Background I

I Background

Section I: Background 1 The 5.5-mile long Estuary Planning Area extends from Adeline Street on the west to 66th Avenue on the east.

2 Oakland Estuary Policy Plan Introduction

In 1996, the Port of Oakland and the City of Oakland can claim the most extensive and di- In the early 1990s, public dialogue about Oakland embarked on an unprecedented co- verse bay shoreline of any community in the Oakland’s waterfront began with the update operative effort to develop the first plan in region. Yet, for many, the experience of the of the Open Space, Conservation and Recre- Oakland’s history focused specifically on the Oakland waterfront is fragmented—limited ation Element of the Oakland General Plan. Estuary shoreline (Figure I-1). The Estuary to specific areas, such as the highly visible ship- At about the same time, the League of Women Policy Plan represents an effort conducted over ping terminals or the commercial activities and Voters published a report, “The Waterfront. It a period of approximately 18 months to pre- special events at Jack London Square. Al- Touches the World; How Does it Touch Oak- pare a plan for 5 1/2 miles of urban water- though its shoreline extends for 19 miles along land?” ( June 1993), which focused on the front within the heart of the city and port. the edge of the city, Oakland is more often waterfront. The report strongly promoted viewed as an inland gateway at the hub of mul- Oakland’s identity as a waterfront city. This This effort encompassed a planning area ex- tiple rail and highway corridors than as a wa- report became a call to action for waterfront tending from Adeline Street to 66th Avenue, terfront city. advocates and the community at large. including all of the lands on the water side of I-880 within Port and City jurisdiction. The STUDY HISTORY The efforts of the League of Women Voters study area touches many of the city’s neigh- spawned the Waterfront Coalition, a grassroots borhoods as well as downtown, and is brack- In recent years, community interest in the citizens organization that, in turn, sparked even eted at the ends by Oakland’s airport and sea- waterfront has increasingly focused a desire for broader interest and support for waterfront port (Figure I-2). improved public access, environmental qual- revitalization. In 1995, a charrette was spon- ity, civic image and identity, recreation, and sored by the Port and the City to help formu- other publicly oriented activities.

Section I: Background 3 SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY

ALAMEDA COUNTY Berkeley 13 80 Orinda

123 24

Treasure Emeryville Island

580 Piedmont 80 CO Outer 980 N T A R L A SAN A COS Harbor TA 13 M C EDA C O . FRANCISCO O. 580 Lake Merritt OAKLAND 880 S NAS ALAMEDA a Fruitvale n 80 F Estuary 260 r Alameda a Planning Area 61 n 77 c i s c 880 o 185 B a 101 280 y San Leandro Bay

61 185

OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL San AIRPORT Leandro

FIGURE I-1: Regional Context

4 Oakland Estuary Policy Plan late a vision for the waterfront that would, in turn, provide additional policy support.

At the time, the Oakland General Plan was being updated, overseen by a community-wide advisory committee known as the General Plan Congress. A Waterfront Subcommittee of the General Plan Congress was formed. In 1996 the General Plan Congress published its draft Goals, Objectives and Policies report for the entire waterfront area. The policies recognized the waterfront as having untapped potential for redevelopment, publicly oriented activities, and enhanced public access. One of these policies specified the need for more detailed study and planning in the Estuary portion of the waterfront.

Hence, the Oakland Estuary Policy Plan.

The Estuary Plan project has been undertaken as a joint effort by the Port of Oakland and the City of Oakland. The plan incorporates comments and input from other public agencies, including the Bay Conservation and De- velopment Commission (BCDC), East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD), the Trust for Public Lands, the City of Oakland Life Enrichment Agency—Parks, Recreation and FIGURE I-2: Oakland Neighborhoods Adjacent to the Estuary

