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Berkeley council declines to designate Dwight Triangle as public open space after heated public comment
Summary
After hours of public comment and debate, the Berkeley City Council failed to pass a resolution to open the Dwight Triangle as lawful public open space; councilmember Luna Parra proposed the change with an amendment for further stakeholder engagement but the motion failed on roll call.
Councilmember Luna Parra brought forward a proposal on July 23 to open the Dwight Triangle — a small median at Telegraph and Bancroft that residents have tended as a gathering space — but the council failed to adopt the resolution after extensive public comment and a late-night roll call.
Luna Parra, the motion’s sponsor, said the triangle has been an important gathering place for District 7 residents and that more than 100 people wrote to the council in support. She told colleagues the city had allocated funds for short-term safety work and that parks and public works would maintain the space, asking the council to ‘‘make this a public open space’’ and add stakeholder outreach as part of implementation.
Public works director Terrence Davis detailed a 10-year collision review and recommended interim safety measures and a longer engineering study to evaluate removal of a slip lane and permanent redesign. Davis said short-term protections could include K-rails or bollards and that removing the slip lane would require a full engineering workup.
Dozens of residents, service providers and neighborhood representatives spoke during the hearing. Supporters described the triangle as one of the last public places in Southside for mutual aid, harm-reduction services and community gardening. ‘‘It’s a vital space of mutual aid, community events, and free services,’’ one resident said. Telegraph Business Improvement District Executive Director Alex Knox urged planning and maintenance standards so the space does not become a long-term construction zone.
Opponents and some council members said they were concerned about the lack of detailed planning and the city’s staffing and funding commitments. Councilmember Hahn stated she supported activating public space but was ‘‘not convinced this is the right way to go about it’’ without clearer resource commitments.
Councilmember Luna Parra offered a friendly amendment to add stakeholder engagement with local businesses and property owners; the amendment was accepted and the item was called for a roll-call vote. The motion failed on the roll call with several 'No' votes and one recorded abstention. The meeting adjourned shortly after the failed vote.
The item will return for further work; several speakers and council members asked for clearer plans on maintenance, trash and sanitary services, and traffic engineering before a future vote.
