« June 2005 | Main | August 2005 »
I still think my first idea is my best. (No, it's not pink - it's more of a wheat color.) I am not at all opposed to the existing colors, either. I've heard from a couple people that the salmon color is just fine. I agree.
These colors are essentially the same colors as those on New Market. I don't like the darker colors, but it might be nice to tie our two buildings together somehow since they share a similar facade.
I suppose I'll have to mask out additional areas on the image - perhaps break the horizontal trim into smaller sections so that we can add more sophisticated color schemes. I might mask off the inset ares on the wall beneath the windows and apply still more colors... We'll see...
You know, some have mentioned that they prefer a darker color to the one we have now. I think lighter is better for a number of reasons.
But, as I work on these mock-ups, I noticed something else quite unexpected. It seems that a darker color on our walls accentuates our windows and window coverings. I am not in favor of restricting the type or color of window coverings we are allowed to hang so this, in my humble opinion, is another argument in favor of a lighter shade. (I know that we currently DO have restrictions concerning window-coverings, but this is one rule that will be ignored often.)
One of the ideas mentioned often last night is that we should preserve our building's historical value. A couple meeting attendees thought it might even be nice to paint the original text on the front of the building. Can anyone tell me what the rest of the text was? I can't quite tell from this or by examining the photograph on the second floor.
For all you purists - I realize that the typeface is not exactly right. If we wish to pursue this idea further, I'll find the exact face. And I am guessing that the text was black with a white stroke based on two very faded black and white images. the images also suggest that the rest of the building was unpainted concrete - that's why I chose gray for the mock-up.
Last night I created a high resolution PhotoShop file with masks so that we can experiment with color schemes for our building. If you have PhotoShop, and would like to play around with color schemes, please download the 41 megabyte file here.
I was able to get up on the construction site across 4th Street this week and take a few shots of the building. I intend to use the pictures taken from this unique vantage point to experiment with color ideas.
Purpose: Develop recommendations to present to the Board of directors for improvements to color, look, style and overall feel of Fourth Street Lofts.
Agenda:
Note: Final recommendations to be presented to Board of Directors at next board meeting.
Feel free to bring light food and/or a beverage to share!
Yep. That's what it's called, all right. Owners may download the PDF here.
Board of Directors Meeting
Loft #104
July 18th, 2005
AGENDA
This one turned out fairly well, too. A high resolution version is available here.
I had the opportunity to fly to Napa today, and made sure to get a shot of the 'hood on the way. Click on the image below for a higher resolution view. If you'd like to see the full resolution file, click here.
FOURTH OF JULY
If this lovely weather continues, we should have good weather for fireworks and other Independence Day activities. People in our building congregate on the roof around 9pm for the 9:15pm show right here in Jack London Square. With good weather and no fog, we should be able to view fireworks here, in the Estuary, at the Coliseum, in San Francisco, Berkeley, Alameda, Redwood City and who knows where else. Come on up and mingle with the neighbors.
If you plan to have guests, best have them come very early and/or go down and park your car on the street to save a spot. The Jackson Street off-ramp from I-880 will be closed and streets in the area will have posted signs regarding restricted parking.
During the day in Jack London Square there will be all kinds of family activities.
SUMMER SOUNDS 2005
The 2005 season of Summer Sounds at the Oakland City Center have started. The free open air concerts are each Wednesday 12-1pm, free, and held outdoors in the City Center Plaza. They run through 31 August 2005.
Check out the Website for the schedule of performers - www.oaklandcitycenter.com.
NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS
Whales and Friends - which has been housed at the Iron Works building on Second Street in Jack London Square, next to Bed, Bath and Beyond - is moving to Alameda at 2060 Lincoln Avenue near Willow. 510/769-8500. Most of the inventory will go to the new store, including the beautiful wooden foundry patterns on the wall. No word on what will occupy the space after it moves. In the meantime, they are having a moving sale.
The Oakland Metro Theater, at the corner of Second and Broadway, has productions and events almost every weekend this month, including one coming up on 23 July 2005 which will be inside and outside, with the latter portion being free. Check out the website - www.oaklandopera.org.
The Tea House of China on another corner at Second and Broadway, is having a Grand Opening now that it is under new management.
Stoneridge Gallery has moved into 424 Second Street in the Produce District close to Broadway. Stoneridge Gallery has Shona Stone Sculptures and a website - www.stoneridgeart.com.
BART STRIKE ALTERNATIVES
Right here in Jack London Square is an organization which is working on alternatives for commuters in case of a BART strike on Wednesday 6 July 2005. Call 511 on the telephone or check www.511.org.
The Oakland-Alameda Ferry will add additional ferries which go directly to San Francisco. Check out http://www.eastbayferry.com/headlines/bart_strike_2005.html
AC Transit is putting on more busses, and BART will have charter busses from four BART stations including West Oakland.
(OTHER) FERRY CHANGES
We're a few blocks from the Terminal for the Oakland-Alameda Ferry which goes to San Francisco. The existing $0.25 one-way fuel surcharge has been made permanent. The 7:40/7:50am weekday departures from Oakland and Alameda have been discontinued. They had been run seasonally, from mid-May through September. No more.