Section I: Background 5 Cultural Services, and the Oakland Museum. ing, traffic engineering; as well as numerous ! Enhance and promote the city’s waterfront Draft concepts and recommendations were others offering expertise in specialized techni- for the economic benefit of the commu- presented to the City-Port Liaison Commit- cal areas. nity, with emphasis on Oakland’s position tee, the City Planning Commission, and the as a leading West Coast maritime terminal Board of Port Commissioners. PURPOSE & and a primary Bay Area passenger and cargo ROLE OF THE PLAN airport. Guidance, input, and direction in the planning process were also provided by the Estu- The Estuary Policy Plan has been prepared in ! Connect the waterfront to the rest of the ary Advisory Committee, a diverse group rep- an attempt to address issues and concerns that city, with emphasis on linking the adjacent resenting a broad spectrum of community in- have arisen related to continuity and accessi- neighborhoods and downtown directly to terests. The advisory group was facilitated by bility of the shoreline, the quality and charac- the waterfront, reducing physical barriers the nonprofit organization Oakland Sharing ter of new development, and the relationship and the perception of isolation from the the Vision. This group also helped organize of the shoreline with surrounding districts and water’s edge, and improving public access the community involvement process. Mem- neighborhoods. More specifically, the plan to and along the waterfront. bers of the Advisory Committee committed builds upon the goals for the waterfront pre- significant energy and effort to shaping the pared by the General Plan Congress. The goals ! Preserve and enhance the existing natural planning effort. They met nine times in pub- are summarized as follows: areas along the waterfront. lic sessions, and hosted a public workshop with consultants and staff. ! Increase the awareness of the waterfront The Estuary Policy Plan is intended to be in- throughout the city and region, and maxi- corporated into the General Plan, which in- To assist in preparing the draft of the Estuary mize the benefit of Oakland’s waterfront cludes elements regarding Land Use & Trans- Plan, the Port and City engaged a team of con- for the people of the city. portation, Open Space, Conservation & Rec- sultants led by ROMA Design Group. ROMA reation (OSCAR), Historic Preservation, served as the lead firm, directing the efforts of ! Promote the diversity of the waterfront by Housing, Noise andd Safety. an Oakland-based team of consultants, includ- providing opportunities for new parks, rec- ing Hansen/Murakami/Eshima, associated ar- reation, and open space; cultural, educa- Compared to the General Plan, the Estuary chitects; Hausrath Economics Group, urban tional and entertainment experiences; and Policy Plan has a more focused geographic economists; Gabriel-Roche, Inc., public par- new or revitalized retail, commercial and scope, and is therefore more specific in nature. ticipation and transportation; Korve Engineer- residential development. In addition to policy recommendations that

6 Oakland Estuary Policy Plan Market St. Lake Merritt Oakland Fruitvale Ave. 14th St. International Blvd. 980 14th Ave. International Blvd. Broadway Oak St. High St.

16th Ave. Adeline St. 5th Ave. 880 San Leandro St. 29th Ave.

Coast Guard Embarcadero Island Oakland Estuary Jack London Oak-9th

San Antonio- ParkSt. Alameda Fruitvale San Leandro FIGURE I-3: Planning Area Districts Bay 66th Ave.

will be integrated into the General Plan, a com- Plan recommendations will also be reflected and the East Bay Regional Parks District panion document, the Estuary Plan Implemen- in the Oakland Waterfront Public Access (EBRPD). tation Guide, will be prepared. The Imple- Plan,which will identify public access oppor- mentation Guide will identify specific steps tunities for the entire Oakland waterfront. PLAN ORGANIZATION to be undertaken to implement the recom- The Estuary Policy Plan may also serve as a mendations of the Estuary Policy Plan. These basis for revisions and amendments to the The Estuary Policy Plan presents recommen- include detailed strategies and work programs BCDC San Francisco Bay Area Seaport Plan, dations related to land use, development, ur- to create and implement projects, site design plans for the regional San Francisco Bay Trail, ban design, shoreline access, public spaces, re- and development standards, funding and in- and planning documents prepared by other regional circulation, and local street improve- stitutional strategies, and other administrative gional agencies, such as the Association of Bay ments for the entire waterfront and individual steps necessary to carry out the Estuary Policy Area Governments (ABAG), the Metropoli- districts within it. Plan. tan Transportation Commission (MTC), East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD)

