CENA Web Newsletter

May 2009

INDEX

Article 1 “Claremont Court Gate”

Article 2 “Caldecott Tunnel 4^th Bore Coalition Settles with Caltrans”

Article 3 “Safeway Reveals New Plan”

Article 4 “Berkeley Home Prices Remain Steady”

Article 5 “CERT Classes Are Again Available”

Article 6 “For Your Summer Reading”

Claremont Court Gate

The Claremont Court Gate at Claremont Blvd. and Russell Street is an important historic landmark in the CENA neighborhood and will soon be restored to its early 20^th C. glory. Wendy Markel, a Claremont neighbor, and former president of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, has begun the project of reproducing exact replicas of the original banded globes which are visible in the above photo. The original lamps were removed and replaced by “modern” lamps in the 1950’s. The Berkeley Historical Plaque Project will be celebrating the landmarking with a plaque which will commemorate the historical significance of the gate.

It came to Wendy’s attention during her research that there is something unusual in the picture. Look closely, and you can see a pure white Grecian-styled column on the grass. Not only was there originally an extra brick pillar in the center of Claremont Boulevard with a horse trough at its base, but this strange white column used to be outside the gate on the west side of the road. Neither exists any longer, but the presence of the lone column revealed some historic facts:

When Claremont Court was designed in 1907, it was part of a larger city plan with a scenic route from Oakland into Berkeley’s university campus as envisioned by Fredrick Law Olmsted. This route was marked all the way with white columns, somewhat similar to the mission bells which mark the old El Camino Royal of Spanish settlement fame. The story of the white columns is sketchy but three historic postcard images exist recording their existence.

If you would like to know more about the celebration of the historic plaque or if you would like to contribute to the restoration of the Claremont Gate, a fund is being created. Contact us at gates@claremontelmwood.org. If you would like to know more about the history of Berkeley through postcards, Arcadia Publishing is bringing out a “Berkeley, Arcadia Postcard History Series”, written by Wendy Markel. It will be in bookstores in time for your summer reading.

Caldecott Tunnel 4^th Bore Coalition Settles with Caltrans By Ann Smulka

The Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore Coalition (FBC) settled its lawsuit against Caltrans in January, prompted by Governor Schwarzenegger’s announcement that he would not sign a budget bill unless it exempted several highway projects, including the Caldecott Improvement Project, from environmental review. An exemption would have trumped any decision of the court; settling was the most prudent action to take. Given the negotiating circumstances, the agreement falls short of several of the Coalition’s goals but it includes several important wins that will make a difference to our community during and after the five years of 24x7construction. It includes:

· $2 million to the City of Berkeley for improvements to State Route 13 (SR-13) along Tunnel Rd./Ashby Ave., including signal improvements and improvements for pedestrian, bicyclist, and motorist safety;

· $250,000 for a corridor study of transportation improvements for State Route 24 (SR-24), to consider, for example, means to reduce highway congestion and noise;

· Up to $50,000 for a debris barrier above FROG Park (a community park on Caltrans’ land near the Claremont Ave. exit off SR-24), a 20-year extension of the park’s lease, and possible expansion of and improvements to the park.

· A requirement for contractors to use low sulfur diesel fuel for off-road construction vehicles and equipment.

Although the lawsuit is settled, the Coalition’s work is hardly done. It is now working with the cities and public agencies to ensure they meet their commitments and spend the funds appropriately. FBC continues to advocate for CENA members who live in the Hillcrest area overlooking Highway 24. As part of Oakland’s settlement agreement with Caltrans, Wilson-Ihrig acoustical consultants will conduct a noise study on the corridor from SR-13 to SR-580. FBC representatives are participating in meetings with Caltrans and the consultants to identify noise-monitoring locations.

FBC representatives from CENA, the East Bay Bicycle Coalition, and North Hills Phoenix Association recently met with Caltrans and City of Berkeley managers to discuss the SR-13 improvements in Berkeley. Funds will be available to the City after Caltrans awards the Project in October 2009.

Unfortunately $2 million won’t cover all the desired improvements, so priorities must be identified. The FBC will have some influence, but the decision making will be a public process, with the City Council making the ultimate decisions on projects that have Caltrans’ blessing. (SR-13 is under Caltrans’ jurisdiction.)

Separate from the agreement, but a result of FBC’s efforts and negotiations, is the inclusion in the budget bill of a $3 million appropriation to the Oakland Unified School District for air quality improvements at Chabot Elementary School and Claremont Middle School. Both schools are within 75-ft. of the freeway and impacted by traffic on the corridor. 8

Safeway Reveals New Plans

On April 29^th, Safeway’s consultants presented their proposal for a new store at College and Claremont Aves. Rather

than a formal presentation, it was more of an open display of a series of large drawings showing a basic footprint of the

proposed building, landscaping and parking. The architect, Ken Lowney, and 3 of his associates projected slides of

conceptual drawings for a new store and 8 shops at ground level for tenants.

Because it was an open exhibit with no written handouts it was difficult to gather very many facts, such as square

footage and building heights. Safeway consultants need to reveal fuller details to the public. It was stated that Safeway’s

portion of the building would occupy about 50,000 sq.ft., including storage and parking, plus about 11,000 sq.ft. for tenant

stores. None of the tenants have been selected. This design is quite different from the original design presented in mid-2008.

In this design there are lower height buildings at the corner where the gas station currently sits, with the façade of the store

itself set back and broken into different heights, perhaps to counteract previous criticism that higher buildings on the

lot lines was unacceptable.

