Bay Area

Final Environmental Impact Report Released for Possible New A’s Stadium Ballpark

“Releasing the final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) is a major milestone on our path to build a new waterfront ballpark district that will create up to 18 acres of beautiful public parks, more affordable housing, and good jobs for Oaklanders,” Mayor Schaaf said in a statement. “The 3,500-page document is thorough and exhaustive, and it ensures that the project is environmentally safe and sustainable,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf.

Published

3 years ago

December 26, 2021

Oakland Post

Rendering of proposed A's stadium at Howard Terminal. Image courtesy of UC Berkeley.

Draft Report not amended to address community concerns, short timeline means minimal public input

By Keith Burbank, Bay City News and the Post News Group staff

Oakland officials have released a final environmental impact report for the A’s proposed new stadium and development at Howard Terminal, a process with a short timeline over the holidays allowing only for minimal public comment.

The report is required by the California Environmental Quality Act and analyzes potential effects of the project on the surrounding environment.

The timing of the release of the port was of concern to many. It was released on Friday, a week before Christmas, and goes to the Planning Commission mid-January, a small window of time during a busy time of year for the public to read and comment on the report.

Further, the final report does not include any significant changes to the draft version, which means it was not amended to consider more than 400 comments made on the draft version. However, city staff did respond to each comment.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, a strong supporter of Oakland A’s owner John Fisher’s stadium deal, was enthusiastic about the report.

The mayor said the report’s timing keeps the city on track to bring about the final vote to the city council in 2022, bringing the city “one step close to keeping our beloved A’s rooted in Oakland.”

Others were less enthusiastic. The East Oakland Stadium Alliance and port business leaders are raising concerns and urging caution.

“During the Draft EIR (Environmental Impact Report) phase, our coalition and others submitted detailed comments regarding the need for the city to revise and recirculate the Draft EIR, which was inadequate on numerous fronts, but it appears the city has chosen to ignore these requests and refused to re-circulate,” Mike Jacob, Vice President and General Counsel of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association in a press release from the East Oakland Stadium Alliance.

Jacob also said that the timing of the report, released just before the holidays, reads like the city playing “hard-ball” with the community. “Port stakeholders are working around the clock to keep goods moving during an unprecedented supply chain crisis and community advocates are focusing on issues like feeding and housing those in need,” he said.

Jacobs also decried the city’s lack of progress on Seaport Compatibility Measures or a Community Benefits Agreement, despite the challenges he says the project presents for the maritime and West Oakland communities. “Until these items are presented to the public for review, in addition to a thoroughly vetted financial plan, the City and County cannot in good faith make judgments about whether this project is worth the numerous costs to our taxpayers and community,” he said.

“We ultimately anticipate the FEIR will confirm what we already know: the A’s and the City are simply not interested in funding the significant investments necessary to prevent this project’s disruption to the Port of Oakland’s supply chain or address its significant negative impacts to West Oakland and the environment.”

A’s president Dave Kaval also called the release of the report a milestone, one that is three years in the making. But the team needs a decision from the elected officials in Oakland as soon as possible, he said.

Keeping the pressure on Oakland, the A’s are also still considering moving the team to Las Vegas, paving paths for the team in both cities. He said there is momentum on both paths.

Kaval said the A’s are in the final stages of selecting a potential site in Las Vegas, which he thinks will be announced in the next month or so.

City officials will recommend to the Oakland Planning Commission that it certify the report and send it to the city council for approval.

City officials and the A’s are now negotiating the final agreements. The Planning Commission will take up the city’s recommendation on Jan. 19, and the city council may vote on the report in February, which, if approved, would complete the environmental review process.

This article is by Keith Burbank, Bay City News, and the Post News Group staff.

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Asm. Corey Jackson Proposes Safe Parking for Homeless College Students Sleeping in Cars

Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), is the author of AB 90, which would require community colleges and California State University campuses to create overnight parking programs where students can sleep safely in their vehicles. With one in four community college students in California experiencing homelessness in the past year, Jackson says the state must act urgently.

Published

2 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Corey Jackson. File photo.

By Bo Tefu
California Black Media

As California’s housing crisis continues to impact students, new legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 90, promises to allow college students without stable housing to sleep in their cars on campus, offering a stark but practical solution aimed at immediate relief.

“This just deals with the harsh realities that we find ourselves in,” he said at a recent hearing.

The bill passed its first committee vote and is gaining attention as housing affordability remains a top concern across the state. California rents are more than 30% above the national average, and long waitlists for student housing have left thousands in limbo. CSU reported more than 4,000 students on its housing waitlist last year.

