Campus expansion raises questions

UC Berkeley has expansion on its mind. As part of its Southeast Campus Integrated Projects plan, approved on Dec. 5, the university intends to expand its athletic facilities by building a sports complex and a massive parking lot near the seismically unsafe Memorial Stadium. The projects would unfold an extensive commercialization of Memorial Stadium, adding new VIP luxury boxes, elevated second decks, subterranean commercial concourses, and permanent nighttime lighting at the mouth of Strawberry Canyon. The plan also authorizes UC to begin using the stadium for new non-football commercial events on a regular basis.

The Sierra Club's Northern Alameda County Group has serious concerns about the plan, in particular, that it would be unsafe, would bring excessive auto traffic to the already congested campus area, and would increase pollution levels. The Group has had limited volunteer time to address these issues, but fortunately, the city of Berkeley has strongly addressed them and has sued the university to get it to address key issues such as seismic safety, sewage and stormwater runoff, and mitigation of increased automobile traffic.

The accompanying article "Save the oaks" discusses one specific aspect of the plan. We are working cooperatively with neighborhood organizations to save the grove of ancient oaks in the stadium area. The Northern Alameda Group wrote specifically to the University Regents' Committee on Grounds and Buildings, objecting to removal of the oaks.

WhatYouCanDo

For more information, or to get involved in the Group's efforts to monitor and control development in the South Campus area, please contact or (510) 848-0800, ext. 304

Kent Lewandowski and Juliet Lamont, Executive Committee, Northern Alameda County Group