Support Integrity of Industrial Zones

for Industry, Artisans, & Artists

     Support Housing In Allowable, Mixed Use Residential & S.Pablo Zones,     

NOT Industrial Zones Where City Admits Housing Pressures Industry & Arts OUT



Nation, Obama Support Manufacturing Renaissance While

   City Proposes 1,304+ residential units in Mixed Use Light Industrial Zone

œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ

Master Use Permit Proposals To Be Discussed at Planning Commission March 7:

•   Put Housing (up to 1,304+ units) in Mixed Use Light Industrial Zone (MULI) on 4 MUPs

   •   Put now-prohibited industrial uses into Mixed Use Residential neighborhoods

•   Abrogate accepted stakeholder/City agreement for 6 MUPs in 10 years with new proposal 

               allowing development of maximum 9 MUPs anytime

•   Permit 75’ heights for residential towers in MULI, MUR, and CW (S.Pablo)

   •   Near doubling of housing density in MUR & C- W portions of 4 MUP sites

   •   Permit 100’ heights for “essential industrial equipment and processes”

   •   Permit 75 - 100’ heights adjacent to Aquatic Park bird habitat

   WEBAIC Positions:

  1.  Support Existing Zoning Provisions That Keep Industrial Zones for Industry & Arts & Housing Out.

       Reasons:

A.  Residents complain about industrial/artisan/art activities (noise, trucks, late hours, etc.), forcing these uses out over time.  This has happened wherever these incompatibilities exist and is already a problem in West Berkeley.  Placing over 1,300 housing units (developer plans point toward 2000 units) is an extreme escalation of this conflict.

B.  Housing inflates land prices, over time creating land value pressures that lead to the loss of industry and arts/artisans*. *Residential/Industrial Land Use Conflict – A Report for the Community Redevelopment Agency of LA

C.  The West Berkeley Plan unequivocally prohibits housing in the industrial zones for the above reasons and  even the new SEIR admits these “significant and unavoidable impacts” could happen should this housing be permitted.

D.  The two Master Use Permit developments being seriously contemplated, Doug Hurst’s Peerless project and Wareham’s Fantasy (Saenz) site, already contain MUR and/or CW property that can accommodate hundreds of new housing units in close proximity to whatever commercial or industrial uses they ultimately have.  There is absolutely NO reason housing should not be built on these appropriate and allowable locations (and instead be placed in the industrial zones to pressure productive activity and good jobs.

E.  In a 2010 East Bay Express article, Berkeley Planning Director (recently retired) explained his opposition to housing in industrial zones::  "We do not believe that residential uses should be allowed in the manufacturing area." Marks contends that homes will drive up the value of land and eventually make West Berkeley unaffordable for traditional blue-collar businesses. He also worries that West Berkeley will lose its industrial base over time when new residents complain about being next to manufacturing companies. Keeping the two separate, he said, "is one of the fundamentals of zoning." He further explained his reasoning in a document given to the City Council.

Planning Director Marks’ “Response to Council Questions”: What is the reason for discouraging (or not encouraging) housing development in West Berkeley?

a. The adjacent residential and commercial districts provide more than enough space for new housing within walking/biking distance of the three industrial zoning districts.  

b. Residential land uses often pressure nearby industrial activities to operate as if they were within a residential district, such as reducing noise, hours of operation and delivery activities, thereby making it increasingly difficult for industrial uses to succeed.  Manufacturing/industrial users tend to not make long term investments in expensive facilities that may have long-term conflicts with residential neighbors.  

c. Goal 2 of the West Berkeley Plan encourages channeling industrial and office uses into the three industrial districts and housing into the MUR, C-W, and Residential districts. 

•  Support existing policies that keep pharmaceutical manufacturing, laboratories,

   and R&D in the MULI, MM, and M zones (vast majority of West Berkeley land) and

   out of MUR zone containing sensitive receptors.

•  Support already accepted stakeholder/City agreement for 6 Mops in 10 years,

   not new proposal to allow 9+ MUPs anytime.

•   Support existing height limits.  Support expanded heights only for industrial

     equipment and processes that require additional height for verified functional needs.

•  Support industrial development near Aquatic Park that does not negatively impact

    wildlife habitat or recreational parkland.