Commission approves Green Lantern parking expansion at 3340 Elwood Avenue with limited landscaping

The Berkeley Planning Commission approved a site plan April 22 for a parking-lot expansion behind the Green Lantern building at 3340 Elwood Avenue, adding roughly 14 spaces and a required six-foot screen wall while allowing only limited landscaping due to lot constraints.

Kristen, planning staff, told commissioners the application was submitted under the city’s old zoning ordinance; the parcel is zoned “parking district” under that earlier code and the new ordinance no longer includes that district. The project would connect a small parcel to the existing Green Lantern rear lot, create angled, one-way parking to reduce neighborhood cut-through traffic and add about 14 spaces.

The applicant team identified themselves in the meeting: Matt Seeley, the architect, and John Scribe, the store owner. Seeley and Scribe told the commission the parcel is narrow and that adding landscape islands would require removing parking spaces. They said the neighboring Country Oven property owner had repeatedly declined to allow a combined lot or shared access.

Staff noted the plan complies with ordinance requirements, including providing a screen wall to buffer the adjacent residential property, and recommended approval. The commission discussed landscaping requirements in the master plan and the newer zoning ordinance (which uses parking-lot islands and buffers for lots of this size). Commissioners pressed the applicants on screening, potential plantings in the public right-of-way and lighting. The applicant said the proposed parking lights would be shielded and hooded to minimize spillover onto neighboring properties.

Commissioners also discussed traffic flow measures included in the plan: the proposal adds angled parking and a “turn-right-only” sign at the Elwood Avenue exit to discourage traffic through the adjacent neighborhood. Several commissioners voiced sympathy for the homeowner across the street who would be closest to vehicle headlights and encouraged the applicant to contact that resident about potential plantings or other mitigation. The applicant offered to coordinate directly with nearby residents.

A motion to approve the site plan (PSP 03-25 at 3340 Elwood Avenue), finding the plan meets the site-plan standard in section 138-679 and that the landscaping meets section 130-37, passed on a roll-call vote. Commissioners Bartis, Dahlen, Stapp, Hamame, Arnsman, Woods and Chair Kempner voted yes.