tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62029144646821205152024-03-13T13:37:35.444-07:00We Fight Blight in South Berkeley-North OaklandBLIGHT:
The state or result of being blighted or deteriorated; dilapidation; decay; urban blight.
Something that impairs growth, withers hopes and ambitions, or impedes progress and prosperity.
To have a deleterious effect on; ruin. wefightblight@yahoo.comFight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-58692004838199020272011-03-12T14:26:00.000-08:002011-03-12T14:26:31.517-08:00Time to Roll Up the Tents...It's time to roll up the tents and move on to other endeavors. After much thought and deliberation, We Fight Blight has decided to shut down its blog...
For the past several years we have dedicated a significant amount of time to fighting blight in North Oakland and South Berkeley and empowering residents with the tools and information to address blight on their street, block or in their Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-28592725744479940842011-02-26T18:24:00.000-08:002011-02-26T21:56:43.786-08:00Is South Berkeley the New Temescal?
Historic Lorin District
Many of you may remember a day when Temescal was not the bustling, lively, regional destination that it has become. There was a time when Temescal was populated with fast food restaurants, liquor stores, mini-marts, check cashing outlets, pawn shops, seedy bars, vacant store fronts and even a porn theater. Street crime and hustling was commonplace. Back Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-15197155271071881572011-02-13T20:20:00.000-08:002011-02-13T20:31:57.475-08:00Donuts in the North Oakland Donut HoleWe have often reported on the baja 94609/94608/94703 zip codes as up and coming areas with good bones, great housing stock, easy access to transportation and proximity to a lot of great restaurants. Now the area we refer to as the donut hole has gotten a lot better.
The donut farm opened up about six months ago at 6037 San Pablo Avenue in a small storefront in the Golden Gate Neighborhood.
TheFight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-1409661794639027492011-01-25T17:34:00.000-08:002011-01-25T17:34:15.329-08:00North Oakland Under Attack by TaggersNorth Oakland appears to be under attack by taggers. Telegraph Avenue, Shattuck Avenue, and Martin Luther King Jr. Way have recently seen a significant spike in graffiti. Graffiti is a way for gang bangers and others to mark their territory--not unlike a dog pissing on a tree. If your property is tagged, please make an effort to remove the graffiti as soon as possible. Graffiti attracts graffiti.Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-53090794541660538122011-01-18T18:13:00.000-08:002011-01-18T19:13:03.218-08:00North Oakland and South Berkeley Continue to Be Hot Real Estate MarketsNorth Oakland and South Berkeley have a distinct advantage when it comes to location. From a transit perspective, they benefit from two BART stations, an abundance of AC Transit service along Shattuck, Telegraph and San Pablo and multiple access points to freeways leading to essentially every major destination point in the Bay Area. Culturally and intellectually, the area Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-11156690292223427092011-01-17T11:24:00.000-08:002011-01-17T11:53:09.940-08:00Oakland Public Works Cannot Get it RightIn February 2009, We Fight Blight noted a large amount of debris, furniture and household items on the sidewalk along the cul-de-sac at 656-665 53rd Street. This was immediately reported to Oakland Public Works with a request to remove the illegally placed or disposed debris, furniture and household items.
