Broadway Valdez District Specific Plan

UPDATE: A public Review Draft Plan Workshop will be held

Date: Thursday, October 3, 2013

Time: 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Temple Sinai, Albers Chapel,
2808 Summit Street
Oakland, CA 94609

Planning staff will open the workshop with a brief presentation highlighting key aspects of the Plan followed by an open house where participants may view Plan summary boards and discuss comments with City staff. The workshop will close with a large group discussion.

Greenbelt Alliance, which began in 1958 as Citizens for Regional Recreation and Parks (CRRP), is an organization formed by environmentally concerned individuals and groups to protect parks and recreational areas in the Bay Area.

One of the campaigns the Greenbelt Alliance is advocating on behalf of is the Better Broadway plan. "The City of Oakland is pursuing a specific plan to guide new development along the nearly 1-mile stretch of Broadway between Grand Avenue and Highway 580. This area is now characterized by many vacant lots and underutilized spaces, including several former car dealerships. If done well, the Broadway-Valdez Specific Plan will create a flexible framework for the revitalization of the neighborhood that was once known as “Auto Row” for its many car-related businesses." ¹

What’s at stake

The Broadway-Valdez neighborhood is fortunate to have ideal transit infrastructure already in place. In addition to being near the 19th Street BART and MacArthur BART stations, the corridor is well-served by AC Transit. The free B shuttle currently runs near the Broadway-Valdez district, and new development in the area could lead AC Transit to extend the route, and others, to serve more of the Broadway corridor. The City of Oakland is currently studying the possibility of bringing streetcar service or something similar back to Broadway, meaning that there may be additional transit amenities here in the future to provide greater transit connections for residents and workers alike.

Greenbelt Alliance, in partnership with the Better Broadway Coalition, supports the development of homes, shops, and jobs along the corridor (PDF). We want a retail district with 1,800 new homes, with 300 to 500 of them sold or rented at below-market rates. We want appealing new storefronts, smart parking policies, high-quality jobs for Oakland residents, walkable streets, public plazas and open spaces, and green transportation choices. The City can successfully build on what’s working nearby in the burgeoning Uptown arts and entertainment district. Other organizations in support of this vision include East Bay Housing Organizations, Walk Oakland Bike Oakland, League of Conservation Voters of the East Bay, Asian Pacific Environmental Network, the Building Trades Council, the Alameda Labor Council, and the Sierra Club. Local residents in Valdez Plaza, a senior apartment building in the area, have also signed onto our vision.

What you can do

View the city’s Draft Plan Concept for how the area could be revitalized.
Check out research on the plan area, conducted by city consultants, by skimming their Existing Conditions Report (PDF).
Visit the City of Oakland’s new page about the process to learn more and sign up for City updates.
Email Oakland council members to tell them you support the Better Broadway vision for the Broadway-Valdez area, as proposed by the Better Broadway Coalition. Find your council member at the city website.
To get on the City of Oakland list for this planning effort, sign up at the city’s page. ²