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The City Council is expected to vote tonight on the controversial proposal by the Beth El congregation to build a synagogue, school and social hall at 1301 Oxford St.  

In addition to the City Council, the proposal has been considered by three commissions and been the subject of multiple public hearings including two at the council level during which 170 people spoke. The Live  

Oak Codornices Creek  

Neighborhood Association, who oppose the size, say the 32,000 square-foot project will adversely affect parking, traffic and a section of Codornices Creek, which runs along the northern section of the  

site. 

They also say the project will obscure historical resources on the property, which is a Berkeley historical landmark. LOCCNA has asked Beth El to compromise by scaling back the size of the project. 

Beth El argues the congregation has grown out of its current facility two blocks away and needs the space. Members also point out the design of the project will allow for future restoration of the creek and that the remaining 11 historical elements on the property which include a entrance gate, a Monkey Puzzle tree and a section of wrought work will be maintained.  

Both sides of the issue have threatened court actions if they do not prevail in tonight’s council vote. 

Director appointments 

The council is expected to announce the appointments of two department heads. One is Stephen Barton as Director of Housing. Barton has been acting director of that department for three years. The council will also announce the new director of Planning and Development, Carol Barrett, who is currently the Planning Manager in Austin, Texas. Barrett will take the place of Interim Director Wendy Cosin. 

Water transit appointee 

Mayor Shirley Dean and Councilmember Kriss Worthington will try and work out their differences over who should be appointed to the Water Transit Community Advisory Board. On July 10, the council was able to appoint councilmembers to seven committees and task forces. But they were unable to agree on who should take the seat on the WTCAB. Both Dean and Worthington have been active on transportation issues and both wanted to sit on that commission which is studying a possible bay ferry station in Berkeley. 

Dean’s recommendation requests that she be appointed to the board, because of her efforts during the last 10 years to bring a ferry service to Berkeley and Worthington be named as alternate because of his recent appointment to the Congestion Management Agency, which deals with transportation funding issues.  

Pedestrian flags 

The council will hear an information report on a program to provide pedestrians with flags to reduce the number of injuries while crossing certain Berkeley streets. The program is modeled after a similar programs in Cambridge, Mass., Kirkland, Wash. and Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Salt Lake has used the pedestrian flags since August, 2000 and it is estimated that 11 - 14 percent of the city’s residents use the flags to cross the street. 

The flags are being proposed for Shattuck and Cedar streets, Shattuck Street at University Avenue and Ashby and Piedmont avenues, among other locations. 

This is the last City Council meeting before its summer recess. The next meeting will be held Sept. 11.