Rising to the Challenge - A 2022 Berkeley Recap
As the year comes to a close, I want to reflect on the challenges that we faced here in Berkeley and the accomplishments we achieved. Over the past nearly three years, we have faced unprecedented challenges due to an ongoing global pandemic. But I am so proud of how Berkeley has responded to COVID-19 while also addressing the challenges of the day. During these difficult times, Berkeley’s resilience and compassion has shone bright, and makes me hopeful for the future. In many areas Berkeley has risen to the challenge.
The year 2022 started with a bang, literally, as the Marina had to be evacuated due to a tsunami caused by a gargantuan volcanic eruption in Tonga. The beginning of the year also saw the largest COVID-19 surge to date. One month later, the community rallied behind Ukraine after the unprovoked invasion by Russia. While these international events had an impact on Berkeley, so too did Berkeley’s impact on the world. Our actions to address climate change, such as banning natural gas in new construction, has inspired other cities and counties to do the same. At a time when many cities have backtracked on reimagining public safety, we still continue to forge ahead with innovative ideas to improve policing and community safety. We remain on the cutting edge of policy matters around housing, labor, the environment, and so much more.
2022 was a time where we faced many challenges, but we stepped up and led the way. And in 2023, we will build upon the progress we have made towards building more housing, including creating and preserving affordable housing and continuing our regional leadership to address homelessness. We will improve our infrastructure and fix our Waterfront, building on its success as a regional amenity for open space and recreation. And continue efforts to reimagine and enhance public safety, including addressing crime and the threat of wildfire.
Thank you to the people of Berkeley for electing me as your Mayor. It is the greatest honor of my life to serve this incredible, world-renowned city. I am proud of what together we have been able to accomplish and I am hopeful for the future.
Affordable Housing on the Rise, Homelessness on the Decline
The grand opening of the Berkeley Way Hope Center took place this year, completing the largest affordable housing development in the city's history.
After decades of underproduction, Berkeley is leading the way on the creation of affordable housing. Since the passage of Measure O, the $135 million affordable housing bond, in November 2018, 972 units of affordable housing have either been built, are under construction, or are in predevelopment. 784 of these units were funded in part by Measure O. For comparison, from 2011-2018, only 57 units of affordable housing were produced. The largest affordable housing development in Berkeley’s history, the Berkeley Way Hope Center, opened this year, providing 53 units of permanent supportive housing for homeless and disabled adults, 32 shelter beds for homeless adult men, 12 transitional housing beds for homeless male veterans (in partnership with Veterans Affairs), offices for support staff and partners agencies such as LifeLong Medical and Berkeley Mental Health, and a communal kitchen and dining facility with daily community meals, all operated by Berkeley Food & Housing Project, in addition to 89 studio, one, and two bedroom apartments for low and very low-income families operated by BRIDGE Housing. Jordan Court by Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, the first affordable housing development in North Berkeley in decades opened, providing 34 units to low-income seniors. This year saw the completion of the first two projects through the Small Sites Program, which was created to fund the acquisition and renovation of small multifamily properties.
Every two years, the countywide point-in-time count of the homeless population takes place. The latest occurred in January, three years after the last one due to delays caused by the pandemic. Over the last few years, we have taken a thoughtful approach to addressing the needs of the unhoused population and ultimately creating a pathway to permanent housing. This, along with the actions taken at the beginning of the pandemic to protect renters financially impacted, caused a 5% decrease in homelessness in Berkeley compared to 2019. Across Alameda County, homelessness rose by 22% over the same time period. In addition to the shelter at the Hope Center, a new shelter opened at the Rodeway Inn and another is soon to open at the Golden Bear Inn.
Planning the Future
The Ashby BART Station, along with North Berkeley, is currently undergoing a community process to determine future development.
