In this edition of our Semi-Monthly newsletter, we share five stories relevant to Emeryville that you may have missed, including:
- Emeryville Couple Fined for Cutting Trees Sues Oakland
- West Oakland Costco “A Step Closer”
- Hawk Injured By Mobbing Crows Near Doyle Hollis Park
- Grocery Outlet Privacy Backlash
- 60-year-old Emeryville Man Dies in I-80 crash
West Oakland Costco “A Step Closer”
Plans for a Costco in West Oakland are moving closer to reality.
At its July 7 meeting, the Oakland City Council unanimously approved a two-year planning agreement for the proposed warehouse at the former Oakland Army Base near Raimondi Park. The agreement allows the city and developer to move forward with environmental review and other planning work before returning to city officials for final approvals.
“Who else is counting down the days?!” Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee wrote on social media, highlighting the project’s projected creation of more than 400 jobs and an estimated $3 million in annual tax revenue for city services.
The proposal must still undergo environmental review and return to the Planning Commission and City Council for additional hearings and approvals before construction can begin, meaning a Costco is still several steps away from becoming a reality.
x
Hawk Injured By Mobbing Crows
Probably the most “viral” story over the past two weeks was an update shared by The Compound Gallery about an injured red-tailed hawk.
The hawk crashed into a building while attempting to evade a mob of crows near the gallery’s studio by Doyle-Hollis Park. After the collision, it was found in a nearby bush, where it was rescued by Bay Raptor Rescue and transported to Lindsay Wildlife Hospital in Walnut Creek.
“The bird is suffering from a clavicle fracture,” Lindsay Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager Peter Flowers told us. “If everything goes well, recovery should take 3–4 weeks. We will confirm that the bird can fly normally before releasing it back into the area.”
The incident sparked lively discussion on social media. While many expressed sympathy for the injured hawk, others noted that the crows were likely defending their nests from a natural predator. Red-tailed hawks help keep crow populations in check, while Emeryville’s crow population has grown noticeably in recent years, leading some residents to view the large “murders” that gather around the city as a nuisance.
Grocery Outlet Privacy Backlash
Emeryville-headquartered Grocery Outlet has found itself at the center of a growing debate after rolling out facial recognition technology at many of its stores to help deter shoplifting.
Signs posted at store entrances read, “Face matching software being used to prevent shoplifting.” The company recently began deploying SAFR GUARD, a facial matching system that compares the faces of people entering a store against an internal watchlist of individuals previously associated with alleged theft or other prohibited activity. When a potential match is detected, the system alerts store employees, who decide whether any action is warranted.
While security cameras have long been a fixture in retail stores, the use of automated facial matching—and questions surrounding how biometric data is collected, stored, and used—has raised concerns among privacy advocates and some customers.
The issue is likely to remain part of a broader public conversation around surveillance technology. In Emeryville, debates over public safety and privacy have already surfaced in discussions over the city’s Flock license plate reader cameras, with at least one City Council candidate calling for their removal.
Emeryville Couple Fined for Cutting Trees Sues Oakland
An Emeryville couple is suing the City of Oakland after being hit with a $915,000 penalty for the alleged removal of 38 protected trees from their property.
Domestic partners Lynn Warner and Matthew Bernard are being represented by The Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative public policy organization that argues the city’s penalty is arbitrary, excessive, and an unconstitutional infringement on private property rights.
The couple disputes Oakland’s allegations, contending that some of the trees had already been removed before they acquired the property, while others were brought down by recent wind storms rather than being intentionally cut.
The case has also prompted broader discussion about the city’s enforcement of its ordinances and laws, and whether those enforcement efforts are applied consistently across different situations.
“You can burn down an entire forest in California and the criminal penalty is only $50,000,” added TPPF Attorney Laura Beth Latimer. “But Oakland is fining Mr. Bernard and Ms. Warner over eighteen times that amount for cutting down their own trees on their own property.”
The dispute has drawn national media attention as it raises broader questions about the balance between environmental protections, property rights, and the limits of municipal enforcement.
Emeryville Man Dies in I-80 Crash
A 60-year-old Emeryville man was killed early Friday after the Lexus he was driving overturned on westbound Interstate 80 near Red Top Road in Solano County and was struck by an oncoming SUV, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Investigators say the man was traveling at a high rate of speed when his Lexus collided with another vehicle, sending it into the center median where it overturned and came to rest in the far-left lane. Moments later, a Dodge Durango crashed into the overturned vehicle, killing the Emeryville driver at the scene. CHP said speed appears to have been a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation.
Authorities have not publicly released the driver’s identity.
