Kerfuffles

Big New Rockridge Safeway Gets Approved

The proposed complex includes a cafe and rooftop seating where the gas station now stands.
The proposed complex includes a cafe and rooftop seating where the gas station now stands. Photo: via Oakland Planning

That controversial new Safeway complex in Oakland’s tony Rockridge neighborhood finally got approved during an epic, eight-hour City Council meeting on Tuesday night. Neighborhood and Safeway reps came to the bargaining table over a few remaining issues, which centered largely on the size of the new store, which replaces a long-lived but outdated, smaller store on the same property. They’ve settled on a 45,000-square-foot store (which is still bigger than most of the neighbors want) with 9,500 square feet of ancillary retail, and a parking structure which includes rooftop parking. One remaining sticking point which the store seems to insist on is a big sign that will read Rockridge Safeway, which is still giving much of the aesthetically sensitive residents fits. “We gave up in the end,” says Councilwoman Jane Brunner. [Oakland North, Earlier]

Big New Rockridge Safeway Gets Approved