Public Comment

I write to urge that, as elected and appointed City of Berkeley officials, you conceptualize the consequences of allowing this huge project to go forward and that before your vote you take the time, as a matter of personal and civic responsibility, to visit the Shattuck Cinemas, especially noting the hand-painted murals and other decorative elements that enhance the four larger theaters. Tours of the site and theater interiors are scheduled for Sunday Oct 11 at 11:00 am, when the artist Ed Monroe and Architect William Simpson will be present, and Oct 25 at 11:00 am. Information: 510 325-1218.

The developer who wants to demolish the theaters and Habitot has recently proposed replacement of these ten theaters with ten mostly smaller theaters with fewer seats, most of them underground, without the beautiful aesthetic embellishments, and in advance of any rigorous testing of the soils under this landmarked block. This is at best a very poor mitigation of an incredible detriment to the interests of the residents of Berkeley and the East Bay, who patronize and place a high value on the existing cinemas. At the least, replacement theaters would not be available for two or three years. And there is no guarantee that the present very successful management, which has seen a 25% increase in patronage since 2008 to annual ticket sales of 275,000 to 300,000 per year, would be in place and able to continue the kind of programming with that has achieved this success and invigorated downtown Berkeley in recent years.

Another aspect of due diligence regarding this project is to consider deeply its many destructive effects on downtown Berkeley commerce beyond the demolition of the Shattuck Cinemas and Habitot. For two to three years the most vital area of our downtown would be turned into a dangerous construction zone with gridlocked traffic. Since there is no open space for a staging area, streets as well as sidewalks would have to be closed, hindering access to our main library, to our Post Office, to the YMCA, and to Berkeley High School. For these obvious reasons, this is not a site identified in the Berkeley Housing Element as among the Downtown Area Opportunity Sites. Rather, according to the Downtown Plan, as a landmarked block it should be protected, not targeted as a demolition site. 

Finally, what should be foremost in your consideration of this and all new residential projects is whether they address Berkeley's most urgent need—for inclusionary low income, family, affordable housing built to rigorous zero net energy standards. As ABAG announced last month, Berkeley is well ahead of its quota for market rate and luxury housing and shamefully behind in providing new affordable units. The state will require zero net energy for new residential construction in fewer than five years. Rather than allowing for-profit developers to take up our available sites before these higher standards go into effect, Berkeley should be advancing these standards and applying them now, in light of the damage we're seeing already in California as a consequence of global climate change. The 2211 Harold Way proposal serves neither our need for affordable housing nor for the more rigorous energy conservation and efficiency standards that Berkeley residents expect our city government to require. 

Sincerely,