Section I: Background 7 Section I includes all of the introductory ele- Section IV of the plan, entitled “Moving For- ments, which provide an overview and sum- ward”, describes the next steps in implement- mary of the planning process, the planning area ing the Policy Plan. It identifies the critical and surrounding context, major plan concepts activities necessary to sanction the plan, gives and recommendations. decision-makers and staff direction to begin to implement the plan, and establishes the Issues to be resolved, opportunities to improve regulatory controls necessary to insure com- the situation and objectives to be realized are pliance with it. described in Section II of the plan. They are organized by functional topics: Land Use, Shoreline Access, Public Spaces, Regional Circulation, and Local Street Improvements.

Section III of the plan recommends policies for each of the three districts within the Estu- ary planning area. As shown in Figure I-3, these districts include:

! ‘Jack London District’, extending from Adeline Street to Oak Street;

! ‘Oak-to-Ninth Avenue District’, from Oak Street to the Ninth Avenue Marine Termi- nal; and

! ‘San Antonio/Fruitvale District’, from 9th Avenue to 66th Avenue.

8 Oakland Estuary Policy Plan Section I: Background 9 Oakland’s harbor circa 1882, at the present-day Jack London Waterfront, supported a diverse range of maritime and commercial activities.

10 Oakland Estuary Policy Plan The Estuary Shoreline

Oakland, California has a waterfront. more like a river. It is linear in form and con- ern city and national transportation hub. The tained, rather than open and expansive like settlement which became Oakland was first es- In Oakland, the shoreline of San Francisco Bay the broader bay. It creates an environment tablished on the Estuary, at a transshipment point extends 19 miles, from San Leandro Bay to that is intimate in scale and character. It frames where water-borne goods were off-loaded and the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge. At dramatic views to the San Francisco and Oak- transferred to transport and land networks. its northern end, the shoreline is dominated land downtown skylines. by the Port of Oakland’s marine terminals. Over the years, the waterfront has been domi- At the southern end lies Oakland International The Estuary is an urbanized edge that has de- nated by the development of the Port of Oak- Airport. Between the seaport and the airport veloped over a span of more than 100 years of land. Extensive backland area and rail connec- is the five-and-a-half-mile Estuary shoreline city history. Unlike the hillside areas of the tions have given the Port the competitive edge (Figure I-4). The Oakland Estuary is one of city, this area is intensely developed, with ur- needed to become one of the largest container California’s most diverse shores, encompass- banization extending all the way to the water’s ports on the West Coast. Additionally, the ing a variety of physical environments and set- edge. Very little open space or vegetated area Oakland Airport’s central location within the tings, each with its own distinct quality and exists, with the notable exceptions of Estuary prosperous bay region has made it one of the character. Park and the Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) fastest growing air passenger and cargo facili- Regional Shoreline. ties in the United States. These two centers Today, the Estuary can be viewed as a single support more than 20,000 direct jobs within community resource that binds together the Oakland’s waterfront figures prominently in the region, but they are both land intensive shorelines of Alameda and Oakland. Com- the history and life of the city. It is both the operations that make it difficult for residents pared to other parts of the bay, the Estuary is birthplace and birthright of what is now a mod- to take advantage of the waterfront.

