The Oakland Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council certify the environmental review for the A’s waterfront ballpark project.
On Wednesday, the city’s planning commission signed off on a 3,500-page environmental impact report that moved the Oakland A’s closer to building a waterfront ballpark and mixed-use development at the Port of Oakland’s Howard Terminal. The vote was unanimous but controversial, with dozens of people speaking during the public comment portion of the meeting urging the project to be postponed. Many take issue with the environmental report conducted on the proposed ballpark, saying it is inadequate and needs further analysis of the project’s impact. The report has drawn interest from various government agencies, community organizations and individuals about the project’s potential impact on traffic, air quality, infrastructure and other environmental elements. Planning commissioners said the City Council will focus on those specific concerns brought forward by opposers of the report, and in their opinion the report complies with the California Environmental Quality Act and is sufficiently complete.
The City Council could vote on the project as early as next month.