Community

Residents of Lakeshore High-Rise, Take City to Task Over Noise, Threats, Dangerous Activities by Lake Merritt

Published

4 years ago

August 28, 2020

A jogger exercises around Lake Merritt by 1200 Lakeshore. Photo: © Photo Frederic Neema/ Octamedia.

Sideshows, blaring music, all-night parties and garbage accumulation have become a daily occurrence at Lake Merritt just outside 1200 Lakeshore Ave., the large lakefront high-rise.

More than 60 residents of the embattled building met with City Councilmember, Nikki Fortunato-Bas and key staff members from the city to voice their frustrations with these pervasive issues that have been plaguing residents for years and have only increased with COVID-19.

Residents recount stories of frequent dangerous sideshows in the cul-de-sac in front of their building, late-night loud music, trash from all-night parties and drug use and prostitution. Residents reported being physically threatened when they asked people to curtail their disruptive activities.

Residents said that they have been meeting with Bas and her predecessor for years about these festering issues, but nothing is ever done.

“Even on the 18^th floor, the loud music is a stress. It happens day and night. I’ve been threatened and chased. I’ve almost been hit by a sideshow car. If you can’t solve the problem you don’t get my vote,” said resident Darren Kitchen to Bas.

To make matters worse, the Oakland Police Dept.’s response has been stifled. “A call for disturbance, where no one is hurt gets pushed to the bottom and may or may not be handled by an officer,” said Sgt. Kim, who is assigned to police the neighborhood surrounding the building.

“My quality of life has gone down significantly,” said Andrew Zacks, an attorney living at 1200 Lakeshore. “I’m a taxpayer. I don’t think that it is unreasonable to ask the city to enforce existing laws. People have a right to access the lake, but they don’t have a right to affect the quality of life (of others). I’m not sleeping well. My family is not sleeping well. These are reasonable concerns.”

Fed up with the city’s inaction, the building owners engaged consultant Greg McConnell to help them find solutions to their problems with the city.

Speaking about the sideshows and doughnuts, McConnell said “the city ought to deal with this as if it’s a health and life-threatening emergency for residents of this building. What happens if an elderly person gets hit (by a car)? There would be injuries and lawsuits. Let’s not talk about what we can’t do, but what you can do to fix this problem now.”

“We have discussed all of these issues before,” said building resident June Fasion. “Nikki, you took detailed notes. This call has been going on for an hour and I have learned nothing new. I thought this meeting would be about where we are…. We are talking about the same thing over again.”

“I know activities around the lake are challenging,” said Bas. “There are challenges to strict enforcement. We are talking about changing people’s behavior.”

After residents re-iterated their concerns and pressed city officials for action for two hours, Joe DeVries of the city administrator’s office promised to cut through the bureaucratic red-tape and fast-track the installation of speed bumps on the cul-de-sac to inhibit side-shows in front of the building.

“These issues are affecting us all,” said building resident Elnora Tena Webb. “I just want you to get to the point. I don’t want to know the process. Humbly speaking, I’m less impressed with the meetings but more impressed with action.”

The high note of the meeting was that speed bumps will be installed, but most people felt the major issue of late-night noise, parties and disruption remain without clear steps toward resolution was not adequately addressed. Bas agree that further steps will be taken, but most residents remain skeptical.

Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

Posts by Michelle Snider | Website

Up Next

Opinion – SB 98 Sows Chaos When Students, Families and Educators Deserve Support

Don't Miss

Black Chamber of Commerce Resiliency Relief Program Helps Chef Leilani Baugh

Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of December 18 – 24, 2024

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

City of Oakland Celebrates Reopening of Main Library

“Libraries are such critical facilities for all Oaklanders, whether it’s children coming to story-time, adults reading the newspapers or borrowing the latest novels, and people engaging with a range of services and programs that the library hosts,” said Council President and District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas. “Such library services and programs are only possible when the facility’s electricity, heating, roof, and lighting are fixed and running efficiently. I’m proud to join this re-opening of our Main Public Library.”

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Left to Right- Jamie Turbak, Director of Library Services, LaTonda Simmons, Assistant City Administrator, Nikki Bas, President Oakland City Council, Shen Thao, Mayor of Oakland, Carroll Fife, Oakland City Councilmember District 3, Harold Duffey, Assistant City Administrator, Sean Maher, Projects Coordinator. Photo by Kevin Hicks.

The branch had been closed since May for critical infrastructure upgrades

Special to the Post

The City of Oakland leadership and community partners gathered to celebrate the reopening of the Main Library after completion of critical infrastructure upgrades to enhance the library’s facilities and provide a better experience for patrons.

