Item #3. Jacob, Melinda. Hi Debbie,

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1 Item #3 Jacob, Melinda Subject: FW: North Shattuck Safeway, 425 Henry Street: # Energy Efficiency / Bicycle Parking From: Ian Moore [mailto:isimonmoore@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 200 9:39 PM To: Sanderson, Debra; elisabeth@ajepartners.com; Anderson, Eric Subject: North Shattuck Safeway, 425 Henry Street: # Energy Efficiency / Bicycle Parking Hi Debbie, I am writing to support City of Berkeley approval of the North Shattuck Safeway. My family resides at 523 Walnut Street and I am a Principal with Alta Planning + Design and manage our Berkeley office located at th Street, Parker Plaza. I am a frequent shopper at our neighborhood Safeway and our family is enthusiastic about the planned renovation. I am generally supportive of the architectural design and feel the massing, materials palette, exterior facade detailing and interior design layout will work well for the site. I see that the project was subject to City of Berkeley green building review but I nonetheless want to comment that Safeway and Lowney Architects should be compelled to make this facility as energy efficient as possible given its north facing site orientation. I do feel that the parking and site access are not optimal. Most important, the amount of bicycle parking indicated in the current site plans and sketchup simulations appears minimal. I observe that six U racks are planned adjacent the main Shattuck Henry Street sidewalk entrance. The recently developed West Berkeley Bowl and Trader Joe's sites here in Berkeley provide substantially greater rack capacity, with West Berkeley Bowl serving as the more comparable and superior example. This North Shattuck Safeway site arguably will attract more customers on bicycles when renovated than does the West Berkeley Bpwl given its location and neighborhood demographics. A simple solution to this deficit that will not require any modifications to the site plan is to require the maximum potential number of sidewalk U racks on the Shattuck frontage south of the entrance. Racks north of the entrance/ north of the driveway pan would also be possible but less desirable from an access point of view. Bicycle parking in the garage structure will not be used as evidenced by experience in cities nationwide and at commercial properties specifically. On a personal note, I have for years endured the indignity and anxiety of parking my bicycle at the existing poorly lit bicycle rack next to the historic well at the northeast corner of the building. I and others would be sad to see the proposed racks filled to capacity and then be forced to continue to search for a secure bicycle parking location. Although I live within walking distance, a pannier equipped bicycle is a great advantage when shopping for a family. In order to encourage bicycling to the grocery store, reduce auto traffic generation, and in order to achieve the goals of Berkeley's Climate Action Plan ample secure bicycle parking is critical. Thank you very much for moving this project forward and for ensuring that this project is the best, most sustainable and community-serving project that it can be. Finally, I know a lot of families in North Berkeley that want to bicycle for more utilitarian trips and they need all the encouragement and accomodations they can get in order to help them along. Sincerely,

2 Ian S. Moore 523 Walnut Street Berkeley, CA

3 Jacob, Melinda Subject: FW: Bike access is NOT improved re: Berkeley Safeway Remodel From: Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 200 :06 PM To: Sanderson, Debra Subject: Bike access is NOT improved re: Berkeley Safeway Remodel Ms. Jewel and Ms. Sanderson: According to city's findings and conditions document, the Safeway underground parking garage where new bike parking is located will close at 9 PM. Thus those of us who bike to Safeway for late evening grocery shopping will not have access to parking that is sheltered from rain during storms. Ms. Jewel, this brings me back to my original concern in my first to you that the planned street level bike parking is not in a covered area as it is now. I had not previously know that the garage would be closed after 9 PM. As a 4-decade long shopper at that Safeway whose grocery trips are now via bicycle and almost always in the late evening (after school and other civic meetings in the downtown area), I do not agree that the bike parking will be improved. I strongly disagree with the statement on page 2 under GENERAL NON-DETRIMENT FINDINGS that " III. C. The project improves bicycle access to the site with a bicycle (and pedestrian) and bike racks near the Shattuck entrance and in the parking garage". Presently the street level parking which is open all the time is covered and sheltered from the rain. Keep in mind that a biker does not just come out of the store in the rain and transfer grocery bags from a shopping cart into a vehicle. Instead bicyclists using panniers (bike bags hanging on the rear bike rack) have to take groceries out of the bags and re-pack the groceries to go into the panniers. Without sheltered parking at street level, doing that in the rain is going to subject groceries to getting wet during rain storms. Thus, the parking is NOT IMPROVED by this new plan because it lacks street level covered bike parking after the underground parking garage closes at 9 PM. Nicolie Bolster West Berkeley resident NicolieAB@aol.com ============================================================================= In a message dated 9/7/200 2:46:27 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, elisabeth@ajepartners.com writes: Dear Safeway Neighbors, North Shattuck Merchants, and Others: I am Safeway s consultant on community outreach and wanted to make sure you were aware of the Zoning Adjustment Board (ZAB) hearing this Thursday, September 9 th. Here are the details: City of Berkeley ZAB hearing City Council Chambers

