"The Most Important Issue Facing Oakland Today"
That's what Oakland Planning Commission Chair Mark McClure said about the conversion of industrial land to residential uses at the Commission's June 1 meeting.
With the increasing pressure on industrial land in Oakland to be rezoned for residential uses, the Planning Commission directed CEDA staff to prepare a report about what such land conversion means for the future of the City. The report, which was prepared by Oakland planner Margot Lederer-Prado, is an important first step to understanding the land conversion phenomena and its consequences. The report does a good job of framing the problem and asking the questions further study must address. The report was presented at the Planning Commission's June 1 meeting.
Urban Strategies Council is concerned about the growing amount of land lost for economic development opportunities in the City. The Council is also concerned that this process is occuring piecemail in project-by-project General Plan amendments and rezoning applications rather than through a comprehensive planning process that treats the cumulative impacts of rezoning parcels as a singular change to Oakland's social, economic, environmental, and physical landscape. At the June 1 meeting the Council submitted to the Commission a letter asking for a study, a planning process involving the public, and a moratorium on land conversion from industrial to residential uses until the study and planning process is complete.
One Commissioner, Michael Lighty, supported the moratorium. A majority of the Commission expressed concern with the piecemail process of General Plan amendments. There was a suggestion that the Commission would view such projects skeptically while the land conversion issue is studied.
The Community & Economic Development Committee of the Oakland City Council will hear the Industrial Land Report at its Tuesday June 14th meeting. Redevelopment Agency staff is now recommending that $50,000 be spent to fund a study to address the issues raised in the report. There will be some discussion also about slowing the pace of rezoning or General Plan amendments during this process.
The agenda for Tuesday's meeting is available at http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/meetings/4475_A__Concurrent_Meeting_of_the_Redevelopment_Agency_and_Council_Community___Economic_Development_Committee_05-06-14_Meeting_Agenda.htm
The report is available at http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/attachments/11093.pdf
The Council's moratorium letter is available at
With the increasing pressure on industrial land in Oakland to be rezoned for residential uses, the Planning Commission directed CEDA staff to prepare a report about what such land conversion means for the future of the City. The report, which was prepared by Oakland planner Margot Lederer-Prado, is an important first step to understanding the land conversion phenomena and its consequences. The report does a good job of framing the problem and asking the questions further study must address. The report was presented at the Planning Commission's June 1 meeting.
Urban Strategies Council is concerned about the growing amount of land lost for economic development opportunities in the City. The Council is also concerned that this process is occuring piecemail in project-by-project General Plan amendments and rezoning applications rather than through a comprehensive planning process that treats the cumulative impacts of rezoning parcels as a singular change to Oakland's social, economic, environmental, and physical landscape. At the June 1 meeting the Council submitted to the Commission a letter asking for a study, a planning process involving the public, and a moratorium on land conversion from industrial to residential uses until the study and planning process is complete.
One Commissioner, Michael Lighty, supported the moratorium. A majority of the Commission expressed concern with the piecemail process of General Plan amendments. There was a suggestion that the Commission would view such projects skeptically while the land conversion issue is studied.
The Community & Economic Development Committee of the Oakland City Council will hear the Industrial Land Report at its Tuesday June 14th meeting. Redevelopment Agency staff is now recommending that $50,000 be spent to fund a study to address the issues raised in the report. There will be some discussion also about slowing the pace of rezoning or General Plan amendments during this process.
The agenda for Tuesday's meeting is available at http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/meetings/4475_A__Concurrent_Meeting_of_the_Redevelopment_Agency_and_Council_Community___Economic_Development_Committee_05-06-14_Meeting_Agenda.htm
The report is available at http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/attachments/11093.pdf
The Council's moratorium letter is available at
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