Renovations include new roof installation, skylight repair, critical electrical system upgrades, new boiler control system installation, auditorium heating and cooling system installation, and improvements to lighting, flooring and ceilings throughout the building.

“This is truly something to celebrate, the reopening of our wonderful Main Library! I congratulate the staff and our partners for this important project to make the Main Library a more comfortable place for everyone for years to come, said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. “Thank you to Oakland voters and the California State Library for making these crucial improvements possible.”

“Public libraries are a wonderful resource for our residents, offering a safe space for learning and being,” said District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife. “It is critical to improve and modernize our libraries so more members of our community can utilize and enjoy them. I’m excited that the necessary renovations to the Main Library have been completed successfully and thank everyone involved, particularly the City team, who helped secured the necessary grant funds for this work.”

“I am proud of the City staff and project partners who kept this important project on schedule and under budget,” said Assistant City Administrator G. Harold Duffey. “The library is an incredibly important resource for our community members, and this project is an investment into the library’s future.”

“December 2nd was a momentous occasion for Oakland Public Library as we proudly reopened the doors of the Main Library following extensive infrastructure repairs,” said Director of Library Services Jamie Turbak. “Closing the Main Library for six months was no easy decision, as it serves as the central hub for our library system and is truly the heart of Oakland. Yet, this renovation was essential, representing more than just physical upgrades—it reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safe, welcoming space for everyone.”

The City Administrator Jestin Johnson also attended the press conference and signalled his support for the completion of the record-setting completion of the renovations. Gay Plair Cobb, a newly appointed Library Commissioner said the Library represents the soul and brains of our community.

The Oakland Public Library secured funding for these crititcal repairs through a variety of sources. The California State Library’s Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program awarded the Main Branch $4.2 million. To comply with the grant terms, the City of Oakland provided matching funds through Measures KK, as approved by the Oakland City Council in October 2023.

The Main Library will host an Open House to celebrate the reopening on February 22, 2025, 10 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

About the Oakland Public Library

The Oakland Public Library is a part of the City of Oakland in California and has been in existence since 1878. Locations include 16 neighborhood branches, a Main Library, a Second Start Adult Literacy Program, the Oakland Tool Lending Library, and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO). The Oakland Public Library empowers all people to explore, connect, and grow. Oaklandlibrary.org

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Biden’s Legacy Secured with Record-Setting Black Judicial Appointments

His record surpasses previous efforts by his predecessors. President Jimmy Carter appointed 37 Black judges, including seven Black women. In stark contrast, Donald Trump’s first term resulted in only two Black women appointed out of 234 lifetime judicial nominations. The White House said Biden’s efforts show a broader commitment to racial equity and justice.

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Oakland Post

iStockphoto.

By Stacy M. Brown
WI Senior Writer

President Joe Biden’s commitment to diversifying the federal judiciary has culminated in a historic achievement: appointing 40 Black women to lifetime judgeships, the most of any president in U.S. history.

Biden has appointed 62 Black judges, cementing his presidency as one focused on promoting equity and representation on the federal bench.

The White House said Biden’s efforts show a broader commitment to racial equity and justice.

Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to dismantle key civil rights protections, including the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“Having the Black woman’s experience on the federal bench is extremely important because there is a different kind of voice that can come from the Black female from the bench,” Delores Jones-Brown, professor emeritus at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told reporters.

Lena Zwarensteyn of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights told reporters that these district court judges are often the first and sometimes the final arbiters in cases affecting healthcare access, education equity, fair hiring practices, and voting rights.

“Those decisions are often the very final decisions because very few cases actually get heard by the U.S. Supreme Court,” Zwarensteyn explained.

Biden’s nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court further reflects his commitment to judicial diversity. Jackson became the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court.

Patrick McNeil, spokesperson for the Leadership Conference, pointed out that over half of Biden’s Black female judicial appointees have backgrounds as civil rights attorneys and public defenders, experience advocates consider essential for a balanced judiciary.

Meanwhile, Congress remains divided over the expansion of federal judgeships. Legislation to add 66 new judgeships—approved unanimously by the Senate in August—stalled in the GOP-controlled House until after the election. House Republicans proposed distributing the new judgeships over the next decade, giving three administrations a say in appointments. President Biden, however, signaled he would veto the bill if it reached his desk.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., argued the delay was a strategic move to benefit Trump’s potential return to office. “Donald Trump has made clear that he intends to expand the power of the presidency and giving him 25 new judges to appoint gives him one more tool at his disposal,” Nadler said.