BLUE | Backroom Town-Gown Deal: A Bad Deal for Berkeley

Backroom town-gown deal:

A bad deal for Berkeley

The recent Settlement Agreement between the City and UCB over the university’s 2020 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP), which permits massive expansion by UCB over the next 15 years, is a bad deal for everyone in Berkeley.

Some effects will be obvious: more traffic all over town and increased damage to neighborhoods around the core campus, for example. But most impacts will be more insidiousŠ

Justin DeFreitas

UC is exempt from the property taxes, fees, and assessments the rest of us pay to maintain our city.

That’s why, when UC grows and uses more services, other citizens must pay more.

Under the agreement, the city continues to subsidize UC by over $12 million per year—money that will never be available to enhance our city.

Instead, everyone loses.

Berkeley's roads, sewers, police, fire protection, and parking enforcement all go begging.

Berkeley’s youth, the poor, those who need special services, and parts of town that need extra attention all go without needed programs and services.

Property owners pay higher property taxes and fees. Homeowners expecting a 2% increase in their tax bills recently saw a 6% increase.

Renters share the property tax burden through their rents. Units built for students skew Berkeley’s rental stock toward tiny student apartments and away from housing suitable for older and family renters.

Students and low-income residents pay increased fees; for example, residential parking fees were recently increased because of abuse by UC commuters.

Businesses suffer when shopping areas lose their parking to UC demand, or shift to serve the student market, driving away higher-income shoppers.

Environmentalists decry UC’s unnecessary auto use, its pollution and insensitive development in Strawberry Canyon, and its secret plans for major construction and intense use right on top of an earthquake fault and liquifaction zone.

How can this agreement be so bad for so many?

By being negotiated in secret without input from citizens.
This is the formula for disaster.

The City and the university negotiated and signed this agreement in secret because they knew the citizens would rise up in outrage at an agreement that:

permits the university to proceed with its massive expansion plans in Berkeley with no specific, enforceable mitigations of environmental damage, and without exploring less damaging growth plans, both of which are required by state law (CEQA);

illegally gives the university veto power over the planning and development of our downtown; and

permits the university to continue to reimburse the City for less than 10% of its financial burden on Berkeley taxpayers—less than we could receive under recent court rulings.

Under the agreement, our city will be redesigned, but not by the public—by the university. City Hall has given power to UC that legally belongs only to Berkeley residents. Only council members Worthington, Spring, and Olds stood up for the people of Berkeley—and voted against the agreement.

This is why a group of citizens must now reluctantly sue our own city. Demanding better planning from UC will not only protect what we love about Berkeley, it will initiate a more equitable relationship with the university and, over time, save city taxpayers and residents millions of dollars.

We are people just like you—renters, homeowners, business people, students, UC friends and alumni—people who recognize the good of UC but who also demand common sense, justice, and a good environment for our city.

City Hall and UC are now spending your money to defeat us and protect their interests. We will spend your contribution to protect your interests.

Please join us.

Support BLUE in challenging the City’s
secret sellout to UC.

Print your contribution form and mail it with your check payable to Law Offices of Stephan C. Volker
to 1 Hazel Rd., Berkeley CA 94705.

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