Downtown

The Downtown Area Plan is making its way through the Planning Commission and City Council in the coming months. Tonight, the Council will have a special work session to examine the development feasibility of the Plan.

Measure R, passed by Berkeley voters by 64% in 2010, was based on the foundation that sustainability and economic development go hand in hand when you locate housing, services and jobs in the City’s transit-oriented Downtown. With the support of 64% of Berkeley voters for Measure R, the Council neeeds to focus on the question of whether or not this plan can achieve the vision for a vibrant, sustainable and affordable Downtown.

Please contact your council person by clicking the email addresses below and let them know that, as they consider the Plan for adoption in the next few months, you'd like them to consider how we're going to achieve the #1 goal for a sustainable downtown - building more housing near transit.

District 1 - Linda Maio 
email lmaio@cityofberkeley.info

District 2 - Darryl Moore
email dmoore@cityofberkeley.info

District 3 - Max Anderson
email manderson@cityofberkeley.info

District 4 - Jesse Arreguin
email jarreguin@cityofberkeley.info

District 5 - Laurie Capitelli
email lcapitelli@cityofberkeley.info

District 6 - Susan Wengraf
email swengraf@cityofberkeley.info

District 7 - Kriss Worthington
email kworthington@cityofberkeley.info

District 8 - Gordon Wozniak
email gwozniak@cityofberkeley.info

Livable Berkeley took a lead on the Measure R campaign and wants to ensure that the passage of the Downtown Area Plan achieves all of the community goals described in Measure R. We will be watching and weighing in to make sure that the final adopted plan can deliver the revitalization and community benefits that Berkeley voters endorsed by passing Measure R by 64.2%.

Berkeley voters passed Measure R on November 2, 2010, affirming the City's environmental and economic revitalization goals for the downtown. It received over 50% in all precincts and passed by 70% in the Downtown precincts.

The coalition of environmental, housing, arts and business advocates formed to pass Measure R demonstrates that sustainability is in everyone’s interest.

Measure R was endorsed by Livable Berkeley, Greenbelt Alliance, Sierra Club, League of Women Voters, California League of Conservation Voters, Downtown Berkeley Association, Alameda County Building Trades, Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, Bicycle Friendly Berkeley Coalition, Berkeley Design Advocates, Sustainable Business Alliance, Berkeley Food and Housing Project and many more.

Background:

On November 29, 2007, DAPAC (the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee) adopted a draft Downtown Area Plan. During the Summer and Fall of 2008 the Planning Commission will work with Planning Department staff to: develop implementation measures, guide the environmental review process, and suggest refinements to goals and policies.

In July, 2009, the Council approved a Plan that was subsequently referended in August led by the two dissenting Council votes on the Plan.

Livable Berkeley Board members served on the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee and Livable Berkeley held its own Community Workshop early in the DAPAC process. Throughout the process, Livable Berkeley has been advocating for development levels in the downtown that would accommodate a significant amount of new housing to help achieve the sustainability goals of the Climate Action Plan.