Triangle Residents Appeal Bilingual School

Private School Slated For San Pablo Ave Appealed By Neighbors 

A small but determined group of Triangle neighborhood residents have petitioned the city council to appeal a March 27th Planning Commission decision to locate an expansion campus of Oakland's Escuela Bilingue Internacional, a private K-8 bilingual school, on San Pablo Avenue in Emeryville.

The neighbors say the school, slated to accommodate 400 children plus staff, will generate myriad negative impacts to the Triangle neighborhood such as traffic, noise and parking and these are primary reasons cited for the appeal but the greatest agitation seems to be from the project's lack of a neighborhood impact study.  The lack of a proper study will leave the decision makers and the neighbors in the dark as to possible looming problems associated with the project the appellants say.

Triangle resident and appellant Eric Gascoyne complained that the project has been rushed without a proper vetting by the neighbors, "The city pretty much rammed this through" he lamented.  Further, he says that since tuition starts at $17,000, the school is too expensive for Emeryville resident's children, "They're not really serving the community...it's a business".

The school's existing
Alcatraz Avenue campus
will remain for the time being

In a letter to the city council, the Triangle resident appellants posit that a plan submitted to the city by the school meant to ameliorate some neighbor concerns does not go far enough and they draw attention to a problem with public safety regarding a 300 foot public pathway easement between the proposed school and the residential neighborhood.
One Triangle neighbor who wished to remain anonymous, described the path as "a place waiting for somebody to get mugged.  The path has 90 degree turns with blind spots so the cops can't see down the length of it".

Mr Gascoyne noted the city's San Pablo Avenue plan mandates that the street is supposed to be for locally serving retail.  After injecting that the school is really just a non locally serving business he told the Tattler, "Any other business would be required to respect the neighbors, but you can't say anything against a school."

The school is proposed for 4550 San Pablo Avenue near 47th Street.

The council will hear the appeal of the Escuela Bilingue Internacional school at a special public hearing slated for May 19th at 6:00 at City Hall.

The Triangle residents plan a community meeting about this school on Saturday May 14th at 12:30 at the Senior Center located at 4321 Salem Street.