Hotel, Restaurant, Shops and Veterans' Housing May Come to BART's Millbrae Land

BART took steps forward in two proposed development projects at its stations in West Oakland and Millbrae last week.

In West Oakland, the agency's Board of Directors on Thursday extended an exclusive negotiating agreement with a Chinese-led development group to build housing, offices and retail space in the parking lot surrounding the station.

In Millbrae, the board approved an environmental impact report for a plan to build a hotel, restaurant, shops and veterans' housing on BART-owned land surrounding the station.

The West Oakland extension passed the BART Board of Directors unanimously at its meeting Thursday, despite some initial delays in planning the project on the part of the developer.

BART directors Nick Josefowitz and Tom Radulovich had reservations about the Millbrae project because the environmental impact report anticipated there would be increased traffic in the area, but it passed 7-2.

"I feel uncomfortable supporting an EIR that says traffic is an unavoidable impact of development," Josefowitz said.

BART staff said more traffic in the area isn't a certainty, but given the extent of the development, including 60 affordable units for veterans and the new hotel and retail space, more traffic is likely.

While Josefowitz argued that reducing the number of parking spots at the station could help reduce the traffic, Director Rebecca Saltzman said that might not help as the hotel would likely bring traffic from taxis and ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft.

For West Oakland, the board examined renderings that would transform the sprawling parking lot surrounding the station into office and residential buildings as high as nine stories and a retail hub dubbed the "Maker's Bazaar."

Representatives of the developers, a partnership between China Harbor Engineering Company and Oakland-based Strategic Urban Development Alliance, said they came up with the plan after a series of meetings where
they heard the suggestions of West Oakland residents.

China Harbor was granted an exclusive negotiating agreement in 2014 during a contentious meeting where a group of local developers accused BART of choosing the group with greater financial resources over developers with stronger local connections.

Some area residents still resent the construction of the West Oakland station in the first place, which cut through a busy commercial corridor. With this project, BART directors stressed that they were committed
with working with the community.

"These neighbors had made it clear that 40 years ago BART had harmed the neighborhood," Director Joel Keller said. "We have to work with people, not dictate to people."

BART Director Zakhary Mallett, who represents the West Oakland station, said the developers were at first slow to get going on the project but since then he has been impressed by their engagement with the community and recommended they get the extension.

The developers have pledged to have at least 20 percent affordable housing to make sure "displacement is minimized," Mallett said.

The developers' plans to construct buildings as high as 120 feet might not be compatible with the city's strategic plan for the area, but the developers, and some directors, were in favor of trying to push the height
limits.

"If we can get a couple extra stories out of it, we should," Saltzman said. "This site is such a great opportunity, right next to downtown San Francisco, we should really be maximizing it."

Saltzman even objected to the plan for a single-story retail complex along Seventh Street for that reason.

The station's parking lots would be drastically reduced under the plan. The lot is frequently full and under BART's pricing scale, which is based on use, it is by far the most expensive at $8.

But most of those people come from elsewhere to park at the BART station because it's the closest station to San Francisco, according to Mallett. Among West Oakland residents who take BART, 85 percent walk or bike
to the station, he said.

– By Bay City News Service. Image via Shutterstock.