Downtown Area Plan

After 14 years as mayor of Berkeley — the longest tenure in the city’s history — and 38 years of public office, Tom Bates, age 78, has decided to retire. It marks the end of a long career of public service that was punctuated with significant accomplishments that benefited many, from people with disabilities to Berkeley youth to local breweries and sports fanatics.

Endorsements are supposed to point voters toward candidates who have similar ideological outlooks and policy ideas, according to campus public policy professor Dan Lindheim. In Berkeley, where the political spectrum ranges from moderate Democrat to radical liberal, public figures’ stances do not vary much on topics such as education, health and public safety.

At a special meeting Tuesday, Berkeley City Council discussed the Berkeley Strategic Transportation, or BeST, Plan, which outlines future transportation projects and goals for the city.

The Design Review Committee approved two developments in Berkeley — including a 16-story high-rise hotel on Shattuck Avenue — and sent two other projects back to the applicants for redesigns.

Mill Creek Residential, a national development company, submitted a proposal on December 21 to build a 180-foot building in place of the downtown Berkeley Walgreens.

Two Berkeley residents filed lawsuits against the city of Berkeley last week, alleging the city failed to adequately assess the environmental impacts of the controversial development at 2211 Harold Way.

Berkeley City Council approved a contentious Downtown building project Tuesday evening at a special meeting after nearly three years of deliberation between city entities and developers.

Berkeley City Council will hold a special meeting Tuesday to discuss appeals regarding a possible 18-story building that would be located Downtown.

Members of the Berkeley Zoning Adjustments Board and city councilmember Jesse Arreguin held a workshop Wednesday night to discuss the community benefits from five high-rises planned to be built in downtown Berkeley.

Developers have halted plans for a Downtown Berkeley high-rise hotel, fearing that a proposed ballot initiative to alter the city’s building requirements would hinder development.