Claremont Hotel Expansion

100 New Hotel Rooms and a Parking Deck

The Claremont Hotel is seeking permission from the City of Oakland to add 100 rooms to it's present site, as well as additional parking space for an unspecified number of cars. The new building would be behind the Berkelely Tennis Club's tennis courts, off Tunnel Rd. They also want to build a second floor parking deck above the lot off Domingo Rd. This affects both neighbors and commuters, who will face congestion and a longer commute time.

Or Is It 90 Rooms and 45 Parking Spaces?

According to Chip Johnson's column [San Francisco Chronicle, East Bay Edition, Thurs., 4/13/00] The Claremont wants to add 90 rooms and 45 parking spaces. KSL Recreation Corp. owns The Claremont and myriad other resorts and properties throughout the country. KSL is also making a multimillion dollar deal to develop and operate the Chabot Golf Course which is owned by the city of Oakland. According to Johnson, city manager Robert Bobb and other officials worked with homeowner groups and golfers to resolve issues. In response, KSL scaled back its proposed fee increases for Oakland residents. The community spoke up and was heard. Perhaps the same thing can happen with The Claremont's proposed expansion.

No, It's 165 New Rooms and 400 Parking Spaces

In last night's meeting at the Claremont, Ted Axe, the Claremont's general manager, admitted he wanted to add 165 new rooms, possibly including time shares and a 3 level parking facility. Construction would take place over the next 5 to 10 years. Axe did not wanted to be quoted and repeatedly insisted that everything was in the beginning stages. He said he is looking at maximum development of 22 acres and maximum profits for KSL. Axe said there would be minimal impact on traffic, views, and the neighborhood. After all, the Claremont wants to be a good neighbor. [Full details of the open meeting will be added to the website later this week.]

Recent Expansions

The Claremont is known for its beautiful trees and landscaping. It has expanded many times over its long history, adding buildings and parking lots, decreasing its trees and gardens. In 1997 the Claremont built a 6 million dollar wing, with 40 deluxe rooms. This brought the total number of guest rooms up to 279. They also significantly increased the size of the spa and health club area. [Information from the Claremont's website.]

The New Traffic Signal

In 1999 KSL had the state widen Tunnel Rd. and add a stop light. This halved the number of parking spaces in the employee parking lot. The solution? People now park along the red curb on the Claremont's private road. This restricts access for emergency vehicles, especially fire trucks.

During the road work, a row of mature shade trees and a large area of shrubbery and landscaping were destroyed. To date, the area has not replanted. While pedestrians feel safer with the traffic signal, a previously pleasant walk is now hot and unpleasant. The sun glares off the roofs of cars in the parking lot (previously screened by shrubbery). There is nothing but dirt and gravel on the ground. There is no shade. This is called an urban heat island.

Plants and trees are aesthetically pleasing. More importantly, they reduce pollution, lower the temperature in the summer, and emit oxygen. Each mature shade tree gave enough oxygen for a family of four.* At this point, we do not know how many trees or how much landscaping KSL intends to remove in its next expansion.

*Information on trees and urban heat islands from The San Francisco Examiner, East Bay Edition, Thurs. 4/13/00.

Community Meeting May 6

The City of Oakland is airing the issue in an informal meeting with Jane Brunner and Robert Bobb, Oakland City Manager, on:

Sat., May 6
10 am-12 noon
Peralta Elementary School
460 63rd St. (near Alcatraz)

Contacts

If you would like more information now contact:

Ted Axe, Vice President and General Manager of the Claremont, 843-3023 41 Tunnel Rd. Berkeley, CA 94705 [email protected]
Willie Yee, head of zoning in building department, Oakland, and the one who will ultimately approve or disapprove the permit, 238-6285
Claudia Capio, Community and Economic Development, handling the Claremont's proposed expansion for Willie Yee, 238-2229
Jane Brunner, City Council Member district 1 Oakland, 238-7001 [email protected] om
North Hills Phoenix Association, excellent source of links and information for Oakland residents and anyone concerned about fire safety or the state of the Oakland/Berkeley Hills, North Hills Phoenix Association
David Kessler, Vicente Canyon Neighborhood Assoc, dkessler@librar y.berkeley.edu
Polly Armstrong, City Council Member district 8 Berkeley, 644-6401 [email protected] keley.ca.us

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This page was last updated on April 26, 2000

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