Army Base, quickly

Aah, I had so wanted to write a whole bunch of posts about the Army Base last week before the item came to Community and Economic Development Committee (CED) today, but I just couldn’t find the time, and while I still hope to get to it later this week, I wanted to say something before the meeting.

Okay, so when we last visited the Army Base question, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums wanted what he referred to as a “vision-based” development strategy for the Army Base, which basically involved asking developers to come up with a plan that would incorporate like every conceivable use on the land. In one of their better moments last year, CED wisely rejected the recommended “Mixed-Use Oakland” plan, dismissing the “vision” with one of my favorite lines from Jane Brunner ever, “This isn’t a vision. It’s a list.” Henry Chang had had enough, and awesomely suggested that we just wash our hands of this neverending saga and just sell all the land to the Port, and then use the money for like, affordable housing, or whatever. Read more

Trying, and failing, to do something good

So last night was one of those refreshing Council meetings where everyone brought their A game. They delayed the discussion on the Piedmont Pines utility undergrounding (I missed the explanation for that one, so I’m not sure what the deal is there), but they got a few things done. They preserved work/live in industrial areas for existing artists, although no new conversions will be allowed. Jane Brunner hammered the police department and other city staff (politely) about providing more thorough information in their reports. Desley Brooks pulled the slapdash consent to search proposal, and it will come back to the Public Safety Committee a month after their next meeting. They finished at a reasonable hour. It was all really nice.

But one item depressed the hell out of me, and I’d like to relay the entire discussion to my readers as an illustration of just how difficult it is to get anything done in this town. Read more

O.M.G.! Chang and Hamill don’t file for at-large Council race!

So I was working on something else and couldn’t make it to the City Clerk’s office today to check out who filed for Council races (today was the deadline). But one of my correspondents just informed me that neither Henry Chang nor Kerry Hamill filed papers! OMG! Since the incumbent is not running, the at-large filing deadline is extended and Kerry Hamill still has a chance to submit her papers.

Anyway, that leaves Oakland Globe columnist, former AC Transit director, and former Planning Commissioner Clinton Killian, AC Transit director Rebecca Kaplan, and police staffing advocate Charles Pine as the contenders for the at-large Council seat.

Update: How handy. The Chronicle confirmed it for me. Although I heard there was a fifth person in the District 3 race, who isn’t mentioned in the Chronicle. Someone named Alan Brown?

Update again: She filed.

Nancy Nadel exempts golf courses from smoking ban

So for the third time this fall, the Oakland City Council passed a first reading of the new outdoor smoking ban tonight. A first reading of an amended ordinance that exempts golf courses. The ordinance will have its second vote on December 4th. Read more

This isn’t a vision - it’s a list.

So the exciting news about the Army Base is that it looks like pretty much everyone (except Ron Dellums) is on the same page. Nancy Nadel, who I’m thrilled to agree with for once, told the Committee that she liked to Eco-Oakland option the best, and that she wanted to see the land used for maritime support services so that they could move out of West Oakland. She’s completely right - trucking companies and recycling centers belong next to the Port, not next to somebody’s house. She also noted almost everything in the “vision” (except for logistics) could locate somewhere else in Oakland, but this is the only suitable place to stick Port support. Read more

Council finally listens to constituent concerns on smoking ban!

So, amazingly, the Council did not do as I predicted yesterday and just let Barbara Killey get away with this ignoring the instruction to exempt bars. Not that she was reprimanded or anything, but they actually did not pass her legislation.

Killey’s further attempts to explain the fire safety concerns were ludicrous - she clarified what she was told by the Fire Marshal - that the concern is that people should not be blocking a radius of 5 feet from the center of a door. How this translates into a necessary minimum of 5 feet from any door or window is completely unclear. Henry Chang responded with the common sense statement “To me, 5 feet, 2 feet, whatever. If people block the door and people want to get out, they move. If people want to get in, they move.” Well said. Read more

Once again, the Council proves they don’t care about good public policy or practicality

The Council voted to pass the smoking ordinance just before 2 am this morning. Jane Brunner left the meeting before the item was heard. Ignacio De La Fuente, Pat Kernighan, Jean Quan, Nancy Nadel, and Henry Chang said yes.

Here are some highlights from what I managed to jot down of the discussion.
Nancy Nadel:

For some of my constituents “exposure to smoke can be as deadly to them as being shot in the street.”

Read more