OaklandWORKS speaks

out
On Coliseum City
and
the Oakland Community

March 8, 2015
To: Members of the Planning Commission
Members of the Oakland City Council
We write to you in regard to issues involving what is currently called
Coliseum City. We are Oakland residents and members of the
OaklandWORKS Alliance, a coalition of eight Oakland organizations. We
are writing as individuals, but we believe our comments reflect the views of
the Alliance. We understand that you may consider some of these issues
outside the authority of the Planning Commission. However, we need to
plan holistically in Oakland, particularly with an eye to resisting the
displacement of the African-American population. And we need to do this
before it is too late, with San Francisco and Berkeley as cautionary tales.
We are also copying the members of the Oakland City Council.

1. On the East side of 880 the building of a new stadium could be a good
idea with the following provisions:
a. African-American workers make up 28% of Oakland residents and 5%
of the hours worked on city-funded construction jobs. This means that
African-Americans are underrepresented more than five-fold in city-funded
employment!!! Any project on which this injustice is not rectified should not
be built.
b. Residents of East Oakland should be involved at every step of every
decision-making process. This has not occurred thus far. There was no
community participation until the Specific Plan was completely developed,
and then city staff provided information sessions for people to ask
questions. This is contrary to everything we espouse about participatory
planning in Oakland, and extensive community benefits are needed in the
area.
c. Any residential development in the area should be affordable by those
earning the median income of Oakland residents. Our land and city
services should not be used to build housing for people who do not live
here.
d. Increased revenues resulting from the development should be used in
East Oakland and a participatory budgeting process should plan for these
uses.

e. Both the consultant firms and the city staff working on this project are
unrepresentative of Oaklands population, which is 75% people of
color. No disrespect is intended to current members of the city staff; many
have been very responsive to requests for information. However, city
dollars, both for staff and consultants, should go to people who represent
the diversity of the city.
2. The area East of Highway 880 should not be rezoned at this time. It
houses approximately 150 businesses and employs 8065 workers,
according to statistics provided by Oaklands economic development
department. These businesses could be disrupted by: a) Increased land
prices created by the possibility of residential uses; b) Restricting business
activities which are allowed by the current zoning.
3. Residential building should not be allowed west of Highway 880:
a. Oakland has an industrial land use policy which does not allow
rezoning to residential (passed March 5, 2008)
b. Virtually no one who currently lives in Oakland would be able to afford
the housing as it is planned.
c. The waterfront areas of Oakland should be publicly designed and
comfortable for use by all residents.
d. Businesses that currently exist in the business park and others could
use this area to expand. These businesses include Revolution
Foods, medical technology firms and other clean, green businesses with
middle-class wages. Other businesses, such as the Produce Market,
might find a home there. Expansion of such businesses in the waterfront
area could be accomplished in such a way, through the design review
process, that the waterfront feels public and is comfortable for resident
use.
4. The Business Park has been neglected. A group of the business
leaders and residents should be convened by the city to plan for its support
and improvement. The Port which is in charge of much of the land clearly
needs to be involved in this process, something which has not occurred in
a meaningful way thus far.
Thank you for your work and for your consideration of these points.
Brian Beveridge

Carroll Fife

Robyn Hodges

Kitty Kelly Epstein