Several major projects are underway that will shape the future of the City, and we are making sure that the public has a direct and central role in these discussions. A once in a generation opportunity is making progress, the development of the Ashby and North Berkeley BART stations. Key to much of the decisions made to date was the Community Advisory Group, which was established in 2020 with the goal of drawing broad community participation and providing valuable input to the Planning Commission as it considers zoning standards. In June 2022, Council voted to adopt new zoning regulations for the sites, with a maximum base height of 7 stories and a minimum of 75 dwelling units per acre, creating a base of 2,400 units. However, under state law a developer may be eligible for a density bonus that could result in a final height of 12 stories and a total of 3,600 units. In December, BART selected nonprofit housing developer BRIDGE Housing as the primary developer team for North Berkeley. A developer for the Ashby site will be chosen next year. No specific development has been proposed, and the earliest construction would begin is in 2025. Berkeley residents can continue to provide input on projects relating to BART in Berkeley, including the Berkeley - El Cerrito Corridor Access Plan. This will identify options for people to get to and from these stations with parking being replaced with developments. You can participate in an online open house and survey that closes on January 8.
One of the most important plans relating to the future of housing development in Berkeley is the Housing Element. Each city must update their housing plan every eight years to show how they plan on achieving the RHNA goals. Since 2021, multiple workshops, pop-ups, commission meetings, worksessions, and online interactions have provided the public an opportunity to weigh in and provide suggestions. The most recent draft was presented in December, with the final version being voted on in early 2023.
Infrastructure is another area that has received significant public input and will continue to. While much of this will be discussed in the section below, one ongoing community survey, which closes on January 5, is feedback on the Civic Center Vision Plan. The community can help improve the City’s urban forest by launching the Trees Make Life Better Program, which aims to plant over 1,000 trees by mid-2023 in South and West Berkeley.
Advancing Infrastructure into the 21st Century
The Milvia Street Bikeway opened this year, providing protected bike lanes through the heart of Downtown Berkeley.
Measure T1, the $100 million infrastructure bond approved by Berkeley voters in 2016, reached a major milestone in 2022 with the end of its first phase and beginning of phase two. Under phase one, $40 million was spent across 39 projects between 2017-2022. An additional $23 million in grant and special funds were leveraged for these projects, meaning $63 million was spent upgrading critical infrastructure. This total does not include projects and maintenance undertaken by the Public Works Department during this timeframe. Highlights include award-winning renovations to the Rose Garden, upgrades and seismic retrofits to community buildings including the North Berkeley Senior Center, Live Oak Community Center, and the Adult Mental Health Clinic, and repaving deteriorated streets such as University Ave at the Marina, among other projects. Under phase two, $60 million will be spent on 30 projects. Highlights include upgrades to buildings across South Berkeley, including the South Berkeley Senior Center, MLK Youth Service Center, and the creation of the African American Holistic Resource Center, increasing the number of public restrooms, and park improvements across the City. For a full list of Measure T1 projects, click here.
Despite the financial challenges, several important projects have been completed at the waterfront in recent years, or are currently underway. Brickyard Cove, one of the newest parks in the Bay Area, opened this year, providing bayview trials, picnic tables, and other amenities. Investments have been made to replace docks and related infrastructure in the Marina. The Berkeley Marina Area Specific Plan is a multi-year effort to provide a path for achieving a financially self-sustainable, publicly owned marina that preserves and enhances infrastructure to support current and future community needs, while adapting to climate change and promoting environmental stewardship. This process is ongoing, and is expected to be completed in 2024. While specific details are still being worked out, it is guaranteed that there will be no development at Cesar Chavez Park. In the long run, the old pier will be rebuilt, doubling as both a recreational pier and a ferry terminal.
