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Oakland council denies rezoning of 605 Pioneer Avenue after residents urge community uses
Summary
After several residents urged preserving 605 Pioneer Avenue for community uses including farmers’ markets and a dog park, the Oakland City Council voted 3–0 to deny a request to rezone the parcel from Commercial to Industrial.
The Oakland City Council on July 27 denied a proposal to rezone 605 Pioneer Avenue from Commercial to Industrial, rejecting a developer’s plan to use the parcel for storage units. Council Member Reed moved to deny the rezoning; Council Member Applegate seconded and the motion carried, recorded as 3 ayes.
Residents who spoke during the public hearing urged the council to leave the parcel available for community-oriented uses. Shawna Anderson emphasized the importance of small businesses and said the community "does not want someone who is not local to obtain this lot when someone in the community would like it for a dog park and future farmers' markets." Vernalyn Needham told the council the nearby church had decided to pull the lot off the market and wanted a use that benefited neighbors. Wendy Smith said she has been trying to obtain the parcel to host farmers’ markets and eventually establish a dog park.
Ben Siegrist, who participated virtually, said he planned to use the lot for storage units and was not aware of the community’s alternate proposals, describing the parcel as convenient to his existing units. Mayor Pro Tem Coralee Bernard told the council that the Planning and Zoning Committee had previously met and voted against the rezoning request. The hearing opened at 7:01 p.m., closed at 7:10 p.m., and the council’s denial leaves the parcel zoned Commercial for the time being.
