Extracted text · highlighting “Market Hall”

R  ckridgeNews

THE

www.rockridge.org

VOL 36   •   NO. 7   •   ISSUE  NO. 377   •   JULY 4, 2020                      CIRCULATION: 5,800 Residences; 200 Businesses

Sponsored by the Rockridge Community Planning Council (RCPC)  •  4900 Shattuck Ave., PO Box 22504, Oakland  94609

RCPC Annual Meeting and
Board Election Rescheduled,
Nominations Reopened —
Candidates’ Forum on Zoom
Annual Meeting and Board Election on
September 24; Balloting Continues on
September 26.
The board of directors of the Rock-
ridge Community Planning Council
(RCPC) has announced a new date for
the 2020 Annual Meeting. The meet-
ing, originally scheduled for April,
was postponed due to the shelter-in-
place order. The Annual Meeting,
including election of directors to fill
six board seats for two-year terms,
will now be held on Thursday,
September 24, 2020, at 7pm.
For those who cannot attend on
the 24th, balloting will continue on
Saturday, September 26. The meet-
ing venue — possibly at an outdoor
location — will be announced in the
September edition of The Rockridge
News, together with public health
measures that will be in effect.
Updates will be posted online at
rockridge.org and on the RCPC Face-
book page.
Photo by Anna L. Marks
Peaceful Protest Rally and March at
Rockridge BART Calls for an End to Racism
On Saturday, June 13, residents and supporters gathered at the Rockridge
BART station alongside SEIU Chapter 1021, organizers of the “Say  Their
Names” event. Hundreds came to hear speakers and march to UC Berkeley’s
Sproul Plaza to protest police violence and pervasive, systemic racism. n
Nominations Reopened, Intent-to-Run
Statements due July 31.
RCPC bylaws require that, in all
Board elections, the closing date for
nominations shall be no later than 120
days before the election. Accordingly,
the Board has voted to reopen the
period for nominations through the
end of July.
Rockridge residents who are inter-
ested in running for a board seat may
declare their intent by sending an
email to the RCPC Board of Directors,
at info@rockridge.org, no later than
July 31, 2020. To qualify, a candidate
must be at least 18 years of age and
have their principal residence within
Henry loves customizing selections for those
wanting exposure to different musical genres.
Photo by Anna L. Marks

Open Mind Music Curates Collections For Locals
— By Jorja Siemons
T

RCPC Elections, see page 5

he temporary closure of Open
Mind Music’s storefront on
College Avenue may be halting in-per-
son shopping this summer, but the
neighborhood store has found new
ways to serve music lovers and record
rookies alike. With the addition of the
“Pick Pack,” customers can virtually
provide their budgets and specify
their favorite genres, artists, and
albums to receive expert guidance
Open Mind Music, see page 14


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page 2
JULY 2020

Artist Expresses Heartache through Chalk
— By Anna L. Marks
Rockridge artist
Julie Franklin
has been living in
the neighborhood
for more than 25
years and was deeply
impacted by the
killings of black
Americans by police,
in particular, the kill-
ing of George Floyd,
and sketched his
Franklin works
for UC Berkeley’s
Magnes Collection
of Jewish Art and
Life, and sees her
street art as a way
to help express
her grief and build
community.
Photos by Anna L. Marks

The Rockridge News was founded March 1986
by Don Kinkead, and is published monthly (except
August).  It 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
Anna L. Marks ........................ Editor & Layout Artist
Jo Ellis...................................................Assistant Editor
Judith Doner Berne.......................Eyes on Rockridge
Susan Montauk................................Business Manager
RCPC Board of Directors, 2019-20
Leonora Sea..........................................................Chair
Vacant......................................................... Vice-Chair
Casey Farmer......................................... Co-Secretary
Andrew Masalin.................................... Co-Secretary
Ronnie Spitzer...............................................Treasurer
Stuart Flashman...........................Assistant Treasurer
Michelle Boyd, David Garcia, Mary Catherine
Haug, Matt Levy, Eric Lombardo, Robin Zimpfer
McDonnell
Contact the board: chair@rockridge.org
For information: info@rockridge.org
Contacting The Rockridge News
Are there community issues you’d like to see
covered in The Rockridge News? Have questions
about newsletter distribution? Want to volunteer
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write a letter to the Editor?
Articles and letters submitted for publication
should be emailed to the editor. All submissions
are limited to 600 words, and must include the
author’s name, phone number, email address, and
city or neighborhood of residence.

likeness in chalk in front of her home on Shafter.
“This has been going on for far too long and I felt like
I needed to make him really big so people wouldn’t forget
his name. It’s heartbreaking. I don’t want to keep seeing my black and brown
friends suffering.”
Franklin has also sketched out Breonna Taylor, and plans to continue with
others who have been killed unjustly. “I’d like to keep doing artwork of people
who have been murdered at the hands of police in this country.” n

All submissions are subject to editing for clarity
and brevity. To submit content, or for reprints of
an article, contact: editor@rockridge.org.
Newsletter Subscriptions
To subscribe to The Rockridge News, send your
check for $20, payable to RCPC with “Rockridge
News” noted on the memo line.
Mail payment to:
RCPC, 4900 Shattuck Ave.,
PO Box 22504, Oakland, 94609
Display Advertising
Deadline for September issue: August 20, 2020
Advertising rates are $28/column inch. Six-month
pre-pay rate available. For display ads, call Jo Ellis
at 510-653-3210 (after noon), or email joellis1@
hotmail.com.  The Rockridge News reserves the
right to refuse any article, display ad or classified
ad. Email smontauk at smontauk@gmail.com for
information on classified ads.
Views expressed in articles accepted for publication do
not necessarily reflect those of The Rockridge News,
its editor, or the board of directors of the Rockridge
Community Planning Council.


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page 3
JULY 2020

My Response to the Black Organizing Project: “The People’s Plan for
Police-Free Schools”

— By Jody London, President and District 1 Director, Oakland Unified School District

Note to readers: This article was
submitted prior to the June 25 School
Board meeting where the Board voted
unanimously to eliminate the school
district’s police department.
Photos by Anna L. Marks
On June 10, six out of seven
school board members, along
with the Superintendent, said they
support eliminating the school dis-
trict police department. Personally, I
support the Black Organizing Project
(BOP) People’s Plan for Police-Free
Schools, which will give us the time
we need “to create a detailed plan to
eliminate the Oakland School Police
Department (OSPD) by the end of
2020.”
I support this timeline for several
very pragmatic reasons outlined
within BOP’s People’s Plan. To begin
with, I agree that the BOP’s People’s
Plan will be most successful if we
take the time necessary to have a
team of OUSD departments working
in consultation with BOP and other
community stakeholders to create a
detailed plan to move the Campus
Safety & Security Program, all by the
end of 2020.
I also agree with BOP’s People’s
Plan on the importance of change
management to ensure that this
transition goes smoothly. As the
plan states: “As with any other
reduction or reorganization, the
district must work carefully with
its Legal, Human Resources, Com-
munications, and School Networks
Supervision Teams to create a plan
that incorporates change man-
agement best practices, and that
includes appropriate resources to
manage the change effectively. It is
also critical that the $2.3 million
budget of the OSPD be strategically
reinvested in support systems and
student safety — for the whole child
as well as students with disabilities
with an eye to supporting authentic
student safety.”
School Superintendent John-
son-Trammell has expressed that she
is ready to develop an alternative
school safety plan, and noted that
right now everyone is very focused
Jody London, see page 13

Market Hall Takes Action on Building an Equitable Community

— By Myrna Walton
Win the home communities of our staff.
• Conduct a comprehensive review
and benchmarking of our hiring
practices, staff roles, and salary
bands across our business to address
inequalities.
• Commit all senior managers at
Market Hall Foods to complete diver-
sity and anti-bias training.
• Match staff donations given to
pro-black, pro-equality, and civic
engagement nonprofits.
The decision to match employee
donations engendered many lengthy
conversations among the staff.  Staff
and management are now working
through which organizations are
tion, among other things,” she noted.
As of June, the company adopted
the following program to foster and
sustain a more equitable community,
including:
• Actively seek to support and
amplify the voices of existing black-
owned food producers — their
companies, their stories and their
products — as well as expanding the
number of black participants within
the food industry.
• Provide voter registration forms
and voter education when hiring new
staff (the ballot is not an exam — you
don’t have to fill out every line)
• Promote “Get Out the Vote” cam-
paigns across the country, including
hat can small businesses do to
bring about social justice?
In response to the Black Lives Matter
movement, the owners and managers
at Market Hall have issued a six-point
call to solidarity and action against
police brutality and for criminal jus-
tice reform.
Market Hall on College Avenue has
long supported community-based
programs but now wants to do more.
“Today’s issues have been going on
so long and are so painful,” said Sara
Wilson, who opened the Hall with her
two brothers in 1987.
“We have always strongly supported
Get Out the Vote campaigns but have
wanted to do more for voter registra-
Market Hall, see next page


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JULY 2020

Market Hall, from previous page
accountable and can effect change.
They agreed to distribute the
employer-matched donations to the
NAACP-Legal Defense Fund and the
ACLU, because they have solid histo-
ries of creating systemic change.
Market Hall has always included
a mix of food stores — resembling a
European marketplace — and there
have been many changes over the
years. “When my husband and I
moved to Rockridge in 1990,” says
Wilson, “many of our neighbors were
Italians.” Market Hall Foods was origi-
nally called The Pasta Shop — making
fresh pasta and specializing in Italian
food products. As the neighborhood
changed, so did the store, not only
expanding the types and origins of
products but strengthening its com-
mitment to finding authentic sources.
Twenty to thirty percent of their
100-plus grocery accounts are owned
by persons of color. Recent successful
launches include Granola Guru, made
by Rockridge resident Ayana Kelly,
who had been selling her granola in
farmers’ markets before consulting
with Market Hall buyers on how to
ready her product for retail shelves.
“I began selling The Granola Guru
at Market Hall last year. So far, cul-
tivating a relationship with Market
Hall has been a great experience.
They truly provide the support to
showcase and highlight new artisan
brands like my own,” Kelly said.
long-term relationships.”
Top sellers include Seka Hills Extra
Virgin Olive Oil, produced by the
Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation from the
Capay Valley. Market Hall was one
of the first to carry the oil and was
instrumental in its success nation-
wide. Other pivotal products include
the spices from Diaspora Co., dedi-
cated to decolonizing the spice trade
so that profits go to the workers; and
Pan’s Mushroom Jerky, a plant-based
product created from an updated
Malaysian family recipe.
Currently, the buyers are working to
bring additional products developed
at La Cocina Incubator Kitchen in San
Francisco, which assists low and very
low-income entrepreneurs, women,
immigrants, and people of color.
How well Market Hall will be able
to translate their long-term goals into
specifically increasing black partic-
ipation and power within the food
industry is “a challenge we want to
meet,” said Wilson.
“We work closely with the Good
Food Merchants Alliance, the San
Francisco-based organization dedi-
cated to small producers and start-up
food businesses. Also, the Specialty
Food Association’s outreach to histor-
ically under-represented communities
has introduced us to some great new
products, as well.”
The challenge extends not only to
suppliers but to staff as well. Wilson
said, “We have a diverse staff but have
never done an audit of the racial and
ethnic breakdown of our 180 employ-
ees. Now we will do that audit.” n
Ayana Kelly started Granola Guru two
years ago and her products can be
found in over 60 locations throughout
Northern California.
The buyers taste and test each
product and take into account how
it would be used in the pantry of
the home cook. There is a long list
of ingredients they will not accept,
mainly certain chemicals or preser-
vatives, and rancid fat.
Summer Thompson, an employee
with Market Hall for the last eight
years and a grocery buyer for the past
three, emphasizes this concern. “It
can take six to eight months working
with a potential supplier to make sure
the product will be successful with the
public, as well as sustainable. That’s
good for the supplier, good for us, and
good for our customers. We look for
law office of
dave karlinsky
Market Hall Foods has two locations:
College Avenue in Rockridge, and 4th
Street in Berkeley.
725 washington st., suite 313  oakland, ca 94607
(510) 788-5700    www.davekarlinskylaw.com
Practicing exclusively in the area of trusts and estates:
• Estate planning
• Probate / trust administration
• Dispute resolution
• Special needs trusts
Please contact me during regular business hours to
      schedule an appointment.


