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Schaaf Administration Proposes Rezoning Former Mills College Campus to Allow Condos, Retail Development

“Meanwhile, Mills students have seen a drastic reduction in programs and workers are concerned that Northeastern has a history of union busting, and the community is concerned this will lead to their displacement,” said City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Sheng Thao, who attended Mills College.

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Mills College at Northeastern University in East Oakland at 5000 MacArthur Blvd. Photo courtesy of Forbes.
Mills College at Northeastern University in East Oakland at 5000 MacArthur Blvd. Photo courtesy of Forbes.

By Ken Epstein | Post News Group

Buried in a draft plan for future housing in Oakland, submitted to City Council by Mayor Libby Schaaf’s Administration, is a map of zoning changes that would rezone the beautiful park-like 135-acre campus at what is now known as Mills College at Northeastern University to allow for private real estate development, including condominiums and retail, the Oakland Post has learned.

(Mills College officially merged with Northeastern University on June 30, 2022.)

The map is part of a presentation supplementing a 54-page draft Housing Element that was submitted for discussion to the City Council last week. The draft will be discussed and modified and scheduled for a vote in January. The City is required by the state to update its Housing Element every eight years as part of the City’s General Plan.

The map shows the entire Mills campus in East Oakland as changed from zoning designation “RM-4 Mixed Housing Type Residential – 4 Zone.”

According to the City’s definition, “The intent of the RM-4 Zone is to create, maintain, and enhance residential areas typically located on or near the City’s major arterials and characterized by a mix of single-family homes, townhouses, small multi-unit buildings at somewhat higher densities than RM-3, and neighborhood businesses where appropriate.”

City Council staff indicate that the RM-4 Zone would permit the development of the entire site with condominiums, townhouses and retail businesses.

The current zoning of the Mills property, RM-3 Zone, has been in place for at least the past 20 years, according to a staff member in the City’s zoning division. These changes are now in the works after Northeastern University in Boston recently took over the Mills campus, with pledges of a merger of many of the best aspects of both institutions.

At present, it is not clear what agencies or individuals requested the proposed zoning change, nor are there indications so far of how the property would be developed. In general, zoning changes are proposed by Council members in their districts.

Councilmember and mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, who represents District 6 where the campus is located, has been outspoken in support of the takeover of Mills by Northeastern.

Schaff has also been spoken forcefully in favor of the takeover of Mills by Northeastern.

According to an article in the Northeastern University (NU) newsletter, Taylor has been deeply involved in the merger discussions between the university and Mills.

“Taylor says he was involved in talks with the college and university as the merger evolved from idea to reality. ‘When I’ve had conversations with leadership at Mills and Northeastern,’ Taylor says, ‘I’ve always come away reassured. I hear, feel, and sense that there’s a true commitment to ensuring the legacy of what Mills had. I look forward to seeing that happen,’” the NU newsletter said.

By the Post’s deadline, neither Schaff nor Taylor had responded to questions about what the rezoning proposal means for the future of university education on the campus.

Although the proposal is to rezone the entire 135 acres of the campus, City staff told the Post that only part of the campus was being considered for development.

“The undeveloped western edge of the Mills College campus adjacent to MacArthur Blvd. was identified as a potential location for the addition of infill housing. Any rezoning of that portion of the campus would only occur if the community and decisionmakers support such a change and only for the purpose of facilitating the addition of housing along this undeveloped campus edge,” according to the City’s zoning staff.

Said City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Sheng Thao, “Recent changes in our zoning laws have raised alarm bells that this deal is nothing more than an attempt to turn Mills College into a plot of land for luxury condos. Developers stand to make enormous profits off that land.”

She continued: “Mills College is a 170-year-old institution and one of only two women’s colleges left in California. The shady backroom deals that led to its closure need to be investigated.”

“Meanwhile, Mills students have seen a drastic reduction in programs and workers are concerned that Northeastern has a history of union busting, and the community is concerned this will lead to their displacement,” said Thao, who attended Mills.

“I do not know why some of my colleagues rushed to embrace this deal, but I do know we need a fair and transparent process and an investigation from the state like I requested in July. The community deserves to know what is happening,” she said.

Rebecca Kaplan, Vice Mayor, and candidate for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, told the Post she was also deeply concerned about what is happening to Mills. “The merger is suspicious and warrants an independent investigation,” she said.

The Council unanimously passed a resolution in July, introduced by Kaplan and Thao, calling for an “independent investigation into the circumstances of the merger between Mills College and Northeastern University.”

Mills College, a women’s institution, “is reflective of the region’s diversity,” according to the council resolution. “Within the 2021-2022 Mills student population, about 44% are first-generation undergraduate students and about 66% of undergraduate students are students of color.”

This investigation must be conducted because of “allegations of misconduct and misinformation (on the part of the Mills administration) ….to ensure that community needs are respected, truth is pursued, and that the important work of Mills in serving vital needs can be continued,” the Council resolution said.

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Oakland Post: Week of March 13 – 19, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 13 – 19, 2024

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Oakland Post: Week of March 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 6 – 12, 2024

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Who are the Alameda County District 4 Supervisor Candidates’ Top Campaign Contributors?

