Plan for changing West Oakland approved

Oakland police officers detain protesters at the raucous Planning Commission meeting. Police said they were not arrested. Oakland police officers detain protesters at the raucous Planning Commission meeting. Police said they were not arrested. Photo: Leah Millis, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Leah Millis, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 15 Caption Close Plan for changing West Oakland approved 1 / 15 Back to Gallery

A sprawling debate at Oakland's Planning Commission on Wednesday night about a proposal for the future of West Oakland in many ways underscored the city's deeper questions about rising housing costs, changing demographics and urban vitality.

At issue was the city's West Oakland Specific Plan, a document that lays out how to redevelop the district by changing the zoning of certain areas from commercial to residential, increasing parkland and modernizing streets and avenues.

The Planning Commission approved the plan, 4-2. It has been in the works since July 2011. It will be considered by the City Council in July.

But public comment on the plan became a discussion about gentrification and affordability.

West Oakland has traditionally been the heart of African American culture in the city, if not the Bay Area. But over the past 10 years in some West Oakland census tracts the number of white residents has doubled, bringing their numbers nearly equal with their African American counterparts. Asian and Latino residents have increased as well, while thousands of African American families have left the neighborhood for areas outside the city.

Robbie Clark, a housing activist with Causa Justa, an Oakland nonprofit that is fighting gentrification, said the plan is "very much about pushing out poor people, that is clear."

Demonstrators marched from DeFremery Park in West Oakland to the hearing at City Hall, where they met many longtime activists. The debate was often raucous and opponents of the city's efforts often drowned out planners.

At one point the crowd chanted, "Satan! Satan! Satan!" and drowned out Ed Manasse, a city planner, as he tried to introduce the plan. Two people were handcuffed by police and marched out of City Hall after they tried to block people from entering the meeting. Police said they were later released without being arrested.

Monsa Nitoto, 65, a West Oakland activist who has lived in the area for 40 years, said the plan had flaws but would bring much-needed investment to West Oakland.

"There is some gentrification going on, but no more than these Occupy folks moving into West Oakland," Nitoto said. "They're gentrifying while they're talking about not gentrifying, and they don't know what is going on."