BPW
April 19, 1999
Mr. Steve Solomon, Environmental Officer
Department of Planning and Development
City of Berkeley
1720 Milvia Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Re: 1301 Oxford
Dear Mr. Solomon:
As a group dedicated to preserving, and restoring the paths of Berkeley, we hope that that Berryman Path will be enhanced rather than degraded by development of 1301 Oxford, the historic Napoleon Bonaparte Byrne site, future home of Congregation Beth El.
Berryman Path is a beautiful and popular pedestrian corridor through the long combined 1200-1300 blocks of Spruce, Oxford, Walnut, and Shattuck. Among its users are commuters going to buses and BART, shoppers (particularly older people who no longer drive) going to North Shattuck stores and downtown, people of all ages going to Live 0ak Park, and children going to Oxford School, St. Mary Magdalene School, King Middle School, and other schools via buses on Henry. It also provides a peaceful, almost level creekside walk for those out to stroll or walk their dogs.
Berryman Path is unusual in having a 20 foot right of way. (This is the result of its having been platted as a street, but maintained as a path by petition of neighbors prior to World War 1.) As part of development of 1301 Oxford, the cyclone fence that hugs the curved south edge of the asphalt surface should be removed. This fence cuts off a swath of city-owned property, including a large oak tree and a handsome area where native plants have been maintained and restored.
Development also should enhance rather than degrade walkers' experience on the path. Maintaining the green corridor next to Codornices Creek, and making it more attractive with planting and ramps like those on Berryman Path farther west, will encourage both neighborhood residents and Beth El members to walk, helping to mitigate negative effects of increased traffic. Conversely, a degraded path next to a busy driveway and parking lot will discourage walking. The Joint Watershed Goals Statement signed by the cities of Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, and Richmond in 1995 calls for "Restoring creek corridors as natural transportation routes with pedestrian and bicycle paths along creekside greenways." Development at 1301 Oxford presents a wonderful opportunity to carry out this policy.
Sincerely,
Jacque Ensign, Chair
April 19, 1999 (A) -|- April 19, 1999 (B) -|- March 10, 2001
April 19, 1999
Mr. Steve Solomon, Environmental Officer
Department of Planning and Development
City of Berkeley
2120 Milvia Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
Re: 1301 Oxford
Dear Mr. Solomon:
It has come to the attention of the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association, a community group dedicated to preserving and restoring Berkeley's historic pathway system, that Congregation Beth El, at 1301 Oxford Street, wants to erect a seven-foot stucco fence along the northern edge of the property that abuts the Oxford-Spruce section of Berryman Path. We believe that a high solid fence would result in degrading this path to a tunnel-like experience for path walkers.
On APR 19, 1999, the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association wrote urging that the present six-foot chain-link cyclone fence be removed. I quote the third paragraph of that letter: "Berryman Path is unusual in having a 20-foot right-of-way. (This is the result of its having been platted as a street, but maintained as a path by petition of neighbors prior to World War 1.) As part of development of 1301 Oxford, the cyclone fence that hugs the curved south edge of the asphalt surface should be removed. This fence cuts off a swath of city owned property, including a large oak tree and a handsome area where native plants have been maintained and restored."
After recently measuring this section of Berryman Path, we find the path corridor, which is supposed to be 20 feet wide is only 12 or 13 feet wide (the path bends a bit). The 7 or 8 feet that belong to the City of Berkeley have been mistakenly included in the Beth El plot. We recommend the following:
The present 6-foot cyclone chain-link fence be removed and no solid 7-foot fence, that deprives path walkers of views of open greenery and of Codornices creek, be erected in its place; and
Establish the true boundaries of the 20-foot Berryman Path corridor, and maintain a dear vista for walkers to enjoy the existing scenery.
Sincerely,
Jacque Ensign, Chair
April 19, 1999 (A) -|- April 19, 1999 (B) -|- March 10, 2001
March 10, 2001
Zoning Adjustments Board
2120 Milvia St.
Berkeley, CA 94704
Re: Proposed Congregation Beth El synagogue, 1301 Oxford
Board Members:
Berkeley Path Wanderers Association urges that you not adopt either of the two alternate parking schemes offered at your last meeting. These designs aim at leaving an unpaved corridor over the culverted portion of Codornices Creek. However, the corridor is almost certainly too narrow to allow the creek to be uncovered (see WRI report on alternatives for the creek).
In exchange for this dubious gain, these alternatives do the following:
Both place parking very close to Berryman Path. Buffering would be almost impossible.
Both appear to require removal of the huge specimen bay tree, worsening views from the path.
Both place parking immediately north of the daylighted creek canyon. From Berryman Path and the proposed creek viewpoint on Oxford, one would see parked cars rather than the green canyon.
These two parking spaces would make it impossible to move Beth ElÕs gate farther east to create a public-access area including the specimen oak trees between Berryman Path and the existing canyon.
We repeat our earlier statements that
Increased traffic will make it more dangerous and difficult to cross Spruce to reach the path, the bus stops, and Beth El itself, creating a hazard and discouraging walking. A safe crosswalk is essential.
No solid fence should deprive path walkers of views of open greenery or lessen visibility needed for safety.
No sound wall should be built on Berryman Path itself (i.e. the north side, as the EIR proposed).
Berryman Path between Oxford and Spruce should be wheelchair accessible, like the path farther west.
We are pleased that the Board and Beth El are interested in a viewpoint for the canyon, that the Oxford gate has been inset somewhat (though it should be inset more), and that Beth El is interested in working with community groups on a historic memorial and on the Oxford Street entrance and Berryman Path. We are working with Friends of Five Creeks, the Berkeley Plaque Project, and other groups to create a Codornices Creek urban trail from the ridge to the Bay Trail, including marking the many points of fascinating human and natural history along the route. We hope to have the opportunity to work with Beth El on this as well.
Sincerely,
Jacque Ensign, Chair
cc: Congregation Beth El