April 19, 1999
Mr. Steve Solomon, Environmental Officer Department of Planning and Development City of Berkeley 1720 Milvia Street Berkeley, CA 94704 Re: 1301 Oxford Dear Mr. Solomon:
As a group dedicated to preserving, and restoring the paths of Berkeley, we hope that that Berryman Path will be enhanced rather than degraded by development of 1301 Oxford, the historic Napoleon Bonaparte Byrne site, future home of Congregation Beth El.
Berryman
Path is a beautiful and popular pedestrian corridor through the long combined
1200-1300 blocks of Spruce, Oxford, Walnut, and Shattuck. Among its users are
commuters going to buses and BART, shoppers (particularly older people who no
longer drive) going to North Shattuck stores and downtown, people of all ages
going to Live 0ak Park, and children going to Oxford School, St. Mary Magdalene
School, King Middle School, and other schools via buses on Henry. It also provides
a peaceful, almost level creekside walk for those out to stroll or walk their
dogs.
Berryman Path is unusual in having a 20 foot right of way. (This is the result
of its having been platted as a street, but maintained as a path by petition
of neighbors prior to World War 1.) As part of development of 1301 Oxford, the
cyclone fence that hugs the curved south edge of the asphalt surface should
be removed. This fence cuts off a swath of city-owned property, including a
large oak tree and a handsome area where native plants have been maintained
and restored.
Development also should enhance rather than degrade walkers' experience on the path. Maintaining the green corridor next to Codornices Creek, and making it more attractive with planting and ramps like those on Berryman Path farther west, will encourage both neighborhood residents and Beth El members to walk, helping to mitigate negative effects of increased traffic. Conversely, a degraded path next to a busy driveway and parking lot will discourage walking. The Joint Watershed Goals Statement signed by the cities of Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, and Richmond in 1995 calls for "Restoring creek corridors as natural transportation routes with pedestrian and bicycle paths along creekside greenways." Development at 1301 Oxford presents a wonderful opportunity to carry out this policy.
Sincerely,
Jacque Ensign, Chair