WEBAIC thanks everyone who has thus far been a part of the effort to assure that the West Berkeley Project results in positive land use policies for the industrial and artisan/arts community and Berkeley as a whole.  We hope that the City Council’s summer recess has provided an opportunity for rest and rejuvenation and the break from City hearings was a welcome one.  The upcoming months will see the final phase of the West Berkeley Project addressing the important Master Use Pemit proposals.  A newsletter detailing the final compromise passed by Council on protected industrial space will be forthcoming.

Council To Direct Staff On Study Areas For Further Environmental Analysis In Response to Citizen Lawsuit:

In May the Sustainable West Berkeley Alliance (SWBA), an organization of Berkeley residents and businesses, and the Council of Neighborhood Associations (CNA) sued the City of Berkeley, asserting that the West Berkeley project did not adequately study potential environmental impacts stemming from proposed Master Use Permit (MUP) provisions of the West Berkeley Project.  In response to this suit, the City Council asked Planning staff to report back on how much time and money it would cost to adequately study several MUP proposals and recirculate a supplemental West Berkeley Project Draft Environmental Report with the new analysis included.  The proposed areas of study are:

    1.  Allow increased housing density in the Mixed Use Residential (MUR) portions of Master Use Permit sites.

    2.  Within an MUP, allow increased building height (75-100 feet) for essential industrial equipment and process.

    3.  Within the MUR portion of MUP sites, allow industrial uses that would not otherwise be allowed in the MUR district.

    4.  Provide design guidelines to address aesthetic and natural habitat impacts from MUP development. *

          * (This provision addresses Aquatic Park in particular – WEBAIC)

This coming Tuesday City Council will provide direction to staff on whether to go forward with the environmental analysis on these issues as proposed or whether to modify their areas of study.  In their report staff states that studying increasing housing density on MUR portions of MUP sites (# 3 above) will significantly up the cost and time for this analysis to be completed.

Proposed Timeline for Completion of DEIR and West Berkeley Project Approvals:

The staff report states that the Supplemental Draft EIR would be complete and public comment would be taken on it sometime between November 2011 and January 2012.  It projects Planning Commission hearings on the DEIR and MUP amendments in March, and Council consideration of same in April-May if the increased housing density is included.  If increased housing density is not included the report projects Council consideration of the DEIR in March.

WEBAIC Positions on the proposed amendments and areas of Environmental Study:

WEBAIC positions on the proposed ammendments are informed by both our mission to assure an appropriate land base for our constituencies and our mission to assure a harmonious relation between industry and arts and our residential neighbors.  The harmonious relations with our residential neighbors have resulted in a mutually beneficial coalition between WEBAIC and various neighborhood associations and residents.  This valuable coalition is not a typical alliance in urban areas and has only been achieved through WEBAIC’s and neighbors’ efforts to maintain sensitivity to each other’s needs and concerns. 

City Proposal #1: Allow increased housing density in the Mixed Use Residential portions of Master Use Permit sites.

WEBAIC Position:  WEBAIC supports the residential neighbors’ position that MUR densities are now appropriate.  The MUR is largely built out as a single family home environment and existing zoning already allows for greatly increased densities to be built (see the condo development on the west side of 8th St between Carleton & Pardee).  The proposed doubling of this standard to the densities allowed on San Pablo (and possibly above this standard) is inappropriate for this zone.

City Proposal #2:  Within an MUP, allow increased building height (75-100 feet) for essential industrial equipment

and process.

WEBAIC Position: WEBAIC’s position throughout the West Berkeley Project has been to allow additional height “for  

essential industrial equipment and process” such as Bayer was granted, but we have seen no practical examples of a need for 100 foot heights.  We contend that 100’ is excessive and unnecessary.

City Proposal #3: Within the MUR portion of MUP sites, allow industrial uses that would not otherwise be allowed in

the MUR district.

WEBAIC Position: The allowable and prohibited uses tables in the West Berkeley Plan and zoning ordinance were painstakingly created to assure appropriate activity in the various zones, and most importantly, to reduce incompatibilities between residents and industry.  This serves not only residents, but industry, as good relations with our residential neighbors is essential to our ability to continue our activities in the urban environment.  Because of this, WEBAIC has always opposed staff’s, and the Planning Commission’s, proposals to potentially allow ALL permitted industrial uses (including heavy industry) from the four industrial zones to be located in the Mixed Use Residential zone (MUR).  WEBAIC supports the residents’ position, that as the zone specifically allowing residents and sensitive receptors (children, elderly, ill) the allowable uses in the MUR should remain as now written.

City Proposal #4: Provide design guidelines to address aesthetic & natural habitat impacts from MUP development.

WEBAIC Position:  WEBAIC is pleased that the City is going to undertake an expanded studying of the potential environmental impacts of increased development upon Aquatic Park and the West Berkeley environment.  Aquatic Park is a valuable civic amenity, not only to the City as a whole, but also specifically to the West Berkeley community.  It provides valuable green space not only for residents, but also for the approximately 16,000 West Berkeley workers to enjoy.  Additionally, as WEBAIC’s mission includes a harmonious relationship with our residential neighbors, we are also sensitive to potential impacts of industry and development on the natural environment and believe all development should not negatively impact the natural areas of West Berkeley and the flora and fauna that depend upon it.