Amid a dramatic show of organized public anger, Oakland Planning Commission approved the West Oakland Specific Plan on June 11. City staff, principally planner Ed Manasse, set out the plan's provisions for transit-oriented development, denser use of underused and blighted lots, separation of housing from heavy industry, concessions to second units and home businesses, and more specifically categorized rezoning -- amid shouted objections and boos from a crowd who had marched to the meeting in a protest demonstration.

As chair Chris Pattillo reassured, "We can hear you," Manasse attempted to tell activists they had been heard over the course of a six-year negotiation process, even presenting a slide with critics' "Wreck the WOSP!" slogan and broken-insect cartoon. He said, "We've expanded the social equity and affordable housing recommendations, we have additional career pathway strategies for local residents, increased small business opportunities for local residents, youth development education and training, neighborhood retail, and we have additional protections for residents from displacement."

"So we heard you," he said. "We know your concerns, we know that there's a lot of people that think that the neighborhood would be better off without a plan at all. That this project is somehow a secret conspiracy, a massive development project and that we are in fact encouraging gentrification and displacement. The plan is exactly the opposite to every – all of that and what we we are trying to do is to explain how that is not the case." The crowd wasn't buying it.

The crowd granted applause to speakers, whether activist or business-oriented, who said the plan was not ready for approval, unclear about funding sources for some goals, arbitrarily specific about some requirements and rezonings, and too accepting of upscale condominium development. Robbie Clarke of Causa Justa/Just Cause was among those cheered for saying the plan's stated goals did not translate clearly enough into up-front guarantees of affordable housing and jobs that would be genuinely available to existing residents.

Dominique Tan of the East Bay Housing Organizations said activists understood that goals such as inclusionary zoning requirements for developers to fund affordable housing needed to be imposed citywide, not one plan at a time, but she said they needed to happen soon because developers were continuing to build without such concessions.

Elaine Brown, a former leader of West Oakland's own Black Panther Party, made an appearance to urge a one-year delay in the plan. She singled out "high in density, expensive housing units that would suck all the air out of" disadvantaged local residents' futures, and called for a plan that would be less friendly to developers and less willing to cause displacement.

Strong though less voluble concern appeared for existing small businesses, especially where zoning changes were proposed.

Discussion later in the meeting, as some of the public fury subsided, included calls for a proposed tube to enclose the elevated BART train to reduce noise, and even for moving the BART line underground.
 
The San Francisco Chronicle reported on the scene at http://bit.ly/1pylP54 and noted two arrests at the meeting. Late that night, according to the East Bay Express, a security camera showed masked people in black breaking the windows of the new Kilovolt Coffee shop in West Oakland. http://bit.ly/1lv1k9K.

The plan goes to City Council hearings and votes in July. The plan materials are at http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/PBN/OurServices/Plans/index.htm. The agenda and archived video of the dramatic June 11 meeting are at http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/PBN/OurOrganization/PlanningZoning/o/Commissions/.