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page 5
JULY 2020

RCPC Elections, from front page
RCPC boundaries. (See rockridge.org/
elections). IMPORTANT: Candidates
who declared their candidacy during
the original nomination period MUST
re-confirm their intent to run by
emailing the RCPC board at info@
rockridge.org — also by July 31, 2020.
Rockridge News Resumes Door-to-Door Delivery
— By Susan Montauk, The Rockridge News Business Manager
We wish to thank all our volun-
teers who have been working
hard behind the scenes to spread the
word about the online availability
of The Rockridge News for the past
three months at www.rockridge.org.
These committed neighbors have
been emailing their block lists and
posting notices on social media sites,
all in an effort to keep the newsletter
in the public eye during the roughest
months of the pandemic.
With this July issue, we are now
back to door-to-door distribution, and
we hope the community is as glad as
we are, and as appreciative of the over
150 volunteers who will be participat-
ing each month in the process. Among
those are two new volunteers who are
taking over important routes — Tim
Hallahan and Judy Weiss who are
replacing Claudine Jones and Rich
Yurman. We welcome them.
They were responsible for deliveries
to most of the area east of College
Avenue, between Chabot and Cla-
remont. After a serious automobile
accident, they decided to go carless
and were then delivering many of
the bundles on foot. We admire their
stamina and their generous spirit,
and wish them the very best in all
their future endeavors.
Bundling Venue Needed
Another casualty of the pandemic is
the loss of our bundling venue. Jo and
Ken Ellis have provided their dining
room table over the last 17 years to
sort and prepare the newsletters for
delivery. They have asked that we find
a new home for the bundling, and
we will miss their warm and vibrant
spirits that welcomed numerous
volunteers on the first Friday of every
month. We need someone to step for-
ward to be the sixth Rockridgian in
the history of The Rockridge News to
offer his/her home for a few hours on
that first Friday of each month. Please
contact Susan at smontauk@gmail.
com or call (510) 547-3855.
RCPC Election: Candidates’ Forum to
be Held Online, Mid-September.
During the week before RCPC’s
Annual Meeting and Board election,
the Rockridge community will have
an opportunity to hear from Board
candidates, and pose questions in
a Candidates’ Forum. This event
will be held as a Zoom Webinar, on
Thursday, September 17, at 7pm. The
event will also be streamed on various
social media channels. Information on
how to participate will appear in the
September Rockridge News and will be
posted online at rockridge.org, and on
the RCPC Facebook page. A YouTube
video of the forum will be posted at
bit.ly/RCPCYouTube. n
Here’s what’s required:
A good size dining table; a decent
size front porch (for volunteer boxes;
a minimum number of steps up to the
porch (5-8 is okay); receipt of newslet-
ters the morning of the first Friday of
each month (except August)
Delivering the newsletter to the
Rockridge community requires a great
deal of organization and community
effort. We couldn’t have done it these
past 35 years without our wonderful
volunteers and we hope to continue
for the next 35 years. n
City of Oakland Launches Flex Streets Initiative
Tto help some of Oakland’s smallest
micro-businesses, that are often
owned by low-income people of color,
operate safely during the pandemic.
The City is also exploring how to
provide opportunities for economic
revitalization and community engage-
ment through the creative and flexible
use of privately owned parking lots
and other open outdoor areas.
he City of Oakland has relaxed
restrictions for reopening indoor
and outdoor dining by waiving all
fees and streamlining permitting for
businesses’ use of public rights-of-way
including sidewalks and parking lanes
under a new program called Flex
Streets. The goal is to spur equitable
economic revitalization by making it
easier for retailers, restaurants, and
other businesses to use larger portions
of the sidewalk, parking lanes, and
streets. The program also includes
an expedited permitting process for
mobile food vendors. It is designed
To participate in the Flex Street
program and to use an adjacent
sidewalk or parking space, businesses
may apply for a permit online at www.
oaklandca.gov/FlexStreets. n


