Smart Building for Seniors Simple things the city of Oakland and housing developers should do to improve proposed senior housing in the Dimond district

Oakland's Dimond neighborhood has many wonderful features. Unfortunately it also has crime and dangerous traffic, especially along the Fruitvale Avenue and MacArthur Blvd corridors. With over 250 units of proposed new senior housing along the MacArthur corridor, the city of Oakland and all of the develop! ers should consider the specific features of the Dimond neighborhood and the needs of seniors before they approve any housing for seniors.

Seniors and disabled adults often feel lonely and isolated. Giving preference to seniors who live in same ZIP code as the proposed housing would ensure that the residents are familiar and comfortable with the neighborhood. It would also keep seniors closer to their community support systems and make it easier for friends and family to visit. Finally, a preference for locals would decrease the amount of commuting family members do to visit with their loved ones. This would lesson the negative impact that the developments will have on the Dimond's already out-of-control traffic problems.

Seniors need exercise as much as any other group. However, the hills, crime and traffic make walking a difficult and potentially unsafe form of exercise for many residents. Seniors and disabled a! dults need Senior Centers or senior-friendly gyms. We have no facility in the Dimond to serve this population. The space and equipment do not need to be fancy but these proposed developments should incorporate a space with exercise equipment and mats for classes.

We have a pool with a disabled lift and excellent senior programs in Dimond Park. Unfortunately Dimond Park's main entrance on Fruitvale is not handicapped-accessible, so disabled people and seniors who ride the bus cannot use this pool. Lyons Pool at Dimond Park is one of only two wheel-chair accessible public pools in Oakland (the other is Temescal Pool). The developers should partner with Oakland to make the Fruitvale entrance to Dimond Park accessible as well. It is a wonderful resource and it should be available to seniors and disabled people who enter from Fruitvale.

Local schools, parents, and community groups have long complained about the MacArthur Blvd/Lincoln Avenue intersection. Speeding and pedestrian safety have been ongoing concerns for everyone living near this stretch of Lincoln Avenue. There are traffic lights but no pedestrian cross signals. During commute hours autos frequently speed and pass on the right to avoid stopped traffic. Lincoln Avenue is a main artery and there is a casual commuter parking lot and pick-up site two blocks from the proposed senior housing by Domus. The current senior housing proposal is for 80 units with less than 80 parking spaces. It also includes and Adult Day Health Center. This would involve at least 25 seniors and disabled people and a large support staff. Clients usually take shuttle buses or vans, but the staff would need parking. Conservatively, the senior development will add 200 additional pedestrian trips across this intersection. The city of Oakland and the developer should address the obvious safety hazard this inter! section presents before even one senior is hit. They could create the right-hand turn lane that residents have requested for years and add pedestrian crossing signals.

The Dimond neighborhood has much to offer, but before the city of Oakland decides to subsidize hundreds of additional housing units they should listen to what the Dimond community has to say. Developers should give preference to local applicants; this would keep our community intact and lesson the cumulative impacts of these developments. The Dimond does not have a Senior Center or a senior friendly gym -- Oakland should require developers to include appropriate facilities for classes and exercise in their plans or they should build a Senior Center. Oakland should make Dimond Park accessible to seniors and disabled people who ride the bus by re-designing the Fruitvale Avenue entrance. Finally, Oakland should do the necessary traffic re-engineering to the ! MacArthur Blvd/Lincoln Avenue intersection before seniors move into the proposed Lincoln Avenue/MacArthur Blvd senior housing development.