Statement on the Proposed Development at the Rockridge Trader Joe’s
Like I lot of people in the neighborhood, I had heard vague rumors about the project, but just got my first heads-up about the details on Wednesday morning, when the developer called me after he filed his paperwork and just as the article in the Chronicle was hitting the internet.
It's definitely a significant project: two big buildings, a lot of new senior housing units, and it involves the loss of a supermarket that we all value and use frequently. I love living in Rockridge and am very much in favor of us adding a lot of new housing so that others can have the same privilege, but even I said “oh wow” when I heard the details of the project.
There is a lot of opposition to this project, but it’s important to understand that the process is a little more complicated than people might hope. As I made clear to folks concerned with a similar senior project at 6230 Claremont, there is only so much that we as a city can do in this case. Please don’t read that as my acquiescence, but we need to understand what we’re dealing with. New state laws have given us a series of mandatory rules, particularly around height and density, that we are legally required to follow. This project is being considered under the rules laid out in Senate Bill 330, which was passed in 2019, and which developers are just starting to take advantage of. This bill awards projects “density bonuses” based on their proximity to mass transit, among other things. So what was a political process even just a few years ago is now much more in the hands of the city attorneys and planning staff. There has not been any vote, legislation, or permission given for this project by the Council.
What I can do, and what I am doing, is working with our City Departments and the City Attorney to better understand the proposal, the timelines, and where we as a City can make suggestions or requests. If there are aspects of the proposal that violate City or State law, I will not be afraid to point them out. It's crucial to me that we not cut corners or let the developers have any freebies or giveaways that they are not entitled to by law. If there is a way to save or relocate the Trader Joe's—which there may or may not be—I will help find it. If there is room to negotiate with the developer on things that are of importance to constituents, I will endeavor to undertake those negotiations.
I will also do everything I can to keep people in the loop about developments, about courses of action, and more. I know everyone is concerned and I will be in touch through my newsletter.
--Zac