU),
where he received a BS in Engineering
and was part of the U.S. Army ROTC.

Upon graduation, Ron worked for the
State of California as a Civil Engineer and
led ski tours to Squaw Valley. He went
on to work for Hetch
Hetchy Water & Power
as a Civil Engineer for
more than 33 years.
For more than 44
years, he was an active
part of the Fratellanza
Club, one of the largest
social clubs in America founded by Italian
pioneers. Upon retirement, Ron fished
and volunteered for San Francisco Tyee
Club.
Ron leaves behind his wife of 48 years,
Marie Lucille (Audo) Ciraulo, and loving
daughters and sons and their families.
        

Judy Berne welcomes your comments and column
ideas. She can be reached at judyberne@att.net.
Rockridge Sales Increase in November

Closing date BR BA
Address
Original price
List price DOM
Selling price

10/24/12 2
1
5212 Desmond Street
$600,000
$600,000
9
$750,000
10/30/12  2
 2
5635 Miles Avenue
$629,950
$629,950
15
$652,000
11/2/12    2
1
5457 Broadway
$575,000
$575,000
11
$717,000
11/7/12 2
1
5237 James Avenue
$649,000
$649,000
8
$745,000
11/8/12 2
1
5701 Oak Grove Avenue
$690,000
$690,000
13
$750,000
11/9/12 2
1
5394 Bryant
$659,000
$659,000
12
$685,000
11/14/12 4
3
5748 Ivanhoe Road
$1,500,000
$1,500,000 40
$1,455,000
11/21/12 2
1
5522 Taft Avenue
$779,000
$779,000
7
$789,000
Average original list price to sales price is currently 107% vs 99% last year · Median sold price is currently
$747,500 vs $837,500 last year · Properties are selling in an average of 14 days · Currently no active inventory


December 8, 2012
12.
Safeway Accord

will be at the north end of the store. The
rooftop parking and College Avenue ramp
to the parking will be screened to reduce
potential noise and lighting impacts on
neighbors. The 10-foot buffer zone between
the store and Alcatraz Avenue neighbors
will be retained.
Safeway’s loading docks will be placed
in an enclosed “doghouse” at the northern
corner of the project along Claremont Avenue
to counter the light and noise impacts of
loading operations on neighboring residents.
Store and Shop Sizes
The Safeway store will be reduced
from 51,500 square feet to 45,500 sq. ft.;
the small shops on College Avenue will be
reduced from 11,500 sq.ft. to 9,500 sq.ft.
for a total store size of 55,000 sq. ft. This
is an 11 percent reduction from the prior
62,000 sq. ft. project proposal.
In addition, Safeway agreed to eliminate
the full-service restaurant proposed for the
corner of College and Claremont Avenues
because of its large traffic and parking
from page 1
Avenue (FANS).
The mediation resulted from the intensive
efforts of RCPC, FANS, and BPOD to meet
with Council members to explain the appeals
and their objections to Safeway’s plans.
Those meetings, along with the urging of
Councilmember Brunner, convinced two
council members, Libby Schaaf and Ignacio
De La Fuente, to push Safeway to accept
Brunner’s offer to mediate the dispute;
something Safeway had previously rejected.
The tentative settlement, accepted by
all parties and generally favorably received
by the Council at its November 13 public
hearing, includes the following points:
Main Store, Loading and Noise
Safeway’s store moves back down to
the first floor, replaced with 148 rooftop
off-street parking spaces. There will be
two entrances to the off-street parking: one
from College and one from Claremont. Both
➧➧Safeway Accord, page 13

