The city of Berkeley holds $640,000 in liens against this lot at 2501 Haste Street. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel The city of Berkeley has filed a lawsuit against Ken Sarachan, telling him they intend to seize his lot at the intersection of Telegraph and Haste to pay off the $640,000 he owes in liens and interest. […]
Zach Cowan
Posted inCity
City hands ultimatum to Sarachan on vacant Telegraph lot
The city council is foreclosing for payment of $640,000 in liens on 2501 Haste Street. Photo:Frances Dinkelspiel The Berkeley City Council last night voted unanimously to file for “non judicial foreclosure” on the long-vacant and desperately blighted lot on the corner of Telegraph and Haste. The action means that property owner Ken Sarachan will have […]
Posted inCity
Berkeley settles contentious library lawsuit
The city of Berkeley has reached an agreement with Concerned Library Users over a lawsuit the group filed to stop the demolition and rebuilding of the South and West branches of the Berkeley Public Library. In a closed session on Tuesday evening, the city council voted to settle the lawsuit by creating a $100,000 fund […]
Posted inCity
Library architect apologizes to Berkeley
Todd Jersey’s vision for a renovated West Branch of the Berkeley Public Library. The architect who worked with Concerned Library Users, the group suing Berkeley to stop the demolition and rebuilding of the south and west branch libraries, has sent an apology for his actions to the City Council and city manager. In a letter […]
Posted inCity
Rally planned to draw attention to library lawsuit
Benjamin Bartlett has helped BHS students organize against CLU lawsuit Dozens of church leaders, community activists, students, and library supporters plan to stage a rally outside city hall on Tuesday to call attention to a lawsuit they believe could stop construction of new libraries in the southern and western parts of Berkeley. The group, which […]
Posted inCity
City tackles proliferation of cellphone equipment
The PG&E utility pole on Montrose Road where T-Mobile intends to install antenna equipment. Lisa Goodman barely registered the rolled-up paper tucked into her door handle on the day before Thanksgiving — promotional flyers of that sort are ubiquitous in the city, after all. But she was alarmed when she read the missive. Addressed to the home-owner, […]
Posted inCity
$1 million for branch libraries; lawsuit pending
Interior of the Claremont branch library Just months before renovations begin on two of Berkeley’s branch libraries, the Neighborhood Library Campaign announced that it has raised more than $1 million — almost a third of its $3.5 million goal — for the restoration work. The funds will be used to repair the oak furniture in […]
Posted inHousing & Development
Will Mitch Kapor persevere to get his Berkeley home?
It’s been a while since we checked in on Lotus founder and philanthropist Mitch Kapor and his attempt to move to Berkeley — indeed to build a new home for himself here. As some readers will doubtless remember, late in 2009 Mr Kapor applied to build a 6,478 sq ft, contemporary house in north Berkeley […]
