I say maybe

I do not live particularly close to the garage and so, my opinion should be considered under-informed.

Mr. Wozniak's arguments are excellent and, on general principles, I would support it. Looking at the "no" votes of people who live close by, I'm impressed by concerns about the lot behind the building, the need for additional exits from the building, the hope of a little extra parking, and some misgivings about the hours of operation. As a Berkeley citizen, it would make me uncomfortable to see those issues be ignored without public comment. Of course, while they appear on kitchendemocracy.org, those complaints are just interesting ideas. Will those no voters, with an open mind, submit them as testimony in the official process?

-t

I say maybe

Develop more parking before approving any large restaurant.

I say maybe

My husband and I live close enough to walk to the Elmwood, but when I do drive there (to pick up my cleaning, go to the hardware store, en route from another location), sometimes I simply have to give up because there is no available parking. To say "parking is bad already so we might as well let it get worse" makes no sense to me.

I like John Gordon's projects. I like the idea of a restaurant and additional retail and would support the project. But the City needs to deal with the lack of parking in the district. Reconfiguring the small lot on Russell and adding valet parking would be a start.

I say maybe

I don't have any confidence in our urban planning ability. Do we need a garage? What about things we need but which aren't profitable? Do we subsidize our favorite local businesses so they can stay in town? Do we have too many nail salons? Do we have a nice distribution of options? Doesn't look to me like we have answers to any of these questions, so how can we claim to have an answer about this garage?

I say maybe

I was going to vote yes if Mr. Gordon provided addtional parking as any "high end" restaurant will fail if people cannot drive to it and there is no parking available now.

However, then I read about Elmwood Hardware being DENIED a variance by the City staff while Mr. Gordon is recommended for a variance. I find this skewing of City staff opinions to a large developer's needs versus a small local business needs in contradiction to the neighborhood's expressed desires appalling. If Elmwood Hardware cannot get a variance, then Mr. Gordon should not get one either.

I say maybe

Reading the objections, I see some valid ones. 1. Required the restaurant to close by 11 pm which is apparently required of other similar establishments.
2. Parking is a real issue and the idea of expanding the parking lot to include unused space behind the cleaners is a help.

I say maybe

I live 2.5 blocks from the corner of College and Ashby. It is exciting to see some potential revitalizing in the neighborhood, and obviously it is necessary to do something with the Wright's Garage space. My hope is that Wright's and all the other vacant retail spaces around the corner will be be filled with shops that will become an amenity for the Elmwood nabe.

What I'm worried about is parking and deliveries. Any additional use of the area will cause deteriorating conditions with traffic and parking in the area. I'm happy to put up with that, but feel that real efforts must be made to tackle these issues - minimizing the repercussions as much as possible - before permits are issued.

I say maybe

I'm in favor of new wonderful places to go in Elmwood as long as they are compatible with our neighborhood. A few new places, particularly the ice cream store and nearby gift store, I feel are NOT compatible. The ice cream is lovely but not kid or family friendly in price. The gift store is also not a store I expect to frequent unless I'm suddenly uplifted into another income bracket.

I think any kind of eaterie that is similarly 'upscale' will definitely bring in more traffic than the area can currently handle, rather than attract the neighborhood.

I say maybe

I think that this is a logical re-use of this facility. Frankly, I didn't appreciate the towing business when it was there (a car business, without a lot of fot traffic, generating vehicles, including tow trucks, and not something one would normally use).

I am concerned that any relaxation of quotas in Elmwood be done fairly - so I would suggest that the City Council and the ZAB carefully revisit the quota system while making this decision and not favor this developer relative to others who have asked for similar licenses in Elmwood. It may be that this project becomes a clothing store, and another location around the corner becomes a restaurant.

I think it is necessary to canvas all of the commercial property owners in the Elmwood to be fair and to consider the re-allocation accordingly.