Below, we’ve listed each candidate’s 10 highest campaign contributors. For Miley, two of his top campaign donors also bought their own advertisements to support him and/or oppose Esteen through independent expenditures. Such expenditures, though separate from campaign donations, are also public record, and we listed them. Additionally, the National Organization of Realtors has spent about $70,500 on their own independent expenditures to support Miley.

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Jennifer Esteen. (Campaign photo) and Supervisor Nate Miley. (Official photo).
Jennifer Esteen. (Campaign photo) and Supervisor Nate Miley. (Official photo).

By Zack Haber

Nate Miley, who has served on Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors since 2000, is running for reelection to the District 4 supervisor seat.

Jennifer Esteen, a nurse and activist, is seeking to unseat him and become one of the five members of the powerful board that sets the county’s budget, governs its unincorporated areas, and oversees the sheriff, Alameda Health System, and mental health system.

District 4 includes most of East Oakland’s hills and flatlands beyond Fruitvale, part of Pleasanton and unincorporated areas south of San Leandro like Ashland and Castro Valley.

Voting is open and will remain open until March 5.

In California, campaign donations of $100 or more are public record. The records show that Miley has received about $550,000 in total campaign donations since he won the previous District 4 election in March 2020. Esteen has raised about $255,000 in total campaign donations since she started collecting them last July. All figures are accurate through Feb. 20.

While Miley has raised more money, Esteen has received donations from more sources. Miley received donations of $100 or more from 439 different sources. Esteen received such donations from 507 different sources.

Below, we’ve listed each candidate’s 10 highest campaign contributors. For Miley, two of his top campaign donors also bought their own advertisements to support him and/or oppose Esteen through independent expenditures. Such expenditures, though separate from campaign donations, are also public record, and we listed them. Additionally, the National Organization of Realtors has spent about $70,500 on their own independent expenditures to support Miley.

Nate Miley’s top campaign contributors:

The California Apartment Association, a trade group representing landlords and investors in California’s rental housing business, has spent about $129,500 supporting Miley’s election bid through about $59,500 in ads against Esteen$55,000 in ads supporting Miley, and $15,000 in campaign donations.

The independent expenditure committee Preserve Agriculture in Alameda County has spent about $46,025 supporting Miley through about $27,200 in their own ads, and $18,825 in donations to his campaign. Preserve Agriculture has supported reelection efforts for former Alameda County DA Nancy O’Malley, and Sheriff Greg Ahern, a republican. It’s received funding from ChevronPG&E, and a the California Apartment Association.

Organizations associated with the Laborers’ International Union of North America, or LiUNA, have donated about $35,000 in total. Construction and General Laborers Local 304, a local chapter of the union representing which represents over 4,000 workers, donated $20,000.

Laborers Pacific Southwest Regional Organizing Coalition, which represents 70,000 LiUNA members in Arizona, California, Hawaii and New Mexico, donated $15,000.

William ‘Bill’ Crotinger and the East Oakland-based company Argent Materials have donated $26,000. Crotinger is the president and founder of Argent, a concrete and asphalt recycling yard. Argent’s website says it is an eco-friendly company that diverts materials from landfills. In 2018, Argent paid the EPA $27,000 under a settlement for committing Clean Water Act violations.

Michael Morgan of Hayward, owner of We Are Hemp, a marijuana dispensary in Ashland, has donated $21,500.

Alameda County District 1 Supervisor David Haubert has donated $21,250 from his 2024 reelection campaign. He’s running unopposed for the District 1 seat.

SEIU 1021which represents over 60,000 workers in local governments, non-profit agencies, healthcare programs, and schools in Northern California, has donated $20,000.

UA Local 342, which represents around 4,000 pipe trades industry workers in Contra Costa and Alameda counties, donated $20,000.

The union representing the county’s deputy sheriffs, Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Alameda County, has donated $17,000.

Becton Healthcare Resources and its managers have donated $14,625. Becton’s mission statement says it provides “behavioral health management services to organizations and groups that serve the serious and persistent mentally ill population.”

Jennifer Esteen’s top campaign contributors:

Mary Quinn Delaney of Piedmont, founder of Akonadi Foundation, has donated $20,000. Akonadi Foundation gives grants to nonprofit organizations, especially focusing on racial justice organizing,

Bridget Galli of Castro Valley has donated $7,000. Galli is a yoga instructor and a co-owner of Castro Valley Yoga.

Rachel Gelman of Oakland has donated $5,000. Gelman is an activist who has vowed to redistribute her inherited wealth to working class, Indigenous and Black communities.

California Worker Families Party has donated $5,000. The organization’s website describes itself as a “grassroots party for the multiracial working class.”

David Stern of Albany has donated $5,000. Stern is a retired UC Berkeley Professor of Education.

Oakland Rising Committee—a collaborative of racial, economic, and environmental justice organizations—has donated about $3,050.

Fredeke Von Bothmer-Goodyear, an unemployed resident of San Francisco, has donated $2,600.

Robert Britton of Castro Valley has donated $2,500. Britton is retired and worked in the labor movement for decades.

Progressive Era PAC has donated about $2,400. Its mission statement says it “exists to elect governing majorities of leaders in California committed to building a progressive era for people of color.”

East Bay Stonewall Democrats Club has donated $2,250. The club was founded in 1982 to give voice to the East Bay LGBTQIA+ communities.

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