New Major Housing Project Close To San Leandro BART Station Approved

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A new 687-unit apartment complex planned for 899 Alvarado Street came before the San Leandro Planning and Board of Zoning Adjustments Commission for review last night. The Commissioners unanimously approved 899 Alvarado, which is a short walk to the San Leandro BART station and constitutes the city's largest transit oriented housing development ever.
The 899 Alvarado project consists of the largest remaining (mainly) vacant property in Downtown San Leandro. It is behind the FH Dailey car dealership on Davis Street and bound on the west by the Union Pacific Railroad track and on the east by an office building owned by Wells Fargo. This project is precisely why the City adopted a Transit Oriented Development Strategy in 2007 to promote walking, biking and use of public transit in our downtown. 899 Alvarado complies with the city zoning code on density, height and parking requirements. Only one person spoke in opposition, an attorney representing four building trades unions that are threatening to stop project due to an environmental objection that made no sense and even though multiple environmental reports have been done covering the area. Plus the developer has union general contractor, signed a deal with carpenter's union for their labor on project & is negotiating with other building trades. Fortunately, the City Commissioners refused to stop project based on the objection. Finally, some may ask why I support 899 Alvarado but opposed the Tom Silva project at 1388 Bancroft Avenue. I support new transit oriented housing in San Leandro built in compliance with our zoning code. 899 Alvarado falls within the transit oriented development zone and complies with the zoning code; the Silva project doesn't meet either standard. If Silva would present a project that complies with the zoning code (or was at least closer to its provisions), I would support it.

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