S5 22-0067 Subject: Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District Project EIR And Jurisdictional Ordinance
From: Planning & Building Department
Recommendation: Conduct A Public Hearing And Upon Conclusion Adopt The Following Pieces Of Legislation:
1) A Resolution (A) Certifying The Environmental Impact Report For The Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District Project (ER 18-016), As Recommended By The Planning Commission; (B) Adopting California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Findings On Impacts And Mitigation Measures For The Proposed Project With Grade Separation Alternative (Alternative 3), And Rejection Of Other Alternatives And Certain Mitigation Measures As Infeasible; (C) Adopting A Statement Of Overriding Considerations; And (D) Adopting A Mitigation Monitoring And Reporting Program; And
The EIR is complete, thorough, and should be certified unanimously ASAP. We need to be sure not to abuse CEQA by holding up certification of the EIR while negotiations continue on the CBA. The CBA has nothing to do with CEQA, and the two processes should occur separately. Certify the EIR now! Give Oakland what the abundant housing and access to the waterfront we deserve!
I'm a proud Oakland (D3) resident and voter, and strongly urge the council to vote in favor of the Howard Terminal EIR.
No deal is perfect but the HT deal will bring new parks, environmental remediation, new affordable housing, new arts spaces, and new transportation infrastructure that won't exist if we don't make this deal. Not to mention more tax revenue and jobs for residents.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Oakland to build something POSITIVE for the future. Let's not let it go to waste.
I urge you to approve the Howard Terminal EIR. However, with respect to the level of respect toward the fan base by the current A's ownership, the Las Vegas ploy reminds me of fan appreciation day put on by Charlie Finley in 1968, where he gave away 5 used cars, the last of which was towed into the stadium. I am hopeful that accomplishing this project will have the beneficial result of the fan base not having to deal with 50+ more years of ownership nonsense and parsimony (all due respect to the Haas family, who actually did have the fans in mind first). The timeline for this project is now compressed in part because of the A's ownership/management miscalculating their first choice for a building site, at Laney College, and they should own that. I played high school baseball with and against Dave Stewart in high school, once on a team sponsored by a member of my wife's family (Bercovich) that goes back to early development of modern-day Oakland. Baseball in Oakland has deep roots (actual, not marketed). Oakland deserves the economic benefits that will result from this project, and the sense of identity that comes with a major league team. The environmental document appears comprehensive. Please support its approval.
As a resident of west oakland and a longtime fan of the A’s I support this project! Our city, especially the area around JLS and West Oakland is desperately in need of this infusion of development, resources, jobs, infrastructure, and general civic pride! Let’s make something big happen here, together, with our beloved MLB team!
As an East Bay resident for more than 45 years and a lifelong A's fan, I urge the certification of the Waterfront Ballpark Final Environmental Impact Report. The ballpark will be an asset to the City of Oakland and the entire region that will outlive all of us! Please vote to certify for the present and future generations.
Good Day, please vote YES for the very worthy Howard Terminal Ballpark and adjacent development. It’s a tremendous advancement for Oakland, Alameda County and the entire East Bay. It makes the Oakland waterfront & Jack London Square a tremendous destination for work, dining, entertainment and yes, Major League Baseball. What a transformation it will be! Generating many numerous jobs, taxes revenues and civic pride. And, repurposing a badly underutilized area occupied by the current pollution generating, no public benefit uses. Let’s get it done together, vote YES for the Howard Project. Play ball!
it's pretty clear that this is one of those win-win situations. the a's finally get a new stadium and the city gets an impressive use of the waterfront, not to mention needed infrastructure upgrades and connecting west oakland to the water. add another win for fans who will get to finally support a team they know will be staying in oakland. vote yes and keep the momentum going
As a resident of Oakland going back over 40 years I urge you to certify the EIR as an important improvement in the environment in the Howard Terminal/Jack London Square area, and for the huge benefit this will provide the City of Oakland. This should be passed on the merits of the proposal, not stalled or halted due to pressure from political interest groups. The merits of the proposal and the validity of the report have been vouched for unanimously by the Planning Commission. Oftentimes council has delayed action for time to review only to come back months later no more well-read on the proposal before them.
