Dear supporters of Save the UA Berkeley --
It's been a while since you've received an update. After months of closed-door deliberations, in early October the city of Berkeley granted the developer a full categorical exemption to CEQA. This means the housing project that threatens the splendid art deco UA theater will be approved and the theater is much more likely to be destroyed.
But the fight is not over. Our campaign might be a long shot, but it's still as righteous as ever. Until the UA is torn down, there's still reason to fight for this amazing and irreplaceable civic treasure.
Call to action:
WE'RE TAKING THE FIGHT TO THE CITY COUNCIL THIS TUESDAY -- AND TO THE ZONING BOARD ON 12/12 (Also write letters of protest -- see info below)
➡️ We're rallying people to the Berkeley City Council meeting this Tuesday and, more importantly, to the zoning board hearing on 12/12, where the board will pretend to have a public hearing seeking input but in actuality will rubber-stamp approval of the housing tower that requires the destruction of the magnificent art deco United Artists theater in downtown Berkeley.
➡️ This is happening because several state laws conspire to speed up and ensure approval of housing projects and limit input by local officials and citizens. But it's also because the city of Berkeley caved preemptively to the developer, fearing lawsuits and financial penalties, when it had legitimate evidence to support imposing the CEQA review as initially planned.
Wait, what? Let us explain
➡️ The zoning board will approve the housing project DESPITE the city seeking two peer-review reports from architectural historians over the summer who disagreed with the developer and asserted the theater's protections under CEQA.
➡️ The city buried these reports for months and purposefully didn't make them public until after it had decided to grant the CEQA exemption in early October, ensuring the development project's approval. Under AB 1633, if categorical CEQA exemption is granted, the project must go to a hearing within weeks and be approved.
➡️ So this robs cities and citizens of local control and turns the "public hearing" before ZAB into a sham exercise. ZAB has no choice but to approve the project, no matter what people say or what evidence there is (a lot) to demonstrate the theater's protections under CEQA. CEQA review would not have stopped the housing project but it is a process that seeks public input on what it means to destroy "historic resources" like the UA.
Why should we keep fighting now?
➡️ The odds of preventing the theater's destruction are quite long. But it's important to remember that a project gaining final approval doesn't mean it ultimately gets built. It's still important to talk about the shady manner in which this project is being approved and to remind people why the theater is worth saving.
➡️ Let's make the appearances at the City Council meeting and the sham ZAB hearing into something meaningful: an opportunity to decry the lack of transparency by the city in this planning process, and to call out the way these state housing laws rob localities and citizens of public input and control.
➡️ Also, we must denounce the complacency of city leaders who look askance while a mass-extinction of theaters unfolds in the city. (The Shattuck Cinemas is long gone, the art deco California Theater has final approval to be demolished for a housing tower, and the finest of them all, the UA, is perched on oblivion.)
➡️ Housing construction is important, but arguably the pendulum has swung too far in favor of developers and away from local control. It's important to note that the high-rise apartment buildings going up around the city are market rate housing, with a small fraction of affordable units, which many experts say will not remedy the housing crisis.
How do I attend these meetings?
➡️ 12/3 City Council meeting at 6pm: We can only speak during the public comment period at the start of the City Council meeting on Tuesday. There's a limit of 10 speakers total so we need to arrive early (in person or online) to sign up. The City Council agenda has all the info.
➡️ 12/12 ZAB hearing at 7pm: There will be more time to speak at the ZAB hearing. There should be two items on the agenda -- the categorical exemption to CEQA and the housing project proposal. The ZAB agenda won't be released until Thursday or Friday of next week (Dec. 5 or 6).
You can also write protest letters to the City Council and ZAB
Please make sure to put 2274 Shattuck Ave. in the subject line.
➡️ council@berkeleyca.gov
➡️ zab@cityofberkeley.info
What happens after ZAB approval?
After ZAB approval there will be several months, if not a year or more, during which the developer obtains building permits at the staff level. However unlikely, something could happen in the meantime that might cause the developer to change course.
Please SHARE SHARE SHARE and tell anyone who might be interested!!!
It's not over until it's over!
SAVE THE UA BERKELEY
***poster art by cartoonist Briana Loewinsohn