Laurel Neighborhood News

by John Frando and Kathleen Rolinson

Laurel Elementary Shows Its Colors

From the corner of Brown and Kansas, the Laurel school Lion mascot roars his message to students and the community. The new green and gold marquee sign for Laurel Elementary, adorned with the Lion mascot, arrived on scene over the summer. Principal Ron Smith and Laurel Village members collaborated nearly a year ago to raise funds and come up with a design for a school sign. Through generous private donations, Laurel Village funds, school funds, and a matching grant from Councilmember Jean Quan's office, the sign was paid for and installed. Principal Ron Smith directed placement of the sign to meet his goal of informing students, parents and the community of activities and events at the school. Future projects are planned at the school location, one of the few open spaces in the Laurel, including garden projects and festivals on campus. Stay tuned to the Lion for details.

High and MacArthur–Again

A major intersection in the Laurel, the corner of High and MacArthur has been vacant for many years. The most recent proposal, a five-story senior apartment complex, resurfaced on the planning-commission schedule, again, for September. The proposed project details changed little from the previous iteration, calling for limited retail, high-density apartment housing, and multiple variances to achieve the 60-foot height. Merchants and residents in the Laurel and Maxwell Park expressed concerns over the previous designs around height of the project, safety for residents, traffic conditions, amount of parking, and lack of retail space. Additional concerns focused on design and aesthetics–referring to projects such as Lincoln Court Senior Apartments and the new development on Pleasant Valley and Piedmont as good models–and noncompliance with specific zoning ordinances defining the Laurel business district.

Concerns were expressed to planning commissioners by residents, merchants, and an attorney for the Laurel District Association at an earlier planning-commission meeting. Merchants and residents were gearing up to present their concerns again during the September 19 hearing. The outcome of the hearing occurred after Metro copy deadline.

Get Involved in the Laurel

For many folks, the joy of moving into a neighborhood like the Laurel is getting to know their neighbors. Work, family, and life often prevent people from joining groups or attending regular community meetings. A few hours on a sunny weekend is all it takes to get connected. Some of the upcoming activities in the Laurel:

LDA Planter project–merchants are installing additional planters along MacArthur Blvd., Saturday, October 6.

Daffodil Days–a yearly event across Oakland; community members plant daffodils along medians, freeway ramps, and open spaces, typically, the second weekend in November.

Graffiti Clean up–our local graffiti buster hits the streets weekly.

Halloween Decoration Contest–annual event to see how ghoulish the Laurel can become! Prizes awarded in many categories.

Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) meetings are held the second Thursday of each month and Laurel Village meetings the last Thursday. Hear from local officials, get updated on events, and connect with neighbors.

Kathleen Rolinson can be reached at krolinson\@gmail.com, and John Frando at jfrando\@gmail.com.