Supporters stress that the bill is not a long-term solution, but a humane step toward helping students who have no other place to go. A successful pilot program at Long Beach City College has already shown that safe, supervised overnight parking can work, giving students access to restrooms, Wi-Fi, and a secure environment.

However, the CSU and community college systems oppose the bill, citing funding concerns. Critics also worry about safety and oversight. But Jackson and student advocates argue the crisis demands bold action.

“If we know students are already sleeping in their cars, why not help them do it safely?” said Ivan Hernandez, president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges.

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Faces Around the Bay: Author Karen Lewis Took the ‘Detour to Straight Street’

“My life has been a roller-coaster with an unlimited ride wristband! I was raised in Berkeley during the time of Ron Dellums, the Black Panthers, and People’s Park. I was a Hippie kid, my Auntie cut off all our hair so we could wear the natural styles like her and Angela Davis.

Published

5 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Karen Lewis. Courtesy photo.

By Barbara Fluhrer

I met Karen Lewis on a park bench in Berkeley. She wrote her story on the spot.

I got married young, then ended up getting divorced, raising two boys into men. After my divorce, I had a stroke that left me blind and paralyzed. I was homeless, lost in a fog with blurred vision.

Jesus healed me! I now have two beautiful grandkids. At 61, this age and this stage, I am finally free indeed. Our Lord Jesus Christ saved my soul. I now know how to be still. I lay at his feet. I surrender and just rest. My life and every step on my path have already been ordered. So, I have learned in this life…it’s nice to be nice. No stressing, just blessings. Pray for the best and deal with the rest.

Nobody is perfect, so forgive quickly and love easily!”

Lewis’ book “Detour to Straight Street” is available on Amazon.

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Barbara Lee Accepts Victory With “Responsibility, Humility and Love”

“I accept your choice with a deep sense of responsibility, humility, and love. Oakland is a deeply divided City,” Lee said in an April 19 statement. “I answered the call to run to unite our community, so that I can represent every voter, and we can all work together as One Oakland to solve our most pressing problems.”

Published

5 hours ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Barbara Lee. File photo.

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌,
California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

As a candidate for mayor, former U.S. Representative Barbara Lee released a “10-point plan” last week to reassure residents that she will tackle Oakland’s most pressing challenges.

Now that she has edged out her competitors in the ranked-choice special election with 50% or more of the vote, the former Congresswoman, who represented parts of the Bay Area in the U.S. House of Representatives, can put her vision in motion as the city’s first Black woman mayor.

On Saturday evening, Taylor conceded to Lee. There are still about 300 Vote-by-Mail ballots left to be verified, according to county election officials. The ballots will be processed on April 21 and April 22.

“This morning, I called Congresswoman Barbara Lee to congratulate her on becoming the next Mayor of Oakland,” Taylor said in a statement.

“I pray that Mayor-Elect Lee fulfills her commitment to unify Oakland by authentically engaging the 47% of Oaklanders who voted for me and who want pragmatic, results-driven leadership.”

The influential Oakland Post endorsed Lee’s campaign, commending her leadership on the local, state, and federal levels.

Paul Cobb, The Post’s publisher, told California Black Media that Lee will bring back “respect and accountability” to the mayor’s office.

“She is going to be a collegial leader drawing on the advice of community nonprofit organizations and those who have experience in dealing with various issues,” Cobb said. “She’s going to try to do a consensus-building thing among those who know the present problems that face the city.”

Born in El Paso, Texas, Lee’s family moved to California while she was in high school. At 20 years old, Lee divorced her husband after the birth of her first child. After the split, Lee went through a tough period, becoming homeless and having to apply for public assistance to make ends meet.

But destitution did not deter the young woman.

Lee groomed herself to become an activist and advocate in Oakland and committed to standing up for the most vulnerable citizens in her community.

Lee traveled to Washington, D.C. to work for then U.S. Congressman Ron Dellums after receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mills College in Oakland in 1973. Lee later won a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) fellowship to attend the School of Social Welfare, and she earned a Master of Social Work from the University of California-Berkeley in 1975.

Lee later served in the California State Assembly and State Senate before she was elected to Congress in 1998.

After serving in the U.S. Congress for more than 25 years, Lee ran unsuccessfully for California’s U.S. Senate in the 2024 primary election.

Lee joins current Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass and former San Francisco Mayor London Breed as Black women serving as chief executives of major cities in California over the last few years.