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Updated: Citizens and Applicant Appeal Downtown Project Approvals to the Berkeley City Council
Multiple appeals were filed on Tuesday to decisions by the Berkeley Zoning Adjustment Board and the Berkeley Landmarks Preservation Commission to allow construction of a complex of three structures, the tallest of which would be more than 18 stories high, on the landmarked site of the Shattuck Hotel and the Landmark Shattuck Cinemas. There would be more than 300 market rate apartments in the project, but no on-site affordable or low-income units.
Citizen appellants are asking the Berkeley City Council to overrule the decisions of the lower bodies, ZAB and LPC. Incorporated in the appeals are challenges to the Zoning Adjustment Board's vote to certify the Environmental Impact Report on the proposed project which the applicants offered, which appellants contend does not adequately inform commissioners of environmental harm which the projects might cause.
Appellants include the Landmark Legal Action Fund, the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association, the Sustainable Berkeley Coalition and the Berkeley Unified School District, along with several other organizations such as the Berkeley Gray Panthers, Save Shattuck Cinemas, the Peace and Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and more than a hundred individual Berkeley citizens who co-signed one or more of the appeals.
The project, which has been named The Residences at Berkeley Plaza, is using the address of 2211 Harold Way, but the longest facade of the conjoined buildings would be along Shattuck at the corner of Kittredge, with some construction underneath the historic hotel itself, part of which would be demolished if the plan goes through.
Another appeal was filed by the project applicant's representative, Mark Rhoades of the Rhoades Planning Group, who is a former City of Berkeley Planning Department employee.
Below is the complete list of appeals filed, along with the names of the people who delivered the appeal documents to the Berkeley City Clerk's office. The office has not yet announced when the appeals will be heard at the City Council.
| Appellant - LPC |
| John McBride – LPC Appeal Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association |
| Kelly Hammargren – LPC Appeal Sustainable Berkeley Save Shattuck Cinemas Gray Panthers, Berkeley Peace and Justice Committee, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Additional Named Individuals |
| Charlene M. Woodcock – LPC Appeal Landmark Legal Action |
| Appellant - ZAB |
| Clarissa Canady & Deidree Sakai – ZAB Appeal Dannis Woliver Kelley Law Firm on behalf of the Berkeley Unified School District |
| Mark Rhoades – ZAB Appeal Rhoades Planning Group
|
| Kate Harrison & James Hendry – ZAB Appeal Additional Named Individuals |
| Margot Smith – ZAB Appeal
|
| Charlene M. Woodcock – ZAB Appeal Landmark Legal Action Additional Named Individuals |
| Kelly Hammargren – ZAB Appeal Sustainable Berkeley Save Shattuck Cinemas Gray Panthers, Berkeley Peace and Justice Committee, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Additional Named Individuals |
APPEALS FILED
- 2015-10-27_LPC_APPEAL_McBride_BAHA_2211 Harold.pdf
- 2015-10-27_LPC_APPEAL_Hammargren_2211 Harold.pdf
- 2015-10-27_LPC_APPEAL_Woodcock_2211 Harold.pdf
- 2015-10-27_ZAB_APPEAL_Hammargren_2211 Harold.pdf
- 2015-10-27_ZAB_APPEAL_Sakai_BUSD_2211 Harold.pdf
- 2015-10-27_ZAB_APPEAL_Smith_2211 Harold.pdf
- 2015-10-27_ZAB_APPEAL_Woodcock_2211 Harold.pdf
- 2015-10-26_ZAB_APPEAL_Hendry_2211 Harold.pdf
- 2015-10-23_ZAB_APPEAL_Rhoades_Applicant_2211 Harold.pdf