Section I: Background 11 Most of the improvements were made once the ping. This shift in technology proved to be a trial purposes. In the mid 1800s, the village City wrested control of the waterfront from valuable investment for the City and the of San Antonio on San Antonio Creek (now the railroads in the early 1900s. The shoreline Port—one that would establish Oakland’s within the incorporated limits of Oakland) was extended westerly to the San Francisco position in the region and West Coast as a ma- supported an active wharf and lumber indus- incorporated limits following a momentous jor international port of call for the transship- try supplied by redwoods from the nearby hills. court case that finally settled the long-stand- ment of goods. In what is now Jack London District, early ing controversy between the City and the rail- uses included fishing, shipping and maritime roads over tidelands. As a result of this growth, Oakland’s water- commerce, and iron works located along First front has been dramatically transformed and Second streets west of Broadway. With After that, Oakland experienced a period of through filling, dredging, and shoreline stabi- the advent of rail access, the Estuary became city building that brought municipal docks, lization efforts. The shoreline was once a se- the terminus for agricultural goods and pro- quays, wharves, and belt line railways to the ries of coves, bays, inlets, and tidal marshlands duce, and agricultural processing facilities, such waterfront. fed by creeks and watercourses from the hills; as Con Agra, were also built. over time, human activity advanced it incre- With the advent of air travel in the late 1920s, mentally outward into the bay. The Estuary In recent decades, the industrial and commer- the City acquired land for a commercial air- was narrowed by filling and lengthened by cial character of the Estuary area have contin- port that became the starting point for many dredging until it became a linear tidal canal ued to evolve. history-making transpacific flights. In 1936, that connects San Francisco Bay with San Le- the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was andro Bay. In the southern and inland portions of the completed, signaling the emergence of the shoreline (San Antonio, Fruitvale and Central automobile for personal travel; thirteen years At the same time, Oakland residents have long East Oakland areas) business offices and large- later, in 1949, the six-lane Eastshore Freeway supported the notion of a commercial water- scale commercial uses have been developed in (now I-880) was constructed through Oak- front. A number of major investments in what was once a traditional industrial area char- land. shoreline and infrastructure improvements acterized by manufacturing and agricultural were approved, primarily for the purpose of processing. Further to the north and west, in Following the ship-building years of World expanding trade and commerce. the area now known as Embarcadero Cove, War II, Oakland’s port facilities shifted to the hotels and motels, offices and restaurants have Outer Harbor, where a good supply of In addition to the port facilities, the Estuary been built along the narrow stretch of shore- backland could support containerized ship- has historically served commercial and indus- line once occupied by marine-related busi-

12 Oakland Estuary Policy Plan nesses, and marinas have been built along the water’s edge, providing for recreational boating use.

The Ninth Avenue Terminal still remains in use—one of two such maritime facilities east of the Alameda-Oakland Tubes (the other being the Encinal Terminals across the Estuary in Alameda).

The Jack London District is far more com- mercially oriented than any other portion of the Estuary shoreline, and has seen the great- est amount of change along the waterfront in the past 20 years. The mix of restaurant, retail, theaters, entertainment and office uses has transformed Jack London Square into a primary entertainment venue, and has provided opportunities for Oakland residents and visitors to experience the waterfront. Throughout the Estuary, development patterns the grid pattern of streets and older warehouse Furthermore, the development of work/live vary. There are large superblocks of industrial buildings within the Jack London District cre- housing has added to the traditional commer- land; islands of remnant neighborhoods; the ates an attractive urban scale that is well con- cial manufacturing and industrial character of narrow, arching shoreline along the old Brook- nected with the surrounding city. adjacent inland areas, and has helped to estab- lyn Basin; and the urban grid that extends from lish this inland area as a lively urban mixed- the surrounding city through the Jack Lon- On the other hand, barriers to the water exist use district. don District to the water. Variations in the in many forms along the Estuary. Interstate urban pattern affect the opportunities for con- 880 is the most obvious of many physical bar- nection and infill development. For instance, riers that separate the waterfront from the rest