The Negotiations
The three local groups were represented
in the mediation by Jerome Buttrick
and Zack Walton (FANS), Glen Alex and
Joel Rubenzahl (BPOD), and Stuart Flash-
man, Ronnie Spitzer, and Andrew Charman
(RCPC). RCPC’s representatives included
an alternate member because some mem-
bers were unable to stay for the full 13
hours. Also attending for part of the meet-
ing was RCPC’s transportation consultant,
Kevan Shafizadeh.
On Safeway’s side, negotiators included
Steve Berndt, Safeway Vice President for
Real Estate, local real estate manager Todd
Paradis, architect and Rockridge resident
Ken Lowney, attorneys Deborah Kartiganer
and Anna Shimko, and political consultant
Elizabeth Jewel. All except Berndt had been
participants in prior unsuccessful direct
negotiations.
Also present, in addition to Jane Brun-
ner, were Sam Tabibnia, a representative
from Fehr & Peers who did the traffic
analysis for the EIR, and Assistant City
Administrator Fred Blackwell, who had
helped out during the Oakland Army Base
negotiations. Councilmembers Schaaf and
De La Fuente also sat in as observers on
portions of the negotiations.
Councilmember Brunner deserves
a tremendous amount of credit for her
successful mediation effort. Charting the
route to a settlement required recognizing
and avoiding a host of potential points
where negotiations could have reached
impasse and broken down. There were also
a few places where surprising agreements
were reached that had previously seemed
impossible. Chief among these was
Safeway’s agreement to move their store
back down to the ground level, with rooftop
parking. That had been Safeway’s initial plan,
but the store had been shifted to the second
story when the small shops were added to
the project in 2009.

Safeway Preliminary Ground Floor and Parking Level Plans

At right and
b e l o w
a r e
updated site plans
for the College Avenue
Safeway Project reflect-
ing the agreements
reached between Safeway
and neighborhood groups
with the city’s assistance. At
right is the ground floor with
Safeway’s potential store layout and the small
shops located at College and Claremont.
Entrances to Safeway’s store are from
the plaza and from the corner of
the College Avenue frontage.
The graphic at bottom
shows the project’s
second floor park-
ing space layout.
Entrances
to the
LOADING DOCK
220’−0"
S57°25’01"
E 33.45’
loading dock
AT DRIVEWAY
219’−0"
at driveway
213’−2"
BAKERY       DELI       COFFEE
MEAT  DAIRY
BAKERY
DELI
COFFEE
DAIRY
STOREROOM
STOREROOM
210’−7"
exit
MEAT

Continues
LOADING DOCK ENTRY
207’−0"
220’−0"
SAFEWAY
45500 SF
Continues
SAFEWAY

CLAREMONT AVENUE
CHECKOUT
loading
dock
CHECKOUT
45500 SF
CLAREMONT AVENUE
219’−0"
PHARMACY
PARKING
ENTRY
PARKING ENTRY
CLAREMONT AVENUE
50’ − 6"
0’−0"
205’−0"
PHARMACY
PALLETS /
STORAGE
PLAZA
PLAZA
RETAIL
9500 SF
205’−0"
RETAIL
+4’−6"
BERKELEY -- ALCATRAZ AVENUE
9500 SF
RAMP UP
TO PARKING
RAMP
RAMP UP TO
PARKING
8’−6"X18’
25’ − 8"
8’−6"X18’
PRODUCE
8’−6"X18’
PRODUCE
8’−6"X18’
202’
8’−6"X18’
8’−6"X18’
8’−6"X18’
loading
dock
DRIVEWAY
8’−6"X18’
8’−6"X18’
EXISTING
SIDEWALK
EDGE
+4’−6"
COLLEGE AVENUE
207’−0"
8’−6"X18’
EXISTING
SIDEWALK
EDGE
206’−8"
driveway
COLLEGE AVENUE
29’ − 8"
PRELIMINARY GROUND FLOOR PLAN
8’−6"X18’
8’−6"X18’
8’−6"X18’
roof-top parking are from College and
Claremont Avenues at the (roughly)
northern ends of the building.
8’−6"X18’
8’−6"X18’
148 PARKING SPACES
8’−6"X18’
8’−6"X18’
18’ − 0"
25’ − 0"
36’ − 0"
25’ − 0"
148
PARKING SPACES
25’ − 4"
Graphics courtesy of Safeway
architect Ken Lowney. They are
preliminary representations and
subject to change as the designs
are refined.
RAMP UP FROM
COLLEGE AVENUE
ramp up from
college ave
18’ − 0"
25’ − 0"
18’ − 0"
CLAREMONT AVENUE
18’ − 0"
25’ − 0"
Original graphics labels
were copied and enlarged
for readability. Errors or
misrepresentations in their
handling will be corrected
by The Rockridge News.
18’ − 0"
25’ − 0"
18’ − 0"
18’ − 0"
ROOF OF
RETAIL
BUILDING
roof of  retail
building
COLLEGE AVENUE
COLLEGE AVENUE
PRELIMINARY PARKING LEVEL PLAN
00
Oakland CA 94612
(v) 510 836 5400
(f) 510 836 5454
ARCHITECTURE
PRELIMINARY PARKING LEVEL PLAN

