Alameda briefs: Autumn Wine Stroll returning downtown Oct. 21 this year

ALAMEDA

It’s back! The Downtown Alameda Autumn Wine Stroll will return from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 21.

Sip and stroll your way through Alameda’s historic downtown while tasting exquisite wines. Enjoy a Saturday afternoon filled with good vino, hors d’oeuvres and entertainment while learning about the unique styles of featured wineries and local chefs.

This year, the stroll’s sponsor, the Downtown Alameda Business Association (DABA), is pleased to partner with the All Good Living Foundation (allgoodlivingfoundation.org), which works to help the Bay Area’s most vulnerable children in need, as no child should go without the necessities to lead a healthy and happy life.

These issues are prevalent and affect more families than most people realize. With a belief in the power of uniting a community and working together, the foundation’s goal is to provide the essentials that are in desperate need.​ For ticket to the wine stroll or more details, visit bit.ly/alawinestroll2023 online.

— DABA

Otis Drive bank robbery suspect arrested after brief search

Alameda police arrested someone Tuesday on suspicion of robbing a bank. Just before 11:30 a.m., officers responded to a report of a possible bank robbery in the 2200 block of Otis Drive. Officers say they were told an individual handed a teller a note demanding money while simulating being armed with a gun.

The teller then reportedly complied with the suspect, who left with an undisclosed amount of money. As police were arriving, the bank’s staff gathered video footage and other evidence to help with the investigation.

Police report that an image of the suspect was sent out to all patrol units and that officers found the unnamed individual just before 12:30 p.m. at a nearby business, where the suspect surrendered without incident. Alameda police say the investigation is ongoing and have provided no further details.

Main Street Ferry Terminal closing for over two months

The Main Street Ferry Terminal in Alameda will close for renovation for more than two months starting in late October, ferry service officials said. The terminal’s operations will be suspended from Oct. 23 through Jan. 1, according to a San Francisco Bay Ferry news release, for repair and replacement of the terminal’s aging infrastructure to comply with with seismic safety requirements.

During the closure, downtown San Francisco-bound riders can use the Alameda Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal while ferries to Chase Center and South San Francisco will only be available from the Oakland Ferry Terminal. The Alameda Short Hop route will be suspended during the closure. Operations at the Main Street terminal are planned to resume Jan. 2 for the Oakland and Alameda, South San Francisco, Alameda Short Hop, Oracle Park and Chase Center ferry routes.

“Design elements also prepare the terminal for future fleet electrification needs. Upon completion of the project, passengers will see direct benefits like more efficient ferry operations and modernized terminal lighting,” according to San Francisco Bay Ferry. For full details, visit sanfranciscobayferry.com/msa-closure online.

— Bay City News

2023 Corks, Forks, Rhythm & Brews event set for Saturday

Held in the heart of the Bay Area on the historic Alameda Point, Corks, Forks, Rhythm & Brews is one of the most exciting luxury events of the year. Featuring California’s best wineries, spirits and breweries, gourmet foods, restaurants and live music, the event will be set amid Alameda’s bustling Spirits Alley.

All proceeds from the fundraiser from 12 to 4 p.m. Saturday will directly benefit the Alameda Boys & Girls Club (ABGC), whose mission is to inspire and enable all youth, especially those who need the club most, to realize their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.

Founded in 1949, ABGC has since then provided high-impact, affordable youth development programs and services for kids ages 6 to 18. ABGC is open to youth from all schools and backgrounds, every day and evening after school and during school vacations. The Corks, Forks, Rhythm & Brews event will be at on the parade lawn of City Hall West on Alameda Point at 950 W. Mall Square in Alameda. For tickets or more details, visit bit.ly/corksforks2023 online.

— ABGC

Housing units found not exempt from city’s rent control

In an important decision after a contested administrative hearing, an independent hearing officer concluded that 150 units of former naval housing in Alameda are subject to the city’s rent control regulations.

The hearing officer rejected the landlord’s contention that state law (the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act) prevents the city from limiting rent increases for tenants of the Admirals Cove property.

“The hearing officer’s decision affirms what the rent program has maintained from the beginning and what courts have held in several cases since the passage of Costa-Hawkins,” said Bill Chapin, who directs Alameda’s rent program.

“Namely, that the legislature intended the limits it placed on local rent control to apply to only newly constructed units that expand a city’s housing stock. The Admirals Cove property apartments have been used to house members of the Alameda community as far back as the 1960s, and their current occupants are entitled to the full protections of the rent control ordinance.”

The Admirals Cove property contains renovated townhomes on a 15-acre parcel between Alameda Landing and the city’s Main Street Ferry Terminal. Comprising 27 four- and six-unit buildings, they were originally built in 1969 to house personnel stationed at the nearby Naval Air Station Alameda and their families.

In 2017, the U.S. government auctioned the parcel and its vacant buildings. The winning bidder, developer Carmel Partners of San Francisco, renovated the units and began leasing them to tenants in October 2019.

Since September 2019, Alameda’s rent control ordinance has limited rent increases to an annual cap, known as the annual general adjustment (AGA), calculated at 70% of the change in the Consumer Price Index. As of Sept. 1, the AGA is 2.9%.

While some provisions of the rent control ordinance, including registration requirements and limits on “no-fault” terminations of tenancy, apply to all rental units in Alameda, the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act prevents local governments from imposing an AGA limit on certain housing units, including units built since February 1995 and units that can be purchased individually, such as single-family homes and condominiums.

“The city of Alameda’s rent control ordinance is a centerpiece of the city’s strong policy of protecting and preserving affordable housing in our community,” said City Attorney Yibin Shen. “The City Attorney’s Office, including the rent program, is committed to justly enforcing state and local housing laws and ensuring that Alameda remains a place that people from all backgrounds and income levels can call home.”

Residents of Admirals Cove — or any other rental property in Alameda — who have questions about rent increases they have received can contact rent program staff at 510-747-7520 or rentprogram@alamedaca.gov for more information.

— city of Alameda

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