I say maybe

I totally agree that Elmwood needs additional business. However, I have two concerns:
First -- Parking must be considered. We live near Ashby and Domingo; employees of a nearby realty park on the streets rather than the realty's parking lot. The employees even park in residential driveways. The city has issued a residential parking permit some (never counted -- could be one, two, or many) -- thereby allowing employees to park on residential streets 24/7.
Patrons from the Claremont and neighborhood businesses also park in the residential area, but that is not as antagonistic as the realty employees. PLEASE do not allow this to happen in another neighborhood!!
Second: Given that the restaurant/bar is in a shared residential/business area, I hope the city limits the hours of operation. I believe that the noise ordinance kicks in at 10 PM -- whatever the time, it seems like the restaurant/bar should close it doors no later than the time the noise ordinance kicks in.

I say maybe

I think this proposal has a lot of potential to enhance the neighborhood--if the restaurant and stores fill niches not already occupied in the Elmwood area (e.g. a grocery store, an antique store, a secondhand rather than new clothing store,...)

Also, there is already a yoga studio (the Yoga Room) a few blocks north of Ashby on College--I hope the proposed space here would be sufficiently different to create its own niche in the neighborhood.

I say maybe

It is necessary to find additional parking.

I say maybe

We have plenty of retail and shops in Elmwood and close by (further down College Avenue). Congestion at the College & Ashby intersection is already thick. Meter laws are not currently enforced well (e.g. one car keeps piling money into same meter). No Business Parking Permits allowed to be issued. What parking considerations are being proposed and what hours will the reailers be open?

I say maybe

I honestly don't think that the Elmwood district needs yet another clothing store or another jewelry store. However, maybe in time that will be decided by market forces we should not try to regulate. I agree with councilmember Wozniak's appeal to shop local. However, the district seems to be constantly losing variety in what offers to shoppers.
Hence, maybe, if neighbors' concerns about noise from the restaurant and parking issues are adequately addressed.

I say maybe

I think that adding a private parking facility would make a restaurant development more acceptable to the neighbors. To count on any business being solely "neighborhood oriented" i.e counting on "walk-in" or "transit user" traffic is unrealistic. Ain't gonna happen.

I say maybe

Too bad the option isn't for open space,
infill housing,
some good grocery shopping - not chichi - just utilitarian - good products not many brands,
a health clinic,
services for the community, rather than for-profit ventures - which eventually could become chain-owned as 'the market' hits here, too, maybe.
Alternative thinking about such as this is not in the works here, or in most places.

I say maybe

Clearly, there ought not to be any auto-related business on the site.

The market ought to be allowed to determine the use of the space within the adjusted quotas requested by the applicant.

Parking is the real dilemma. One needs only to note the lack of employee utilization of the Alta Bates Garage (low) to question whether the public will voluntarily go there without validation. Unless a solution with incentives or penalties for failure is imposed, residents will find themselves parking even farther from their homes because the neighborhood street parking will be occupied by vehicles whose drivers won't need permits because they can finish a meal and depart within two hours. Unlike employees who may be convinced to take a shuttle from the employer's off-site parking lot, diners will not be so moved.

Should Gordon be singled out for special parking provisions? Probably not.

Solve the parking and I suspect there will be many more "yes" votes.

I say maybe

If the restaurant is high quality and not a chain I think it would add to the neighborhood especially if parking is created nearby

I say maybe

I prefer this use to its use as an auto repair shop. But some amount of parking on side streets should be changed from 2-hour non-resident and resident parking to residents only.

I say maybe

I love the idea of transforming an auto shop to a pedestrian shop and/or restaurant. The recent upgrade work by Gordon/Mitchel on the corner of Ashby and College is indeed lovely. My concern is about parking, which is no trivial matter in a neighborhood with Alta Bates hospital and many retail stores, not to mention Highway 13 itself. The parking question needs to be very seriously answered for me to endorse this development.. I live within four blocks of Ashby and Regent.