Surveyors on Shattuck

Recently there have been reports of surveyors on Shattuck Avenue, between Vine and Rose streets followed by breathless declamations that this is yet another instance of the 'Plaza Proposal' moving forward despite the 'will of the people.'

Monday morning, April 2, I approached the survey crew and asked them what they were doing. They responded by saying they were from PKF and they are surveying Safeway's property boundaries.

It seems that Safeway has purchased the property it had been leasing for many years. Rumor also has it that Safeway intends to remodel its North Berkeley store, extending the building to the property line along Shattuck Ave. possibly including housing above that location, as the company has proposed for its Albany store on Solano Ave.

Similarly, there are rumors that the Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center plans to add at least two stories of senior housing above it's location on Walnut Street (at Rose).

Lastly, Alan Connolly of Earthly Goods informed me that he has city approval for a 9,000 square foot building in the location (formerly a single-story wine-shop) he owns on Shattuck next to Earthly Goods. If anyone has more information regarding Alan's plans perhaps they could tell us.

Similarly, if anyone has more information regarding the BRJCC's plans, I'm sure we'd all like to know.