Section I: Background 13 of the city. At the Lake Merritt Channel, the Throughout the study area, infrastructure and Also included in the study area are lands and rail lines, a major sewer line and the overhead other built facilities are aging. Although there water within the jurisdiction of the Port of freeway combine to create a formidable physi- have been some recent transportation improve- Oakland. The Port is a unique agency of city cal and visual barrier that interrupts the link ments (e.g., the Amtrak station at Jack Lon- government, which is given the responsibility between Lake Merritt and the Estuary. To the don Square, removal of the Union Pacific by the Oakland City Charter to own, develop south of the Lake Merritt Channel, the free- tracks on 3rd St.), little investment has been and manage lands along the Estuary within way becomes an at-grade facility, and thus an made over the years in ongoing maintenance the specified area of Port jurisdiction. even more imposing barrier. and repairs. There are many areas of the waterfront where improvements are needed, not In its development role, the Port acts as a land- Major thoroughfares, which traverse the en- so much to expand capacity, but to upgrade lord; offering sites to lease to the private de- tire length of the city, may lead to the Estuary conditions. Along the I-880 freeway, which velopment community and taking an active shore, but often in an unceremonious fash- is now nearly 50 years old, substandard con- role in project development. The Port also ion. Broadway, one of the city’s most impor- ditions exist relative to the spacing of intersec- has the unique authority to undertake its own tant streets, terminates in an ambiguous zone tions, and seismic improvements are needed. land use planning, project planning, and project of parking, service delivery trucks, and pedes- Roads and utilities need to be repaired, and in approval. It reviews and approves building trians in the area south of the Embarcadero. some areas the shoreline needs to be reinforced. projects on private property within its area of jurisdiction, and undertakes its own environ- East of the Lake Merritt Channel, Fifth Av- MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS mental review and certification process. enue crosses under the freeway and changes alignment as it meets the Embarcadero. Other Like most other urban waterfronts, many gov- Although the Port manages these lands, it does important streets— 16th Avenue, Fruitvale ernmental agencies have jurisdiction within the so “in trust” on behalf of the State of Califor- Avenue, High Street, and 29th Avenue/Park Estuary area (Figure I-5). The study area in- nia. Ultimate authority over their use is main- Street—enter the Estuary area, and immedi- cludes significant amounts of inland areas, tained by the California State Lands Commis- ately shift alignment or meet difficult inter- within which the City has jurisdiction and sion under the public trust (aka ‘Tidelands sections, and thus add to the overall sense of provides regular municipal services. Planning Trust’) doctrine. Tidelands Trust properties disorientation experienced along many por- and development within the jurisdiction of are limited to uses that promote maritime tions of the waterfront today. the city are subject to typical municipal regu- trade, transportation and commerce, public latory review and permitting authority. recreation and open space.

14 Oakland Estuary Policy Plan Port jurisdiction includes a much larger area dates. Also, a number of quasi-public agencies to approximately 10,000 acres within the Bay than Port-owned land within the Tidelands and institutions, including Laney College and Area. Trust, and includes private as well as public the Peralta Community College District, con- properties. trol lands within the Lake Merritt Channel In the East Bay, several military bases in Oak- area . land and Alameda have closed; each with its In addition to the City, the Port and State own implications for the region and for the Lands Commission, the San Francisco Bay Private land parcels tend to be relatively smaller Estuary planning area. For instance, the 125- Conservation and Development Commission in size, with the exception of certain indus- acre FISC site in Alameda, across the Estuary (BCDC ) exercises considerable influence over trial sites such as Con Agra and Owens- from Jack London Square, is being pursued as Estuary sites that lie within a 100-foot ‘Shore- Brockway. However, some key parcels have a mixed commercial, office and residential line Band’ that surrounds the entire San Fran- been assembled under single ownership and project, which would help to reinforce this part cisco Bay. Within its area of jurisdiction, could undergo dramatic changes. Such parcels of the Estuary as an activity center. BCDC insures that development is consistent include those associated with the Produce Mar- with the San Francisco Bay Plan and the San ket in the Jack London District, Fifth Avenue Within Oakland, the reuse of the Oakland Francisco Bay Area Seaport Plan. Addition- Point, and Tidewater Business Park. Army Base provides an opportunity to con- ally, BCDC reviews and has permit authority solidate maritime activities away from the In- over all individual waterfront projects that are TRENDS IN MILITARY USE ner Harbor into the Outer Harbor. Currently, developed within the Shoreline Band, to in- OF THE SHORELINE significant portions of the Estuary area are used sure that they maximize public access to the for maritime support: (e.g. truck and container Bay and minimize the amount of bay fill that From a regional perspective, several current storage, break-bulk cargo handling, and port- is used. trends will help to shape the future of the Es- related operations). Locating these activities in tuary. Perhaps the most significant of these is areas such as the former army base could not In addition, other large public property own- the changing status of military lands. For over only improve efficiency of operations, but also ers within the Estuary area will play a role in 50 years, much of the shoreline in the Bay free up the Estuary shoreline for a variety of the implementation of this Plan. They in- Area has been occupied by military uses estab- uses beneficial to surrounding neighborhoods. clude Alameda County, the East Bay Munici- lished at the onset of World War II. Recent pal Utility District (EBMUD), the East Bay downsizing of the armed services has brought Regional Park District (EBRPD), and a myriad about the closure of many bases, amounting of state agencies with specific functional man-