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JULY 2020

Joint RCPC-NCPC Town Hall, June 2020
— By Karen Ivy, Secretary, Greater Rockridge NCPC
O
LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR
to walk to essential services — food
distribution, grocery stores, COVID
testing. Slow Streets is now working on
improving intersection access in those
areas, and they have some new propos-
als that will be announced soon. They
will be soliciting public comments.
The balance of the meeting began
with a presentation from Lt. Rob
Rosin, who sat in for Captain Chris
Bolton. Rosin noted that while crime
is down overall in North Oakland,
violent crime is up in other areas,
especially shootings, which are up
22 percent city-wide. In response to
current protests and marches, he went
on to say “It’s important to say OPD as
a whole was really shocked about the
events in Minneapolis with the murder
of Mr. Floyd, and we stand united
against all police brutality. We’re proud
to report that your police department
is probably one of the most progressive
departments and forward thinking
in the nation. Our chief, our union
president, and all of us, have stood up
against what happened.” OPD’s use-of-
force policies are on the city website.
The availability of CROs have been
stretched thin by recent demon-
strations, and they had to leave the
meeting early. The rest of the meeting
was a general discussion of issues sur-
rounding public safety, police hiring,
use-of-force policies, and the recent
demonstrations. n
n June 11, the Rockridge Com-
munity Planning Council
(RCPC) and Greater Rockridge Neigh-
borhood Crime Prevention Council
(NCPC) held their annual joint town
hall, via Zoom. The meeting opened
with comments from district Com-
munity Resource Officers (CROs)
Josiah Ladd for Beat 12Y, and Kristine
Jurgens for Beat 13X. Crime is down
in both neighborhoods, largely due to
the pandemic.
The first presenter, Anne Janks from
the Coalition for Police Accountabil-
ity, discussed the MACRO program
(Mobile Assistance Community
Responders of Oakland). MACRO
is based on the Cahoots program in
Eugene, OR, a 30-year-old program
that sends teams of EMTs and social
support personnel to respond to calls
for services that do not involve crime,
such as homeless complaints, with suc-
cess in cost control and fewer arrests.
The MACRO proposal to the Police
Commission asks that a one-year pilot
program shall provide for a single 24x7
van to respond to 911 and non-emer-
gency calls in East Oakland that do
not involve violence or crime. Oakland
Dispatch operators will decide where to
route which calls, as they normally do.
The response was very positive, includ-
ing from the police in attendance.
We also had a presentation from
Sean Maher of the Oakland Depart-
ment of Transportation Slow Streets
program. They’ve found that Slow
Streets was less successful in East Oak-
land than North Oakland, as residents
there said they need more safe ways
Density Allows for
Diversity
I
’m a designer. I value aesthetics. I
love the beauty of Rockridge. But
the price some in this community
were willing to pay just to avoid
seeing a tower in the neighborhood
strikes me as shortsighted. Parking
and traffic are also often cited by
those opposed to new development.
Are these truly more important
than the more serious and long-term
social and environmental conse-
quences of continually refusing any
increase in urban density?
So many of us care deeply about
our neighborhood and I admire that,
even if we disagree. To me, the CCA
development seems like a major turn-
ing point. It’s certainly not perfect,
but it provides a rare opportunity to
welcome many more neighbors into
Rockridge. It asks us what kind of
neighborhood we want to be. What
kind of neighbors do we want to be?
I’m hoping those of us who are
fortunate to live here consider factors
beyond our personal interests, and
the interests of existing homeowners,
as we approach future development.
We benefit from natural and histor-
ical beauty, transit proximity, and
multiple lively commercial corridors.
I strongly believe we should not keep
these assets to ourselves, and that
means being much more expansive in
how we think about density.
We can do this without giving up
any part of what makes Rockridge
great. Bringing in a more diverse
population of all ages, racial back-
grounds, and economic backgrounds
will enhance Rockridge. The only
way we can do this is by adding
significant numbers of housing units
of all types — and yes, including
towers. n
All are invited to the next NCPC
meeting, currently scheduled for
August 13; add to the agenda by
emailing chair@rockridgencpc.com.
Stephen Coles
Miles Ave


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JULY 2020

• How to guarantee that the park will
be open to the public in perpetuity?
We are Simbys, Smart In My
Back Yard. We want to see dense
affordable housing in Rockridge
that complements the existing
neighborhood. To do that, we need
to hear from the public and continue
to engage the developers and CCA
around the neighborhood issues most
crucial to area residents.
To keep informed, sign up for
our mailing list at UBAOakland@
gmailcom, to learn of changes as they
evolve. You can view the project pro-
posal at 5212Broadway.com, or on the
UBA website at UBAOakland.org. n
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
CCA Needs Input on Design Elements
As reported in June’s issue of The
Rockridge News, the developers
of the proposed residential construc-
tion on the site of the College of the
Arts (CCA) campus recently withdrew
their original proposal for a 19-story
tower on the site. The new project pro-
poses residences, and some commercial
development, from five to eight stories
in height. This is a welcome improve-
ment but there is more to be done.
people who work in the neighborhood
such as teachers, nurses, and families?
• Can the architectural style in the
final design be compatible with the
neighborhood? And, if so, how?
• The new buildings will range
from five stories tall on the corner of
Broadway and Clifton, to seven and
eight stories tall on the rest of the
site. Is that still too high for the area?
• What can be done to better
Abby Pollak UBA Steering Committee
member, South Rockridge Blvd
Artistic rendering by Michael Reardon
respect the historic, cultural, and
architectural heritage of the site,
including the wall and gate?
• How can the parking/traf-
fic challenges be resolved in a
transit-friendly manner, without
overburdening neighborhoods and
the intersections nearby?
In recent meetings with
Rockridge-based community organi-
zations, including Upper Broadway
Advocates (UBA), the developers
stated their willingness to cooperate
and collaborate with the community
on the refinement of the plans,
including elements of design, now.
This is a great opportunity. We
can’t wait passively until September
for the results of the environmental
impact report (EIR), especially since
the developers now appear to be
seriously listening to the community.
This is the time to resolve many of
the unanswered questions about this
proposal including, but not limited to
the following:
• This project is slated for only
10 percent affordable units at best,
and zero, at worst. How can we
obtain more housing for the “missing
middle” — those who don’t qualify
for housing assistance but who can’t
afford luxury rates — including


