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District 8 Issues & Updates
Results For The Elmwood Shopping District Survey
The District 8 Office would like to
thank all of you who took the time to complete the Elmwood Shopping District
Survey. We have done a preliminary analysis of the results and we would like
to share them with you to get your feedback. The survey was distributed
through the District 8 newsletter and posted on several websites, reaching
about 1,000 residents and students living in the area surrounding the
Elmwood in Districts 7 and 8. There was high interest in the survey with 330
people responding. The majority of respondents are female, over the age of
55, and live nearby in zip code 94705. The respondents are not a
statistically representative sample of all the people who patronize the
business district. In particular, we feel that younger patrons and regional
shoppers are underrepresented in the survey data. With
this caveat, we believe that the survey results can provide us with useful
information about the shopping habits and preferences as well as opinions
and insights of neighbors of the Elmwood.
Many respondents indicated
that the purpose of their last visit to the Elmwood was to dine at a
restaurant or cafe. Based on the survey, no single restaurant was preferred
by the majority of respondents, rather it appears that the mix of dining
establishments is well rounded and caters to people’s differing tastes. La
Mediterranee and ManPuku were the two most frequented restaurants of our
respondents ages 18 to 34, Gordo Taqueria and Shen Hua were the two most
popular restaurants of respondents ages 35 to 54, and King Yen and A.G.
Ferrari the most frequently visited by respondents ages 55 and older.
There is a large
diversity of retail and service stores in the Elmwood. During a one-month
period Bolfing’s Elmwood Hardware, The Elmwood Stationers, Mrs.
Dalloway’s, U.S. Post Office, and Wells Fargo Bank were the most
frequently patronized stores. We believe that the combination of these
highly patronized establishments and the overall diversity of shops is what
gives the Elmwood its special character.
Survey respondents
overwhelmingly indicated that they preferred locally owned stores over
chains. When asked what types of stores they would like to see added to the
Elmwood a large fraction of the respondents said they would like to see a
grocery store, some form of evening entertainment, and additional
restaurants in the district. In response to the question of what modes of
transportation shoppers most often use to get to the Elmwood, the majority
said that they walk or drive and a small number bike or take public
transportation.
We tried to find out
which other districts compete with the Elmwood for shopping and restaurant
dollars. In response to the question of where people most often eat-out,
Rockridge and Elmwood were the most popular dining destinations, with
Downtown Berkeley and San Francisco quite far behind. Respondents indicated
that they prefer shopping for discretionary items in Elmwood and San
Francisco, with several other areas, including Fourth Street, Walnut Creek,
Emeryville, and Rockridge close behind.
Parking and traffic are
issues of concern for shoppers, residents, and merchants of the Elmwood. The
results from the survey indicate some general frustration with the current
parking and traffic conditions in the shopping district. According to the
survey results, about half of respondents said that traffic congestion
during peak hours deters them from shopping in the Elmwood. Additionally,
about fifty percent of respondents do not think that there is adequate
parking in the Elmwood while only twenty-five percent feel that the current
parking situation is satisfactory.
If you are unable to access this information online, please
participate by contacting us via email (KKirkpatrick@ci.berkeley.ca.us),
telephone (510) 981-7180, or TDD (510) 981-6903.
Documents in .pdf format
require Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing. Download a free copy from
Adobe's website at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
We encourage you to
review the results of the entire survey at the following link: Elmwood Survey Results.pdf
We have also created a PowerPoint presentation with this material: Elmwood
Survey Presentation.pdf
This is a preliminary
analysis of the results and we are interested in hearing your impressions
and interpretations. Your suggestions and thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Please send your thoughts to Kelly Kirkpatrick at KKirkpatrick@ci.berkeley.ca.us.
Community Choice Aggregation (CCA)
Berkeley, along with other local governments, is considering creating a
CCA to provide electricity and power to residents, as an alternative to
PG&E. The following report, gives an overview of the this issue,
including the history, legislation and potential benefits to the community. community choice aggregation.pdf
Crime Statistics
The auto theft rate in Berkeley is 50% higher
than the auto theft rate in Alameda County and 100% higher than the rate
in California. Recently,
Vincent Casalaina, a resident in District 8, put forth an innovative
proposal (see attachment) for reducing auto theft in Berkeley. AutoTheft.pdf
The City Council has directed the City Manager
to provide quarterly reports on crime in Berkeley, including comparisons of
Berkeley's crime rate to other jurisdictions in the Bay Area. The most
recent report came out on February 21, 2006
Quarterly
Report
In addition, the Police Department has new crime view
software available on the web, allowing users to see reported crime data by
address, beat area or district. Information is updated daily and users can
choose which crime types they would like to view for a period of up to 180
days. Once the maps are created, the user can find more specific information
about an individual incident by placing the cursor over the event marker.
