Zoning hearing for tall building in Oakland put on hold
Community groups asked for more time to review the plans for 13- story structure
Three minutes into a zoning hearing Thursday for proposed construction in Oakland, a representative of City Council President Bruce Kraus rushed to the front of the room and interrupted.
“We’re asking for a postponement,” said Brosha Tkacheva, Mr. Kraus’ chief of staff. “A number of community groups have come to us expressing that there has not been sufficient time to review the proposal.”
A dozen people — including the developer, legal counsel and neighborhood residents — had gathered to speak for the scheduled 10- minute Zoning Board of Adjustment hearing on the proposed 13- story development slated for 3440 Forbes Ave.
Community members say they had only a few days to review benefits that Baltimore- based Wexford Development is willing to give in exchange for special zoning exceptions, particularly height.
Wexford is seeking to build 99 feet higher than the maximum permitted height of 85 feet.
A meeting Wednesday with Ms. Tkacheva and state Rep. Jake Wheatley galvanized support for postponing the variance hearing.
The 150,000- to 200,000- squarefoot building would house office
and lab space, including three levels of parking and first- floor retail space. A twolevel structure housing a CVS Pharmacy currently on the site would be demolished. A possible tenant was not discussed. Wexford works primarily with universities, medical facilities and research firms.
In exchange for the “deadening and oppressive effect” the height would have on Forbes Avenue, the Oakland Planning and Development Corp. asked in a letter July 3 that Wexford provide $ 1.27 million in tax credits and grants for youth and neighborhood programming and affordable housing support as well as complimentary access to a planned ground- level meeting hall and limits on parking.
Wexford’s lawyer bristled at the postponement request, calling the community benefits requests “extraordinarily high.”
“We’ve had an extensive community process, and the community is simply not satisfied with the offers we’ve made to them, which is why they’re complaining,” Andrea Geraghty, Wexford’s attorney, said to the two zoning board members present.
Chairwoman Alice Mitinger recused herself.
In a July 9 response, Wexford offered $ 290,980 in flat grants for community events and affordable housing as well as a setback along Forbes “to enhance the pedestrian experience,” access to the meeting hall and $ 2,500 toward permit parking enforcement.
“If we would be considering ways to mitigate the impact, there would be more time needed to discuss that,” said Wanda Wilson, executive director of the Oakland Planning and Development Corp.
Board members J. J. Richardson and Lashawn Burton-Faulk excused themselves from the table and conferred in a corner.
“We’re going to give you two weeks, and that’s it,” Mr. Richardson said. “I wish this would have been handled a little more smoothly.”
The zoning code does not require a community benefits agreement.
“It’s something we try to encourage,” Mr. Richardson said. “I’m convinced that the applicant has made significant efforts.”
Mr. Kraus, whose district includes Oakland, was not available for further comment.
Wexford is scheduled to meet for its next zoning board hearing at 9: 40 a. m. July 25.
Norrfoss, a developer looking to build a sevenstory office complex on Smallman Street between 31st and 32nd streets, also went before the board Thursday to ask for a height variance to build to 108 feet, where 90 feet is the maximum allowed, but it dropped two other variance requests. The company is slated to meet with community members and submit additional evidence to the zoning board later this month, said founder George Mongell.