Places Of Note

Decorate Within Oakland Borders

Today, we attempted to decorate within Oakland borders and went on a shopping spree with a grade schooler and her mother.  Since the family had recently moved into a new home, we spent the afternoon seeking girl’s bedroom decor – and we accomplished nearly everything in one local store.

While independent stores are quite appealing, the chain store worked wonders this time:  Bed, Bath and Beyond near Jack London Square.  We could park without paying too, which was a nice surprise.

There were sufficient options stocked in that smallish store, and we felt supported by friendly sales clerks.  The prices weren’t dirt cheap but didn’t bankrupt us, either.  The haul included a shagalicious comforter, sheets, decorative pillows and one large rug.

Our mission wasn’t 100 percent complete, since a new desk remains on the list.  We thought about the Cost Plus World Market as well as Entrez! Open House, but neither carried this sort of furniture.  Our merry threesome headed to Ikea, in Emeryville, where desks seemed too white and too flimsy.  Maybe Craigslist next?

Today’s shopping spree made me wonder about retail tipping points.  How many or what types of stores are needed to reduce forays to points east, west and north?  As a matter of civic pride, we’ll keep trying to spend our hard-earned shekels in Oakland.

Why We Love Montclair

Today we are revealing the truth, which has been hidden from view all these years.  Here’s why we madly and dearly love the Montclair District.

First, our natural setting makes us think we live in the Alps.  In reality, we are lucky to live in the Western USA and welcome such wonders as the elk migration.  It’s hard to grow tired of watching the herds travel down from the East Bay Regional Parks to forage in our low-lying gardens.  They sometimes try to sneak into garages, so we know to keep things closed – or else there’s mayhem.

We also appreciate the comforts of home, including concierge services which are delivered gratis while living here.  Day or night, Sally, Jimbo and their team will make sure it’s handled:  anything from running errands to the dry cleaner and post office to preparing gourmet meals based on locally-grown sources.  Lately, they have begun offering green-retrofits for your homes too.

Generally, the sense of community is so strong.  Every week, we enjoy participating in our quilting club because it’s an excuse to catch up on the latest news.  We like to create keepsakes about Montclair and, this year, are taking cast-off bathing caps to create a new masterpiece honoring the 50th anniversary of the Montclair Swim Team.

We love the incredible sense of history and the Little Alhambra culinary traditions handed down through the years.  All you need to do is look at Montclair Village’s cafes, and know the Peralta descendants have made their mark.  In lieu of scrambled eggs and omelets, huevos rancheros are the default breakfast option.  And the paella, sweetbread and flan for dinner is to die for, no?

Interestingly, the bucolic environment was well-planned.  When the original developers arrived back in the 1930s or so, they worked with the City of Oakland to create five-acre minimum zoning on all residential properties.  Most homes are still around 1,500 square feet or so, and the 2,000 square foot cap has worked wonders!

Our only complaint?  We are upset that so many roads were paved after the 1991 firestorm.  Those old, dirt fire trails sounded pretty sweet – and long-time Montclarions really miss ’em.  We know the trails created mayhem during our winter rains, but long for those good old days.

Evening Update:  With a couple groans still echoing, here’s to a happy and healthy April 1st.

We Visited Novella’s Farm Today

Oakland’s gaining a reputation for urban farming due to its rock star, Novella Carpenter.  She runs the Ghost Town Farm, on Martin Luther King and 28th, and also has written a popular and well-reviewed tome about farming in the ‘hood, called Farm City.

Today, Carpenter held an open house at her farm.  Some animals were introduced, though this event took place in the garden area.  We just had to see what this urban farmer had done with her own two hands – and it’s very impressive!

The Farm Footprint

You might blink and miss the farm, so we took several pictures to share with you.  Let’s start with what you see after stepping through the gates, a verdant array of plants and walks.  This mini-farm is a true oasis, and is very orderly to boot.

When you step across the street, you only notice an unbuilt and fenced corner lot.  In fact, the farm would be impossible to detect as you drive down Martin Luther King, a stone’s throw (well a block or two) from Highway 980.

Now look across the street at this marvelously blighted building, boarded up with gang graffiti above and colorful decoration for a now-vacated (we think) temple below.  Forgive the Jeep driving by, but it’s a fairly busy thoroughfare.

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Take Video Tour Through Montclair

If you ever need to show people around the Oakland and our hills, then we suggest sharing this Oakland marathon video tour.

