THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 6-9
–SAN LEANDRO– Regular council meeting, NoV. 6, 7 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–CITY-OWNED REAL ESTATE DEAL– Town Hall Square, the roughly 1.5 acres plot of undeveloped land bounded by East 14th, Hays, Davis Streets in Downtown San Leandro is slated to be sold to a developer for $2.1 million. The vision for Town Hall Square includes 120 housing units within a four story building above retail. Plans for the site, though, have laid dormant since at least 2004 due to the panoply of separately-owned properties. Three properties remain owned by non-city entities including a building belonging to Union Bank. Don’t expect the development to sprout anytime soon, though. The developer plans to “wait out” Union Bank’s lease that runs through 2022.
–OAKLAND– Regular council meeting, Nov. 7, 5:30 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–HOUSING REHAB EXEMPTIONS MORATORIUM– “This legislation would impose a moratorium of approximately 180 days, beginning October 20, 2017, on new petitions for the substantial rehabilitation exemption under the City of Oakland’s Residential Rent Adjustment Ordinance… The purpose of the exemption is to encourage private investment in deteriorated residential units in Oakland. However, numerous residents have recently complained to the Oakland City Council and Housing, Residential Rent and Relocation Board that their rents will increase to unaffordable levels if recent petitions filed for the substantial rehabilitation exemption are granted and that this will lead to displacement.”
–OAK KNOLL PROJECT– Expect the union faithful come out in droves Tuesday evening to oppose the Oak Knoll project, a 935-unit housing development in the Oakland Hills. Labor leaders oppose the project after the developer SunCal shut out union workers. On Monday, a coalition of East Bay labor groups delivered a petition with 1,600 signatures to the mayor’s office calling for the city to reject the proposal.
➤Rules Committee meeting, Thursday, Nov. 9, 10:45 a.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–ALAMEDA COUNTY– Regular board meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 10:30 a.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–HOUSING BOND– Alameda County voters overwhelming approved Measure A1, a $580 million housing bond last November. The county is now slated to begin the process of issuing the $580 million in general obligation bonds this week. Proceeds from the bonds will be dedicated to helping those seeking affordable home ownership, in additon, to affordable rental housing. The measure passed with 73 percent support last year.
–LEGAL SERVICES FOR UNDOCUMENTED– The county has already partnered with other groups to provide immigration legal services for undocumented immigrants. It plans add another with a $25,000 contract with Catholic Charities of the East Bay for “eligible, undocumented and permanently planned foster children/youth to receive Special Juvenile Immigration Status.” The contract runs through June 2018.
–HAYWARD– Regular council meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–AFFORDABLE HOUSING ORDINANCE– The council will sort out a number of possible changes to affordable housing ordinance Tuesday night, including new rules on the number of affordable units available for sale in new developments; incentivizing developers to build small-scale projects; and a debate on in-lieu fees for affordable housing, among others.
–ALAMEDA– Regular council meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–DRAFT TRANSPORTATION PLAN– The goals of this plan are devised to provide two overarching measures for decreasing drive alone trips and increasing walking, bicycling, transit, carpooling and other non-drive alone trips in the city of Alameda. One goal relates to estuary crossings to/from Alameda and the other relates to trips within the city.” The study found that traffic congestion is growing in Alameda, housing and jobs are increasing, and commute patterns are changing. For instance, Alameda residents are increasingly traveling off the island for work.
–POT ORDINANCE– Alameda is set to allow up to 2 medical cannabis dispensaries; no more than 4 manufacturer permits; 2 testing laboratory permits; and 1 for cultivation. Furthermore, the dispensaries will be required to be located outside of a 1,000-foot radius from schools, while all other business types will have a 600-foot radius.
–FREMONT– Regular council meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 5:30 p.m. // California Nursery Historical Park Master Plan [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
➤Regular council meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. [ENTIRE AGENDA HERE]
–SENIOR HOUSING– The Palmia at Mission Falls, a proposed four-story, 171-unit market-rate apartment project for seniors within the Warm Springs Community Plan Area, comes before the council following a recent approval at the planning commission.
–GATHERINGS– East Bay Regional Park District public meeting on Measure CC, the park infrastructure tax approved by East Bay voters in 2004 that is due to expire next year, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m., 1111 Broadway, 19th Floor, Oakland.
–Berkeley Police Reform town hall sponsored by Councilmember Kate Harrison and Berkeley Citizens Action, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 7 p.m., North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Avenue.
–Rep. Ro Khanna town hall, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m., Newark Memorial High School, 39375 Cedar Boulevard, Newark.
–Wellstone Club meeting on “A Progressive Agenda for California,” Thursday, Nov. 16, 6 p.m., Humanist Hall, 390 27th Street, Oakland.
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