Berkeley City Council Special Meeting – Corridor Zoning Update & San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan – November 6, 2025

The Berkeley City Council held a special meeting on Thursday, November 6, 2025, starting at 2:15 PM (Pacific) and extending into the early morning. The agenda consisted of two major presentations: the Corridor Zoning Update for Solano Avenue, North Shattuck, and College Avenue, and the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan. Council heard staff presentations, extensive public comment (in‑person and remote), and provided feedback on draft concepts. No votes were taken; the session was a workshop to gather input for future adoption.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Corridor Zoning Update: Over 30 community members spoke, many representing small businesses on the three corridors. Speakers expressed strong support for protecting legacy businesses and preserving the historic, pedestrian‑scale character of the Elmwood, Solano, and North Shattuck districts. Several business owners reported they had not been adequately notified of the workshops and feared displacement from future redevelopment. Opponents argued that upzoning would destroy vibrant commercial districts without guaranteeing affordable housing. A smaller group of speakers (including young families and housing advocates) urged the council to maximize housing density, citing the need for more homes, especially in high‑resource neighborhoods, and to treat all corridors equitably.
• San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan: A handful of residents and business owners stressed the importance of careful planning on San Pablo, noting the corridor’s diversity and need for truly public open space rather than privately owned plazas. Some requested a pause to allow West Berkeley stakeholders more time to engage, given the late hour.

Discussion Items

1. Corridor Zoning Update (Presentation by Jordan Klein, Uttara Ramakrishnan, and Chris Sensenig)

• Project Overview: The update implements Housing Element Program 27, aiming to increase housing capacity in high‑resource neighborhoods. Two alternatives were presented for each corridor: Alternative 1 (medium density, +2 stories on Solano/North Shattuck, +1 on College) and Alternative 2 (higher density, +1 additional story). With state density bonuses, buildings could reach 5–8 stories under Alt 1 and 7–11 stories under Alt 2. The presentation also covered options for upper‑floor stepbacks, ground‑floor retail requirements (corridor‑wide vs. concentrated at nodes), and objective design standards.
• Community Engagement: Staff reported two rounds of workshops, a citywide virtual meeting, an online survey (1,644 responses), and multiple meetings with community organizations. Survey demographics skewed older and whiter; staff acknowledged difficulty reaching students and renters. Key feedback themes included support for housing, concerns about business displacement, parking, and height.
• Council Deliberation: Council members asked about engagement with small businesses, affordable housing projections, parking impacts, state density bonus waivers, and the unrepresentative survey sample. Many council members emphasized the need to protect small businesses while adding housing; some supported Alternative 2 (higher density) for all three corridors, while Councilmember Humbert suggested a more targeted approach for College Avenue, limiting rezoning to three identified opportunity sites. There was broad agreement on flexible ground‑floor requirements (allowing residential outside retail nodes) and on exploring stronger small‑business protections. Council also discussed objective design standards (ODS): some favored detailed ODS, others worried about cost and delay.

2. San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan (Presentation by Robert Rivera)

• Plan Overview: The plan covers the San Pablo corridor from the Oakland border to Gilman Street, with a focus on creating a vibrant, mixed‑use district. Proposed zoning changes include new height limits: 85 ft (8 stories) at Tier 1 nodes (University, Gilman, Ashby), 65 ft (6 stories) at Tier 2 nodes (Cedar, Dwight), and 55 ft (5 stories) outside nodes. Ground‑floor commercial would be required in nodes; an in‑lieu fee option is proposed for non‑node sites to fund small‑business support. The plan also includes a local density bonus program, object design standards, public‑realm improvements (wider sidewalks, plazas, mobility enhancements), and updates to the West Berkeley Plan.
• Council Feedback: Council members questioned the local density bonus (trade‑offs with state density bonus), the commercial in‑lieu fee (feasibility and impact), and the desire for consistency in height across all corridors. Most supported 7–8 stories uniformly, favored flexible ground‑floor uses, and expressed interest in the public‑realm elements (plazas, wider sidewalks) over privately owned public spaces. There was caution about adding fees that could stall development. Councilmember Taplin proposed retiring the West Berkeley Plan only after a replacement is ready. Staff was directed to study the economic impacts of the local density bonus and the commercial in‑lieu fee further.

Key Outcomes

• Corridor Zoning Update: Council provided informal direction to staff:
  • Explore consistency in height across corridors (leaning toward Alternative 2, with up to 7–8 stories for Solano/North Shattuck and possibly lower for College due to narrow street).
  • No upper‑floor stepbacks on main streets, but consider stepbacks on side streets adjacent to residential areas.
  • Ground‑floor commercial should be concentrated at retail nodes, with flexibility elsewhere (allowing residential, live‑work).
  • Continue outreach to small businesses and study additional protections (e.g., relocation assistance, legacy business programs).
  • No vote taken; staff to incorporate feedback and return with refined zoning concepts for adoption by summer 2026.
• San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan: Council directed staff to:
  • Aim for uniform height of 7–8 stories along the corridor, with modifications for street width and context.
  • Further analyze the local density bonus to ensure it does not reduce net affordable housing units.
  • Reconsider the commercial in‑lieu fee and avoid overly burdensome exactions.
  • Prioritize publicly owned plazas and wider sidewalks over privately owned public spaces.
  • Retain objective design standards for ground‑floor activation but keep them flexible and cost‑effective.
  • Amend the West Berkeley Plan only as needed for implementation, with a view to a future comprehensive update.
  • Staff to present a final draft plan for adoption by spring/summer 2026, with additional hearings at Planning Commission and Transportation Infrastructure Commission.
• Meeting Adjourned: The meeting was extended until 12:45 AM and adjourned without any formal votes.