At the March 18 meeting of the Measure DD Community Coalition, then PWA Director, Harold Duffey, announced that "The Renovation and Expansion of Estuary Park" -- one of the principal remaining Meas DD projects -- had been placed on "administrative pause." The reason provided was that the developer of Brooklyn Basin had implied (not formally applied) to City officials(?) that he was considering the use of "Parcel N' (the vacant 4-acre parcel fronting The Embarcadero), which is designated in Brooklyn Basin Agreements for the long-planned expansion of Estuary Park.
The unanticipated announcement of the work stoppage and the status report that "bid documents" for initiating work on the Park were at 90% completion raised several questions and concerns for the Coalition. In addition, because information on the "pause" was scant, and with work on the Park being relatively imminent, the Coalition authorized a "Task Committee" to look into the situation regarding Estuary Park.
Within two weeks, the Estuary Park Task Committee -- consisting of James Vann, Naomi Schiff, William Threfall, Jennie Gerard, and John Klein -- was formed and developed a strategy to learn more about the Park's expansion, and the authorities, documents, and legalities that govern its development.
In April and May, the Estuary Park Committee conducted extensive research, collected copies of Project Development Agreements (PDAs), City Council Agenda Reports, and developed sets of questions and requests for additional documents. The Committee's questions were transmitted to City officials, managers, and relevant staff. Throughout April and May, the Task Committee made repeat attempts by emails and telephone calls, and messages to relevant contacts for information or documents. However, the Task Committee received no responses or replies.
At the May 20 Coalition meeting, Mr Duffey (now Asst City Administrator for Public Works & Parks) attended and announced that the "administrative pause" previously placed on Estuary Park's implementation was now lifted, and that the consultant had been informed to resume work on completing the project's construction package. Mr Duffey further stated that although no formal application had been received from the Brooklyn Basin developer. work on Estuary Park will be phased to avoid conflicts with "Parcel N" should the Developer proceed to file a formal application and obtain the City's approval to construct housing on the questionable parcel.
Mr Duffey's announcement was again disappointing to the Coalition, and was followed by several questions that were not adequately answered. However, Mr Duffey consented to the Task Committee's request for a face-to-face or hybrid meeting at City Hall consisting of Task Committee members and relevant City officials and staff.
Thanks to Terri Fashing, PWA Manager for Measure DD, the requested meeting took place the morning of May 31 at City Hall, with Mr Duffey, Terri Fashing, Christine Reid, Christopher Tan (of Admin-PWA-Planning Depts) and James, John, William on ZOOM (of the Task Committee), in attendance.
The Task Committee proceeded through its list of 7 questions that had been transmitted in advance to the City. The Committee's questions focused mainly on "Parcel N," its ownership, authority, developer options, and how and where these concerns are documented. The Committee also sought clarity on the status of instructions to the Park's design consultant, even though it was confirmed that no formal application has yet been submitted to the City by the Brooklyn Basin developer. The Committee asked what justified such disruption to the schedule of a City approved project without a formal application being filed or being on record. Although Terri Fashing committed to and forwarded several requested project documents, none of the Committee's inquiries received satisfactory responses.
Following the Coalition's May 20 meeting, the Task Committee determined that the legitimacy of the Task Committee needed to be based on an adopted policy position of the Coalition and turned its attention to drafting a suggested formal position statement and transmittal letter on the Estuary Park matter. The matter was made an Agenda item for the July 15 meeting of the Measure DD Coalition.
At the July 15 Coalition meeting, a draft "Position Statement" on the Estuary Park matter -- which was posted in advance -- was introduced and openly discussed, after which this revised "Position Statement" that follows was unanimously adopted. In addition, The Measure DD Agenda Committee was directed to compose a transmittal letter to convey the Coalition's "Position Statement to relevant City officials:
"POSITION STATEMENT" of the Measure DD Community Coalition on Estuary Park
It is the position of the Measure DD Community Coalition that the City should move forward with its established Estuary Park Master Plan, and should reject emerging initiatives to convert any portion of the designated park site for private residential or commercial use -- which would also conflict with the Development Agreements for Brooklyn Basin.
We, the Measure DD Community Coalition urge City policymakers and staff to reject any such privatization of public land. The Measure DD Coalition, various stakeholder groups, and the broader affected community will vigorously oppose administrative efforts to amend, rezone, or modify the density or land use designation of Parcel N.
Adopted 15 July 2024
Oakland Measure DD Community Coalition
Also, it was observed that a member of the Portobello Homeowners Association attended the July 15 meeting of the Coalition. The representative subsequently reached out to the Task Committee to learn more of the situation affecting Estuary Park. (Estuary Park is immediately adjacent to the East of the Portobello condominium community). Following the meeting, the Portobello HOA has endorsed the Meas DD "Position Statement" and has become a beneficial ally committed to saving the improved Estuary Park Plan that the Portobello community and many Oakland groups and constituents helped to envision.
Building on the formal "Position Statement" of the Measure DD Coalition, the Task Committee:
- Has amassed an archive of over 12 legal, official, recorded documents and agreements that certify "Parcel N" as defined "open space" intended for the expansion and improvement of Estuary Park.
- Has held meetings with the City Council President and the District Councilmembe to inform and keep elected policymakers aware of the direct contradiction posed by the developer -- if the threat proceeds -- of the recently approved and signed Amendment #3 Agreement that "all 600 of the additional units requested by the developer would be onstructed within the existing residential footprint of the Brooklyn Basin project" ... and that no private construction would occur on "Parcel N."
- Will conduct similar informational meetings with the mayor and other councilmembers, if requested.
- Will develop and implement a robust outreach campaign to inform the community of the impending threat to the new Estuary Park that was envisioned during 4 community interactive design sessions. These groups, in particular, will be encouraged to become allies with the Coalition to save the improved Estuary Park Plan that these and other Oakland groups helped to envision.
- Will continue to oppose the "privatization" of "public open space." In this instance, "Parcel N" is defined open space that has long been designated for an urgently needed and long-desired expanded public park with region-wide appeal ... not a space for the construction of luxury condominiums that will block views and public access to a severely diminished park and its estuary access.