“All of these things — the housing affordability crisis, the people living in tents on our streets and the impact of people driving because they have to move far away — have required me, and required all of us, to act differently.”
- Mayor Jesse Arreguín
In December 2019 and January 2020, the City Council and BART Board of Directors unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Berkeley and BART on Implementation of State Law AB 2923 at the Ashby and North Berkeley BART Stations. Read the Mayor’s op-ed →
Berkeley approves agreement with BART around housing at two stations (Berkeleyside, December 11, 2019)
Berkeley moving forward with development at North Berkeley and Ashby BART stations (Mercury News, December 11, 2019)
City of Berkeley begins preparing North Berkeley, Ashby BART stations for housing (The Daily Californian, December 12, 2019)
Housing at Transit: Berkeley Moves to Comply with New State Zoning Law (Streetsblog California, December 12, 2019)
Berkeley overcomes reservations to move ahead with housing at BART stations (San Francisco Chronicle, December 18, 2019)
Read the December 10, 2019, Council item
Read the January 9, 2020, BART item
On June 13, 2019, the BART Board of Directors discussed their transit-oriented development work plan, which emphasized the Ashby and North Berkeley stations in the 0-5 year category for consideration. Read the letter Mayor Arreguín and Council Members Bartlett and Kesarwani sent to the BART Board conveying their strong support and long-term commitment to creating homes at the Ashby and North Berkeley stations.
On Thursday, May 9, 2019, the City Council voted unanimously to move forward a community vision for housing at the North Berkeley BART Station. While members of the community and council members discussed a variety of priorities, the vote represents a positive mandate for the station’s future that includes housing and open space. This vision will support and enhance the qualities of the surrounding neighborhood and wider community’s interest to take advantage of this rare opportunity.
Mayor Arreguín and Councilmember Kesarwani’s May 9, 2019, Report to Council
Video of the May 9, 2019, Special Council Meeting
BART development in North Berkeley could yield hundreds of housing units (Berkeleyside, May 10, 2019)
Balancing resident input, Berkeley wades into developing North Berkeley BART station (The Daily Californian, May 13, 2019)
Berkeley, California, Plans for a Transit-Oriented Future (Next City, May 21, 2019)
“Right now it’s a parking lot, and it is an incredible amount of land that’s available for us to create new homes … there’s kind of a symbolism and beauty in that — in how that singular action can make a really meaningful impact in Berkeley’s efforts to address climate change.”
The Longfellow auditorium was packed Thursday evening for a meeting about North Berkeley BART development.
Photo: Natalie Orenstein / Berkeleyside
On April 22, 2019, Mayor Arreguín and Councilmember Kesarwani sent a letter to Assemblymember Chiu informing him of the City’s progress in implementing his sponsored legislation, AB 2923, and requesting assistance in addressing questions about the law. In a response letter, Assembly Members Chiu and Grayson indicated they are not anticipating changes to the implementation of the bill based on its original structure.
Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín speaks about North Berkeley BART housing proposals as BART District 3 Director Rebecca Saltzman listens during Berkeley City Council meeting in Berkeley, Calif., on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.
Photo: Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle
Hundreds of residents attended the Special City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 15, 2019, to share their opinions on what kind of development they would like to see at the North Berkeley BART Station. Many expressed the view that any new housing that is built be affordable, include units for families, and conform with the surrounding neighborhood. Another major topic was the impact of removing parking on BART ridership, especially among older residents who are less likely to ride a bicycle or use other modes of transportation.
The City Council directed staff to return in the spring to hold a public hearing and consider conceptual land use scenarios, allowing for formal direction on a vision for development at the site, and enabling City staff to develop an MOU with BART and guide the Planning Commission in the development of implementing zoning.
Mayor’s January 15, 2019, Report to Council
BART’s January 15, 2019, Presentation to Council
Video of the January 15, 2019, special meeting (starts at 1:56:00)
North Berkeley braces for big changes to the BART station area (SF Chronicle, January 16, 2019)
Plans for housing at North Berkeley BART develop under new law (Berkeleyside, January 16, 2019)
On Saturday, October 13, 2018, a Visioning Open House was held at the North Berkeley Senior Center, where residents commented on ideas submitted by members of the community. See a summary of the visual and written ideas presented. Thank you to everyone for your vision and for the hours of work illustrating and describing your ideas!
On September 30, 2018, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 2923, prioritizing transit-oriented development on land owned by BART. The legislation grants BART authority to zone its property in Berkeley, which includes the Ashby and North Berkeley parking lots. The intention is to use BART property to address the burgeoning housing crisis, which is why we have embarked on this thorough process.
Read about BART’s AB 2923 Implementation.
“As the housing crisis deepens, it’s important that we explore the potential development of city sites for affordable housing.”
Photo: Natalie Orenstein / Berkeleyside
Photo: Maya Valluru / The Daily Californian
“We need to look at all publicly owned sites as opportunities for building housing, particularly housing that’s affordable, for students and working families, and low-income individuals.”
On Thursday, March 15, 2018, Mayor Arreguín and Councilmember Linda Maio held an initial community meeting at the Berkeley Adult School to hear from the community on future uses for the North Berkeley BART site, attended by more than 400 people.
Slides - Mayor Arreguín and Councilmember Maio
Slides - BART
Video of 3/15/2018 community meeting, courtesy of Berkeley Community MediaNorth Berkeley BART housing discussion gets big turnout, civil discussion (Berkeleyside, March 16, 2018)
Berkeley residents begin North Berkeley BART station housing discussions (The Daily Californian, March 18, 2018)
After a Half-Century of Nearly No Development, North Berkeley Talks Housing (KQED, March 19, 2018)
Housing for North Berkeley BART? (East Bay Express, March 21, 2018)
In 2015, the City of Berkeley began a community planning process to develop a long-range plan for the Adeline Corridor, which includes the Ashby BART Station area. This plan provides a blueprint for the future and articulates community priorities, setting forth goals, policies, and implementation actions. The plan will serve as a guide for the City, public agency decision-makers, community members, and other stakeholders over the next 20 years. The planning effort is funded by a grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) to promote opportunities to plan for transit-oriented development around BART stations and other high-frequency transit and safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities.