Dear Editor,
I wrote to William Gilchrist, Director of Planning and Building Development, on April 17, 2026, to express my opposition to the proposed location of the new senior center’s trash collection on Florio Street, rather than on Claremont Avenue, where it rightly belongs. On May 15, on my way to do some shopping, the smells and sights I encountered reminded me of why I wrote before.
Safeway
Safeway leaves its dumpster in the street rather than inside its loading dock. I understand why, because it smells really bad. Because of where they store other things in the loading dock, there is no place to store the dumpster inside, where it belongs. (See images below taken on May 15, 2026.)
Safeway dumpster in curb lane on Claremont Ave (left); Interior location where Safeway dumpster belongs (right). Photos: John Dal Pino
Shops in the Safeway Plaza Annex
I understand that the agreement for the redevelopment of the Safeway property required the plaza building to have an internal trash room, and that the trash containers were to be kept there and moved out in the morning on trash collection days. This is not what has transpired since the building was constructed. The trash containers are a permanent fixture on the sidewalk, and the trash is everywhere on the ground most of the time. See Figure 3 below, taken on May 15, 2026.
Conclusion
These two situations are a result of poor planning, careless businesses, and a lack of enforcement of laws and agreements. The commonality is that these businesses put their trash “out back,” out of sight of their customers, so everyone else is inconvenienced instead of themselves. I can only imagine how much smelly trash (tenant trash and dining room kitchen refuse) an oversized senior housing facility like 6230 Claremont Ave. will produce daily!
I request that the City of Oakland require the trash collection location for the 6230 Claremont Ave. project be located on Claremont Ave., where it belongs, and that the City mandate that the trash be stored inside until the trash trucks arrive, and not a minute sooner. Would it be possible to cite Safeway and the Safeway Plaza Shops for their practices too?
Thank you for your attention.
John A. Dal Pino
Florio Street
