Objective Design Standards
at North Berkeley BART

Final ODS vote on December 12

On October 18, the Planning Commission made North Berkeley BART’s ODS better able to accommodate well-designed density. Along with NBHP, East Bay YIMBY, BNHCA, local planning+design experts, and other pro-housing neighbors we made ourselves clear: Improving the ODS now will lead to better design and more homes in the future.

We are now approaching a big (and hopefully final) step! On December 12 at 3pm, Berkeley City Council will consider the ODS for North Berkeley BART. Agenda Here. This is a pivotal moment and we must unite to ensure that Berkeley’s Mayor and Councilmembers approve the Planning Commission's version of the ODS.

Here's how you can make a difference:

• Write to elected officials: Take a moment to craft a personalized letter to your councilmember and the mayor, urging them to approve the PC’s version of the ODS. There’s a sample email below but adding your own personal touch is very effective. If you are short on time, use this link to send an email with Action Network from our pals at East Bay YIMBY. Share your reasons for supporting this proposal and emphasize its positive impact on our neighborhood and you/your family. Get your CM’s email address from the Council Roster here.

Key Points to Include:

• • Approve the ODS as-is on December 12. Trust the expertise of CM-appointed commissioners and approve the ODS quickly to enable this project the ability to access much-needed funding as soon as possible. 

  • Flexible ODS = More Homes. Smaller minimum setbacks and higher maximum heights = more homes. 

  • People of all incomes belong in North Berkeley. Right now the project is 50% affordable which is an amazing achievement. Any changes to the ODS that would affect the feasibility of the overall project could threaten this huge amount of much-needed subsidized housing.
    
    

• Encourage Others to Join: Rally your friends, family, and neighbors to also write to their CMs. Residents all over the city are welcome to chime in. Since the special meeting is during the work day we need as many people emailing and commenting as possible: a large, unified voice will strengthen our advocacy efforts!

• Attend the special City Council Meeting: Attend the special meeting on December 12 at 3pm to visually demonstrate the widespread community support for maximizing homes at North Berkeley BART. Your presence can make a significant impact. Use the talking points above to inform your public comment and there’s more in this letter.
  
  One note about attending in person: The meeting may become disrupted so keep that in mind. Giving a comment via Zoom is possible with this link.

Show up!

Tuesday, December 12 3-6pm
BUSD boardroom at 1231 Addison or on Zoom

Send an email using the template below and make sure to sign with your name and what district you live in. Map here

Councilmembers for districts 2, 4, 5, and 7 as well as the mayor are running for office next year. Their fundraising and campaigning efforts are already under way. If you live in districts 2, 4, 5, or 7 this may be a good time to tell them how their vote on issues like this affects whether you’ll cast a vote for them in 2024.

What happened on October 18? 

Even though the meeting started at 5:30 and there was effectively one item on the Planning Commission agenda, public comment for NBB’s ODS didn’t start until about 7pm. Here’s what NBNow’s Libby Lee-Egan said

My name is Libby Lee-Egan and I'm speaking on behalf of North Berkeley Now!, a local group of residents who want more neighbors to walk and bike with in North Berkeley and I'm here to tell you that we support what the developer team is asking for as far as changes to ODS. Please recommend that City Council adopt the ODS with the changes they defined in their letter dated October 13th.

In particular the setbacks cut into the capacity for housing while the sidewalks and planting strip cut are more than adequate for space from the street. In the presentation it was said that changing the setbacks to the minimum of 5 feet will restore 10,000-14,000 sq ft which is absolutely a significant amount of space. Can we really say that plants are more important than housing 10-14 families in a place that is almost certainly more transit accessible than where they lived before? Plants are great but we should prioritize homes for humans.

To echo Commissioner Ghosh I also have concerns about the excessive amount of parking. I am curious about in the event that the amount of parking be lowered, how do we ensure that freed up space becomes more homes? Is there a mechanism for that? Storage for private vehicles is obviously not more important than homes for people.

Public transit is a public resource. Taking a short walk to the train station or bus stop ought to be available to as many people as possible. The collection of circumstances, sentiments, and beliefs that led to a subway station in a growing metropolitan area being surrounded by a surface parking lot is a mistake that we are well on our way to rectify. This is not the time to think small.

The ODS as written is a good starting point but some parts of it seem to be trying to please a small group of naysayers who do not represent my neighbors and I. You want to please the people of Berkeley? Think big.

In the last decade the people of Berkeley have shown with their votes that they want more homes. Pro-housing candidates for state senate, assembly, city council and more are winning and their opponents -- who espouse a less welcoming view to adding new residents -- are losing.

We have shown with our votes that we want more housing and more neighbors. You want to give the community what they want? Give us more neighbors. Make it possible for more people to live and thrive in Berkeley.

