MAC Hears Business Plan Update

The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) heard an update on the future of downtown Castro Valley at their Monday night meeting, with an overview of the long-term Castro Valley Business District Specific Plan (CVBDSP).

Decades old, the current CVBDSP includes land use like “core pedestrian retail” in the Village area and central Castro Valley Boulevard, the “transit village” near the BART station, and the “professional medical district” down Lake Chabot Road.

MAC heard summaries of a May community visioning workshop for the public and comments from the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club, which were made at meetings over the summer.

County staff said that many participants at the meetings felt there were limited commercial options in the downtown business district and particularly wanted more dining choices. Sites for future retail development included the Rite Aid lot, the Walgreens lot, the area around the Chabot Theater and the old trailer park sites on the eastern end of Castro Valley Boulevard. 

Others wanted more family and youth-oriented activities, such as a skate park and child-friendly public spaces.

There is also the matter of state-mandated high-density housing goals, which will mean significant multi-unit developments.

But at this week’s meeting, speakers and MAC members alike said that while they agree with the public sentiment, they didn’t want to see a focus on housing to the detriment of retail and business development. They also said focusing only on the Castro Valley Boulevard corridor may be myopic.

“One way we could expand our area a little would be to branch out onto the lateral streets (for high-density housing),” said speaker Gary Howard. He also suggested housing on the south side of I-580.

Craig Semmelmeyer, the developer behind the Castro Valley Marketplace, encouraged county staff to “think bigger” and plan a downtown area to rival Danville or Pleasanton. He made a point of saying that parking should not be such a large concern and that walkability is key. 

“You could envision something better,” said Semmelmeyer. “Danville, Pleasanton had big visions 30 years ago, and they are seeing the results of that. Create the plan of what you could be.”

Semmelmeyer said that 30 years ago when originally downtown plans were being made, trends weren’t in Castro Valley’s favor. Still, with the addition of BART and the twilight of big shopping malls in other cities, Castro Valley has more of an advantage. 

“If you want something you can be proud of, think bigger,” Semmelmeyer encouraged. 

MAC member Chuck Moore said that comparing Castro Valley to Pleasanton or Danville is “kind of crazy even to think about,” and disagreed with Semmelmeyer regarding parking - saying it should be a major concern. 

“To get from one end of the Boulevard to the other is brutal,” said Moore.

Moore added that he wasn’t necessarily thrilled with the idea of large housing developments despite the state setting density requirements. 

“I’m perfectly comfortable with the community the size we have right now,” said Moore. 

MAC member Shannon Killebrew said that if people aren’t happy with the housing requirements, they need to push back at the state level. She also questioned if the private partnerships necessary to expand housing and business are possible and asked if businesses and developers want to come to Castro Valley.

“If we don’t like (density), we need to push back on our state-elected officials,” said Killebrew.  “Creating this plan is great, but not if it’s not a realistic take on what we can turn our community into.”

MAC member Ken Carbone said that the liner nature of the downtown—its concentration along the Boulevard—was a defining feature and needs consideration. He also asked county staff to follow up on several areas before the next CVBDP update.

“I don’t think there is one blanket answer to a lot of these questions,” said Carbone.

The county staff said the next public meeting will have more of a focus on traffic and walkability. There could be a dozen more meetings with the county, MAC, and other groups over the next year or so before finalizing CVBDP decisions.

See detailed plans and CVBDP updates at https://www.cvgpimplementation.com/