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JULY 2020

Redeveloping The CCA Campus: An Interview
with Site Developer Marc Babsin of Emerald Fund

four additional buildings against the
benefits of adding 130 to 150 more
homes, 46 of which would be onsite
affordable housing.
— Interviewed by Stuart Flashman, RCPC Land Use Committee chair
Your original plans called for making
Clifton Hall into affordable artist
housing. That’s gone now?
Unfortunately, yes. The original
plan included converting the dormi-
tory into 35 affordable artist units.
Our agreement with CCA only gave
us limited time to obtain entitle-
ments, and that time ran out. CCA is
seeking funds as construction of the
San Francisco campus is well under-
way, so it’s selling off that building
separately, and, without entitlements,
we’re not in a position to buy it.
However, we still intend to help with
building affordable housing.
Our base scenario, with 462 homes,
includes 10 percent onsite moder-
ate-income units for the “missing
middle.” This is an increase from the
6 percent of our original proposal.
Under the two preservation options,
while unable to subsidize onsite
affordable housing, we would pay
$6.5 to $7.4 million in Affordable
Housing Fees that would allow for
the creation of an estimated 26 to 30
affordable units elsewhere in the city.
Incidentally, as a show of good faith,
we have opened our books and put
our pricing and proformas up on the
project website: www.5212broadway.
com. We’ve never done that before,
and we aren’t aware of any developer
This project has been in process for
a while. Last month you announced
major changes. Why?
We first presented the project to
Rockridge Community Planning
Council nearly three years ago, in
September 2017. In 2018, after many
more community meetings and dis-
cussions, we submitted an application
to the City. At that point, the project
involved 589 homes, including a
19-story tower, a 1.5 acre public park,
and several arts uses.
Over the next year we heard from
many supporters and many critics
— most notably about the tower.
People also wanted the public park
to be larger and less enclosed. Taking
these comments to heart, we decided
to eliminate the tower, reduce the
maximum height from 190 ft. to 85 ft.,
expand the park from 1.5 to 1.85 acres,
and remove a building that blocked
views south from the park. We also
reduced the project size to 462 homes.
are two buildings on the campus that
are on the National Register of His-
toric Structures: Macky Hall and the
Carriage House. Both are preserved
in all our development options. The
site also has other historic areas and
structures, and the City deemed the
entire site to be an historical Area of
Primary Importance (API). Working
with the City, we thoroughly ana-
lyzed trying to save more historic
structures, but there was a trade-off.
Preserving 10 of the 12 structures
and converting them to usable office
space would cost $46 million.
Even if the office space fetched
pre-COVID rents of about $54 per
square foot, the preservation com-
ponent didn’t pencil out. Further,
given the site’s designation as an
API, we aren’t eligible for historic tax
credits if any buildings are removed
or density is added — and we need to
do both if any housing can be built.
The historic structures do make
the site attractive, but the very high
cost of conversion in comparison to
the office rental revenue makes the
significant preservation component
financially infeasible.
The Oakland City Council will
ultimately need to decide how to bal-
ance the value of preserving three or
Tell me about the challenges of the
site’s historic buildings. Did they help
or hinder your plans? Could the City
justify tearing any of them down?
They both help and hinder. There
ZϬϭϮϲϱϴϳϯͮϬϭϳϵϴϲϱϴ

Thoughts & Prayers To All While We Shelter In Place
Closing date
BR
BA

Address                                Original price         List price
DOM
Selling price
6/02/2020
4
3

5844 Lawton Ave                  $2,500,000
        $2,395,000
  35
$2,320,000
6/08/2020
2
1.5

4924 Desmond St                    $799,000
           $799,000
   7
   $925,000
6/10/2020
4
1.5
         480 59Th St                            $1,195,000
        $1,195,000
   8
$1,225,000
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some creative & safe ideas. Call us... There are lots of buyers still looking for a home.
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THE

page 9
JULY 2020

developer coming back in and
proposing a “Phase II” project that
would build on that space?
We are committed to providing
a permanent public park for the
community’s enjoyment. Along with
providing affordable housing, we see
the public park as perhaps the most
important community benefit the
project will provide. In fact, respond-
ing to the community’s enthusiasm,
the park in the new plans is more
than 20 percent larger than in our
original proposal.
We expect that the project approv-
als will come with restrictions
guaranteeing public access and usage.
The project will be bound by those
conditions. If a future developer
wanted to build on the park area, it
would need to convince the City to
rescind those restrictions. However,
much of the park area is also pro-
tected by the historic designation of
the view corridor from Broadway to
Macky Hall. I don’t think a developer
would be able to gain the approvals
needed to build on that area.
so, no, there have not been discus-
sions about coordinating plans. We
expect the EIR’s traffic analysis will
take into account the traffic from
a future Phase 2 under the current
plans unless the approvals for Phase
2 expire.
that has. We invite the community
to have a look at the numbers and to
share their thoughts and questions.
What about CCA? Did they bump up
the land cost so they could build their
San Francisco campus?
No. It’s not unusual for a nonprofit
to use their land to help finance their
continued existence. How much CCA
receives for the land is impacted by the
value of what is entitled. In the current
economic climate, that may not be
much. At the moment, it’s not clear if
any development scenario pencils out.
Irrespective of the entitlement process,
CCA is completing construction of its
San Francisco campus expansion and
is planning on completing the move by
the Spring of 2022.
One last question: COVID-19 has
raised many questions about the
economy and urban areas. Have you
taken that into account in the new
proposal? If demand for housing and
office space drops, could this project,
like Shops at the Ridge, disappear?
Yes, if both residential and office
markets “go south,” this project would
not be financeable, and the site might
end up vacant and fallow — the larger
the renovated office component, the
greater the risk. We’re optimistic,
however, that this site, with its Rock-
ridge location and BART accessibility,
will continue to be a compelling
residential site, and we intend to be in
this for the long haul. n
With less homes, there may be less
traffic, but there will also be office
space added. Can you tell me any-
thing about traffic impacts? What
about emergency access?
That’s going to be addressed in the
Draft EIR, which we expect will come
some time in November or December.
In response to public comments, it
will cover intersections north of the
project on Broadway. As for emer-
gency vehicle access, our engineers
have designed an emergency access
plan that we believe meets fire code
and is currently under review by the
Oakland Fire Dept.
As you know, the “Shops at the
Ridge” project lies south of the CCA
campus. Phase 1 of that project is
finished but Phase 2 stalled. Have
you had any discussions with TRC,
the developer, about coordinating
plans? Will the EIR take into account
traffic from a future Phase 2 in ana-
lyzing traffic impacts?
We don’t know much about what’s
happening with Phase 2 other than
that it doesn’t appear to be moving
forward. We’ve tried to reach out to
the developer, but without success,
One of the project’s big selling
points is the publicly accessible park
area. How will long-term public
access be guaranteed? Will there
be any protections against a future
BUYING?
SELLING?
LET ME HELP YOU
ANNE D. BRANDON, REALTOR
35+ YEAR ROCKRIDGE RESIDENT AND HOMEOWNER
DRE# 01877719 | 510.682.6644
ANNE@THEHIGHLANDPARTNERS.COM
E
V
L
U
I
T
X
I
U
S
O
R
Y
P
T
B
S
R
U
A
R
N
T
D
S
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T


