City planning staff has initiated a Zoning Study for the perimeter of Lake Merritt at the request of Councilmembers Nancy Nadel (D-3) and Pat Kernighan (D-2).   The purpose of the study is to refine the existing development guidelines for the area around the Lake.   General guidelines concepts currently exist in the City’s General Plan and Lake Merritt Master Plan, but the Councilmembers thought that more specificity would help ensure that future development enhances, rather than detracts from, the unique open space and recreational areas around Lake Merritt.

As we develop updated zoning for our General Plan, we want to learn about and use all of the tools accessible to us to address issues including: access to sunlight, excessive shadows or wind, protection of important views to and from the Lake, compatibility with the visual character of existing neighborhoods surrounding the Lake, protection of historic resources around the Lake, among other issues.   Updated zoning would also provide more certainty to potential developers.

To that end, the Zoning Study so far has included two large community meetings. We are soliciting public input via community meetings as well as written comments that can be emailed to Neil Gray in the Planning Department. If you have been unable to attend the community meetings, please email your input to Neil Gray.  City staff will review all public comments and then develop proposed zoning for further community review, and then hearings before the Planning Commission City Council.  The entire process is anticipated to be complete by June 2008.


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