MAC: ‘One School Global’ Continues; CV Specific Plan
A small private school on Lake Chabot Road has been given permission to continue operating from the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC), despite having a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) that lapsed nearly a decade ago.
“One School Global” has been in operation on a 20,837-square-foot parcel of land at 19234 Lake Chabot Road since 2010. They had an initial CUP which expired back in 2015 and a new CUP was approved at the MAC’s meeting this week.
But the lengthy gap was not necessarily the school’s fault- County staff told the MAC an outdated renewal system meant there were no automatic reminders and updates.
The County is now in the process of updating what was essentially a paper-based CUP “Rolodex,” and the system will be automated in the future, according to Planner Aubrey Rose.
Because the school has been in compliance for the past decade despite the lack of a CUP, it won’t be penalized.
“Somebody dropped the ball with this one,” said MAC member Tojo Thomas, who added that he had no problem with the project itself, just the sloppy process.
The school can operate K-12 classes for up to 30 students. The surrounding area consists of another school, a church, and single-family homes.
Ultimately, the MAC gave the school the permit by a unanimous vote, with instructions not to let it lapse again. They also told planning staff to get those renewal reminders out, as permits cost money and the county is essentially leaving potential funding on the table.
“The citizens of Castro Valley deserve better,” said MAC Vice Chair Bill Mulgrew. “If any revenue is important, it’s all important.”
The MAC also heard an update to the vast Castro Valley Central Business District Specific Plan, this time about Housing Element regarding mobile home parks and the Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) overlay.
As always with the ongoing plan, the MAC urged planning staff to balance practicality with any long-term plans for rezoning, and housing goals with overall downtown goals.
The TOC is the half-mile area surrounding mass transit hubs- in this case, the Castro Valley BART station.
The TOC is in addition to state housing density mandates, and is voluntary, but compliance would open the community up to more regional grant money. So far, Alameda County has received more than $30 million in One Bay Area Grants.
It’s estimated that Castro Valley will need 1,800 new units of housing to be in compliance with state housing targets.
The goals of the TOC include:
Increase the supply of housing with higher density (current regulations allow up to 58 units per acre and it could go up to 75)
Increase the density of business and commercial properties
Prioritize bus, walking, cycling transportation
Support partnerships with other TOCs in the Bay Area
The next steps include:
Adopting a minimum and maximum residential density in the TOC
Adopting a minimum and maximum commercial density in the TOC
Fund policies to stabilize businesses and prevent their displacement
Remove minimum parking requirements in new developments to provide modes of travel besides cars
The County Planning department has submitted a second draft of the Housing Element to the state and are expecting comments back later this week. For more information, visit www.cvimplementation.com