4 234 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way Berkeley 7:00 pm This hearing includes a review of the findings and conditions the city will impose on Safeway regarding traffic, parking, lighting, noise, construction and many other issues. The items of concern have been discussed over many months and include issues brought to light by neighbors, expert studies (noise, traffic, trees), city staff and commissions, and Safeway representatives. Please take a minute to read the Findings and Conditions as well as the Staff Report prepared by the Planning Department. Both reports are attached. The staff report gives a summary of all the public hearings so you can see how the project has evolved based on comments from the public and the City of Berkeley. The hearing this week provides another opportunity for you to voice your opinions on the proposed project. We hope you will see the huge improvement the remodeled store will offer neighbors, shoppers, and the North Shattuck business district as the store expands and improves inside and out. We are pleased to offer a design that enlivens Shattuck Avenue, vastly improves landscaping, provides protections for pedestrians and bicyclists, significantly increases energy efficiency, and makes the whole shopping experience much more pleasurable. We encourage you to come to the hearing to voice your support for the proposed plan. If you can t make it, please take a minute to send an to the planning department to let the City and ZAB Commissioners know how you feel. You can write to the Planning Director, Debbie Sanderson, at dsanderson@ci.berkeley.ca.us. I would appreciate getting a copy of your letter. If the ZAB votes to approve the project, it goes back to the Design Review Commission for a final hearing. There will also be a period during which the ZAB approval could be appealed to the City Council. Don t forget to check our project website at where you will find a plethora of documents, site plans and other reports about the project. Please feel free to or call me with any questions or concerns you may have. Sincerely, Elisabeth Safeway Consultant 2

5 Aroner, Jewel & Ellis Partners 803 6th St., Suite B Berkeley, CA / ph 50/ fax 3

6 Jacob, Melinda Subject: FW: Safeway's interaction with Abdi Fereydouni (45 Henry St.) from 2007 to present From: Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 200 2:00 PM To: Powell, Greg Cc: Todd Paradis; Rena Rickles Subject: Safeway's interaction with Abdi Fereydouni (45 Henry St.) from 2007 to present Todd Paradis and, representing Safeway, began meeting with Abdi Fereydouni in September, Abdi had been consulting an architect to assess his ability to convert his single family home into 4 dwelling units. After consulting with the City of Berkeley, Abdi learned that he could not construct additional units without additional dedicated parking. He needed to have permanent access to the Safeway parcel between his house and the store for parking purposes in order to proceed with development. He sought a permanent easement which Safeway declined to grant. He stated that if Safeway did not grant this permanent easement he would not support the project and would ask the city to deny it. In line with his statement to object to the project, Adbi has expressed concern over the removal of trees between his house and the store. The landscape plan was revised several times to preserve the existing large healthy trees in that area. and Eric Price from Lowney Architecture requested and received access to his yard so measurements and pictures could be taken to fully understand how best to preserve his privacy to the north with existing and new tree planting. At Planning Commission in June of this year, Abdi again communicated his displeasure with the proposed development and asked that a commercial zoning designation extend to his property. Safeway has worked with Abdi to address many of his concerns, including agreeing to: reduce the height of the fence between his house and store from 8 to 6 remove every other window on the ground floor at the southwest corner of the store install clearstory windows on the back wall to prevent viewing of Abdi s property by employees prevent employees from accessing the area between Abdi s house and the store to preserve privacy and prevent noise require employees to enter and exit the store via the front of the store or underground garage raise fence height along Henry St across open space to increase security and deter climbing. Aroner, Jewel & Ellis Partners 803 6th St., Suite B Berkeley, CA / ph 50/ fax

