Emeryville, Ca., residents call for more community-oriented development

Residents in Emeryville, California, have formed the RULE Coalition (Residents United for a Livable Emeryville) to seek a CBA for the Bay Street Site B development proposal. (RULE is working with EBASE, which has a track record on CBAs). Planned for the site are a 23-story condo building and high end retail space. It's also getting a $47 million subsidy.

A recent survey of about 400 residents conducted by RULE and EBASE shows that residents aren't happy with the proposed development. They would like better jobs, more affordable housing and community space, better accessibility for bikes and pedestrians, more youth services, and protections for small businesses.

The survey also found disapproval of the city's priorities, with a sizable portion of respondents saying that the city did not respond to community needs. Most people also opposed or had mixed feelings about the Bay Street B project. The reasons that they cited included the project's unnecessary public subsidies, the likelihood of increased traffic, the unaffordable level of the project's housing, a general overabundance of hotels and expensive retail, and parking issues.

As EBASE explains, "Bay Street Site B presents a significant opportunity for the City to create more win-win solutions for the community, the City, and the developer, and set a precedent for future developments to come."