The Ferry is part of the Spare The Air Free Transit Ride Program which is 1 June through 14 October 2005, sponsored by various entities including the City of Alameda, The Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Metropolitan Transit Commission. What this means on the first five non-holiday weekdays designated as Spare the Air days, one can ride free on the Ferry - and other commute modes of transportation. This works for all the routes on the first three morning runs between 6am-9am. To get prior notice of such designated days, sign up at www.airalert.sparetheair.org.
BIKE TRIPPERS
The Oakland Museum conducts monthly bike trips for free tours of historic downtown Oakland, including the home of Jack London. The 5.5-mile tours are on the third Sunday of each month through October 2005 and take about 2.5 hours. They start at the Oakland Museum entrance at 10th and Fallon Streets, opposite Laney College. RON KRAUSE leads the tours, which are limited to 20 people. Reservations are required. Call 510 238 3514 weekdays or email jcollignon at museumca.org. Children over 12 are welcome with an adult.
BRUCE BEASLEY RETROSPECTIVE
The Oakland Museum of California is holding a Bruce Beasley retrospective through 21 July 2005. Sculpture of Bruce Beasley: A 45-Year Retrospective. He is a West Oakland sculptor of world renown, who built the cast-acrylic sculpture one sees in the open-air koi pond at Oakland Museum entrance. His West Oakland studio was damaged by the Loma Prieta earthquake, and out of the freeway's crushed rebar steel he created a new style sculpture.
His works are all over the Bay Area including SFO and Stanford University, as well as all over the country and overseas. Sunday 17 July Beasley will conduct a Gallery Talk which is included in the museum admission.
The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday noon-5pm, and until 9pm the first Friday of each month. Adult admission is $8, $5 for seniors and students. Website is www.oaklandmuseum.org.
NEIGHBORHOOD/DEVELOPER/CITY MEETING
Last month, the City of Oakland facilitated the second neighborhood meeting with representatives of all four developers. DON SMITH of CEDA led the meeting, but CLAUDIA CAPPIO from the Oakland City Planning Commission was a no-show. WENDY TINSLEY, from the fourth floor, previously sent out a complete set of minutes on the meeting.
These will become a monthly feature, and the next meeting will be 7pm Wednesday 13 July 2005 at The Egghouse, 227 Harrison at Third Street.
Basically, the June meeting was attended by neighborhood folks and representatives from all four developers, each comprising half of the group. From our building there were WENDY TINSLEY, President of Jack London District; ROBBIE RENDAHL, RICK LEICHER and yours truly.
The neighborhood's biggest concerns were construction noise, especially before 7am, and construction and construction workers taking our parking. We've already lost 100+ parking spaces due to construction, and now their workers and people are taking what few spaces are left, including the 12-minute zones for Business Customers.
The City said no construction staging before 7am. One neighbor pointed out any diesel truck idling more than five minutes can be reported to the Alameda County Sheriff's Department.
There is to be no parking by construction workers in our neighborhood. Smith promised the City would post No Construction Parking signs on Third between Harrison and Alice Streets, and on Fourth between Alice and Jackson Streets. All four construction sites are to be providing adequate offsite parking for their workers - and to provide their Parking Plan in writing to Smith.
We all learned that Union rules prohibit Union Workers walking more than 2 1/2 blocks to their work site. They all work eight-hour days and get paid overtime after that, and most would like to start work earlier than 7am because they come in from Stockton and far away. Most of the sites are shut down by 4:30pm. Good construction workers are evidently hard to find.
There is no controlling the Roach Coach, which blasts its disruptive horn four times a day, because it is a commercial enterprise.
STEVE LOWE of the West Oakland organization asked for all of the developers to join Jack London District Association, as they would be here in the neighborhood for more than a year. He asked for their support to help the neighborhood get the City of Oakland to give us Permit Parking, which was turned down last year. Lowe pointed out the benefit to them and their new tenants.
Too keep on top of this and all neighborhood events, check out the website for Jack London District - www.jacklondondistrict.org.
It was also mentioned at the meeting that the recent loud circus in the Jack London Square parking lot evidently had no permit.
PORT OF OAKLAND UPDATE
For those interested in keeping up with the greater neighborhood construction plans, there is a Port of Oakland Community Meeting Wednesday 6 July 2005 at the Executive Inn, 1755 Embarcadero, Oakland 94606. It starts at 5:30pm going to 7:30pm, with the formal part starting at 5:45pm and going to 6:30pm - and no, I don't know what is the difference between formal and otherwise.
There will be a Status report on the Clinton Basin Restoration Project and Jack London Square from the Port of Oakland, the Union Point Park by the Unity Council, followed by Q/A.
TWILIGHT KAYAK
Jack London District Association is hosting a new kind of fun event, Thursday 7 July 2005 at 5pm - 8pm. It will be at Jack London Aquatic Center, 115 Embarcadero, Oakland - right down in the Square. It will cost $30 for the first 15 attendees, and includes all equipment including life preservers, so you don't have to know how to swim. Afterwards the group will go to Quinn's Lighthouse restaurant & Pub for post-party fun and refreshments. It even includes sea shanty tunes. For further info, contact Joanna Adler at joanna at jacklondondistrict.org or call her at 510/893-4100.
Happy Independence Day!
Lynne Huntting
Loft #103
Sunday 3 July 2005
