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
I strongly urge the Oakland City Council to unanimously certify the Environmental Impact Report, as recommended by the Planning Commission. Do not play politics with this vote. The EIR is robust and detailed. A vote against it is a slap in the face of the dedicated city staff who worked hard to put together this document. A positive vote will keep our city on a path to keep our beloved team rooted in Oakland.
I urge the council to vote to certify the final EIR today. The EIR is comprehensive and complete. Certification today allows the project to move forward and begin much needed public discussion on specific plans, including most importantly, the community benefits for the project. Vote yest to certify today.
I'm a member of D1 and support approving the EIR.
(1) The evaluation and vetting process has been thorough.
(2) Locking in a key anchor tenant like the iconic Oakland As is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a city that's been losing sports teams left and right.
(3) We need to create some momentum around a plan for the Howard Terminal and this one carries numerous benefits for the city, with the potential to bring much-needed housing, density, and tax revenue to that whole sector of the city
I support certification of the EIR for the HT ballpark project. The environmental review is properly done and the impacts and public concerns previously addressed are properly considered. This project is a great opportunity to create new housing as well as revitalize a neighborhood and create a positive for the economic and social fabric of Oakland and the Bay Area as a whole.
I support the City Council certifying the EIR for the Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District Project as recommended by the Planning Commission and prepared by City planning staff. I believe planning staff has done a thorough review of the environmental impact of this project and has addressed all of the comments received during the public input period. This is a tremendous project for the City of Oakland, the San Francisco Bay Area, the State of California and provides critical environmental remediation to an area that sorely needs it.
I encourage the Oakland City Council to vote Yes to certify the EIR on February 17th. As a resident of west Oakland I am confident the Howard Terminal project will be a necessary and positive investment in Oakland and Alameda County. Oakland is growing and this project is an ideal project to anchor Oakland’s growth. This project would be beneficial to both the residents and business in the area.
Please vote and approve the EIR for the Howard Terminal project. The EIR adequately addresses most of the environmental concerns that I have for the project. The CBA will be put forwarded with the final development agreement that will follow EIR approval.
I urge the Oakland City Council to not only hear this item on February 17th but to also vote on the EIR. I strongly encourage you to vote to certify the final EIR so we can move this process forward and get to the final development agreement! This project is about so much more than baseball, it will transform the Oakland Waterfront and be an amazing destination not only for Oaklanders but for all of Northern California. This project is a win win for Oakland, Alameda county and California! The economic and community benefits from this project are so incredible and we get to keep our sports treasure, the Oakland A's in Oakland where they belong! Please vote Yes to certify the EIR!
I urge the council to move forward on the Howard Terminal ballpark project. I believe the benefit to the city in general and DTO/JLS area specifically will be well worth the effort and do a lot to revitalize those areas. Something the city has wanted to do for decades. It is essential this project come to Oakland. The increase in tax revenues from the project alone will be a great help to the general fund for years to come. Please vote to approve the EIR and the project in general. This is vastly bigger than baseball.
I'm a member of D1 and support approving the EIR. Three key reasons:
1) The EIR itself and the process to vet it has been thorough - the doc itself is nearly 1K pages and covers pretty much every imaginable issue.
2) This project needs momentum -> if you stall now you risk derailing an important project for Oakland
3) HT project w/ the As as a committed anchor tenant is a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop Oakland's waterfront - it will bring much needed housing, density, additional tax revenue and act as a force multiplier to improve that whole sector of the city
My name is Ben Larsen, oakland resident, and I support the Howard Terminal waterfront ballpark project. I urge the council to vote to certify the EIR and take the necessary steps to move the project forward. The Jack London square area is in dire need of infrastructure upgrades, and this is the perfect opportunity to get these needed upgrades done with but-for tax revenue. I do not feel that it is controversial to spend tax dollars on infrastructure, that is afterall, what tax dollars are for. I also feel that community benefits are important. Please vote to certify the EIR and continue to work to protect the interests of the community while moving the negotiating process along. Thank you.
