With the departure of the car dealerships that once populated North Park Street, and the significant sales tax revenue they generated for the General Fund, Alameda is looking to attract new businesses to the area and improve its appearance at the same time.

On April 2 and April 16, the City Council addressed these issues. Prior to these meetings, I met with members of the Alameda Architectural Preservation Society and residents of the Wedge neighborhood, to hear their concerns with zoning issues in the North Park Street area, including building height limits and what to do with the former Island High site in the Wedge neighborhood.

The Council voted unanimously to allow a 60-foot maximum building height and special design review guidelines patterned after the successful Downtown Recovery Plan used by the City of Santa Cruz to rebuild its historic downtown after the Loma Prieta earthquake. I have also offered to work with members of Project Leaf to explore the idea of a community garden on former railroad property on Tilden Way.

So What Do You Think? What sort of businesses would you like to see come to North Park Street? What ideas do you have for ways to attract these new businesses?

Let me know your thoughts in the box below.