To find local turf, fast forward through the first few minutes until you reach the trail above Lake Temescal.  And then stick around as the route heads through the Fernwood area and down Mountain Blvd.  It is all very familiar, and something you would never bother to video!

What’s a bit entertaining is the map doesn’t match the video traveler in the least.  The map indicates that you’re located at the Park Blvd exit from Highway 13, while the video shows the La Salle and Mountain intersection right in the Village.  Funny, huh?

Still we’re grateful for Oakland North’s video, not to mention the real reason this video was shot.  As reported earlier here, we’re all welcoming the brand-new Running Festival Weekend and the Marathon centerpiece this Sunday morning.

Some 1,000 marathoners are expected to race right through Montclair, arriving between 8-10 am.  They have been traipsing uphill for a while, and might be a little winded by then.  Of course, these runners would appreciate a little cheering as they trot along – and we’ll be there to witness a tradition in the making!

What Changes Matter In Hills Zoning

Although this seems like a snooze subject, the City of Oakland’s planners have been studying zoning refinements for years and hope to implement some improvements by 2011.  We’re at a stage where some adjustments to their proposals are still possible.

Our planners thoughtfully and patiently shared proposed changes for residential and commercial districts in the hills, at this Tuesday’s public meeting.  As a community service, let us attempt to shake down which parts mattered most for renovators and builders.

Adding Hills Regulations

The Oakland Hills would receive “Residential – Hillside” codes based on lot size.  The smallest zone, RH-4 (nee R-30), was redefined from lots under 5,000 square feet to lots under 6,500 (<20 percent slope) or 8,000 (>20 percent slope) square feet.  Although many lots and homes would become non-conforming, they get grandfathered status here – so no worries.

One new regulation would control Floor Area Ratios or FARs – the home’s total square feet vs. total lot size.  To prevent McMansion problems, the city proposed ratios and the smallest one might need work.  For lots under 5,000 square feet, the proposed caps were 2,000 square feet or .55 (55 percent) FARs – though Montclarions recommended .50 based on what other Bay Area cities do.

Another zoning addition would relate to Lot Coverage for homes with 20 percent-plus slopes.  For RH-4 lots, this regulation translated to 40 percent.  And for lots under 5,000 square feet, homes would be permitted up to 2,000 square feet as well.  While Montclarions applauded this footprint zoning, the 2,000 square foot exception was raised as a red flag.

Fixing Hills Regulations

Some proposed changes made good sense, including the newly-proposed Lot Height regulations.  In upslope lots, there’s a max height of 24 feet above the edge of the property line.  So if your home were built, say, 12 feet uphill, that prevented you from building a two-story home.  This change would measure from grade, which means the base of the home rather than property line below.

Downsloping homes needed some attention as well, because of many variances approved on homes constructed during this past decade.  The zoning changes would officially add two feet to wall and roof heights as the hills steepen, for homes built on 20-39, 40-59 and 60+ percent slopes.  This fix made sense to Montclarions hearing the details, last Tuesday.

Altering Village Zoning

Montclair Village has been considered an established commercial district, with a selective range of pedestrian-oriented retail.  Most of our central core was zoned “C-27,” while other shopping districts like Dimond, Rockridge and Lakeshore were “C-31” instead.  There were no cries for Village zoning changes.

Still, city planners wanted to create a new “CN-1” zone in the proposed update.  We asked the planners why and they didn’t have a direct response, but explained the minor differences.  Our take is that planners just wanted to eliminate our outlier zone and create consistency among pedestrian districts.

This new zoning would allow conditional use permits for additional business types like custom manufacturing or research services, possibly triggering unintended consequences down the line.  The Montclair Village Association (MVA) continues to provide oversight in our faire village, so no concerns were raised by Montclarions last Tuesday.

Speaking Up And More

Okay, we applaud you if you read this far.  Now how can you learn more or be heard?  First, there’s an “Area 1 meeting” on Monday, April 26th at North Oakland Senior Center (map) starting at 6:30 pm.  This gathering addresses a full-third of the city, including the hills.

You don’t have to wait until there’s a meeting next month.  City planners have also encouraged the public to email them right now, with any specific questions or opinions you might want to share – at zoningupdate@oaklandnet.com.

If you’re interested in diving into zoning materials, then brew a little coffee and visit the planning web site – and we suggest reading this update, residential zoning changes and hillside changes.  Last but not least, feel free to call the city planners at their update line, 510-238-7299.