I urge you to remember that, while I believe that this project has tremendous economic benefit for the residents of Oakland and the East Bay, these votes are about more than economics. The impact on the lives of those in this community is incalculable, as the experience of coming together to root for the A's is not just "entertainment," but a miraculous source of meaning in life, passed down through generations, tying each of us to this home and to each other. To lose the A's would pull something from the soul of many of the residents of Oakland and the East Bay, myself included, and would irreparably damage our lives in ways that have nothing to do with economics. To make this kind of commitment — and I realize it's a big one, a huge project, though one that has gone through a massively complex and committed process — to keeping the A's in Oakland will demonstrate to the people of this city and community that you value the quality and meaning of our lives. Please vote to certify the FEIR for Howard Terminal.
I'm a member of district 3, West Oakland, and I strongly encourage you to certify the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the A’s Waterfront Ballpark. This will have many social, transportation, housing, and environmental benefits.
Please certify the EIR and keep the A's in Oakland. This project will have many financial and emotional benefits for our city, and provide an opportunity for improved access to the waterfront in Oakland and improved infrastructure around the train tracks. I look forward to watching the A's at their new stadium at Howard Terminal for years to come.
I urge you not to accept the FEIR. The CEQA is from 2016. I urge the transparency of the affiliation with the ESA (Environmental Services Associates). I observed the family/employee owned business does not represent the diversity of the City of Oakland. I urge the transparency of the planning commission at to whether they would be enhanced personally and/ or professionally with the acceptance of this document. (i.e.: GrayStar, New Mark, Heller Marcus
The language is too loose. Statistically, the numbers are outdates and misleading. The final regional housing report used sequential growth patterns starting in 2015. Language around affordable housing excluded extremely low income persons (0-30% AMI).Table (page 4.12-8) addresses 50 %($47,590)60%($76,750) 80%($87,900) and 120%(%150,720)AMI for ONE person. The AMI had to be revised the end of 2021 and went from $ 79.312 to $125.600! (Statistics taken from HUD section 6932) This does not show levels of affordability. Affordable housing may be built on /or off site or pay the impact fee. The investors are made whole through the State or Hud. This is only a small portion of the 3,500 page document, imagine if it was professionally scrutinize by a neutral party.
The document does not represent the professionalism that should be indicative of proposal set forth to the city of Oakland.
I strongly urge the Oakland City Council to unanimously certify the Environmental Impact Report, as recommended by the Planning Commission. Do not play politics with this vote. The EIR is robust and detailed. A vote against it is a slap in the face of the dedicated city staff who worked hard to put together this document. A positive vote will keep our city on a path to keep our beloved team rooted in Oakland.
I am a resident of D3 in Prescott and I strongly urge the City Council to certify the EIR, as recommended by the Planning Commission.
I urge the council to vote to certify the final EIR today. The EIR is comprehensive and complete. Certification today allows the project to move forward and begin much needed public discussion on specific plans, including most importantly, the community benefits for the project. Vote yest to certify today.
Please vote to APPROVE the EIR on the 2/17 agenda to keep the A's in Oakland and revitalize the JLS area. Let's make Oakland a destination city.
I'm a member of D1 and support approving the EIR.
(1) The evaluation and vetting process has been thorough.
(2) Locking in a key anchor tenant like the iconic Oakland As is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a city that's been losing sports teams left and right.
(3) We need to create some momentum around a plan for the Howard Terminal and this one carries numerous benefits for the city, with the potential to bring much-needed housing, density, and tax revenue to that whole sector of the city
I support certification of the EIR for the HT ballpark project. The environmental review is properly done and the impacts and public concerns previously addressed are properly considered. This project is a great opportunity to create new housing as well as revitalize a neighborhood and create a positive for the economic and social fabric of Oakland and the Bay Area as a whole.
I support the City Council certifying the EIR for the Oakland Waterfront Ballpark District Project as recommended by the Planning Commission and prepared by City planning staff. I believe planning staff has done a thorough review of the environmental impact of this project and has addressed all of the comments received during the public input period. This is a tremendous project for the City of Oakland, the San Francisco Bay Area, the State of California and provides critical environmental remediation to an area that sorely needs it.
I encourage the Oakland City Council to vote Yes to certify the EIR on February 17th. As a resident of west Oakland I am confident the Howard Terminal project will be a necessary and positive investment in Oakland and Alameda County. Oakland is growing and this project is an ideal project to anchor Oakland’s growth. This project would be beneficial to both the residents and business in the area.
Please vote and approve the EIR for the Howard Terminal project. The EIR adequately addresses most of the environmental concerns that I have for the project. The CBA will be put forwarded with the final development agreement that will follow EIR approval.