7 Jacob, Melinda Subject: Attachments: FW: Important public hearing this Thursday re: Berkeley Safeway Remodel Safeway project letter.pdf From: Jeff & Cathy Brown Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 200 0:46 AM To: Cc: Sanderson, Debra Subject: Re: Important public hearing this Thursday re: Berkeley Safeway Remodel Dear Elizabeth and Debbie - the attached letter is in support of the Safeway on Shattuck project. Jeff & Cathy Brown cgb55@sbcglobal.net From: <elisabeth@ajepartners.com> Sent: Tue, September 7, 200 2:46:26 PM Subject: Important public hearing this Thursday re: Berkeley Safeway Remodel Dear Safeway Neighbors, North Shattuck Merchants, and Others: I am Safeway s consultant on community outreach and wanted to make sure you were aware of the Zoning Adjustment Board (ZAB) hearing this Thursday, September 9 th. Here are the details: City of Berkeley ZAB hearing City Council Chambers 234 Martin Luther King, Jr. Wa y Berkeley 7:00 pm This hearing includes a review of the findings and conditions the city will impose on Safeway regarding traffic, parking, lighting, noise, construction and many other issues. The items of concern have been discussed over many months and include issues brought to light by neighbors, expert studies (noise, traffic, trees), city staff and commissions, and Safeway representatives. Please take a minute to read the Findings and Conditions as well as the Staff Report prepared by the Planning Department. Both reports are attached. The staff report gives a summary of all the public hearings so you can see how the project has evolved based on comments from the public and the City of Berkeley. The hearing this week provides another opportunity for you to voice your opinions on the proposed project. We hope you will see the huge improvement the remodeled store will offer neighbors, shoppers, and the North Shattuck business district as the store expands and improves inside and out. We are pleased to offer a design that enlivens Shattuck Avenue, vastly improves landscaping, provides protections for pedestrians and bicyclists, significantly increases energy efficiency, and makes the whole shopping experience much more pleasurable. We encourage you to come to the hearing to voice your support for the proposed plan. If you can t make it, please take a minute to send an to the planning department to let the City and ZAB Commissioners know how you feel. You can write to the Planning Director, Debbie Sanderson, at dsanderson@ci.berkeley.ca.us. I would appreciate getting a copy of your letter. If the ZAB votes to approve the project, it goes back to the Design Review Commission for a final hearing. There will also be a period during which the ZAB approval could be appealed to the City Council.

8 Don t forget to check our project website at where you will find a plethora of documents, site plans and other reports about the project. Please feel free to or call me with any questions or concerns you may have. Sincerely, Elisabeth Safeway Consultant Aroner, Jewel & Ellis Partners 803 6th St., Suite B Berkeley, CA / ph 50/849 0/ fax 2

9 September 8, 200 Debbie Sanderson Manager, Land Use Planning City of Berkeley 220 Milvia Berkeley, CA Via Dear Debbie: This letter is in support of the Safeway on Shattuck project. I have reviewed the materials and the plans I even attended a community meeting several years ago when the project was in the beginning stages. Over the course of time Safeway has modified and fine-tuned the project in response to community input and City requirements. I believe that they have a project that will benefit the north end of the Shattuck commercial district, and give the long-suffering Henry neighbors some muchneeded relief. The new frontages on Shattuck will extend and enhance the pedestrian environment, while the vehicle circulation will be improved. The residents of north Berkeley really need a full-service, reasonably-priced grocery store, with parking. Farmer s markets are good, even TJ s with it s beehive of tiny apartments is alright in its place but for a family on a budget with limited time, Safeway provides one-stop shopping, thus sparing excessive vehicle trips. And we have always appreciated Safeway s commitment to its employees good jobs with good pay. I hope that the City will give its approval to the Safeway on Shattuck project. Sincerely, Cathy Brown 55 McGee Berkeley, CA Cgb55@sbcglobal.net