Major Accomplishments as a Neighborhood Advocate

By John Fricke

Brought more neighborhood-serving businesses, improved bicycle and pedestrian access, and held developers accountable to the City's zoning laws.

When the City of Emeryville sought to redevelop a portion of San Pablo Avenue, it selected a retail developer who promptly went out and recruited more fast food chains. I organized neighbors to oppose more fast food chains on San Pablo. After several contentious meetings, the City Council agreed to provide a subsidy to locally-owned, neighborhood serving businesses. I then organized my same neighbors to help recruit Arizmendi Bakery to the space. The result is a place where neighbors come to buy Arizmendi's and Cuppa Cabana's great fare and hang out.

Better Bicycle and Pedestrian Access

As Chair of Emeryville's Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, I convinced the City Council to establish a bicycle boulevard on Horton Street, thereby creating a safe passage for bicycles on one of Emeryville's main north-south corridors. (The bicycle boulevard will be implemented in the coming months.) I also pushed the City to establish a blinking crosswalk across San Pablo Avenue (in front of Arizmendi Bakery). Now, neighbors who live in the Triangle can cross to Arizmendi Bakery with a greater ability to signal to cars that pedestrians are crossing.

Oak Walk Project

The Oak Walk Project developer sought to exceed the maximum building height in a residential neighborhood by exploiting a dubious loophole in the City's ordinance. I wrote an appeal letter to the planning commission challenging this loophole. I obtained the signatures of over one hundred neighbors on the letter. At several planning commission meetings, I challenged the loophole, including presenting a three-dimensional model showing the impact on building heights with milk cartons. While the appeal was wending its way through the process, the developer modified his plans, bringing the height down from 43 feet, to within the 30-foot maximum height.