We're your neighbors.
WECAN — the Willard, Elmwood, and Claremont Alliance of Neighbors — is a group of neighbors who believe our corner of Berkeley should be a place where everyone can belong — vibrant, safe, and welcoming across generations, cultures, and incomes. We come together to build community, shape local policy, and advocate for a neighborhood that evolves and thrives for years to come.
What's the Elmwood debate about?
State law requires Berkeley to plan for more housing. The City’s 2023 housing plan called out three shopping streets – College Ave, North Shattuck, and Solano – as well-resourced neighborhoods that have contributed little new housing in decades. So the City is updating the zoning along those streets to allow small apartment buildings near local shops — targeting a handful of specific sites, not entire streets.
We support the City’s commitment to build more housing on College Ave and we want to share what’s actually being proposed, because a lot of what’s circulating isn’t accurate.
Our kids can’t afford to live here. The Elmwood’s average home price is over $2 million. Teachers, nurses, firefighters, artists, and young families — including our own grown children — can’t afford to stay. We need more housing for all income levels in this neighborhood.
It’s good for local businesses. More neighbors means more customers and more employees. Two of the sites being considered are a strip mall and a parking lot. Replacing them with housing and shops makes our neighborhood more vibrant, not less.
New apartments can fit the neighborhood’s character. Opponents invoke Bay Street in Emeryville — but Bay Street is a suburban-style mall on a superblock. We're talking about a handful of small infill sites on an existing street. A midsize apartment building built to the city’s proposed design standards will look like Rockridge or Telegraph Avenue — not a mall. And ultimately, neighborhood character isn’t just about buildings – it’s about people. More housing means the people who give this neighborhood its character can afford to live here.
It's good for the climate. People who live within walking distance of shops and transit drive significantly less. Putting housing on College Ave isn't just a housing decision — it's a climate decision. Compact, walkable neighborhoods like ours are exactly where new housing should go.
Making room for more neighbors reflects our values. We love this neighborhood: the walkability, the shops, the schools, the trees, the small daily encounters that make it feel like home. Supporting more housing on College Ave is about opening that up to more people, and keeping the Elmwood vibrant, welcoming, and true to the values that make Berkeley Berkeley.
Why support new housing on College Ave?
More housing on three sites
After considering a range of options and hearing extensive community feedback, the Planning Commission voted in early May to recommend a limited plan targeting just three sites on College Ave — not the whole street that had originally been proposed.
Those sites are:
-
The post office and parking lot at Webster
-
The 7-Eleven strip mall and parking lot at Russell
-
The other corner at Russell currently home to Nabolom Bakery and Five Little Monkeys
The City Council may alter this list of sites when it votes this summer or fall.
What about Nabolom and Five Little Monkeys?
Supporting new housing on these sites doesn't mean we want Nabolom and Five Little Monkeys to move. The city used objective criteria — lot size and corner location — to identify the most developable sites across all three shopping streets. This corner met those criteria. Rezoning doesn't mean demolition; a property only redevelops if and when its owner chooses to. The Planning Commission also recommended business protections: advance notice of redevelopment, quality ground-floor retail space in new buildings, and faster permitting.
How tall will new buildings be?
The Planning Commission recommended a 5-story height limit for these sites. Under state law, developers could build somewhat taller if they also include subsidized apartments for low-income residents. But city planning staff expect the practical maximum to be 7-8 stories* – well below the towers in opponents' flyers.
*Buildings taller than 85 feet trigger stricter building codes and union labor requirements, making them too expensive to build on small sites like these.
What's being proposed on College Ave?
The City Council will vote on the zoning update sometime this summer or fall. We’ll keep you updated as more happens.
Where does this stand?
Want to stay engaged?
Why We Support More Housing in Our Neighborhood
We're your neighbors.
WECAN — the Willard, Elmwood, and Claremont Alliance of Neighbors — is a group of neighbors who believe our corner of Berkeley should be a place where everyone can belong — vibrant, safe, and welcoming across generations, cultures, and incomes. We come together to build community, shape local policy, and advocate for a neighborhood that evolves and thrives for years to come.
What's the Elmwood debate about?
State law requires Berkeley to plan for more housing. The City’s 2023 housing plan called out three shopping streets – College Ave, North Shattuck, and Solano – as well-resourced neighborhoods that have contributed little new housing in decades. So the City is updating the zoning along those streets to allow small apartment buildings near local shops — targeting a handful of specific sites, not entire streets.
We support the City’s commitment to build more housing on College Ave and we want to share what’s actually being proposed, because a lot of what’s circulating isn’t accurate.
Why support new housing on College Ave?
Our kids can’t afford to live here. The Elmwood’s average home price is over $2 million. Teachers, nurses, firefighters, artists, and young families — including our own grown children — can’t afford to stay. We need more housing for all income levels in this neighborhood.
It’s good for local businesses. More neighbors means more customers and more employees. Two of the sites being considered on College Ave are a strip mall and a parking lot. Replacing them with housing and shops makes our neighborhood more vibrant, not less.
New apartments can fit the neighborhood’s character. Opponents invoke Bay Street in Emeryville — but Bay Street is a suburban-style mall on a superblock. We're talking about a handful of small infill sites on an existing street. A midsize apartment building built to the city’s proposed design standards will look like Rockridge or Telegraph Avenue — not a mall. And ultimately, neighborhood character isn’t just about buildings – it’s about people. More housing means the people who give this neighborhood its character can afford to live here.
It's good for the climate. People who live within walking distance of shops and transit drive significantly less. Putting housing on College Ave isn't just a housing decision — it's a climate decision. Compact, walkable neighborhoods like ours are exactly where new housing should go.
Making room for more neighbors reflects our values. We love this neighborhood: the walkability, the shops, the schools, the trees, the small daily encounters that make it feel like home. Supporting more housing on College Ave is about opening that up to more people, and keeping the Elmwood vibrant, welcoming, and true to the values that make Berkeley Berkeley.
What's being proposed on College Ave?
More housing on three sites
After considering a range of options and hearing extensive community feedback, the Planning Commission voted in early May to recommend a limited plan targeting just three sites on College Ave — not the whole street that had originally been proposed.
Those sites are:
-
The post office and parking lot at Webster
-
The 7-Eleven strip mall and parking lot at Russell
-
The other corner at Russell currently home to Nabolom Bakery and Five Little Monkeys
The City Council may alter this list of sites when it votes this summer or fall.
What about Nabolom and Five Little Monkeys?
Supporting new housing on these sites doesn't mean we want Nabolom and Five Little Monkeys to move. The city used objective criteria — lot size and corner location — to identify the most developable sites across all three shopping streets. This corner met those criteria. Rezoning doesn't mean demolition; a property only redevelops if and when its owner chooses to. The Planning Commission also recommended business protections: advance notice of redevelopment, quality ground-floor retail space in new buildings, and faster permitting.
How tall will new buildings be?
The Planning Commission recommended a 5-story height limit for these sites. Under state law, developers could build somewhat taller if they also include subsidized apartments for low-income residents. But city planning staff expect the practical maximum to be 7-8 stories* – well below the towers in opponents' flyers.
*Buildings taller than 85 feet trigger stricter building codes and union labor requirements, making them too expensive to build on small sites like these.
Where does this stand?
The City Council will vote on the zoning update sometime this summer or fall. We’ll keep you updated as more happens.
Want to learn more and stay engaged?
Join us for a neighborhood forum to discuss new housing on College Ave.
Wednesday, June 10, 7:00-8:30pm at the Willard Clubhouse
WECAN has invited a few local housing and planning experts to explain what's proposed in the housing plan and answer your questions.
Bring a curious neighbor.