After waging a six-year legal battle over the right to build a mansion and 10-car garage in the Berkeley hills, Lotus Development Corp. founder Mitch Kapor and his wife Freada Kapor-Klein have put their property on the market. The lot at 2707 Rose St. went up for sale June 27 and was listed at $1.5 […]
Berkeley Hillside Preservation
Posted inHousing & Development
Court takes Berkeley’s side in Mitch Kapor home case
Update, Sept. 24, 2015: After the Supreme Court’s May ruling, detailed below, the state’s Court of Appeal (First Appellate District) reviewed the issue of CEQA exemption once more, having been remanded to do so by the Supreme Court. On Sept. 23, the Court of Appeal issued its conclusion “that sufficient evidence supports the City’s conclusion the project is […]
Posted inHousing & Development
State Supreme Court upholds Berkeley’s decision in Mitch Kapor’s bid to build a home in the city
Update, 3.19.15: The Berkeley Hillside Preservation Group is asking the Supreme Court for a rehearing of its case. It filed its petition on March 18. The Supreme Court recently appointed two new justices, following two retirements, and the group is hoping a reconsideration of their arguments might bring a different result. The vote was 5-2 for the defendant at […]
Posted inCommunity, Housing & Development
State court hears Mitch Kapor Berkeley home case
The long-running saga of philanthropist and Lotus founder Mitch Kapor’s attempt to build a new home in North Berkeley landed at the California Supreme Court in Los Angeles on Tuesday this week. At the Dec. 2 hearing, the Court heard arguments on whether the rules that exempt most proposed single-family homes from undergoing an environmental impact […]
Posted inHousing & Development
Lotus founder may yet build his Berkeley home
A group of north Berkeley residents who are trying to prevent Lotus founder and philanthropist Mitch Kapor and his wife from building a new home in the city lost their case which was heard in the Alameda County Superior Court early last month. On Thursday, Judge Frank Roesch ruled against the Berkeley Hills Preservation (BHP) group […]
Posted inCommunity
Kapor Foundation supports diversity in science effort
Mitch Kapor, the philanthropist and founder of Lotus, has not allowed the difficulties he is facing building a home in Berkeley to deter him from channeling his money into good causes based in our city. The Mitchell Kapor Foundation recently announced a five year renewable gift of $250,000 to UC Berkeley’s College of Letters and […]