Larry Sokoloff

The city has approved a 13-building project at the North Berkeley station and is seeking developer proposals for the Ashby station. The move signify a big change in Berkeley's attitude toward new development.

The small North Coast city is seeing an expensive battle over whether to develop downtown parking lots are required by the Housing Element and try to shift housing elsewhere and retain current downtown parking.

The staff recommended upzoning half the the city, excluding the fire-prone Berkeley Hills. But the planning commission has recommended rezoning all of Berkeley including the hills.