 Fear of Citizens Initiatives in Berkeley? | Public Commons The Zoning Overlay Ordinance on Berkeley's existing Historic Civic Center District, will help to preserve the area's use for community, cultural, and civic purposes. Included are Berkeley's 100 year old Post Office, Berkeley's Old City Hall, New City Hall, Berkeley Community Theater, Veterans' Memorial Hall, the YMCA, and Civic Center Park. This 2014 initiative will protect our Historic Civic Center District, including Berkeley's Main Post Office. Green Downtown Citizens of the City of Berkeley voted in support of Measure R in 2010 with the promise that doing so would make Berkeley one of the "greenest cities" in the United States. Currently none of the new proposed tall buildings that could have delivered the green elements that were promised in Measure R have opted to do so. This 2014 initiative will mandate that any new downtown development will have to conform to those promised standards. More than 1400 housing units are currently in development in downtown Berkeley. Read the January 14, 2014 Berkeleyside article on "Explosive Downtown Housing Boom Under Way." |
UPDATE: June 3, 2014, Green Downtown and Public Commons Initiative Qualifies for November Ballot
The Alameda County Registrar received 3,717 unverified signatures within the statutory time limit. The requisite number of signatures to qualify is 2,638. Based on a random sample the Registrar determined the petition contained 123% of the signatures necessary to qualify for the ballot.
Read the Certificate of Sufficiency.
Read the Certificate of Sufficiency.
UPDATE: August 17, 2014: Downtown Initiative Designated "Measure R"
 Check out the New Downtown Initiative website!  | CRITICAL PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. NORTH BERKELEY SENIOR CENTER Corner of Hearst Ave. and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way The Zoning Overlay Ordinance on Berkeley’s existing Historic Civic Center District, including our historic Post Office, has gained national attention. On August 27, 2014, the Planning Commission will vote on whether to forward the Ordinance to the City Council for consideration at the September 9, 2014 council meeting. The Zoning Overlay will save the Post Office, Old City Hall, and our historic Civic Center from commercial development. The Mayor and Council have stated that they are ready to make the Zoning Overlay submitted by citizen initiative the law in Berkeley. The Commission must approve an Environmental statement and new use definitions before the Overlay can return to Council. Show the Planning Commissioners That We Care. Bring a Friend. Let's Fill the Room! Berkeley’s Historic Civic Center District is our Public Commons. Let’s protect it with appropriate zoning. |
