As Rockridge residents discuss the status of pending new development projects, Rockridge Voice has heard from several residents who worry about how these plans would impact our neighborhood. This isn’t the first time Rockridge has faced big challenges, and this issue includes several Letters to the Editor about this important topic.
We are not the only neighborhood to plan for growth. Hopefully, we can find common ground and work together for a positive future — and not let this issue divide us as we face our future together.
Don’t miss the rest of our coverage of local news and events, and thank you for your membership. We love what we do, and couldn’t do it without your support. If you appreciate our efforts, please forward our email to your neighbors... together we can make a difference.
Anna L. Marks
Publisher/Editor
Here’s a look at what’s in store in this edition:
Whose Water Is It? Rockridge’s Bilger Quarry
If you ever visit the Lake District in northern Italy and have your morning espresso at an out-of-the-way café, you just might be seated next to the descendant of one of the skilled stonemasons from Como who immigrated here and found work in the quarry.
Rockridge Market Hall Indie Food Fest: May 9
Rockridge Market Hall proudly announces the return of its Third Annual Indie Food Fest on Saturday, May 9, from noon to 3pm, at its College Avenue marketplace.
Frog Park Climatescape Moves into Phase 2
Back in 2023, when we embarked on the Frog Park Climatescape project, we were greeted with a site of dirt penned in by a perimeter of concrete. Formerly a rose garden (and, well before that, a decrepit playground), the site’s irrigation system had broken…
Time to Stand Up
Central planners don’t have a good record historically. Try as they might, they just lack the information the rest of us have collectively and lack understanding of the “invisible hands” and trade-offs working silently in the background that inform our personal decisions.
Rockridge Residents Push Back on Housing Plans at Community Meeting
We attended the annual meeting of the Rockridge Neighborhood Planning Council (RCPC) on April 23. The concerns of many attendees about the just-announced proposal for skyscraper towers on College Avenue…
From Sidewalks to Storefronts: An Inside Look at the Rockridge District Association
“The commercial corridor is the heartbeat of Rockridge…. Supporting the corridor is supporting the community.” That statement comes from Devan Meneses, president of the Rockridge District Association (RDA).
What’s Blooming in Rockridge? Convolvulus cneorum
Convolvulus cneorum is actually related to the morning glory, but grows as a low-growing, mounded shrub rather than a vine. It also stays in place and won’t end up taking over your garden…
Proposed Construction Impact on Claremont Middle School
I’ve been following the responses to the proposed residential towers at the Trader Joe’s site, and I’d like to share some feedback that I haven’t seen reflected in the public discussion.
Questioning the Cost of High-Rise Development
I have lived in Rockridge for 47 years. When my husband and I first moved here, the space now occupied by Market Hall was a pumpkin patch in October, and a Christmas tree lot in December.