Polly Armstrong,Berkeley City Council Member for the neighborhood bordering the Claremont Resort, has put the Claremont on the city council's agenda for its next meeting. She will request that the City of Berkeley monitor and review plans for the Claremont Expansion. Armstrong recommends that the Council ask the City Manager to direct staff to review and monitor any plans or permit requests or environmental documents submitted by the Claremont Hotel for their proposed expnsion and inform us of any opportunities that exist for the City to ensure that the impacts on residents are avoided or mitigated.

During the April 26th. meeting at the Claremont, Ted Axe, the Claremont's general manager, admitted he wanted to add 165 new rooms, possibly including timeshares and a 3 level parking facility. This is a 60% increase in the number of guest rooms, adding 3 rooms for every five they have now. At the May 26th. meeting, Axe said he was considering condominiums, not timeshares. Condominiums are residences, not guest rooms. [Previously, the Claremont said it wanted only 90 rooms (see April website).]

Axe said construction would take place over the next 5 to 10 years. Axe said he is looking at maximum development of 22 acres and maximum profits for KSL, which owns the Claremont. Axe said there would be minimal impact on traffic, views, and the neighborhood.

The Claremont's management is hoping to expand the hotel in two phases. The initial phase has begun with 16 million dollars worth of renovations to the main building and a 1.5 million dollar seismic retrofit. Over the summer, the main entrance on Tunnel Rd. will get an entrance monument and median strip. In October the Spa will be moved closer to the proposed 90 rooms. This will also increase the amount of space alloted to the Club. Both the Spa and Club will double in size.

Next would be the 90 room wing built into the hillside. A parking deck would be put where a tennis court is now on the Domingo side (near Peet's), with a new tennis court on top of it. This would be two stories high. During the second phase, a campus-like area with 75 large suites or condominiums would be built. Another pool might be added, according to Axe. Berkeley neighbors say the pool would be covered under the permanent noise injunction they won several years ago. More levels of parking topped with tennis courts would replace the current tennis courts, until all 6 tennis courts would be above a three story parking facility. The Claremont would now have 400 parking spaces. With valet parking, they could park 1500 cars.

At some point, according to Axe, they may put an entrance on Claremont Ave. (there's already an unused curb cut) with a deceleration lane for cars to stack up. Parking places on Claremont Ave. would be eliminated, although anyone who wants to pay what the Claremont charges could park in the new parking garage.

To give a better idea of when all this could take place, we have developed an unofficial timeline based on information from the Claremont and KSL.

This spring and summer is a crucial time for public involvement. The EIR must detail the new construction's effect on the environment. For example, every tree that is removed affects the microclimate, air quality, and wildlife habitat. The Claremont plans to remove a mature grove of pines [ Update: this writer saw approximately 24 very large, mixed conifers, 2 smaller pines with a sickly appearance, and 2 oaks in the area to be developed.], a native oak and a landscape area for its 90 room addition. The arbor area will become a third swimming pool. Axe said the trees would be replaced, (including the mature trees destroyed last summer)but saplings have a different effect on the environment than mature trees.

Earthmovers will be brought in to carve up the hillside below the Terrace Bar. The 90 room wing is planned for the hillside below the hotel and would be connected by elevators. The EIR should detail how this will affect the stability of the hillside and the homes above it.

Earthmovers will also excavate the land under the Claremont's 6 tennis courts. The Claremont proposes a 3 level parking facility beneath new tennis courts, increasing its total number of parking spaces to 400. With valet parking included at no extra charge, the Claremont could have 1500 cars parked at once. This would be a major environmental change and seriously affect our air quality.

First, study the situation yourself. Contact a neighborhood organization, listed in Contacts. If you have questions or concerns, go to our contacts list, or e mail us. If you have an opinion on the matter, write a letter to the editor and again, use our contacts list to contact the Claremont and your local elected officials

Berkeley residents have expressed great frustration, as the Claremont is officially in Oakland. As mentioned earlier, Polly Armstrong is bringing the Claremont up at a Berkeley City Council meeting. You can contact her and/or your neighborhood's city council member. Berkeley residents can also contact Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, who attended Jane Brunner's May 6th. meeting. Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean also attended the meeting. Berkeley residents can attend Jane Brunner's open meetings in North Oakland. They are free to speak and to ask questions at the open meetings. Both Berkeley and Oakland residents can read the EIR, comment on it, and challenge it if necessary.

How do you feel about the Claremont Hotel's proposed expansion? Visit the Yahoo! Claremont Expansion Club

Or go to our message board to express yourself and to see what people in the community are saying.

According to Ted Axe, underground electricity has not been installed for the proposed 90 room wing. Mr. Axe said he never intended to put in 45 parking spaces, as it would not be economically feasible and as they need more than 45 spaces. 45 would be the legal minimum of parking spaces for 90 guest rooms (Oakland zoning calls for 1 parking space per 2 hotel guest rooms). Axe says that the Claremont Draft EIR was not scheduled for June.

This website is a volunteer effort and intended as a public service. Every effort is made to provide accurate information. We encourage you to check facts and figures with the Claremont, KSL, KKR and your local government officials. Any opinions expressed in the message board, guest book, Yahoo! Club, or articles, are not necessarily those of the website owner. Please ask permission before distributing the site and always include this disclaimer. Nothing on this website is intended to defame any individual or corporation.