The Editor's Back Fence

Berkeley City Council Majority Votes with Developer Interests

Becky O'Malley
Saturday February 02, 2019 - 06:46:00 PM

The Berkeley City Council voted on Thursday night to deny the citizen appeal of permits for construction of another luxury apartment building, 18-stories with not a single Below Market Rate unit, on Shattuck avenue in the viewshed of the Golden Gate as seen from Campanile Plaza on the University of California campus. A claque of youths with printed signs saying "Fuck the View" were turned out on behalf of the developers, who were represented by Jason Overman, Mayor Jesse Arreguin's former roomate. (Arreguin did not recuse himself and voted for Overman's project.) Only three councilmembers, Kate Harrison, Sophie Hahn and Cheryl Davila, sided with the citizen appeal by abstaining from the vote.The other six voted with the developers.

For a good analysis of how more market rate development will NOT trickle down to students, see:

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