Even though the property is in Oakland, the City of Berkeley will be able to influence traffic issues. Berkeley’s

Transportation Department needs an accurate traffic study of streets around the project, and when the EIR is written the

C. of Berkeley must remember its goals established by Measure G. You can view the plans at www.safewayoncollege.com.

If you have comments, contact District 8 Council Member, Gordon Wozniak, at gordon.wozniak@sbcglobal.net. 8

Berkeley Home Prices Remain Steady

Berkeley made national news headlines a few months ago when Forbes Magazine named it one of the top five suburbs in which to sell a home, stating that “a town known for years as a hippie haven has become a hotbed for sales”. The full story can be read at www.Forbes.com. Speaking empirically from having worked with many local clientele, demand has remained strong due to the underlying integrity of the local job market combined with historically low interest rates.

Sellers must still proceed with caution. It is not a market to be taken lightly by sellers. It is, after all, a market which remains friendlier to buyers. Anyone who contemplates selling a home must therefore proceed with caution when it comes to preparing their home for the market and setting the initial listing price. Many sellers find grappling with these two issues to be counter intuitive. For example, when it comes to choosing the work to be performed prior to listing the property, a new roof will not necessarily make your home more compelling to potential buyers. Fresh paint colors and stylish furniture almost always do (and the cost is less). But this is not to say that the interior has to be perfect. For example, sometimes a half bath which sorely needs updating can “engage” potential buyers emotionally by giving them the opportunity to personalize it according to their own tastes. And, when it comes to pricing, buyers are finicky. If a home is priced too high when it first comes on the market, many buyers won’t bother making an offer, even at a price which they think is reasonable. Many will vote with their feet by walking out the front door and making an offer on a property where they share the sellers’ “value expectations”.

Your low property tax base might be transferable within Alameda County. One final note for sellers: If you are considering downsizing from your current Berkeley residence which you’ve owned for many years into another home within Alameda County, you might be able to transfer your low property tax base to your new residence even though it’s within the same county. You need to be over the age of 55 and other restrictions apply. By Daniel Stea Daniel Stea is the Founder/Managing Attorney of PBG Real Estate. He can be reached at 510-867-4094 or at Daniel@pbgrealestate.com.8

CERT Classes Are Again Available

(Community Emergency Response Training)

After a hiatus due to budget constraints, Berkeley is again able to offer free Community Emergency Response Training (“CERT”) classes on subjects related to disaster preparedness. The classes are typically taught on Saturday mornings from 9:00 am to noon or 1:00 pm, or, occasionally, on Saturday afternoons, at the Fire Department’s training center at 997 Cedar Street. Classes still open in late May and early June cover Fire Suppression and Light Search and Rescue. Sign-up is through the Office of Emergency Services (“OES”) which is part of the Fire Department. Click the quick link to “Emergency Preparedness” on the City’s website home page, (www.ci.berkeley.ca.us) and scroll down to the section on CERT for current information on available classes and instructions on how to register. Other classes which are available from time to time are Disaster First Aid, Pandemic Influenza and Basic Personal Preparedness, so keep checking.

CERT classes are designed to prepare Berkeley residents for a variety of disaster scenarios, including the inevitable earthquake on the Hayward Fault. Wildfire, the other scourge that has repeatedly visited the Berkeley Hills every few years, is another major topic. The possibility of a pandemic of highly lethal flu or other pathogen is a more recent concern to the entire community.

The CERT courses are offered to all Berkeley residents over the age of 18, but are of particular significance in neighborhoods that have been given a cache of disaster supplies by the City and in neighborhoods that would like to qualify for a cache. There is little point in making equipment and supplies available to a neighborhood if nobody is trained to use them. Communications gear, search-and-rescue equipment and first aid supplies, in particular, require a degree of expertise for their effective use. Disaster training for the neighborhood’s organizers is also a criterion for the award of additional City-funded disaster caches.

Apart from the City’s efforts, some neighborhoods have organized to prepare themselves for disaster by assembling privately financed caches of emergency gear. Advice on how to organize and what to buy is available from the OES, reachable through the City website mentioned above or by telephone at 510- 981-5605.

One convenience that some CENA members have adopted is to store water in 55 gallon barrels equipped with pumps and water preserver good for five years. This obviates the hassle of periodically emptying and refilling a large collection of smaller jugs and bottles. Barrel kits including a bung wrench, pump and water treatment chemicals are available from Earthquake Management at 800-925-9744 (ask for Sue Bonner at extension 106). Because freight charges for single barrels or small quantities are substantial, a group purchase makes sense. By Matt Mitchell8

For Your Summer Reading

Berkeley, Arcadia Postcard History Series by Wendy Markel, May 2009. Historic Berkeley postcards from the collection of Oakland resident, Ed Clausen, depicting early Berkeley scenes. Subjects include the story of the land before development, how two towns became one, images of buildings lost to development or fire, and how the University of California was formed. Available at Mrs. Dalloway’s, 29 College Avenue.

The Silver Swan by Benjamin Black, 2008. (Author of Christine Falls). A tale of murder and deception in 1950’s Ireland, with characters who pop out on the page. Probing further into the shadowy circumstances of a woman’s death, the protagonist discovers many things that might have better remained hidden.

Hallelujah Junction: Composing an American Life by John Adams, 2008. Wonderfully written to inspire others; by the Bay Area’s most renowned composer of many operas and pieces of music. 8