Henry C. Levy & Co.
■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Certified Public Accountants
and Consultants
A Professional Corporation
■
• tax preparation • estate planning
• tax planning
• business valuation
5940 College Avenue, Suite C
Oakland, California 94618
510.652-1000   FAX 510.654-2363


December 8, 2012

13.
Safeway Accord

during peak hours, it would, as necessary,
prohibit project employees from parking
in the on-site lot so that space could be
reserved for retail customers.
To reduce neighborhood parking and
traffic impacts, Safeway will pay, for the
life of the project, to establish and maintain
residential permit parking on streets within
two blocks of the project that don’t already
have it.
Safeway will generally allow non-project
retail customers to use the on-site parking
for up to two hours. (While this currently
occurs, parking in Safeway’s lot is posted
as limited to Safeway customers.) At peak
hours, Safeway will have the right to limit
non-Safeway customers to one-hour parking.
The restriction to half-hour hour parking
for non-Safeway customers during the
Thanksgiving and Christmas crunch times
— included in the Planning Commission
approval — was eliminated.
Design Changes and Mitigations
With the reduction in project size, the
project’s internal pedestrian street joining
College and Claremont avenues will be
moved northward and expanded to become
a pedestrian plaza extending east from 63rd
Street to Claremont.
All current mitigation measures included
in the planning commission approval will
remain. Safeway will set aside up to $300,000
to address and mitigate neighborhood
problems that develop after the project has
been approved and constructed.
Next Steps
Safeway and the three community groups
are working to convert this list of “deal
points” into a formal settlement agreement
that would be executed before the revised
project comes back to the City Council for
approval December 18. Safeway’s architect
has prepared a revised site plan, shown on
page 12.
It should be kept in mind, however, that
until the design is finalized, details are
subject to change.
from page 12
impacts. (A restaurant may be built later,
with the consent of RCPC and BPOD, if it
can be shown it will not create any parking
or traffic problems.)
Also, Safeway agreed to allow RCPC,
FANS and BPOD to identify specific uses
that would be problematic (e.g., fast food
restaurants) in the street-level shops. National
chains will be restricted to no more than
40 percent of the project’s retail space. A
list of specific chains and store types (e.g.,
convenience stores) to be totally excluded
will be agreed upon by the parties.
Parking and Traffic Management
Safeway agreed that the project would be
managed to eliminate the parking deficiency
at peak hours (4-7 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to
8 p.m. Saturdays). Safeway also agreed that
Why Not Creative
Soundwalls?
from page 2
If soundwalls are not the best solution,
let’s use the money to mitigate the effects of
the freeway in other ways, such as masking
the noise with the sound of falling water.
It’s an opportunity for creative solutions.
If we want soundwalls, let’s be the
neighborhood that has the vision to see
beyond the concrete and glass to visually
and sonically enhance our environment.
Rockridge has been, and can continue
to be, at the forefront of pedestrian-scale
design. Let’s not let the highway dictate the
sonic atmosphere and aesthetics.
Holiday Security
COLLINS ROOFING
Family Owned & Operated
from page 2
to make your time on the avenue enjoyable.
In addition to the V.M.A. staff, Market
Hall’s security officer, Chad Carlin, will
be on the avenue, especially near the busy
Market Hall/BART intersection.
We also have assistance from OPD: a
walking officer on College Avenue.
RDA Manager Chris Jackson will help
coordinate security services for the district.
Happy Holidays to all from the RDA.
482-2227  Seamus
www.collinsroofing.com
Quality Work  •  Free Estimates
Lic # 695711
ANCESTRY	
  QUESTIONS	
  
ANSWERED
Accredited	
  genealogist	
  
to	
  research/design	
  family	
  
genealogical	
  charts.
Honor	
  an	
  anniversary,	
  birthday,	
  
reunion,	
  or	
  personal	
  enlightenment.
Call	
  510.847.7709	
  for	
  samples,
estimates	
  or	
  basic	
  inquiries.	
  
Association	
  of	
  Professional	
  Genealogists


December 8, 2012
14.