Beyond this, it's worth asking if you can't approve something like this, what /will/ you approve? The same interest groups will oppose any major development in the Howard Terminal area, thwarting the long term goal of making JLS a centerpiece of a thriving city center. Please do what's best for Oakland and certify the EIR at the Feb 17, 2022 session.
I am writing as an Alameda property owner with numerous friends and family in the area, who also have significant ties to Oakland and the Athletics. The Oakland A’s are a proven and vested community partner and business in Oakland and are seeking to transform Howard Terminal and its surroundings into a world-class area that will have numerous benefits, including environmental benefits for Oakland, as well as the attraction of tourists and the increase in disposable income for residents and businesses. The A’s plans would mitigate numerous serious environmental concerns present at the site right now. The City of Oakland can opt to support the A’s efforts at Howard Terminal and receive millions of but-for tax dollars in the coming years, to help with much programs, from it or stick with a status quo with a questionable environmental record and impact in a city that without growth will continue to die. Oakland would do well to stop holding people hostage to the process and vote YES to approve the EIR on February 17th, 2022. If you do, it will free up the time of city staff to focus on negotiations on the Development Agreement and Community Benefits package.
The Oakland A’s are seeking to transform Howard Terminal and its surroundings into a world-class facility that will have numerous benefits, including environmental benefits, for Oakland. The A’s plans would mitigate numerous environmental concerns currently present at the site, including the idling of trucks. More significantly, the A’s proposal is the only such proposal for this industrial site and would help to bring in tax revenue and other benefits that can be used to support environmental conservation efforts elsewhere in Oakland. It is also worth mentioning that there is no counter-proposal. In essence, the City of Oakland can opt to support the A’s efforts at Howard Terminal and receive millions of but-for tax dollars in the coming years from it, or can stick with a status quo with a questionable environmental record and impact. Given the choice of progress, increased tax revenue, significant environmental improvements, and nothing, I feel that Oakland would do well to vote YES to approve the EIR on February 17th, 2022. If you do, it will free up the time of city staff to focus on negotiations on the Development Agreement and Community Benefits package.
Please vote yes to certify the EIR. The Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District Project is a tremendous opportunity for the community to come together, to create jobs, and to enjoy our beautiful waterfront. This has been a thoughtful process, and it's time to move this forward. Thank you!
Please vote yes to approve the EIR certification. The Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District Project is so much bigger than baseball. It will help transform Oakland, create jobs, be an economic engine, create housing, community benefits, civic pride and so much more.
As a resident of D4 I urge the City Council to certify the EIR for The Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District Project. The work that has been done on this EIR is thorough, extensive and fair. It is time to move this once in a generation project forward. A project that I as a native, current resident and voter whole-heartedly support.
The City of Oakland should take timely and persuasive action to approve the waterfront ballpark. It's a matter of jobs and civic pride. So please certify the EIR.
I strongly urge the Council to vote to certify this EIR. This has been a long, thorough process and deserves to be voted upon and approved - and not further delayed for items that can be discuss further down the road. Please vote yes to keep this process moving forward, our A’s in Oakland, and thousands of jobs and homes on our waterfront.
I strongly urge the council to approve the EIR without delay. Holding the process hostage because you don’t have full agreement on something you will vote for during the summer is an embarrassing political show. Be better than that and approve the EIR immediately so that the true community benefits of jobs and waterfront parks can be realized ASAP.
I support approving the EIR. Three key reasons:
1) The EIR itself and the process was thorough
2) Execution and iteration on a quick pace matter - let the next steps and it’s goals incorporate the findings of the report and further developed this plan recognizing that time creates cost
3) This project will grow the economy and economic opportunities for the people of Oakland. Let’s care more about our citizens and their future and take lessons from so many cities that have benefited from similar investments.