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page 10
JULY 2020

Golden Squirrel Adapts to Challenging Times

But after modernizing and remod-
eling the old space, the duo faced a
months-long delay in getting their
liquor license approved by the city.
Then, in the midst of the corona-
virus shutdown, civil rights protests
erupted in Oakland following the
police killing of George Floyd in Min-
neapolis. Like many College Avenue
storefronts, the partners decided to
board up to protect the business and
building. But The Golden Squirrel
turned this into another creative
opportunity when they commissioned
local artist Chris Granillo to create a
beautiful, squirrel-themed mural on
the plywood. They connected with
Granillo through a nonprofit called
Paint the Void (www.paintthevoid.
org), with a mission of projecting
hope and beauty to fill the void left by
the pandemic.
Adding a final, difficult twist to
these tumultuous times, the lock-
down also disrupted Snow’s marriage
plans. “It’s been a few long months,
but maybe there’s a light at the end
of the tunnel now,” he says. “But it’s
hard to complain because our staff
and families are doing fine so far.”
With restrictions easing, the
Golden Squirrel began table service
on its patio and sidewalk on June 19.
Customers can now order food and
drinks at the counter and receive
a table assignment (masks can be
removed once seated) and a runner
will deliver the order to the table.
Sanitizing protocols and social dis-
tancing will be strictly observed and,
as Snow puts it, “we will be empha-
sizing safety over volume” as they
begin to rebuild their business. n
— By Skip Fogarty
Selling groceries at the curb was
never part of the plan, but it
became a lifeline for one College
Avenue business during the COVID
lockdown. The Golden Squirrel,
which took over the former site of
Barclay’s pub, has nimbly pivoted its
business strategies to serve its cus-
tomers — and to survive.
In the face of shortages at super-
markets, “we prepared grocery boxes
with fresh fruit and vegetables,
meats, and other ingredients that we
could obtain from our suppliers,”
explains proprietor and co-owner
Andrew Snow. Appreciative custom-
ers ordered by phone and boxes were
handed off at the curb.
“We sold hundreds of pounds of
flour and yeast to satisfy home-
bound bakers,” Snow says. “It was
one way we could help our customers
and also keep the business afloat.”
The pub also changed up its menu
to be more “to-go” oriented and
offered beer growlers and cocktails to
carry out. Another menu innovation
was the opportunity for customers to
buy a ready-to-eat meal for an essen-
tial frontline worker.
“Once we had enough orders to
serve an entire shift, we’d deliver
the food to the emergency room at
Highland and other area hospitals,”
Snow reports. The restaurant ended
Photo by Anna L. Marks
Owner Andrew Snow has created
a casual gastropub that now offers
additional outdoor seating.
up providing over 750 meals.
Co-founded with Snow’s cousin
and lifelong pal Chris Foott, The
Golden Squirrel is approaching
its four-year anniversary. Snow
and Foott are lifelong Rockridge
residents, and both still live within
walking distance to their establish-
ment. Snow attended Head-Royce
School, and Foott is a College Prep
alum.
It had always been a dream to open
their own place in the neighborhood.
Open daily (except Mondays) at 5940
College Ave. Visit them online at www.
goldensquirrelpub.com for more info.


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page 11
JULY 2020

Rockridge Professor Responds to A Brand New Awareness
— By Anna L. Marks

The time has come for a reckoning
of institutionalized bias in Amer-
ican society, and this includes the
inherent racism ingrained in the
names and images of highly recog-
nized food brands. For example, Uncle
Ben’s and Aunt Jemima are two of
several popular consumer brands cur-
rently acknowledging the racist myths
portrayed by their products, and
finally doing something about it.
KTVU’s story on June 17 high-
lighted this new progression and
interviewed Rockridge resident Kellie
McElhaney to provide some addi-
tional insight. Professor and founder
of the Center for Equity, Gender and
Leadership at the Haas School of
Rockridge resident Kellie McElhaney speaks to Channel 2
reporters on the importance of diversity at the top.
Photo by Anna L. Marks
Business, McElhaney firmly believes
that diversification is the best way to
overcome existing biases, but she is
convinced that it can’t stop there.
“It’s not enough to get those diverse
heads in the door. The second part
of that, and, I would say much more
important, is inclusion. “It’s actually
making those heads count; asking for
their opinions, input, listening to what
they say,” McElhaney told reporters.
Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream is fol-
lowing the trend by re-branding its
Eskimo Pie due to its portrayal of an
ethnic stereotype. Hopefully, all these
changes are not just politically correct
marketing ploys but rather restorative
actions that will continue to build
awareness around the harm caused by
these portrayals. n
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THE
page 12
JULY 2020

