April 19, 1999
Mr. Steve Solomon, Environmental Officer Department of Planning and Development City of Berkeley 2120 Milvia Street Berkeley, CA 94704 Re: 1301 Oxford Dear Mr. Solomon:
It has come to the attention of the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association, a community group dedicated to preserving and restoring Berkeley's historic pathway system, that Congregation Beth El, at 1301 Oxford Street, wants to erect a seven-foot stucco fence along the northern edge of the property that abuts the Oxford-Spruce section of Berryman Path. We believe that a high solid fence would result in degrading this path to a tunnel-like experience for path walkers.
On APR 19, 1999, the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association wrote urging that the present six-foot chain-link cyclone fence be removed. I quote the third paragraph of that letter: "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."
After recently measuring this section of Berryman Path, we find the path corridor, which is supposed to be 20 feet wide is only 12 or 13 feet wide (the path bends a bit). The 7 or 8 feet that belong to the City of Berkeley have been mistakenly included in the Beth El plot. We recommend the following:
Sincerely,
Jacque Ensign, Chair