Let's think big, make North Berkeley more welcoming to new neighbors of all kinds, and right the wrongs of the past. Maximize the capacity for homes at North Berkeley BART and make sure as much of the public can enjoy the North Berkeley BART parking lot as possible. Thank you

Check out Berkeleyside's coverage but the main takeaway is that the ODS got better! Commissioners were receptive to our and the NBHP's positive changes that would make room for more homes. City Council is set to vote on the plancom’s recommendation before the end of 2023.

Give Feedback on the ODS & NBB design by Sept 29

✅ Give the ODS a read

✅ Take the Survey and copy+paste the following into the field that says “What do you think could be improved?”

✅ Feast your eyes on NBB’s design and take notes on what you like and what could be better

✅ Take the Survey about NBB’s design concept, no specific feedback recommended here.

✅ Save the date: Wednesday, October 18 for the Planning Commission meeting where they’ll take up North Berkeley BART’s ODS. Stay tuned for actions and talking points for that as well!

Not sure what ODS are? You’re not alone! Here’s how BART explains them:

The Objective Design Standards will be the rules approved by the City of Berkeley to govern how the developer designs the new buildings to be constructed on each BART property. These standards will set additional limits on what kind of construction can be built on the properties, and city planning staff will review the architect’s designs for consistency with the standards. If the TOD qualifies for streamlined approvals under AB 2923, as expected, then it will be eligible to be approved via this staff-level review rather than at boards, commissions, or City Council. The Objective Design Standards will be developed through an inclusive process that will include input from residents and other stakeholders, and will be finalized for each station individually following the selection of a developer.

We should start thinking about what kinds of “additional limits” on the design will lead to a more viable project, a more beautiful building, more affordable homes, public spaces that thrive instead of whither. Bring your best ideas to the upcoming ODS meetings! 

Since November 2022, the city of Berkeley, BART, and NBHP have been hosting community meetings about Objective Design Standards (ODS) for North Berkeley BART.  

Residents who have been opposed to apartments at NBB are using every ODS meeting to voice their displeasure about the process so far, repeat their opposition to height, and influence the design to make the NBB homes as small as possible. At the same time, there’s been a noticeable showing of pro-housing neighbors like us at every meeting too - and we need to keep it up! If you haven’t been to an ODS meeting yet, please try to make it to at least one. The date for the next meeting is TBD. In the meantime, send an email today. Copy and paste the info below, sign with your name and location and please include an original anecdote at the beginning since unique letters have more impact.

March 5: NBB ODS site walk

Since last November, the city of Berkeley, BART, and NBHP (North Berkeley Housing Partners, i.e. the developer team) have been hosting community meetings about Objective Design Standards (ODS) for North Berkeley BART.  

Residents who have been opposed to apartments at NBB are using every ODS meeting to voice their displeasure about the process so far, repeat their opposition to height, and influence the design to make the NBB homes as small as possible. At the same time, there’s been a noticeable showing of pro-housing neighbors like us at every meeting too - and we need to keep it up! If you haven’t been to an ODS meeting yet, please try to make it to at least one. The next one is in person at NBB itself on Sunday, March 5 at 2pm. Take action today and on March 5:

• Send an email today. Click the link in the latest NBNow newsletter or copy and paste the info below

  • To: council@cityofberkeley.info, bartplanning@cityofberkeley.info, nbb@bridgehousing.com, BoardofDirectors@bart.gov 

  • Talking Points: Bridge has proposed a plan that meets the affordability levels and unit counts set forth in the Joint Vision and Priorities document. Do not approve reductions to the project’s size or create Objective Design Standards that make it more difficult to meet the unit counts and affordability levels in their proposal. I support the general direction of Bridge’s plan without reduction to the density proposed or significant changes to the allowable building envelope.

  • Sign with your name and location and please include an original anecdote at the beginning since unique letters have more impact.

• Show up tomorrow and be on the lookout for a friendly volunteer giving out blue stickers.

Feb 15 & 16: North Berkeley BART Objective Design Standards

It’s back! Another opportunity to give feedback on the form and shape of the future homes at North Berkeley BART. More info on past meetings on our website. Do you want to participate in person or online? Take your pick

Dec 1 & 5: North Berkeley BART Objective Design Standards

From City of Berkeley:

The Office Hours sessions offer an opportunity for community members to ask additional questions and provide feedback to the materials covered in the first ODS Community Meeting. The Office Hours sessions are informal, drop-in events for community members. There will be no staff presentations and no new material will be introduced.

Check out the presentation from the ODS meeting on Nov 16 here

November 16, 2022: ODS #1

Agenda   |    Presentation

In June the city of Berkeley and BART entered into another agreement that sets up a process to give everyone a better sense of what the actual development at North Berkeley BART will look like. This is an important phase as we will be looking at the actual development for many years to come! 

Wednesday, November 16, 7-9pm
Join via Zoom or phone: (669) 900 6833
Meeting ID: 818 0401 9386  Meeting Password: 092751