ATTACHMENT 5 ZAB Page 1 of 7. Jacob, Melinda

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1 Jacob, Melinda ATTACHMENT 5 Page 1 of 7 Subject: Attachments: FW: 2711 Shattuck Ave. -- Greenbelt Alliance Endorsement 2711 Shattuck (SmartSpace) Endorsement Letter.pdf From: Cara Houser [mailto:cara@panoramic.com] Sent: Monday, February 15, :59 AM To: Powell, Greg; Burns, Anne M. Subject: 2711 Shattuck Ave. -- Greenbelt Alliance Endorsement Hi Greg and Anne, Please see the attached letter of endorsement from Greenbelt Alliance for our project. Thanks, Cara Cara Houser, LEED AP Project Manager Panoramic Interests 2116 Allston Way, Ste. 1 Berkeley, CA T: x302 F: Cara@Panoramic.com 1

2 Page 2 of 7 Thursday, February 11, 2010 City of Berkeley, Zoning Adjustments Board 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, 2nd Floor Berkeley, CA RE: SmartSpace Development Proposal SUPPORT Dear Zoning Adjustments Board: For over 50 years, Greenbelt Alliance has protected the Bay Area s open spaces in part by promoting innovative, compact development in existing urban areas. Our Compact Development Team (CDT) endorses and advocates for livable, transit-accessible communities with a wide range of housing options for families of all sizes and income levels. Our team has reviewed the SmartSpace development, proposed for 2711 Shattuck by Panoramic Interests. We are pleased to inform you of our strong support for this project. SmartSpace will feature 22 homes on a slender site of just 0.13 acres along Shattuck, near a variety of neighborhood amenities, including open space, a farmer s market, a drugstore, and a grocery store. This project is served by multiple bus routes and is within walking distance of two BART stations. The homes are affordable by design, making efficient use of space and offering a relatively new housing product type in the kind of market in which such a product will work. Most noteworthy is the fact that the development has no vehicular parking, beyond a carshare space, but is instead well-served with secure bicycle parking. While not all developments could accomplish such a feat, the scale and location of this development make carfree living practical and possible here. To further contribute to the pedestrian-friendly nature of this project, we encourage Panoramic Interests and the City of Berkeley to work together to implement traffic calming in front of the development, which is situated at an intersection that may prove dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. As mentioned earlier, the level of compactness that the developer has achieved is remarkable few developments use space this efficiently. This excellent use of land means that nearly half of the site is landscaped mostly with native plants and permeable paving. We are also strongly supportive of the developer s goal to seek LEED certification for green building, at the Platinum level. The plan for both stormwater management and energy conservation are incredibly forward-thinking and are worthy of praise from residents and decisionmakers. Carefully designed, sustainable infill development like the SmartSpace project should serve as a model of what Berkeley and other cities can accomplish if they are willing to envision a greener future. Greenbelt Alliance strongly encourages the Zoning Adjustments Board to support SmartSpace. Sincerely, Marla Wilson Sustainable Development Associate

3 Jacob, Melinda ATTACHMENT 5 Page 3 of 7 From: Subject: Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) FW: 2711 Shattuck Ave From: Tom Ratcliff [mailto:ttratcliff@yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, February 15, :42 AM To: Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) Subject: 2711 Shattuck Ave Dear ZAB Board- I 2130 Derby St. I would like to suggest that a condition of approval for this project include a requirement limiting hotel residents' right to obtain a Residential Parking Permit. The project, as presented, does not provide any off street parking for automobiles and the surrounding neighborhood would be detrimentally impacted with the addition of parked vehicles associated with the 22, or so, new residents. Thanks for your consideration, Tom Ratcliff 2130 Derby St Berkeley, CA /

4 Jacob, Melinda From: Subject: Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) FW: Comment for Public Hearing on 2711 Shattuck Avenue permits ATTACHMENT 5 Page 4 of 7 From: abk132@gmail.com [mailto:abk132@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Adam Kapp Sent: Tuesday, February 16, :14 PM To: Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB) Subject: Comment for Public Hearing on 2711 Shattuck Avenue permits Dear Zoning Adjustments Board: I oppose the issuance of the proposed use permit # , construction of a 22-room hotel on Shattuck Avenue in South Berkeley. First, Berkeley already has significant hotel capacity, both in the downtown area, along Telegraph Avenue, and extending to the Claremont. I question the need to build another hotel in this area given current sub-maximum utilization of other similar properties. Second, the proposed construction would take place in a heavily populated area, creating an unacceptable level of noise and environmental disturbance to current Berkeley residents. Many children live in the residential apartment complex immediately east of the construction site, and many other neighbors, including myself, work at home during the day. Construction would require me to find another location from which to telecommute, causing inconvenience and expense for the duration of the construction. Further, this hotel does not benefit the local community in any way, it is an imposition and a nuisance with no benefits to neighbors. Additionally, I have concerns about building another tall building in what is a residential neighborhood of mostly one-storey homes. Beyond aesthetic concerns, I am worried that this will eliminate a fair amount of daylight from reaching our backyard, where we have a garden and fruit trees that depend on full-day sunlight. In short, I urge you to reject this proposal, which harms our South Berkeley neighborhood while providing no benefits to the community. It is my hope that you will put the wishes and desires of local citizens above those of big business. Adam Kapp 2133 Ward Street 1

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