City Government

Tagami’s Company Seeks to Place High School Next to Parole Office

Published

12 years ago

March 13, 2014

Local business owners are raising concerns about negative impacts of a plan by developer Phil Tagami’s company CCIG to place a charter public high school with nearly 500 students at Oakland Airport Business Park. The proposed school on Edgewater Road is located directly across the street from an Oakland Parole office, which sees 40-50 clients a day.

Leadership Public Schools (LPS), a public charter school with four campuses in Hayward, Richmond, Oakland and San Jose, would use the site for 490 students who currently attend its schools in East Bay cities.

Spokesmen for the project are Soo Zee Park, COO of LPS, and Mark McClure, partner at CCIG, which bought the property with four buildings and plans to renovate one of the buildings for the school. The school would have a basketball court and a soccer field.

;The Oakland parole office is part of the State of California Parole and Community Services Division. The school property is at 7700 Edgewater Drive, and the parole office is at 7717 Edgewater.

< p>Under the development plan, which includes no student parking, students would have to be dropped off or take the bus to reach the school – on the same bus line that parolees would take to reach appointments at the parole office.

In addition, the proposed school site is located close to Interstate 880 (approximately 1200 feet) and under the approach flight paths of Oakland International Airport, according to a port report.

Leading opponents of placing the school at the business park are Robert Schwartz, owner of Key Source International (KSI), located next to the proposed school site, and Debbie Hauser, executive director of the Airport Area Business Association.

Schwartz is also an officer of the Oakland Commerce Association.

The proposed site is located in the city’s only business park – across the freeway from the Oakland Coliseum – which was designed for commerce and to attract growing technology and industrial businesses, say opponents.

The space is not appropriate for a school because it would place students in the “midst of properties designated for light industrial, custom manufacturing, logistics, distribution and business services,” according to a statement written by Schwartz and Hauser.

A school at an industrial park would have a “chilling effect on the types of businesses that could locate near an approved school in the Airport Business Park,” they wrote.

In addition, businesses already at the park would have difficulty in the future receiving port zoning permission to expand, especially those nearby existing companies that are engaged “in various forms of manufacturing of plastics, adhesives and polymers” that would potentially expose students to harmful chemicals.

“We’re not against the school. It just doesn’t belong in a business park,” said Schwartz, whose rapidly expanding computer keyboard company has occupied its 1.6 acres since the year 2000.

“It seems like the school is driving the whole process, not the port,” said Hauser.

“There are only intermittent sidewalks,” she said. “Where will young people walk? There’s no street parking. Where will parents park who want to visit the school? This isn’t a place for a school.”

The zoning changes at the business park would eliminate land use regulations that have stood for over 40 years, threatening the existence of the little remaining industrial use land that still exists within the city, Hauser said.

According to port documents, port staff decided to work with the developers on an expedited “alternative” review of the site “after LPS … objected to analyzing the full range of sites that could be used for General Education, and to the requirement that an EIR be prepared because an EIR will take longer than LPS’ proposed construction schedule would allow.”

“LPS has now proposed that the port adopt an alternative form of zoning.”

Although port staff, has expressed reservations about the school, staff agreed to create the “alternative” fast track, to examine whether the site is environmentally safe to use as a school site.

At the request of the school, the office of the port attorney retained special legal counsel to hasten the pace of environmental review, and the cost of this additional staff was paid by the school.

Hauser and Schwartz submitted a public requests on Feb. 22 for documents related to the environmental studies performed. The deadline for receiving the documents has past, and they are still waiting.

The ultimate decision on the school will be made by a vote of the Port Commission.

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The Marin City Flea Market Is Back

The Marin City Flea Market returns on May 23, offering arts, crafts, vintage items, and collectibles. The market aims to uplift local vendors and celebrate cultural diversity.

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Customers shopping in Marin City Flea Market. Photo courtesy of marincityflea.org.

By Godfrey Lee

After a long absence, Marin City will once again hold its flea market. The market will have its grand opening on Saturday, May 23, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church parking lot on 101 Donahue St. It will be held every fourth Saturday of the month

The market will be free to the public

There will be arts, crafts, vintage, collectibles, and other items on sale at the market. Interested vendors can contact info@marincityflea.org or text (415) 484-2984 for more information.

“The Marin City Flea Market’s mission is to uplift local vendors, celebrate cultural diversity, and provide an accessible community space where creativity, entrepreneurship, and connection can thrive,” says their website, marincityflea.org.

The flea market is sponsored and run by the Rotary Club of Marin City.

