JLDA is pleased to announce that following it's successful District 3 candidates forum it will be holding a candidates forum for the At Large City council seat run-off election. Both candidates Rebecca Kaplan and Kerry Hamill are confirmed to attend.

The forum will be held Monday September 15th starting at 6:30pm in the Regatta Room of Portobello Condominiums (11 Embarcadero West @ Oak). Follow the signs to the Regatta Room from the Portobello entrance. You can read all about the event and the candidate's statements on the front page of the August issue of "JLDA Call".

Labels: announcements, frontpage

JLDA Board member Gary Knecht reports that Scott Miller, Zoning Manager, has stated Kimball Allen's proposal to open a new nightclub and restaurant at 671 4th Street has been withdrawn from the August 6 Planning Commission agenda. Gary confirmed this information with case planner, David Valeska, who stated that Allen's application has been withdrawn altogether and the project is dead. Community opposition (over 50 signatures on a petition plus lots of letters) and lack of community support (no one wrote in favor of the application) seem to have made the applicant change his mind.

Meanwhile Mr Allen is the property owner and would like to find a more acceptable use for his 15,000 square foot building. If you have any ideas or suggestions at all, let us know so we can pass them along.

Labels: announcements, frontpage

Waterfront Action has just launched a new Waterfront Access Map that shows areas of public access to our waterfront in Oakland and Alameda. It shows waterfront parks, the path of the Bay Trail, where Measure DD bond money is being spent, and new and proposed waterfront development. The map is available online and in printed form - you can pick up at copy at California Canoe and Kayak in Jack London Square.

Labels: announcements, frontpage

Around 30 community members and other interested parties turned out Monday night for the candidate forum arranged by JLDA for the District 3 City council election in June. Although time was limited the audience was able to ask the candidates several questions and hear their statements and positions on various issues. All agreed this was a useful event and if there is a need for a run-off election in November JLDA would like to provide the candidates another chance to come address Jack London District voters.

Thank you to Steve Lowe and Bernice Straub for making the arrangements, our President Ben Delaney for moderating, and to Portobello for providing us with an excellent venue for the forum.

Labels: announcements, frontpage

In April 2008 the City of Oakland sent out a letter to over 1,500 Jack London District residents and business owners describing the new mixed-use parking permit plan, scope, eligibility criteria, cost and procedure for getting the permit along with an application form. These materials are available from the links below:

• Click here for a copy of the letter
  
• Click here for the map showing the streets it affects.
• Click here for the application form

If you did not receive the letter, lost it or are new to the area and need a parking permit please review the documents above, then print and fill out the application form indicating it is for an Area M permit. Mail the completed form, other supporting documentation as required, and a check for $150 payable to the City of Oakland to:

City of Oakland Parking Division, Administration
250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza #6300
Oakland, CA 94612

Note that permits are issued for a specific car and must be affixed to the car, there are no transferable permits. For instructions on how to affix the permit once you receive it click here.

If you purchase an annual Area M permit ($150) you may also purchase temporary visitor permits as follows: each 1-day permit costs $1.00 per vehicle and each 14-day permit costs $5.00 per vehicle. No more than five 1-day and five 14-day visitor permits may be purchased at any one time. If you include payment, you may order visitor permits on the application form sent out by the City (see link above).

Please note, JLDA does not issue, administer, or benefit financially from the Area M mixed use parking permit plan - if you have any questions you should direct them to the City of Oakland, specifically Marcela Pardo-Espinoza who can be reached at (510) 986-2690.

Labels: announcements, frontpage, parking

Let us know what crime and safety issues are more important to you!

The JLDCPC is conducting a short online survey design to gauge what crime and safety issues are most important for us to focus on in the coming months. We will be sharing these results with Oakland Police Department representatives. You can complete the survey online at http://jldcpc.org/survey or email bill@jldcpc.org to get a PDF or paper copy of the survey.

Labels: announcements, crime, frontpage

A big thank you to everyone who showed up, cleaned, organized and supported our ninth annual neighborhood Trash Bash*. Around fifty people volunteered and picked, shoveled, and bashed their way through piles of trash from our streets filling the entire back of a City public works truck. Cigarette butts, broken bottles, weeds, litter, even parking tickets were among those items removed during the process. Afterwards Steve Sacks fired up the grill and helped us to burgers, and Polish sausages donated by his company Prime Smoked Mats. Chips, snacks and sides to go with them were donated by Word Ground Cafe and Sierra Deli.

Among the many volunteers was a strong contingent from Covenant House who worked hard with us and joined the BBQ afterwards - thanks guys! After the BBQ JLDA President Ben Delaney presented awards in recognition of service to the Jack London District community to Steve Sacks, Joanna Adler and Karl Augenstein.

We would particularly like to thank Winnie Anderson and her husband Paul for organizing the event this year, Gary Knecht for the use of his space at The Egghouse, Steve in his sixth year as BBQ Masterchef, Bernice for the use of her pickup, and all our donors and other volunteers who made the day possible and a great success. Thank you!

Some photos from the event are available at jlda.org/trashbash/trashbash9 and there will also be a write up in the May edition of JLDA Call - out soon!

* Just in case you are wondering what happened to Trash Bash 10 - well there was a little confusion about how many there had been before, yes we've had so many now we are losing count. But rest assured this is the ninth and next year will be the tenth. The good news is we'll be able to use those poster all over again!

Labels: announcements, frontpage, trashbash

The map below shows in blue the streets where the new Jack London District Mixed Use Parking Permit will exempt holders from newly posted 4 hour parking limits (8am to 6pm Monday through Friday). Show in red are those streets where the permit will not exempt holders from posted 4 hour limits. Zoom into the map or view the larger version to see where 4 hour parking applies to both or one side of the street only.


View Larger Map

Labels: frontpage, maps, parking

JLDA is deeply saddened to report that our Vice-President Steve Jimenez, died in his sleep Sunday, December 30th. Steve joined the JLDA Board of Directors in November 2006 and also lead the Growth & Development Committee.

Steve's good deeds weren't limited to JLDA, he was also on the Board of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Alameda County and a co-founder and Director of the Oakland Rainbow Chamber of Commerce and Labor. He was a Partner at the law firm Adelson, Testan, Brundo, & Jimenez and has lived in Oakland almost five years. For those that knew Steve, one of his friends has set up an online memorial where you can find photos and stories about his life.

Steve is survived by his mother Marian and his three children - Dylan (16) Clayton (14), and Courtney (13). Our condolences go to Marian, Dylan, Clayton, and Courtney. Steve was a great joy to have at meetings and made an important contribution to our community, we will all miss him.

Labels: announcements, frontpage

For those of you using Facebook there is now a new way to interact online with your Jack London District neighbors - you can join the Facebook group "Jack London District" by visiting its homepage at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6675381438

The group is not affiliated with JLDA as such but is for "Residents, workers and fans of the Jack London District in Oakland, California. Jack London District is the area south of the Nimitz (880) freeway - between the Oakland-Alameda Estuary and between Adeline and the Lake Merritt Channel"

Labels: frontpage, resources

We now have a page dedicated to grocery shopping information, both in an around the district. It also gives details of how we are hoping to attract a new grocery store operator to the district to serve our needs. We have one potential site, and even a grocery chain that is open new neighborhood serving stores in California - sounds like a perfect match? Well only if they know about our area and think there is a demand for a store. You can help suggest other locations and operators and perhaps we can make something happen!

See "Jack London District Grocery Shopping Information" to find out more.

Labels: frontpage