Section I: Background 15 16 Oakland Estuary Policy Plan Section I: Background 17 As a protected water space, it is one of the most tion of the Jack London Cinema and Yoshi’s attractive sites within the Bay Region for wa- jazz club to the existing restaurants has also EMERGING ROLES FOR THE ter-oriented sports, particularly boating. Sail- contributed greatly to the attractiveness of the ESTUARY SHORELINE ing has an established presence in the estuary, area as an entertainment destination in the East which has become the largest single focus of Bay. Changes in military lands, transportation recreational boating in the Bay Area. There is a technology, and the economy of the city pro- long-established tradition of rowing, canoeing Traditional industry, warehousing and gen- vide the opportunity to transform the declin- and kayaking, all of which are well suited to eral commercial uses continue to play an im- ing industrial waterfront into one of the city’s the calm, smooth waters of the area. portant part in maintaining the role of the most vibrant and valuable assets. Already, a Estuary as a place of employment. number of new roles for the Estuary have be- Throughout the Estuary area, urban pioneer- gun to emerge. They form the fundamental ing is underway, with the introduction of work/ Both traditional and emerging roles for the building blocks for the creation of an urban live and artist studio spaces into mature indus- estuary area could be further reinforced as trans- waterfront which accommodates diverse ac- trial and commercial districts. New neighbor- portation projects are undertaken. The projects tivities, and which is physically accessible to hoods are being established, and existing neigh- will create a stronger link between the water- residents and visitors. borhoods are expanding and diversifying. New front and the surrounding city. Recent rail- uses are occupying older buildings, forming road consolidations resulted in the removal of The Estuary area is a unique environment idiosyncratic combinations within distinctive one set of tracks that transverse the Estuary which intrinsically lends itself to active and districts. shoreline. Seismic improvements planned for passive recreation. The shoreline offers op- the I-880 freeway by Caltrans offer the po- portunities for a wide variety of water-ori- Adjacent to downtown, the Jack London Dis- tential to modify existing interchanges and ented recreational activities, including fishing, trict is evolving into a citywide and regional provide greater access to the waterfront. viewing, sitting, bicycling, jogging, walking, center for urban recreational pursuits, includ- and birdwatching. The Bay Trail and the ing dining, shopping and entertainment. Finally, public access improvements planned MLK Regional Shoreline, in the southern by the Port and City, in conjunction with the portion of the estuary, contribute greatly to Through the concerted efforts of the Port of City of Alameda, will result in new opportu- the emerging role of the Estuary as a place Oakland, Jack London Square has also become nities for pedestrian and bicycle movement for recreation and open space. the city’s primary venue for celebrations, pa- along the shoreline. rades, races, and major events. The recent addi-

18 Oakland Estuary Policy Plan This is a unique moment in time for Oakland’s waterfront. Guided by a long-range plan and goal for sustainability, livability, and accessibility, revitalization of the waterfront can occur, and the Estuary can become an attractive amenity that adds to the identity and overall livability of the city as a whole.

Section I: Background 19 20 Oakland Estuary Policy Plan