Oak to Ninth project returns to Oakland Council
The Oakland City Council has one more chance to obtain a sensible development plan for the Oak-to-Ninth-Street project.
On Tue., Jan. 6, the Oakland City Council will consider Revisions to the Analysis for the Oak to Ninth Project Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Oakland Harbor Partners submitted these changes in response to an Alameda Superior Court ruling in November 2007 voiding the Council's previous approval of the EIR.
The Council should take another look and deny certification to the EIR. Rather than approving the developer's request for 3,100 units, the Council should insist on the environmentally superior project of just 540 units.
Since the previous approval, a lot has changed to make the proposed project even more untenable.
- With the dive in the housing market, a large project is unlikely to be built any time foreseeable.
- EIRs are now required to consider emissions of greenhouse gases. A large project at this site would bring lots of emissions, due to congested traffic and its unservability by transit.
- The city's budget gap means that it can not afford to pay the developers $27 million for the site for affordable housing.
WhatYouCanDo
Come to the meeting of the Oakland City Council on Tue., Jan. 6,. Ask the Council to deny certification of the Oak-to-Ninth EIR, and to work with the developer to achieve a better project without so many adverse impacts.