thedrifter
03-04-06, 07:31 AM
OAKLAND
Developer: Oak Knoll site will be 'community'
- Jim Herron Zamora, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, March 4, 2006
Noting that they have "an amazing piece of property," the new owners of a long-defunct Navy hospital sitting on one of the last expanses of undeveloped land in the Oakland hills promised to preserve the site's best features and ensure that any development melds into the neighborhood.
Still, representatives of SunCal Cos. declined during a community meeting Thursday night to offer many specifics about their plan for the former Oak Knoll Naval Hospital, saying they want to hear from residents before releasing an initial plan for the site later this month.
More than 200 people crowded into a conference room at the Oakland Zoo to offer their thoughts about the future of the site just southeast of Interstate 580 and Keller Avenue.
"It's an amazing piece of property, and we intend to treat it that way," said Pat Keliher, project manager. "It's important for you to tell us what you want here."
And while SunCal representatives wouldn't disclose exactly what they plan to do with the land they bought last year for $100 million, they did say they envision a mixed-use community that most likely will include apartments, condominiums, townhouses and high-end homes built with an eye toward pedestrian-friendliness.
"This isn't going to be a project. This isn't going to be a development. This is going to be a community," said Peter Calthorpe, the well-known planner and author SunCal hired to develop its plan.
SunCal also promised to restore Rifle Range Creek, which is partially covered and runs through the site from East Bay Regional Parks land nearby. The company also said it would leave the uppermost ridgeline clear of development and preserve as a "town square" most of a meadow in the center of the property.
Although the site sits on a hillside, most of it is in a small valley along Mountain Boulevard with views of the bay. Some neighbors worry SunCal might reshape the land so more houses have lucrative bay views.
Calthorpe said the developer plans to use the site's natural contours to guide development.
But the biggest concern among those at the meeting was the impact the project would have on traffic and the neighborhood.
"Many of us bought in this area because it's quiet and peaceful," said Carol Kral, who lives several blocks from the site. "This part of Oakland is like a tranquil island that no one else knows about. We like it that way."
Some residents said they are intrigued by the possibility of new retail businesses there, especially a grocery store, because many drive 5 miles to shop.
The developers said they would raze most of the site's 18 buildings, including the hospital built in 1942 to serve Marines and sailors wounded in the Pacific theater of World War II. At its peak, after the bloody battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa in 1945, the hospital housed several thousand patients.
The hospital also served wounded military personnel in the Korean and Vietnam wars.
The Navy closed the hospital in 1996, and its efforts to get rid of the site proved convoluted.
The city of Oakland offered $1.6 million for the site and later raised its offer to $12 million. The federal government rejected the bids and put the land up for auction. In June 2002, the Oakland's Greater St. Paul Baptist Church was the top bidder at $22.5 million. The church made a $2 million down payment but couldn't pay the balance, so the government launched another auction.
SunCal won the auction in November and hopes to present a final plan for the site by May.
"This is the best piece of dirt in Oakland right now as far as development goes," said City Councilman Larry Reid, whose district includes the site. "I really think this project will be part of a new, revitalized East Oakland."
E-mail Jim Zamora at jzamora@sfchronicle.com.
Ellie
Developer: Oak Knoll site will be 'community'
- Jim Herron Zamora, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, March 4, 2006
Noting that they have "an amazing piece of property," the new owners of a long-defunct Navy hospital sitting on one of the last expanses of undeveloped land in the Oakland hills promised to preserve the site's best features and ensure that any development melds into the neighborhood.
Still, representatives of SunCal Cos. declined during a community meeting Thursday night to offer many specifics about their plan for the former Oak Knoll Naval Hospital, saying they want to hear from residents before releasing an initial plan for the site later this month.
More than 200 people crowded into a conference room at the Oakland Zoo to offer their thoughts about the future of the site just southeast of Interstate 580 and Keller Avenue.
"It's an amazing piece of property, and we intend to treat it that way," said Pat Keliher, project manager. "It's important for you to tell us what you want here."
And while SunCal representatives wouldn't disclose exactly what they plan to do with the land they bought last year for $100 million, they did say they envision a mixed-use community that most likely will include apartments, condominiums, townhouses and high-end homes built with an eye toward pedestrian-friendliness.
"This isn't going to be a project. This isn't going to be a development. This is going to be a community," said Peter Calthorpe, the well-known planner and author SunCal hired to develop its plan.
SunCal also promised to restore Rifle Range Creek, which is partially covered and runs through the site from East Bay Regional Parks land nearby. The company also said it would leave the uppermost ridgeline clear of development and preserve as a "town square" most of a meadow in the center of the property.
Although the site sits on a hillside, most of it is in a small valley along Mountain Boulevard with views of the bay. Some neighbors worry SunCal might reshape the land so more houses have lucrative bay views.
Calthorpe said the developer plans to use the site's natural contours to guide development.
But the biggest concern among those at the meeting was the impact the project would have on traffic and the neighborhood.
"Many of us bought in this area because it's quiet and peaceful," said Carol Kral, who lives several blocks from the site. "This part of Oakland is like a tranquil island that no one else knows about. We like it that way."
Some residents said they are intrigued by the possibility of new retail businesses there, especially a grocery store, because many drive 5 miles to shop.
The developers said they would raze most of the site's 18 buildings, including the hospital built in 1942 to serve Marines and sailors wounded in the Pacific theater of World War II. At its peak, after the bloody battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa in 1945, the hospital housed several thousand patients.
The hospital also served wounded military personnel in the Korean and Vietnam wars.
The Navy closed the hospital in 1996, and its efforts to get rid of the site proved convoluted.
The city of Oakland offered $1.6 million for the site and later raised its offer to $12 million. The federal government rejected the bids and put the land up for auction. In June 2002, the Oakland's Greater St. Paul Baptist Church was the top bidder at $22.5 million. The church made a $2 million down payment but couldn't pay the balance, so the government launched another auction.
SunCal won the auction in November and hopes to present a final plan for the site by May.
"This is the best piece of dirt in Oakland right now as far as development goes," said City Councilman Larry Reid, whose district includes the site. "I really think this project will be part of a new, revitalized East Oakland."
E-mail Jim Zamora at jzamora@sfchronicle.com.
Ellie