Scholar Or Working Attorney? Local Lawyer
Finds His Passion

through retrofitting.
Then, in 1991, Hertz’s house was one
of the nearly 3,000 lost in the Oakland
Firestorm. He and his partner of more
than 30 years rebuilt, but moved to
another house. “That took a year out of
my life,” he said. So it wasn’t until 1994
that the Historic Preservation report
was completed and adopted by the
Oakland City Council. That was also
the year he was quoted in a New York
Times article on gay break-ups — a
decade before gay marriage was legal-
ized in any city or state, and 20 years
before it became the law of the land.
“An agent called and wanted me to
write a book on it,” Hertz told me. “I
went on the Oprah
Winfrey show. And
after that, it became
the bulk of my work.”
Since then he has
authored and co-authored several
books; been featured in The Wall
Street Journal, Forbes and Money
magazines; and been interviewed by
CNN, Talk of the Nation, NPR’s All
Things Considered, the Today Show
and KQED’s Forum, among others.
And although he has taught at sev-
eral law schools, Hertz has resolved his
self-imposed scholar vs. professional
debate. “I find I can meet my intellec-
tual needs by writing about the kind
of law I’m in, rather than becoming an
academic.”
Over the past 15 years, Hertz has
shifted his practice away from liti-
gation to legalizing agreements for
straight and gay couples, married and
— By Judith Doner Berne
My last in-person interview, just
days before Covid-19 sent us
to shelter in place, was with attorney/
mediator Fred Hertz who both lives
and practices in Rockridge.
Hertz told me that he has always
had an ongoing debate in his life.
“I’ve always had two tensions pro-
fessionally; wanting to be more of a
scholar versus an active professional,”
he said, as we sat in his sizeable, one-
room office in a rose-colored building
along College Avenue.
A native of Minnesota, Hertz, now
67, graduated magna cum laude and
Phi Beta Kappa from the University
of Minnesota with a degree in philos-
ophy. But following a year of graduate
studies his practical side kicked in
and he headed for law school at Cal
Berkeley, graduating in 1981.
After clerking for a justice of the
Supreme Court of Minnesota for a
year, he returned to the East Bay, join-
ing law firms that specialized in real
estate and land use, and purchasing
the first of his two Rockridge homes.
“It was two houses from the Berkeley
border, so I got
involved with
Oakland,
not Berkeley.”
Hertz opened
his practice in 1988 devoted to family
and real estate law, representing
clients in property and asset suits. “I
started getting calls from unmarried
couples, both gay and straight, who
were fighting over real estate.” When
his practical side allowed, he returned
to Cal to study geography (M.A. 1991)
with an emphasis on zoning and land-
use practices. “I was also able to do
the volunteer work I wanted to do.”
Appointed to the Oakland Land-
marks Preservation Board in the
late 1980s, Hertz chaired its Historic
Preservation Task Force. However,
it was during his tenure that the
1989 Loma earthquake hit, forcing
the task force to reconsider whether
damaged buildings should be saved
Eyes on Rockridge, see next page


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page 13
JULY 2020

Eyes on Rockridge, from previous page
Jody London, from page 3
on the start of the next school year
this coming August 10. (Currently,
there are seven committees working
on different aspects of reopening
schools.)
In summary, I stand with the
Black Organizing Project, and I
would prefer that the dates in the
George Floyd Resolution coming
to the School Board be modified
to match those originally proposed
in the BOP People’s Plan. I suggest
moving the launch date for the com-
munity-driven process from July
17 to August 25, and directing the
District to establish an alternative
peacekeeping plan and eliminate the
school police force by no later than
December 31, 2020.
I believe this timing will deter-
mine, in the words of BOP’s People’s
Plan, “whether the change goes
smoothly, or causes chaos” — and I
thank the Black Organizing Project
for all the hard work on The People’s
Plan for Police-Free Schools. n
unmarried, and mediating family and
co-tenant disputes over assets and
property.
“The challenge is to come up with
an arrangement that works for every-
one,” he said. Despite the impact of
the Covid-19 virus, “My practice hasn’t
changed that much since I often work
with phone and email and video calls
— and that’s what I’m doing now.”
“I learned a lot from Fred about
laws, retrofitting, and what we could
do to protect old things,” said Annalee
Allen, a longtime Rockridge resident
known for her work and writings on
historic preservation. Preserving the
former University High School, the
architecturally important 1920s high
school that now houses the North
Oakland Senior Center, “would not
have happened without Fred.” Hertz
also played a critical role in the
installation of the Oakland Firestorm
Mural, the series of tiles honoring
those who died, that line two outdoor
walls of the Rockridge BART station.
George Krevsky, a Rockridge resi-
dent and art dealer, met Hertz when
both were serving on the San Fran-
cisco Jewish Film Festival board. “We
developed our relationship coming
home from board meetings on BART,”
Krevsky said. “I found him to be an
extremely knowledgeable and caring
person for many causes. He has such
a curious mind and a great sense of
community.”
“Contrary to most of my neighbors,
Fred Hertz is an attorney,
mediator and author.
I really believe the key to Oakland
flourishing, including Rockridge, is
basically to double its population,”
Hertz told me.  “I can walk from my
office to my house. Cole Hardware
has solved major problems in my life.”
He sees density as the key to solving
vacancies and low volume along
College Avenue — a problem the shut-
down has made worse. “A drop in real
estate prices would help everyone,”
he said. “I want to live where school
teachers can afford to live.” n
To comment or to suggest ideas for future
columns please email judyberne@att.net.
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License # 01402540