There is also an on-line tutorial about how to use the software.
Crime
View Website
Housing Trends
How has the cost of housing in Berkeley changed over the last
four years? In order to answer this question, Gordon has analyzed data from
the US Census 1960-2000, the Berkeley Rent Board and Cal Rentals.
HousingTrendsPDF.pdf Council Member
Wozniak's presentation to the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, January 9, 2006.
Berkeley's Recycling Program
On March 22, 2005, Berkeley's city council unanimously approved a zero
waste resolution - one of the first in the nation. The resolution officially
adopts a 75 percent waste reduction goal for 2010 and establishes a zero
waste goal for 2020. You can read more about the zero waste program at the
Ecology Center's newsletter newsletter.pdf or
at their website www.ecologycenter.org.
To learn what happens to your recyclables after you set them out on the
curb, we have created a virtual tour of the recycling center
located on Gilman and 2nd st. RecyclingCenterPDF.pdf
RFID Technology and the City of Berkeley
Since 2000, the City of Berkeley has used RFID
technology. These systems include: the employee ID badge, worn by all city
employees; tags used to identify cats and dogs at Berkeley animals shelters;
and most recently the self-check out machines at the Berkeley Public
Library.
If you would like to learn more about the science behind RFID, and how it
relates to public health, please click on the link below.
RFID and the City of Berkeley.pdf:
Council Member Wozniak's presentation to the City of Berkeley Health
Commission, October 20, 2005.
Instant Run Off Voting (IRV)
IRV is a system of voting which
combines the runoff with the general election to determine a
"majority" winner. It allows every voter to rank their choices for
all or some number of candidates for the position. During the summer
of 2005, intern Alex Hobel researched instant run off voting, specifically
analyzing its use in San Francisco's November 2004 election.
InstantRunOffVoting.pdf
Berkeley Tax Calculator: (Update for the
2005/06 year coming soon)
Note: Your total may not be the same as your current bill because the
refuse collection fees differ between districts.
Other slight differences may cause the same problems, but it should be
within a few dollars. The lot size and square footage
are calculated by the program after you enter the first 3 items.
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current data listed is for the average assessed Berkeley property. To
determine your 2003/04 property tax bill & to see what the new tax
bill will be, enter the data from your current tax bill.
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ENTRIES
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| 1. Enter total assessed value = |
$650,000 |
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| 2. Enter Clean Storm Water = |
$33.70 |
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| 3. City Library SVC in $ = |
$245.48 |
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| 4.
Size of garbage
can in gallons |
32 |
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| 5.
City St Lighting (Yes =1, No =0) |
1 |
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| ENTER |
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| 1. Ave monthly gas +electric bill= |
$150 |
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| 2.
Average monthly
phone bill= |
$50 |
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| 3.
Average monthly cable bill |
$45 |
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| Calculated values |
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| lot size (ft2) |
3,700 |
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| bldg size (ft2) |
1,900 |
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| Tax Years |
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FY2003/04 |
FY2004/05 |
FY2005/06 |
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| Total
taxes (no new tax, automatic inflators) |
$9,446 |
$9,705 |
$9,903 |
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| Proposed
New Taxes (COB, BUSD & BART) |
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$0 |
$396 |
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| Total Property Taxes |
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$9,446 |
$9,705 |
$10,299 |
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| COB Sewer Service |
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$240 |
$240 |
$240 |
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| Utility Users Tax
Rate |
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7.50% |
7.50% |
9.00% |
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| Utility Users Tax |
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$221 |
$227 |
$280 |
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| Grand Total Taxes |
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$9,907 |
$10,171 |
$10,820 |
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| Percentage Increase |
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2.7% |
6.4% |
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($) |
% |
| automatic
inflators + previously approved bonds |
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$199 |
30.7% |
| proposed
Library tax (COB) - Nov04 |
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$41 |
6.4% |
| proposed
new Emergency Medical Services tax (COB) - Nov04 |
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$29 |
4.5% |
| proposed
new school tax (BUSD) - Nov04 |
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$184 |
28.4% |
| proposed
BART quake retrofit bond - Nov04 |
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$47 |
7.3% |
| proposed
East Bay Regional Parks tax - Nov04 |
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$70 |
10.8% |
| proposed
AC Transit Measure BB |
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$24 |
3.7% |
| proposed
utility users tax increase - Nov04 |
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$53 |
8.2% |
| Total New Taxes
(FY2005/06) |
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$648 |
100.0% |
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