Meeting Overview

The Berkeley City Council held a special meeting on Monday, September 16, 2024, at 6 PM, led by Mayor Jesse Arreguin. All council members were present, ensuring a quorum. The meeting introduced new City Manager Paul Budenhagen and focused on the Ashby BART transit-oriented development (TOD) project, emphasizing affordable housing, community benefits, and infrastructure improvements.

Main Agenda Items

Ashby BART Transit-Oriented Development Project

The primary agenda item was the Ashby BART TOD project. The council discussed a resolution authorizing the City Manager and City Attorney to draft agreements with BART based on a negotiated term sheet. The project aims to address historical injustices, ensure equitable growth, and provide significant community benefits.

• Affordable Housing:

  • The project targets a minimum of 35% affordable housing units, with an aim of 50% affordability.
  • The east lot project must include at least 35% affordable units, with $26.5 million reserved for affordable housing funding.

• Community Benefits:

  • Permanent space and amenities for the Berkeley flea market.
  • A new public plaza on Adeline Street to support the flea market and other public programming.

• Infrastructure and Design:

  • Major infrastructure investments, including the replacement and expansion of a BART traction power substation (TPSS).
  • Artistic treatments for the TPSS walls and fences.
  • Preliminary Objective Design Standards (ODS) to ensure the development integrates well with the community.

• Economic Analysis and Land Valuation:

  • Century Urban provided an economic analysis and land valuation, resolving air rights issues to facilitate housing development.

• Selection and Development Processes:

  • Separate solicitations for developers for the East and West lots.
  • Public presentations by shortlisted developers for the West lot.
  • Selection committee composition includes members from BART, the city, and Equitable Black Berkeley.

Berkeley-El Cerrito Corridor Access Plan (B-CAP)

Rachel Factor, Principal Planner for BART, presented the B-CAP, a comprehensive plan to improve multimodal access to BART stations and address parking management strategies.

• Parking and Access Strategies:

  • Strategies to assist riders affected by parking reductions.
  • Improvements in bus connections, bike routes, and parking along the corridor.

• Public Participation:

  • Extensive community engagement with thousands of comments received.
  • Framework for determining BART rider parking maximums, evaluating policy priorities, technical data, and community input.

• Funding and Implementation:

  • Over $39 million secured for access infrastructure, including $6 million for North Berkeley.
  • Continued efforts to guide future funding applications and implementation.

Decisions Made

• Approval of the Ashby BART TOD Term Sheet:

  • The council approved the term sheet, allowing the City Manager and City Attorney to finalize legal agreements with BART.
  • Emphasis on affordable housing, community benefits, and infrastructure improvements.

• Berkeley-El Cerrito Corridor Access Plan (B-CAP):

  • The council supported the B-CAP, focusing on improving multimodal access and parking management strategies.
  • Commitment to continued collaboration with BART and other partners.

• Future Steps:

  • Binding legal documents for the Ashby BART TOD to be brought back for approval in November.
  • Developer solicitation and affordable housing funding availability to be issued by December, aiming for a development team selection by June 2025.

Overall, the meeting highlighted the council's commitment to addressing historical injustices, ensuring equitable growth, and improving infrastructure and transit access in Berkeley.