With gas prices reaching all-time highs this year and the need to end our reliance on cars powered by fossil fuels, we are investing in alternative forms of transportation. Under the budget approved in June, $1.15 million was allocated for vehicle charging stations for city vehicles to accelerate our transition to zero emissions. $1 million will be allocated over the next two years for low-carbon transit and mobility infrastructure, such as bike lanes and pedestrian safety upgrades. Additional funding will be provided for bicycle and pedestrian improvement projects, as highlighted in the Bicycle Plan and Pedestrian Plan. Earlier this year, the Milvia Street Bikeway opened. The 0.75 mile stretch of protected bike lanes along Milvia Street goes through the heart of Downtown between Hearst Avenue and Blake Street, making it the city’s primary north-south bikeway.
Moving Forward on Public Safety
In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd in 2020, we set out on a mission to reimagine public safety to address historical racial inequities and create a new vision of policing in our community. This year we reached an important milestone in this multi-year process, with the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force and National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR) providing their recommendations to Council. The recommendations adopted include:
Establishing a Specialized Care Unit (SCU) consisting of trained crisis-response workers who would respond to 911 calls that an operator evaluates as non-criminal mental health calls and poses no imminent threat to the safety of first responders.
Reforming and expanding the dispatch center to improve response rates to violent crimes while redirecting non-criminal calls to non-sworn or civilian responders who are experts in that field (i.e. mental health).
Investing $1 million in upstream community safety investments in critical services like violence prevention, youth services, community mental health, respite from gender violence and language equity.
Establishing an Office of Racial Equity to that will support the City’s strategic goal to champion and demonstrate social and racial equity throughout all City departments.
81% of calls to BPD being for non-criminal incidents and 53% of police officer time responding to these calls. By having non-emergency calls rerouted to civilian response, such as a car blocking a driveway, responding to a noise complaint, or other code enforcement violations, officers will have more time to focus on more important public safety priorities.
Navigating Health Emergencies
As we enter a potentially difficult winter season facing the so-called “tridemic” of COVID-19, RSV, and the flu, we are in a significantly better position to handle surges. While vaccines have been around since the end of December 2020 and accessible to the general public since Spring 2021, this year brought forward new challenges with the Omicron variant that resulted in many breakthrough cases. Since then, a new bivalent vaccine became available this fall, providing protection against new Omicron subvariants in addition to boosting protection against the original version. Because of the immediate and extensive actions since the pandemic broke out, we have put ourselves in a position of having some of the highest vaccination rates in the country.
Starting in May 2022, the Monkeypox/MPX virus had its largest international outbreak in memory. The virus spread to over 110 countries across six continents. Yet six months later, cases are virtually nonexistent. Over the last month, an average of less than 2 cases are being reported daily across the State and declining. At its peak over the summer, 143 daily cases were being reported. As of December 22, there have been 5,670 cases in California, including 242 in Alameda County (with just one case in the county over the past month). Despite initial difficulties in rolling out vaccines, the City took action to ensure those most vulnerable to MPX got vaccinated, and now supply outpaces demand. Fortunately, those most at risk took the virus seriously, and took the necessary steps to reduce their risk, helping stop the spread.
A Look Towards 2023
Wildfire Safety will be a major priority of 2023, on the centennial of the 1923 Berkeley Fire.
As previously mentioned, one of the biggest policy areas to be approved in 2023 will be the Housing Element Update, which will guide housing development over the next eight years. Also on development, efforts will continue on the BART station sites, with a developer to be chosen for Ashby and the beginning of project design. More affordable housing developments are expected to complete construction and break ground next year.
Next year will mark the 100th anniversary of the 1923 Berkeley fire which destroyed much of the Northside and La Loma neighborhoods. The Community Wildfire Protection Plan is expected to be adopted next spring, which will lay out the risks that Berkley faces from wildfires, and goals and projects to protect the community from such threats. Other areas that will improve safety is an update to the Bicycle Plan, which will help get us closer to achieving the goals of Vision Zero and the Climate Action Plan.
I look forward to working with you over the next year as we continue to lead the way on advancing practical, progressive policies that become the benchmark for others to follow. We will continue to face many challenges from the continued impacts of COVID-19 to uncertainty within the global economy. But as we always have, I am confident that we will be ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow and pave a better future for all.