Neighbors of Ashby BART newsletter
Robert Lauriston
Upcoming events:
Monday, May 15, 7:00pm, South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St.
(at Ashby): presentation by Ed Church / SBNDC: "... we will make a
formal announcement of the Task Force members and explain the outlines
of the Task Force process to the public. Our intent will be to set the
basic parameters and operational procedures for the Task Force, while
encouraging significant creativity and latitude in the process."
Monday, May 22, 6:30pm, South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St.
(at Ashby): Rally sponsored by Neighbors of Ashby BART, Friends of the
Berkeley Flea Market, and United We Stand and Deliver. See nabart.com
for a printable flyer.
Monday, May 15, 7:00pm, South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St.
(at Ashby): first public meeting of Ed Church / SBNDC task force: "Ed
Church will make a presentation about the context and background of the
Task Force's work, and Jeffrey Ordway from BART will make a
presentation about BART's policies and interests regarding the site. We
also hope the Task Force will select a Chair at that meeting; a
professional facilitator will run the meeting until the Chair is
selected. As always throughout the Task Force process, the bulk of the
meeting will be devoted to hearing from the public and engaging their
best thinking on the issues around Ashby BART."
***
Notable additions to the nabart.com Web site since the last newsletter:
- newspaper articles and op-ed pieces regarding the Ed Church / SBNDC
task force and the city's hiring Korve Engineering to study the effects
on traffic of closing Adeline Street between MLK and Ashby
- "loyalty oath" email from Ed Church to some task force nominees (link
on overview page)
- interview with Joe Brooks, Vice President for Civic Engagement,
PolicyLink, from the Spring 2006 Livable Berkeley Newsletter (link on
newspaper articles page)
***
Does anyone have contact information for the following unappointed task
force nominees? If so please email me at rob...@lauriston.com. Thanks.
Ricardo Charles
David Duncan
George Luna
Don Oppenheim
Tracey Powers
Preston Tucker
Robert Lauriston
not May 15.
Upcoming events:
Monday, May 15, 7:00pm, South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St.
(at Ashby): presentation by Ed Church / SBNDC: "... we will make a
formal announcement of the Task Force members and explain the outlines
of the Task Force process to the public. Our intent will be to set the
basic parameters and operational procedures for the Task Force, while
encouraging significant creativity and latitude in the process."
Monday, May 22, 6:30pm, South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St.
(at Ashby): Rally sponsored by Neighbors of Ashby BART, Friends of the
Berkeley Flea Market, and United We Stand and Deliver. See nabart.com
for a printable flyer.
Monday, May 22, 7:00pm, South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St.
Robert Lauriston
I'll send out these newsletters periodically to reduce the number of
emails to the mailing list by consolidating non-urgent and off-topic
messages.--Robert Lauriston, moderator
Upcoming events:
6/5/06, South Berkeley Senior Center, 2939 Ellis St. (at Ashby):
second meeting of Ashby BART task force. Agenda tba but will likely
focus on the role and membership of task force.
Notable additions to the nabart.com Web site since the last newsletter:
- newspaper articles regarding the 5/22 task force meeting and
Caltrans's rejection of Ed Church's grant application
- notes on 5/22 task force meeting by John Warren of Ashby Arts,
Robert Lauriston, and Ozzie Vincent
- Ashby Arts District statement of principles for Ashby Bart station's
west-side parking lost (overview page)
- a report on how well 25 transit-oriented developments around the
country, including the Fruitvale Transit Village, serve the needs of
working families (miscellany page)
- David Soffa's proposal for narrowing Adeline (miscellany page)
***
I've repeated below several email messages already sent to the list
to put some other messages in context.
***
From: Robert Lauriston <rob...@lauriston.com>
Subject: Email from Ed Church to Ashby BART task force members
[Ed Church sent this email to the members of the task force today.]
Dear Task Force members,
I just met with Mayor Bates and Councilmember Anderson. They suggest
that you cancel your meeting scheduled for this coming Monday, June 5,
and await a rescheduling date until after the City Council has had an
opportunity to re-evaluate planning efforts along the Adeline Corridor.
As you know, the Council asked the South Berkeley Neighborhood
Development Corporation to appoint the Task Force membership. The
Council has provided the authority for the Task Force's work.
Due to the fact that the City of Berkeley did not receive the Caltrans
funding, the work of the Task Force to recommend a developer to
participate in a public planning process funded in part by Caltrans
will be postponed.
The vision of revitalizing the Adeline Corridor through a catalytic
development of housing, including that which is sorely needed by public
sector workers and low-income families, remains. The imperative to
link transit, housing and jobs, to create community and provide
alternatives to polluting private car use, grows more crucial each day.