Upon returning to the location on March 7, 2009, we noted that most of the "stuff" was Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-6561332180019469862011-01-09T14:48:00.000-08:002011-01-09T18:14:51.171-08:00Oakland Public Works Routinely Violates Migratory Bird Treaty Act and CEQA
Each year the City of Oakland, Public Works Department, removes, by their own account, several hundreds of mature trees throughout the City of Oakland. Approximately 25% of all trees removed by the City are located in the area north and east of 580 in the Oakland hills. The remainder of trees are within the flatlands. Oakland trees are removed either by the City within the Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-13928993501728193982010-12-22T23:16:00.000-08:002010-12-24T07:56:44.298-08:00North Oakland Gang Injunction=Racial Profiling?Some suggest gang injunctions are simply a method to institutionalize and reinforce racial profiling by the Oakland Police. Some suggest the proliferation of gangs contribute to blight and disinvestment in Oakland. Some suggest the Oakland Police are too willing to kill young black men. Some suggest Oakland residents are too willing to ignore that most murders in Oakland are committed by people Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-74230873906874664672010-12-11T18:26:00.000-08:002010-12-13T09:55:20.837-08:00New Street Trees on 65th Street
Jane Brunner and Tree Planting Crew
A North Oakland neighbor reported that several new street trees were planted on 65th Street, which has been the center of controversy over the illegal removal of City-owned street trees by the Public Works Department. Interns with the Sierra Club provided the manpower in digging the holes and planting ornamental pears and Chinese pistache. Both Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-74106235049554740022010-11-28T08:55:00.000-08:002010-11-28T08:55:38.301-08:00Brooke Levin and Tree Services Program Illegally Removing City TreesIt appears that Brooke Levin, the Deputy Public Works Director, has been at it again. This time she directed her staff in the Tree Services Program to cut down a disputed tree on 65th Street in North Oakland in late October 2010 without following the requirements of the Oakland Code of Ordinances, Chapter 12.32 Street Trees and Shrubs, Chapter 12.36 Protected Trees, and Chapter 12.40 Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-82231930082802922382010-09-28T22:58:00.000-07:002010-09-29T22:14:07.783-07:00Oakland Tree Services Program and No Parking Signs--Can They Get It Right?As we have reported before, the Oakland Tree Services Program, which is headed by Brooke Levin, Assistant Public Works Director is poorly managed and in a bit of disarray. We are highlighting an experience one of our readers had with Public Works over the attempted removal of trees on 65th Street in North Oakland.
When the Tree Services Program comes out to the neighborhoods to eitherFight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-28121587570951526872010-09-19T10:30:00.000-07:002010-09-19T10:30:16.275-07:00NIc Nak Redux: Just Say NO to Desley Brooks and Rebecca KaplanWe thought readers who wanted a break from the mismanagement of the Oakland Tree Services Program, would like to hear a quick update on the Nic Nak. After a long and contentious public process that resulted in the approval of a convenience store, but the denial of alcohol sales at the Nic Nak, the owners of the Nic Nak seem to have lost steam. Their convenience store is open erratically, but Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-56182745595308832222010-09-06T22:28:00.000-07:002010-09-07T07:37:39.222-07:00City of Oakland Tree Services Program Mismanaged and in Disarray
For many communities, street trees are a significant asset that make our neighborhoods more livable, provide character and increase property values. Some of the benefits of street trees include:
Creating safer walking environments by providing distinct edges to sidewalks
Shading pedestrians and protecting them from the rain, sun and heat
Giving interest and scale to pedestrian Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-74841294978696883132010-08-06T07:55:00.000-07:002010-08-08T08:40:12.074-07:00Oakland City Employee Defends $165,500 Salaries for City ManagersAn Oakland City employee posted in support of Brooke Levin, Assistant Public Works Director, complaining that the We Fight Blight article describing problems with the tree services program was unfair to Ms. Levin. The employee also strongly supported Ms. Levin's $165,500 salary, which keep in mind is only $10,000 less than the Governor of California. The email, which Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-53557415701478609882010-07-20T21:01:00.000-07:002010-07-21T19:22:43.340-07:00City of Oakland: Mismanaged, Incompetent and Unfit to Serve Residents?As most of you are aware, the City of Oakland is in a major budget crisis. The City Council has made a number of cuts and recently voted to eliminate 80 police positions. Council members refused to make additional cuts to libraries, parks, senior centers, and children's programs asserting these were core local government services. Council members also refused to impose additional salary Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-87722046380599651632010-07-17T14:23:00.000-07:002010-07-17T14:23:11.232-07:00Urban Releaf Providing Free Street Trees in OaklandUrban Releaf is working to plant 1,200 trees in Oakland. You can contact them at 510-601-9062 or at http://www.urbanreleaf.org/ They have a list of approved street trees for Oakland and FAQs. Street trees are a great way to green up your neighborhood, lower your energy costs by providing shade and fight global warming. Also, they help to improve the quality of life for residents by Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-59271397688013271632010-07-10T08:23:00.000-07:002010-07-10T08:23:41.121-07:00Sidewalk Repairs in North OaklandAs many of you have experienced, the City of Oakland's infrastructure is failing. There is little money to invest in basic core infrastructure such as roads and sidewalks, let alone create streetscapes that are inviting and pleasant. The City is faced with such a massive budget deficit that it will be eliminating 80 police even though Oakland has some of the Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-72555483892115167022010-06-08T20:46:00.000-07:002010-06-08T21:08:01.569-07:00Death at the Liquor StoreTragically, another life was snuffed out on the streets of South Berkeley, just across the Oakland border. Two days after the Oakland City Council denied the former Nic Nak Liquors the ability to sell liquor at 6400 Shattuck Avenue, Kenneth Jerome Tims Jr. was gunned down behind the Stanford Market and Liquor Store at 62nd and King streets. The killing happened only a block from where two other Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-70515879206025754482010-06-01T22:06:00.000-07:002010-06-02T08:19:57.558-07:00City Council Denies Nic Nak Proposal to Sell LiquorTonight, the City Council overturned the Planning Commission's approval and denied the Nic Nak convenience store the ability to sell alcohol. Focusing on the legal requirements for a variance and discounting the Planning Commission's fabrication of "historical relevance" as a basis for granting a major variance, the Council voted 5-3 to uphold the appeal and deny the alcohol sales. Many of Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-48221278593940516032010-05-31T10:14:00.000-07:002010-05-31T10:14:43.653-07:00Nic Nak to Return June 1, 2010 for Fifth Public MeetingThe Nic Nak saga returns to the Oakland City Council on June 1, 2010 for its fifth public meeting. For what should have been an open and shut land use decision denying alcohol sales at 6400 Shattuck Avenue, the Nic Nak permit review has turned into a three ring circus replete with accusations of gentrification, racism and intolerance. While most of those charges have come from the supportersFight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-29257793444635398922010-05-12T07:40:00.000-07:002010-05-12T20:38:51.145-07:00Nic Nak to Return to City Council May 18thThe appeal of the Nic Nak Liquor store is returning to the City Council and has been agendized for Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at 6:30 pm at the Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA. See agenda item 9.1 (City Council Agenda).
At it's meeting of May 4, 2010, the City Council was unable to either deny or approve the proposed alcohol sales for the Nic Nak Liquor Store. Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-42197145635104006162010-05-05T00:47:00.000-07:002010-05-05T08:13:19.641-07:00City Council Can't Make a Decision on Nic NakTonight, the City Council was unable to make a decision on the Nic Nak Liquor Store. A large number of neighborhood residents appeared before City Council asking the appeal be upheld and liquor sales at 6400 Shattuck be denied. After hearing scores of residents question the use of "historical relevance" as a basis for approving a major variance, expressing concerns about setting a new Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-67311778109172613692010-05-04T08:01:00.000-07:002010-05-04T08:01:45.725-07:00NIc Nak Liquors coming to City Council TonightAs a reminder, the Nic Nak Liquor Store is coming to the City Council tonight on Appeal. The matter will be heard at 6:30 pm at 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 3rd Floor, Oakland. City Council Agenda (page 8 of 12). You can also access the staff report here Staff Report.
This may prove to be an interesting public hearing. The owners of the Nic Nak, the Pannell's, have circulated fliers in the Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-12378853490982197842010-04-29T22:06:00.000-07:002010-04-30T07:48:15.098-07:00Approval of Nic Nak Liquors Based on Historical Relevance?The appeal of the Nic Nak Liquor Store is agendized for the City Council on May 4, 2010 at 6:30 pm (see page 8 of 12 City Council Meeting Agenda May 4, 2010). This is a critical meeting that could significantly change City policy on allowing non-conforming liquor sales to be approved in the City of Oakland and perpetuate the proliferation of liquor stores.
The City of Oakland Planning Fight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6202914464682120515.post-68785479903346685942010-04-16T09:03:00.000-07:002010-04-16T09:04:09.436-07:00Nic Nak Coming to City Council May 4th
The Nic Nak Liquor Store is finally coming to the City Council for a public hearing. After several delays, the matter has been agendized for Tuesday May 4, 2010 at 7:00 pm at 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 3rd Floor, Oakland. This is an appeal by the East Lorin Neighborhood Association to overturn the Planning Commission's approval of a major variance and major conditional use permit to allow theFight Blighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16069953887321373091noreply@blogger.com1