Licensed General Contractor
Craftsman Rehabs, Restoration Remodels,
Seismic Upgrades, Kitchens, Baths, Doors,
Windows, Interior, Exterior, Large, Small,
We do it all. See: catconstruction.biz. Craig.
510/232-5987.
Retired Teacher
Looking to Rent
...for one year or more in Rockridge area.
References. Michele, 510/547-4791.
Piano Lessons in Rockridge
Patient, experienced teacher with B.A. in
Music and 18 years’ experience. Jazz, pop,
classical, ear training, technique, music
theory, improvisation. All ages and levels.
Janet. 510/653-6783.
Your Message Could Be Here
Your 36-word message is $22. (Phone number
counts as one word.) Mail to: RN Classifieds,
4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611.
January deadline is December 20, 2012
For information: smontauk@gmail.com
Aesthetic Pruning
I specialize in pruning trees & shrubs under
20 feet tall. I work with trees to enhance
their natural beauty. Specialties: maples,
camellias, fruit trees, & focal points. Pruning
instructor Merritt College. Bruce Thompson,
510/428-4964.
Mills Grad Student Seeks
Rental or Housesitting
Mature and trustworthy Mills College
graduate student is seeking a furnished
bedroom and private bath to rent or house-
sitting opportunity in Rockridge area. Please
contact Sarah Ellis at 510/604-2994.
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.
Property Management and
Leasing Services
Need someone reliable, efficient and available
24/7 to manage your rental property? Bringing
landlords and good tenants together is my
job! Contact George Vassiliades at 510/710-
6826. GvRealtor@gmail.com.
Holiday Special! Penelope’s
Aesthetics Skin Care Salon
25% Off waxing and facial services. Gift
certificates available. Receive excellent, relax-
ing services with a gentle and personalized
treatment. www.penelopecalef.com
Shopping? Find it in Oakland!
Traditional Anglican
Worship in Rockridge
St. Peter’s Parish, 6013 Lawton at Broadway.
Mass Sunday 8 and 10 am, Wednesday at
noon. Sunday School and Childcare Sunday
at 10. 510/597-1400. St.peters.oakland@
gmail.com (corrected address) www.saint-
petersoakland.com
Spectacular Service
Housekeeping
We provide excellent housecleaning service
with greatest attention to detail. Local
recommendations. *Let us create free time
for you* WWW.spectacularhousekeeping.com
510/228-5704. Free estimate.
Searching for the Perfect
Holiday Gift for Your Sweetie?
Get them a “Date-Night Dance Class” gift
certificate! Friday night classes (10wk session)
start Jan. 11 in Glenview. Interested? Contact
David Kelso & Chris Mehling 510/530-7671
madeinca2d@earthlink.net
Electrical Repairs & Remodels
From doorbell repair to whole-house
rewiring, we’ve been doing electrical work
in Oakland and Berkeley for over 30 years.
Sutorik & Company, www.sutorikandco.com,
lic#397149. 510/655-3677.
FOR SALE: Two Recliners
Queen Anne light purple print: $95; plush
burgundy: $450. Both excellent condition.
510/658-9530. janebcal@yahoo.com.
TAI CHI and QIGONG CLASS
New and returning students welcome.
Cultivate health through this ancient gentle
exercise. Methodist Church, 303 Hudson at
College. Thursday 9:30 a.m. Saturday 9 a.m.
Visit www.harmonytaiji.com for schedule. More
info gail@harmonytaiji.com
Lic. #0670129
Rockridge design
firm providing
creative, livable
design solutions
Wonderful, ongoing,
weekday classes for
babies or toddlers
A
Mov
e
m
e
nt
Prog
ram f
•  Residential Remodels
•  Kitchens + Baths
•  Green Building Design
•  Color Consulting
or
Drop-ins or sign ups
for ALL families: songs,
slides, tunnels, parachute play,
bubbles, a fab ball pit, rocking
horses & more!
A
L
L
Fa
mi
lie
s
W e ’ re  In  The   
neIghborhood
For 9 months up to 3 years with an adult
Dawn Margolin  |  510.547.7726
Jennifer Cooper, owner
5275 James Avenue
Oakland, CA  94618
5 1 0 . 6 5 2 . 5 0 3 6
pumpkinhousestudio.com
Temple Beth Abraham
327 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland
(near the Grand Lake Theatre)
.
w w w . t b a o a k l a n d . o r g / k i n d e r g y m


December 8, 2012

15.

