This edition is heavily influenced by concerned citizen’s public communications.
Parking considerations for the upcoming Plaza Library have become a central issue, especially in light of a proposed $300 property tax measure set for this November. This tax is expected to persist even after the library’s completion, and notably, the city will not own the building that houses the library. Our primary interest lies in ensuring transparency and sound financial management, which prompted delving into and sharing details from various official documents concerning the parking plans. We encourage the community to further explore these documents to gain a clearer understanding and to engage in informed discussions.
Despite repeated attempts to engage with city officials for more clarity, ourinquiries have unfortunately been met with silence.
Here’s a snapshot of how the parking situation has evolved, according to the documents I’ve reviewed:
- On August 20, 2020, plans included provisions for 63 parking spaces.
- By September 7, 2022, this number was reduced to 40 parking spaces.
- Most recently, at the January 17, 2024, El Cerrito committee hearing, the documents revealed a surprising update. There would be no parking spaces allocated for the building that is set to house both the new library and several apartments.
This significant reduction in parking availability, coupled with the ongoing financial commitments posed by the new tax measure, raises critical questions about the planning and decision-making processes behind this community infrastructure project.
Here is how you can help:
- Share this post with other residents.
- Comment on the post
- Attend the monthly Financial Advisory Board meetings in person.
- Post on Social Media: FB, IG, ND, X
- Voice your concerns with the Council.
Council meetings are remote and in-person, but public comment is now limited to in-person attendees.
- If you want to contact City Council Members or the City Managers, all their emails are below:
- Karen Pinkos-City Manager kpinkos@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Councilperson Gabe Quinto gquinto@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Councilperson Carolyn Wysinger cywysinger@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Councilperson Tessa Rudnick trudnick@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Mayor Lisa Motoyama lmotoyama@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Councilperson Paul Fadelli pfadelli@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 
Early on, I went to one of the community open houses about the EC Plaza BART housing project. I expressed my concerns about lack of parking for people taking BART, especially for women and senior citizens who don’t feel safe walking home from there at night. Several community members seemed to poo-poo this need and said I could call an Uber. One said that I needed to change my thinking about urban living and the need for a car. To be fair, the BART rep said he would note my concerns, but I doubt anyone is really listening.
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Jan, we are sorry you had that experience
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