I urge the Oakland City Council to not only hear this item on February 17th but to also vote on the EIR. I strongly encourage you to vote to certify the final EIR so we can move this process forward and get to the final development agreement! This project is about so much more than baseball, it will transform the Oakland Waterfront and be an amazing destination not only for Oaklanders but for all of Northern California. This project is a win win for Oakland, Alameda county and California! The economic and community benefits from this project are so incredible and we get to keep our sports treasure, the Oakland A's in Oakland where they belong! Please vote Yes to certify the EIR!
I urge the council to move forward on the Howard Terminal ballpark project. I believe the benefit to the city in general and DTO/JLS area specifically will be well worth the effort and do a lot to revitalize those areas. Something the city has wanted to do for decades. It is essential this project come to Oakland. The increase in tax revenues from the project alone will be a great help to the general fund for years to come. Please vote to approve the EIR and the project in general. This is vastly bigger than baseball.
D6 Oakland Resident and I hope the council will approve the EIR
I'm a member of D1 and support approving the EIR. Three key reasons:
1) The EIR itself and the process to vet it has been thorough - the doc itself is nearly 1K pages and covers pretty much every imaginable issue.
2) This project needs momentum -> if you stall now you risk derailing an important project for Oakland
3) HT project w/ the As as a committed anchor tenant is a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop Oakland's waterfront - it will bring much needed housing, density, additional tax revenue and act as a force multiplier to improve that whole sector of the city
My name is Ben Larsen, oakland resident, and I support the Howard Terminal waterfront ballpark project. I urge the council to vote to certify the EIR and take the necessary steps to move the project forward. The Jack London square area is in dire need of infrastructure upgrades, and this is the perfect opportunity to get these needed upgrades done with but-for tax revenue. I do not feel that it is controversial to spend tax dollars on infrastructure, that is afterall, what tax dollars are for. I also feel that community benefits are important. Please vote to certify the EIR and continue to work to protect the interests of the community while moving the negotiating process along. Thank you.
I urge you to remember that, while I believe that this project has tremendous economic benefit for the residents of Oakland and the East Bay, these votes are about more than economics. The impact on the lives of those in this community is incalculable, as the experience of coming together to root for the A's is not just "entertainment," but a miraculous source of meaning in life, passed down through generations, tying each of us to this home and to each other. To lose the A's would pull something from the soul of many of the residents of Oakland and the East Bay, myself included, and would irreparably damage our lives in ways that have nothing to do with economics. To make this kind of commitment — and I realize it's a big one, a huge project, though one that has gone through a massively complex and committed process — to keeping the A's in Oakland will demonstrate to the people of this city and community that you value the quality and meaning of our lives. Please vote to certify the FEIR for Howard Terminal.
I'm a member of district 3, West Oakland, and I strongly encourage you to certify the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the A’s Waterfront Ballpark. This will have many social, transportation, housing, and environmental benefits.
Please certify the EIR and keep the A's in Oakland. This project will have many financial and emotional benefits for our city, and provide an opportunity for improved access to the waterfront in Oakland and improved infrastructure around the train tracks. I look forward to watching the A's at their new stadium at Howard Terminal for years to come.
Please certify the FIER, please keep the A's in Oakland!
I urge you not to accept the FEIR. The CEQA is from 2016. I urge the transparency of the affiliation with the ESA (Environmental Services Associates). I observed the family/employee owned business does not represent the diversity of the City of Oakland. I urge the transparency of the planning commission at to whether they would be enhanced personally and/ or professionally with the acceptance of this document. (i.e.: GrayStar, New Mark, Heller Marcus
The language is too loose. Statistically, the numbers are outdates and misleading. The final regional housing report used sequential growth patterns starting in 2015. Language around affordable housing excluded extremely low income persons (0-30% AMI).Table (page 4.12-8) addresses 50 %($47,590)60%($76,750) 80%($87,900) and 120%(%150,720)AMI for ONE person. The AMI had to be revised the end of 2021 and went from $ 79.312 to $125.600! (Statistics taken from HUD section 6932) This does not show levels of affordability. Affordable housing may be built on /or off site or pay the impact fee. The investors are made whole through the State or Hud. This is only a small portion of the 3,500 page document, imagine if it was professionally scrutinize by a neutral party.
The document does not represent the professionalism that should be indicative of proposal set forth to the city of Oakland.