E-mail Rockridge News Community Calendar items to: joellis1@hotmail.com, phone 653-3210 (after noon), or mail to:
Rockridge News Community Calendar, 4123 Broadway, PMB 311, Oakland, CA 94611. Deadline is the next to the last
Tuesday of the month.

Compiled by Jo Ellis

items donated to the Oakland Museum Women’s
Board White Elephant Sale are tax deductible. For
details about how to schedule a van pick-up; where to
deliver donations; what items are/are not accepted, go
to http://www.whiteelephantsale.org/donation-general-
information.
Square Dance in North Oakland
Music by The Squirrelly String Band. Calling by Jordan
Ruyle (with occasional guest performers). 1st and 3rd
Fridays each month, 8–10pm. All levels welcome; all
dances taught on the spot. $5-10 sliding scale donation.
The Niebyl-Proctor Library, 6501 Telegraph Ave. Info:
http://squirrellystringband.com.
Ski & Snowboard Waxing Basics Class
Free class with expert technician will focus on base
preparation, structure, major/minor repair, stone grinding
and in-depth examination of how and why waxes work.
Not necessary to bring personal equipment. 12/13, 7
to 8:30pm. Call to sign up. Berkeley REI, 1338 San
Pablo Ave., 527- 4140.
North Oakland Senior Center
Programs include: Arts/crafts; health counseling;
dancing and exercise; trips, tours and theater outings;
Alzheimer’s Caregivers support groups, computer
classes/more. Annual $12 membership entitles seniors
55 and older to discounts on activities and trips.
Mon. – Fri., 9am to 4:30pm. 5714 Martin Luther King, Jr.
Way. Subscribe to “The North Oakland Senior Times”
for full schedule of classes/events, lunch menus, and
volunteer opportunities. Info: 597- 5085.
Temescal Farmers’ Market

Community Calendar

Rockridge Branch Library
5366 College Avenue, 597-5017
***Find out how your library card allows you to get
free or discounted passes to museums and cultural
institutions with the “Discover & GO” program. among
participating partners are the Asian Art Museum, the
Aquarium, Exploratorium, Oakland Museum Cal Shake-
speare Theater, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.***
FOR CHILDREN
■
■Writers Support/Critique Group: All writers welcome.
Bring 17 copies of up to 5 pgs. (double-spaced, MS
margins) of any prose for on-site reading/discussion
(also welcome to come empty-handed). Third Saturday
each month; 1 to 5pm. Sponsored by the California
Writers Club, Berkeley branch. Info: 420-8775 or
Writefox@aol.com.
■
■Lawyers in the Library: Free legal advice and
referrals. First Tues. each month, 5 to 7pm. Note:
No lawyer in Jan. (Advance sign-up starts 4:45pm at
adult reference desk). Volunteer lawyer leaves before
7pm if no more people present.
ART EXHIBITS (subject to change; call to confirm)
Gallery:
Dec: Judith Marcellini; mixed media paintings.
Jan: Oparna Ewing; quilts by Oakland Quilt Group.
Lobby Display Case:
Dec: Kwanzaa display.
Jan: quilts by Oakland Quilt Group.
■
■Family Story Time: Stories/songs/rhymes (to age
5); every Saturday, 10:30am.
■
■Pre-School Story Time: (ages 2 to 5); every Thurs,
10:30am.
■
■Toddler Story Time: (up to age 2); every Thurs,
10:30am, upstairs.
All story times followed by Play Time; parents and
caregivers invited.
Special Event:
Winter Gift-making – Sewing Felt Creatures: Make an
ornament, toy or pocket snuggly for someone special.
Saturday, 12/8, 3:30 to 5pm. Best for ages 5 to12 (if
under 7, bring a grown-up).
FOR TEENS
LIBRARY HOURS
Tues, 12:30 to 8pm.
Wed., Thurs. and Sat. 10am to 5:30pm.
Fri., 12 to 5:30pm.
Closed: Sundays and Mondays.
Also: Sat., 12/22 through Tues., Jan1.
■
■Teen Advisory Board: (ages 14-18) Advise the library
how to better serve teens. Get community service credit
for school. Snacks provided. 1st Sat. each month, 1-2
pm. Confirm; Megan Kinney, 597-5017.
Neighborhood Crime Prevention
Council (NCPC)
No Dec Mtg. Next mtg. Jan 10, 7pm. Rockridge Library,
upstairs, 5366 College Ave. Confirm mtg. info at www.
rockridgencpc.com or chair@rockridgencpc.com.
■
■Rockridge Ninjas: Watch and talk about Anime. 12/11
and 1/8 from 5 to 6:30pm. Info: Lisa Harter.
■
■Teen ‘Scape: Play video and board games; make
crafts; light snacks provided. Every Wed 2:30 to
4:15pm. Info: Emily Weak, 597-5017.
FOR ADULTS
Donations for Oakland Museum
White Elephant Sale
A van is now available for free donation pick up. Drop-
off days are also scheduled at the warehouse site on
Dec 10 (and other dates through Feb. 23, 2013). All
Norman H. Burg, DDS
General Dentistry
(510) 652-1517
5700 Broadway, Oakland
Rockridge:  5400 College Avenue
 Elmwood:  2930 College Avenue
Weekend Brunch in Elmwood
A Prevention Oriented Practice