For more information, contact info@marincityflea.org. Or text to (415) 484-2984

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Amsterdam News

School District Extends Supt. Dr. Denise Saddler’s Contract for a Second Year

The Oakland Board of Education has extended Superintendent Denise Saddler’s contract through June 2027, promoting her from interim to permanent superintendent with a salary of $367,765.45 per year.

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Supt. Dr. Denise Saddler. File photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland Board of Education voted this week to extend Superintendent Denise Saddler’s contract for another year, from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.

Under the new agreement, Saddler’s job title will become “superintendent”; she will no longer be called “interim.”

Along with the new title, she will receive full superintendent benefits and salary at $367,765.45 per year, according to the employment agreement.

The vote to approve the new contract passed 5-2 at Wednesday night’s board meeting.

Saddler’s original interim contract was for one year. The school board was planning to select a permanent superintendent by the fall but earlier this year decided to delay the search.

The new contract reflects the Board of Education’s “determination that continuity in executive leadership is in the best interests of the district as Oakland Unified continues implementation of its fiscal stabilization strategies, academic priorities, labor relations initiatives, and operational improvements,” the employment agreement reads.

In November, the board approved a $150,000 contract with a consulting firm to carry out that search, but Board President Jennifer Brouhard told KQED last month that the process never got off the ground.

“No work was done, no money has been paid for the work (to) the search firm for the superintendent search,” Brouhard said. “Hopefully, we’ll be resuming that in the early part of the fall.”

Dr. Saddler was born and raised in Oakland, attended local schools, and has dedicated more than 45 years of her career to serving Oakland students and families.

She began her career in 1979 as a teacher of students with disabilities. Over the years, she has served as a teacher, principal, district leader, and teachers’ union president.

While working in OUSD, she has served as principal at Chabot Elementary, area auperintendent, and executive leader for Community Engagement and Educational Transitions. She has also supported schools as a principal coach and substitute principal and taught at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Education.

Dr. Saddler holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Mills College and master’s degrees in special education and in Staff Development and Administration.

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Activism

Mayor Barbara Lee Joins National Public Safety Leaders to Advance Proven Violence Reduction Strategies

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee attends a two-day meeting with other mayors and public safety leaders to discuss violence reduction strategies; Oakland has seen a 39% drop in homicides.

Published

1 day ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Oakland was one of four cities participating in a public safety convening. Courtesy image.

By Post Staff

Mayor Barbara Lee this week joined Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and public safety leaders from Oakland for a two-day meeting focused on advancing cutting-edge public safety strategies, including focused deterrence and violence reduction.

The meeting brought together civic and public safety leaders from Oakland and Indianapolis to locations in Baltimore and Philadelphia to share lessons learned and identify innovative approaches to crime prevention, intervention, and enforcement.

The participating cities are widely recognized for pioneering community-centered public safety models that prioritize prevention, accountability, and sustained investment in neighborhood-based solutions

Oakland’s delegation included Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) Chief Holly Joshi, Oakland Police Department Assistant Chief Casey Johnson, and Ceasefire Director Annette Jointer.

Oakland’s participation underscores its continued leadership in advancing evidence-based violence reduction strategies and building a public safety system that integrates law enforcement with community intervention and prevention programs.

Oakland continues to see historic reductions in violence, reflecting coordinated efforts across the Department of Violence Prevention, Oakland Police Department, Ceasefire, and community-based partners, including:

Violent crime down 22%
Homicides down 39%
Lowest homicide total in nearly 60 years

These gains reflect sustained investment in focused deterrence strategies, real-time intervention, and expanded community violence interruption programs.

“Public safety is not achieved by any one agency alone—it requires coordination, trust, and a shared commitment to prevention and accountability,” said Lee. “We are proud to stand alongside cities like Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Indianapolis that are proving what works. We are seeing real progress in reducing violence in our communities, and we remain committed to building on that momentum through strategies that center prevention, intervention, and strong partnerships with residents.”

“Oakland’s progress shows what is possible when cities invest in focused deterrence and wraparound supports that reach people most at risk,” said Joshi. “Our work is grounded in building trust, responding quickly to emerging conflicts, and connecting individuals to services that interrupt cycles of violence. This convening was an opportunity to strengthen that work through shared learning with peers who are advancing similar strategies nationwide.”

Said Johnson, “Effective public safety requires a balanced approach that combines accountability with deep collaboration across agencies and communities.”

“We are seeing meaningful reductions in violent crime because of strong partnerships between law enforcement, DVP, Ceasefire, and community organizations,” said Johnson. “Engaging with peer cities allows us to refine and improve the strategies that are making Oakland safer.”