Please bring 18 acres of parks and thousands of jobs to the Oakland waterfront! Unlock this waterfront that west Oakland has been deprived of for centuries. Be bold! This is for the people of Oakland, not multi-national corporations that are exporting goods and wealth outside of Oakland. Certify the EIR NOW!!
The EIR is complete, thorough, and should be certified unanimously ASAP. We need to be sure not to abuse CEQA by holding up certification of the EIR while negotiations continue on the CBA. The CBA has nothing to do with CEQA, and the two processes should occur separately. Certify the EIR now! Give Oakland what the abundant housing and access to the waterfront we deserve!
I'm a proud Oakland (D3) resident and voter, and strongly urge the council to vote in favor of the Howard Terminal EIR.
No deal is perfect but the HT deal will bring new parks, environmental remediation, new affordable housing, new arts spaces, and new transportation infrastructure that won't exist if we don't make this deal. Not to mention more tax revenue and jobs for residents.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Oakland to build something POSITIVE for the future. Let's not let it go to waste.
I urge you to approve the Howard Terminal EIR. However, with respect to the level of respect toward the fan base by the current A's ownership, the Las Vegas ploy reminds me of fan appreciation day put on by Charlie Finley in 1968, where he gave away 5 used cars, the last of which was towed into the stadium. I am hopeful that accomplishing this project will have the beneficial result of the fan base not having to deal with 50+ more years of ownership nonsense and parsimony (all due respect to the Haas family, who actually did have the fans in mind first). The timeline for this project is now compressed in part because of the A's ownership/management miscalculating their first choice for a building site, at Laney College, and they should own that. I played high school baseball with and against Dave Stewart in high school, once on a team sponsored by a member of my wife's family (Bercovich) that goes back to early development of modern-day Oakland. Baseball in Oakland has deep roots (actual, not marketed). Oakland deserves the economic benefits that will result from this project, and the sense of identity that comes with a major league team. The environmental document appears comprehensive. Please support its approval.
As a resident of west oakland and a longtime fan of the A’s I support this project! Our city, especially the area around JLS and West Oakland is desperately in need of this infusion of development, resources, jobs, infrastructure, and general civic pride! Let’s make something big happen here, together, with our beloved MLB team!
As an East Bay resident for more than 45 years and a lifelong A's fan, I urge the certification of the Waterfront Ballpark Final Environmental Impact Report. The ballpark will be an asset to the City of Oakland and the entire region that will outlive all of us! Please vote to certify for the present and future generations.
Good Day, please vote YES for the very worthy Howard Terminal Ballpark and adjacent development. It’s a tremendous advancement for Oakland, Alameda County and the entire East Bay. It makes the Oakland waterfront & Jack London Square a tremendous destination for work, dining, entertainment and yes, Major League Baseball. What a transformation it will be! Generating many numerous jobs, taxes revenues and civic pride. And, repurposing a badly underutilized area occupied by the current pollution generating, no public benefit uses. Let’s get it done together, vote YES for the Howard Project. Play ball!
it's pretty clear that this is one of those win-win situations. the a's finally get a new stadium and the city gets an impressive use of the waterfront, not to mention needed infrastructure upgrades and connecting west oakland to the water. add another win for fans who will get to finally support a team they know will be staying in oakland. vote yes and keep the momentum going
As a city, do we want to be in the same league as New York, Chicago, & San Francisco or Boise, Omaha, & Charlotte?
Don’t let short run squabbles/concerns get in the way of the bigger, long term ramifications for this city.
As a resident of Oakland going back over 40 years I urge you to certify the EIR as an important improvement in the environment in the Howard Terminal/Jack London Square area, and for the huge benefit this will provide the City of Oakland. This should be passed on the merits of the proposal, not stalled or halted due to pressure from political interest groups. The merits of the proposal and the validity of the report have been vouched for unanimously by the Planning Commission. Oftentimes council has delayed action for time to review only to come back months later no more well-read on the proposal before them.
Beyond this, it's worth asking if you can't approve something like this, what /will/ you approve? The same interest groups will oppose any major development in the Howard Terminal area, thwarting the long term goal of making JLS a centerpiece of a thriving city center. Please do what's best for Oakland and certify the EIR at the Feb 17, 2022 session.