Now Accepting Applications for Grades K-5











www.sttheresaschool.org    510-547-3146

Open Sundays, 9am to 1pm (all year). Locally grown
fruits and vegetables; fresh ranch eggs; home-made
bakery items; fresh cut flowers; unique prepared foods,
fresh locally caught fish, handcrafts and more. Sample
the goods; meet the grower; learn about unique food
varieties and cooking tips; and listen to live music. Bring
your own reusable bags. 5300 Claremont Ave. (off
Telegraph) at DMV parking lot. More info about Certi-
fied Farmers’ Markets at www.urbanvillageonline.com.
NAMASTE
NEW TO YOGA?
3 CLASSES FOR $30*
* New students only, good for 30 days
Now serving your yoga + wellness
needs from two Oakland locations
ROCKRIDGE | GRAND LAKE
WWW.NAMASTEOAKLAND.COM
5416 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 510.547.YOGA
3229 Lakeshore Avenue, Oakland, CA 510.832.YOGA


December 8, 2012
16.

Terry Kulka & Julie Bartlett
Number of Homes Sold: Over 400
Homes Sold in Rockridge: Over 80
Value of Working with Realtors who have
over 35 years Experience? PRICELESS
Call Today! (510) 682-5917
RockridgeHomeSales@Gmail.com
www.Rockridge-RealEstate.com
Over 400 homes sold -
Experience Counts
KEVIN BROWN
Broker
654-8707 or 593-4780
Rockridge
Located on Market Hall’s Lower Level
Entry on Shafter Avenue
510-655-8808
PROVIDING

Professional,

Full Service

Real Estate Brokerage

To Rockridge Clients
 For Over 26 Years.
www.curvesrockridge.com
Free Parking!
Across from BART
Open 7 Days
Mon- Fri  6:00 -7:30
Sat & Sun 8:00 - Noon
31
SPECIALIZING IN

OResidential Sales

OIncome Property

OCommercial

OProperty Management
Better Homes
Realty
5353 College Avenue
Oakland
Playing? Start in Oakland!
ROCKRIDGE
5327 College Ave
510.622.8300
ELMWOOD
2991 College Ave
510.883.7000
www.mcguire.com

aboutface&body
dayspa      oaklandberkeley
serving you since 1981
AVEDA PRODUCTS
Now offering men’s waxing
3190 college avenue
at alcatraz
berkeley, ca 94705
p 510.428.2600
www.aboutfaceandbody.net
sun-tues 10:30-5:30
wed-sat 10:30-8:00
Happy
Holidays
and a
Happy & Prosperous
 New Year
FOR SALE ROCKRIDGE/TEMESCAL
473 55th Street  $525,000
3Beds/1Bath
Craftsman Bungalow w/Remodeled kitchen and bath.
Built-ins and Hrwd flrs. Charm!
www.473-55thst.com
PENDING – ROCKRIDGE
PENDING
5451 Broadway - Fixer    $549,000
2++Beds/1 Bath
Nice Period Arch Detailing intact. Ready for your TLC
& Ideas.
Award Winning Chabot Elementary School
www.5451Broadway.com
Ron Kriss, Broker
Lawton Associates
L A W T O N
510-547-5970 Ext. 55
ronkriss@jps.net
“#1 in Rockridge Real Estate”
A S S O C I A T E S
Over 100 Homes Sold in Rockridge
www.LawtonAssoc.com
R E A L   E S T A T E
B R O K E R A G E
Living? Love it in Oakland!