The needs for local jobs, for safe public spaces, and for places to
perform and create art, continues.
While the needs remain, we can now re-evaluate how to achieve those
goals through the best public process possible.
I have found the diligence, creativity and focus of the Task Force
members to be impressive. I look forward to the possibility your
continued work on this in the future.
Many thanks.
- Ed Church
***
From: Robert Lauriston <rob...@lauriston.com>
Subject: Re: Email from Ed Church to Ashby BART task force members
I strongly disagree with the suggestion from Mayor Bates and
Councilmember Anderson.
I suggest the task force meet as planned and its members discuss
whether there is any good reason to delay commencement of a
community-based, community-led process involving representatives from
the Flea Market, the Ashby Arts District, neighborhood associations,
and other stakeholder groups.
***
From: dale smith <dale2...@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Email from Ed Church to Ashby BART task force members
Robert Lauriston <rob...@lauriston.com> wrote:
> I strongly disagree with the suggestion from Mayor Bates and
> Councilmember Anderson [that the task force cancel its 6/5 meeting
> and await further instructions from the City Council].
>
> I suggest the task force meet as planned and its members discuss
> whether there is any good reason to delay commencement of a
> community-based, community-led process involving representatives from
> the Flea Market, the Ashby Arts District, neighborhood associations,
> and other stakeholder groups.
Right on!!
***
From: Marcy Greenhut <imgr...@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Email from Ed Church to Ashby BART task force members
It would be up to individual Task Force members if we wanted to "meet
as
planned", since we are all volunteers. Whether we do or not, this may
be
your/NABART's chance to show the community how you want it done.
I feel like the Wizard of Oz saying this, but you've always had the
brains,
heart and courage to meet on your own! No one has been stopping you
and
others from commencing your own process.
***
From: Robert Lauriston <rob...@lauriston.com>
Subject: Re: Email from Ed Church to Ashby BART task force members
We want a single, community-based process with all stakeholders
participating on an equal basis. If that's what Mayor Bates and
council member Anderson want, they've done a good job of giving
the opposite impression.
***
Subject: Re: Email from Ed Church to Ashby BART task force members
From: Dean Tuckerman <dean...@comcast.net>
Real translation of this letter: I have to figure out another way to
make money off the people of South Berkeley, so stay home and wait til
i call you.
***
From: Robert Lauriston <rob...@lauriston.com>
Subject: Re: Email from Ed Church to Ashby BART task force members
[Followup message from Ed Church to task force members]
Folks -
I have found out from the City Manger's office that the reservation of
the South Berkeley Senior Center for the Task Force meetings remains in
effect for June 5 and June 19, so the Task Force is welcome to meet
there.
I am seeking additional clarification from Tom Bates and Max Anderson
(and ultimately the whole City Council) about the near- and long-term
role for the Task Force, given that we did not get the Calrans funding.
I believe that they would like the Task Force to offer its ideas on
the subject.
I apologize for the confusion that this has caused. We're all trying
to figure out what the next steps are. I continue to have faith in the
process which was initially laid out, and which the Task Force is
modifying for good reasons, with thoughtfulness and expertise.
I plan to be at your meeting Monday, as an observer and resource.
Many thanks.
- Ed
***
From: Dean Tuckerman <dean...@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [NABART] Re: No Caltrans grant for Ashby BART
From: George Katechis <bm...@berkeleymusic.com>
> I've been here for 31 years; right across the street. The Flea market
> is
> OK, but it should be better. They should promote some shows like
> computer fairs, and antique sales. The BART Lot is still a DMZ to me.
> Something should happen in there that benifits the neighborhood: ie,
> brings jobs.
I don't want to get into an argument with you, but on the job question,
the Flea Market does bring income to people who don't have other
sources of it. Why is the Flea Market a DMZ to you? Have you been there
recently? How could a flea market relate to computer shows or antique
fairs?
***
From: Marcy Greenhut <imgr...@comcast.net>
Subject: Thanks for the great TOD link!
Betsy-
The http://www.communitybenefits.org/article.php?list=3Dtype&type=3D49
link for working families TOD provides excellent information for our =
community discussion about Ashby BART.
Thanks so much for sending this.
I will share it with the rest of the Task Force (if they aren't already
=
on the nabart list).
***
From: George Katechis <bm...@berkeleymusic.com>
Subject: Sacramento St.
I didn't realize Sacramento St. was part of the BART situation, but
I agree, all of South Berkeley needs a boost, and building more housing
isn't going to help the young people who don't have jobs or anything to
do with themselves.
***
From: "Ozzie Vincent" <ozzi...@comcast.net>
Subject: thought provoking article
Great thought provoking article from the Chronicle, at:
<http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/05/14/ING3RIPSO01.DTL&type=printable>