Bateman Neighborhood Association

Berkeley residents may soon have to travel to Oakland for health emergencies as the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center on Ashby Avenue will close its doors by 2030.

After months of controversy surrounding the construction of a Starbucks coffee shop on Telegraph Ave, the chain’s management was given the go-ahead May 8 to rent out a retail space significantly smaller than the one it had originally planned.

Starbucks will not be coming to south Berkeley anytime soon following a 6-3 vote by the Berkeley City Council Tuesday night to deny the business’s permit application.

A local neighborhood association and nearby resident are appealing a permit allowing a Starbucks coffeeshop to be built near the intersection of Telegraph and Ashby avenues, citing concerns about parking availability and potential competition with local businesses.