THE
page 14
JULY 2020

Open Mind Music, from front page
asked about his own tastes in music,
Wimmer said it “runs the gamut
from ABBA to Zappa,” with some
of his favorite musicians being
Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Robyn
Hitchcock, and John Coltrane.
Radio lovers can listen to Wimmer
everywhere via the KXSF app (avail-
able both on the Apple Store and on
Google Play).
Wimmer’s passion for music has
remained constant his whole life, and
he feels art’s importance has grown,
especially now with a society in pain
from both a global pandemic and
social unrest. “I think that people
are looking for a sense of hope and
community,” Wimmer says. “The
resonance of music can help people
have the resolve to keep on pushing.”
This is why Wimmer says it “means
everything” when customers support
Open Mind Music instead of shop-
ping at online places like Amazon.
To Wimmer, independent businesses
like his can be equated to trees falling
in a forest — they are unable to make
a true sound without people around
to listen. “We’re only as good as our
audience and the customers that come
to us,” he says.
Although times are tough for his
business right now, and for so many
others like his, Wimmer and everyone
at Open Mind Music see incredible
growth in the future, as well as the
ability to provide something valuable.
“As an Indie business, we are grateful
that the community of Rockridge has
been so supportive,” Wimmer says.
“We are in it for the long haul.” n
space to sell records, turntables,
speaker equipment, and vintage gear.
The business soon moved two doors
down, enabling Wimmer to add even
more components to the store.
“The goal with the larger space was
to have more opportunity to feature
paintings and visual arts of visual art-
ists,” he says. Wimmer sees the gallery
as a way to “give back to the commu-
nity,” especially during the present
shutdown where artists and creatives
are struggling to make ends meet.
Open Mind Music so far has show-
cased four artists, mainly targeting
locals who do work tangential to
music. This connection between
the different mediums has proved
successful, as Wimmer has sold two
portraits by Piedmont resident Mike
Welch, one of Motown icon Marvin
Gaye and one of famous rock guitar-
ist Jimi Hendrix.
In addition to selling records and
artwork during this period of shelter-
in-place, Wimmer has continued
to contribute to KXSF 102.5 FM, a
project of the San Francisco Com-
munity Radio. Wimmer’s show “‘The
Open Mind Music Experience,” airs
every Wednesday from 10am to 2pm,
and is a “free-flowing exploration of
sounds familiar and foreign,” accord-
ing to the KXSF website.
Genre-less and full of anecdotes,
the show not only explores music in
all of its forms, but also showcases
Wimmer’s personal picks. When
that both suggests new music and
fills specific requests. The result is a
personalized collection that customers
can enjoy at home.
“I can make recommendations
and give people a remote record
shop experience,” says owner Henry
Wimmer, whose contact information
is on Open Mind Music’s website so
customers can reach out personally.
After working with people to find
exactly what they’re looking for,
Wimmer arranges a pickup time or
directly mails the package out.
This new virtual way of business
comes only three years after the
opening of the College Avenue store.
However, Wimmer has been working
in the vinyl business for over thirty
years, first starting out at 2nd Hand
Tunes in Chicago in 1987 before
establishing Open Mind Music’s
original San Francisco location in
April 1994. “Over the course of my
time there, I really established the
store as an internationally renowned
shop,” he says, mentioning various
DJs and musicians that visited.
Moving the record store to Oak-
land presented the challenge of once
again establishing a loyal customer
base, but Wimmer feels Open Mind
Music has found its audience. “We
got some awareness in the commu-
nity and people started to come shop
with us,” he says. This prompted
Wimmer to seek out an even larger


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page 15
JULY 2020

Oakland Library
Now Offers Curbside
Pickup
“Easy Does It” Serves
Seniors and People With
Disabilities
I
Sf your wheelchair, scooter or other
mobility device breaks down while
in the cities of Alameda, Albany,
Berkeley, Castro Valley, Emeryville,
Hayward, Oakland, San Leandro or
San Lorenzo, call the Easy Does It
Fast Accessible Safe Transportation
and Emergency Repair (FASTER).
Their dispatcher will connect you
with a technician who will attempt
to troubleshoot the problem over the
phone. If the issue can’t be resolved,
the technician will come to your loca-
tion, attempt onsite repairs, and if still
needed, get you home safely.
The service is funded by The
Alameda County Transportation
Commission, and available weekdays
10am-6pm Call (510) 704-2111; www.
easydoesitservices.org/FASTER. n
ince the start of the shelter-in-
place policy, the Oakland Public
Library (OPL) has been offering
numerous services through its
digital library including e-books,
audiobooks, and streaming movies
— with over 140,000 digital mate-
rials checked out since March 16.
The Rockridge Library is now also
offering sidewalk pickup for books,
DVDs, CDs, and even a Wi-Fi
hotspot. Once orders are placed
online, notifications will be sent out
via phone, email, or text messages.
Once notifications are received
that the order is ready, they may be
picked up at any of 5 locations from
10am-1pm. For more information,
visit https://www.oaklandlibrary. n

RNClassifieds
List your 36-word message here for
only $22 (phone number counts as one
word). Make check payable to RCPC,
and write “Rockridge News Classified
Ad” in the memo line.
Mail to: RCPC, 4900 Shattuck Ave.,
PO Box 22504, Oakland, 94609-20131.
The deadline for the September issue is
August 20 – available on September 4,
2020. For more information, email Susan
Montauk at smontauk@gmail.com.
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Lower Rockridge Apartment for
Rent
One-bedroom upstairs unit in 8-plex
building. $2299 first/$2299 last.  Available
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appointment only. Call Melissa Parker at
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Electrical Remodels and Repairs
Problems with your outlets? I can help.
I’ve been doing electrical work in Oakland
and Berkeley for over 35 years. Sutorik
& Company www.sutorikandco.com. Lic
#397149. 510/655-3677.
Your Rockridge Specialists –
JUDITH GLASS & SHEILA
SABINE – The Grubb Company
Now may be the right time for a
move.  Your home says a lot about
you and we are here to
listen. Call (510) 326-5055 or
email SSabine@Grubbco.com. n


Sewer Problems?
Pipe Spy Can Help!
Trenchless Sewer Replacement
Sewer Video Inspection
Sewer Lateral Compliance
Sewer Service & Repair
$15 off video inspections
510-465-3000
www.pipespy.com
Financing Available
Lic #: 754966

THE
COME VISIT US AT
THE CORNER OF
LIFE & CHANGE
Hang in there, Rockridge!
We’ll get through
this together
–Daniel–
510.843.6400