{"id":135,"date":"2009-05-23T00:54:00","date_gmt":"2009-05-23T00:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/terragrafix.com\/blog\/?p=135"},"modified":"2009-05-23T00:54:00","modified_gmt":"2009-05-23T00:54:00","slug":"city-council-grants-rich-developer-2-5-million-in-taxpayer-money-angrily-dismisses-residents-complaints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesecretnewsonline.com\/?p=135","title":{"rendered":"City Council Grants Rich Developer $2.5 Million in Taxpayer Money, Angrily Dismisses Residents’ Complaints"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Juanita Carroll Young and Tracy Schroth<\/p>\n

The City Council Tuesday approved the $2.5 million taxpayer subsidy to Wareham Development to build a 58-foot office building on the corner of Hollis and Powell streets, next to the Elevation 22 residential complex. Council member John Fricke voted against. Vice Mayor Ken Bukowski abstained from the discussion and the vote.<\/p>\n

Here is a recap of the public comments:<\/p>\n

The residents of Elevation 22 are requesting noise abatement in exchange for the approval of the project. They also want a contact person at Wareham who they can call with complaints.<\/p>\n

Several (8) Emeryville residents complained about the Council consistently giving huge taxpayer subsidies to rich developers, and asked “why?” This project has also been granted a height variance to exceed the maximum height allowed – again, residents asked, “Why?”<\/p>\n

Several residents disagreed with the Council’s characterization of the existing building on the site – which housed a law office and an architecture firm – as “blight.” In fact, resident Brian Donahue pointed out that the building meets the city’s definition of “architecturally significant.” Many residents see the proposed new building as yet another big, bland, contemporary office building with no aesthetic value. One speaker suggested that the Council get some design advice from architects who work in Emeryville.<\/p>\n

In addition to the residents who often attend Council meetings to make public comment, there were some new members of RULE (Residents United for a Livable Emeryville) who voiced concern about the Wareham project, among them a Pacific Park Plaza resident.<\/p>\n

Council member Nora Davis and Mayor Dick Kassis were openly hostile in their response to public comment, suggesting that these subsidies are necessary to lure development, which will generate big tax revenue in return. They dismissed residents’ request that developers be required to provide some community benefits in return for the millions of dollars in subsidies they receive. Not only is Wareham Development excused from providing any city amenities, it got the green light to exceed the allowable height limit – allowing the building to cast an even larger shadow on the Doyle Street Greenway, a bike and pedestrian path that runs from Powell Street to the Berkeley border.<\/p>\n

John Fricke argued that Emeryville is a desirable location to do businesses; the City no longer needs to attract developers with big subsidies. He noted that 20 years ago, when Emeryville began doling out taxpayer money to developers, the Council urged residents to be patient, that these projects would return the favor in spades (in the form of tax revenue and city amenities).<\/p>\n

“We’re still waiting,” Fricke said.<\/span><\/p>\n