I am writing as an Alameda property owner with numerous friends and family in the area, who also have significant ties to Oakland and the Athletics. The Oakland A’s are a proven and vested community partner and business in Oakland and are seeking to transform Howard Terminal and its surroundings into a world-class area that will have numerous benefits, including environmental benefits for Oakland, as well as the attraction of tourists and the increase in disposable income for residents and businesses. The A’s plans would mitigate numerous serious environmental concerns present at the site right now. The City of Oakland can opt to support the A’s efforts at Howard Terminal and receive millions of but-for tax dollars in the coming years, to help with much programs, from it or stick with a status quo with a questionable environmental record and impact in a city that without growth will continue to die. Oakland would do well to stop holding people hostage to the process and vote YES to approve the EIR on February 17th, 2022. If you do, it will free up the time of city staff to focus on negotiations on the Development Agreement and Community Benefits package.
The Oakland A’s are seeking to transform Howard Terminal and its surroundings into a world-class facility that will have numerous benefits, including environmental benefits, for Oakland. The A’s plans would mitigate numerous environmental concerns currently present at the site, including the idling of trucks. More significantly, the A’s proposal is the only such proposal for this industrial site and would help to bring in tax revenue and other benefits that can be used to support environmental conservation efforts elsewhere in Oakland. It is also worth mentioning that there is no counter-proposal. In essence, the City of Oakland can opt to support the A’s efforts at Howard Terminal and receive millions of but-for tax dollars in the coming years from it, or can stick with a status quo with a questionable environmental record and impact. Given the choice of progress, increased tax revenue, significant environmental improvements, and nothing, I feel that Oakland would do well to vote YES to approve the EIR on February 17th, 2022. If you do, it will free up the time of city staff to focus on negotiations on the Development Agreement and Community Benefits package.
Please vote yes to certify the EIR. The Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District Project is a tremendous opportunity for the community to come together, to create jobs, and to enjoy our beautiful waterfront. This has been a thoughtful process, and it's time to move this forward. Thank you!
Please vote yes to approve the EIR certification. The Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District Project is so much bigger than baseball. It will help transform Oakland, create jobs, be an economic engine, create housing, community benefits, civic pride and so much more.
As a resident of D4 I urge the City Council to certify the EIR for The Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District Project. The work that has been done on this EIR is thorough, extensive and fair. It is time to move this once in a generation project forward. A project that I as a native, current resident and voter whole-heartedly support.
Nicholas Falls. Oakland, CA.
The City of Oakland should take timely and persuasive action to approve the waterfront ballpark. It's a matter of jobs and civic pride. So please certify the EIR.
I strongly urge the Council to vote to certify this EIR. This has been a long, thorough process and deserves to be voted upon and approved - and not further delayed for items that can be discuss further down the road. Please vote yes to keep this process moving forward, our A’s in Oakland, and thousands of jobs and homes on our waterfront.
I strongly urge the council to approve the EIR without delay. Holding the process hostage because you don’t have full agreement on something you will vote for during the summer is an embarrassing political show. Be better than that and approve the EIR immediately so that the true community benefits of jobs and waterfront parks can be realized ASAP.
I support approving the EIR. Three key reasons:
1) The EIR itself and the process was thorough
2) Execution and iteration on a quick pace matter - let the next steps and it’s goals incorporate the findings of the report and further developed this plan recognizing that time creates cost
3) This project will grow the economy and economic opportunities for the people of Oakland. Let’s care more about our citizens and their future and take lessons from so many cities that have benefited from similar investments.
Please certify the final EIR! Keep our A’s in Oakland! Bring thousands of new jobs to the waterfront! This is great for our town!
Please bring 18 acres of parks and thousands of jobs to the Oakland waterfront! Unlock this waterfront that west Oakland has been deprived of for centuries. Be bold! This is for the people of Oakland, not multi-national corporations that are exporting goods and wealth outside of Oakland. Certify the EIR NOW!!