The downtown housing fight that took 20 years
Good morning, Bay Area. It’s Wednesday, May 26, and Cal could have more students from California by design over the next decade. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
A 20-year crusade to build affordable housing in downtown Livermore won a unanimous victory Tuesday when the city council approved a development that had divided the city and fueled accusations of racism and elitism. One council member was 13 years old when the project was first proposed.
The unanimous 5-0 vote will allow nonprofit Eden Housing to construct 130 affordable homes on a parcel fronting Stockmen’s Park.
J.K. Dineen reports on how the project finally came to a vote.
Coronavirus Updates
Shoppers browse through the aisles of the newly-converted grocery store inside New Asia restaurant in the Chinatown neighborhood of San Francisco, Calif. Monday, February 1, 2021. New Asia restaurant has long been a hall for banquets, but since the pandemic hit, they have converted their hall into a neighborhood grocery store.
Jessica Christian / The ChronicleMarin County may be better prepared than any other place in California for the state’s June 15 reopening.
In three weeks, more than 75% of the county’s total population will be fully vaccinated, health officials say — that’s even taking into account children under 12 who aren’t authorized for the shots yet. Marin has among the lowest rates of new coronavirus infections in the country, and on Thursday, the county reported its first COVID-19 fatality in more than a month.
But Dr. Matt Willis, the county health officer, remains wary of lifting nearly all public health restrictions on June 15. When everything from churches to grocery stores returns to full capacity and most people stop wearing masks indoors, he worries the virus will find those at risk.
Erin Allday reports on how reopening standards are ultimately left up to each county — and why some of them are unsure they’ll follow the state’s lead.
• SFUSD confirms schools will return 5 full days in the fall, probably with masks.
• Rents in these 3 big Bay Area cities are all up for the first time in the pandemic.
• California’s coronavirus positive test rate hits new low. What does that mean for reopening?
• Mayor Breed proposes big investment to bring downtown San Francisco back to life and making parklets a permanent part of the city’s future.
• S.F. proposal would excuse rent for businesses shut in pandemic. Landlords won’t be happy.
Around the Bay
A lenticular cloud is seen Monday, May 24, 2021, in Solano County, Calif.
Nathan Gilbert• No, they weren’t flying saucers: Here’s what caused “lenticular clouds” in the Bay Area.
• Extremely rare photos: Rediscovered photos offer rare look at Compton’s Cafeteria, site of historic queer riot in San Francisco.
• “Isolated incident”: Sustainable Bay Area meat darling Belcampo admits to mislabeling meat at a Southern California location.
• Potentially powering more than 1 million homes: Biden officials, Newsom designate two areas off California coast for wind turbine development.
• Making room for more CA residents: California legislators propose to limit out-of-state students at Berkeley, other UC campuses.
• Black Lives Matter: S.F., Oakland remember George Floyd with paint and political pressure.
Top Wineries
Jacqueline Kwan takes a sip of wine during a wine tasting at Frog’s Leap winery in Napa, California, on Friday July 29, 2016.
Gabrielle Lurie / Special to The ChronicleNapa Valley gets a lot of flak for being too touristy and too flashy, a Disneyland for adults, according to its critics.
It’s true that this Bay Area region has become glitzier in recent years, and the cost of spending a weekend here has undoubtedly risen, with many wineries’ tasting fees stretching over $50 or even $100.
But anyone who levels the Disneyland charge clearly hasn’t seen how dynamic, varied and charming today’s Napa really is. You just have to know where to look — and wine critic Esther Mobley is sharing her picks for the best wineries of Napa right now.
Bay Briefing is written by Taylor Kate Brown, Anna Buchmann and Kellie Hwang and sent to readers’ email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact the writers at [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected].
