PH BART Transit Village - 200+ additional rentals proposal - Public meeting 12/8/2014

Post date: Dec 17, 2014 10:15:4 PM

Here are the final minutes from the meeting. The reaction from those I’ve heard from, and everyone from the community at the meeting – between 30 and 35 folks – is universally opposed to further rentals being built on the Transit Village site. I thank Supervisor Mitchoff for coming and sharing new information regarding BARTs position in the matter.  

It seems to us on the Walden board that BART needs to fulfill the promises it made, considering the transit village project as a whole, not in pieces.  A mixed use project does not maximize return in every component, and the purpose is to create a community-centric solution, not a simple for-profit focused collection of elements.  The power to make this work economically is in their hands as the land owners.  I would further propose that the decision to build be delayed until condos are economically feasible, should BART not be willing to lower the cost of the land.  Last, the news that BART now is recommending a 99 year lease may be highly problematic – and definitely is not what was promised as part of the full Transit Village plan.  The agreement to sell the land was and is in our opinion a key part of the agreement to create a world class mixed use project of this type.  

Our thanks to Brian Amador for again making available a meeting space for us to gather at the Renaissance Sport Club, and to Mary Taboloff at John Muir property management for allowing our neighbors to park there for the meeting.