The Berkeley City Council reluctantly signed off Monday night on two proposed high-rise developments that use a state housing law to sidestep local labor standards.
The Afternoon WireLIVE Trump's pick to lead new Justice Department unit scrutinized as president declares 'war on fraud'US hockey player Brady Tkachuk slams White House TikTok as 'clearly fake' after anti-Canada slurSinger D4vd is 'target' in investigation of killing of girl whose body was found in car in HollywoodBill Gates 'spoke candidly' about Epstein ties at a Gates Foundation meeting, spokesperson saysNASA's Mike Fincke identifies himself as the ailing astronaut who prompted space station evacuationOtters enjoy a snow day in Maryland during winter stormRaccoon goes on drunken rampage in Virginia liquor store and passes out on bathroom floorAre expensive shampoos worth it? Here's what the experts have to sayAre expensive shampoos worth it? Here's what the experts have to sayColorectal cancer is rising in younger adults.
Here's who is most at risk and symptoms to watch forWomen suffer heart attacks too. Understanding risks, symptoms and how to save yourselfOne Tech Tip: Unspoken group chats rules you're probably ignoring, but shouldn'tIf you're struggling to lose weight, could chilling your carbs help?Pope Leo will visit 4 African countries as part of his packed 2026 travel planEEUU e Irán concluyen conversaciones sin acuerdo mientras se cierne el riesgo de guerra Here's who is most at risk and symptoms to watch forWomen suffer heart attacks too. Understanding risks, symptoms and how to save yourselfOne Tech Tip: Unspoken group chats rules you're probably ignoring, but shouldn'tIf you're struggling to lose weight, could chilling your carbs help?Pope Leo will visit 4 African countries as part of his packed 2026 travel planEEUU e Irán concluyen conversaciones sin acuerdo mientras se cierne el riesgo de guerraA construction union pickets the office of the development consultant Rhoades Planning Group in downtown Berkeley, Calif., on Jan. 20, 2026. The Berkeley City Council reluctantly signed off Monday night on two proposed high-rise developments that use a state housing law to sidestep local labor standards. Two labor groups had called for Berkeley leaders to approve the projects but reject their developers’ attempts to use California’s “density bonus” law toand apprenticeship programs. The state law requires cities to give builders exemptions from certain local regulations if their projects include affordable housing. Developers Collab Home and Laconia Development say abiding by the ordinance would cost millions of dollars and mean they might never actually build the projects, a 20-story complex on Durant Avenue in the Southside neighborhood and a 23-story building on University Avenue in downtown Berkeley. Attorneys for the developers told the City Council that the state law grants them broad authority to bypass Berkeley’s mandates, and the city Council members, some of whom voted to approve the health care and apprenticeship requirements, said they were sympathetic to the appeal from the labor groups. But several members agreed that the state law meant they couldn’t force the developers to follow the requirements, and were wary the companies could take the city to court if they tried to do so. At a time when Berkeley faces a budget deficit estimated at $30 million, the council wasn’t interested in picking that potentially costly fight. “I don’t think the legal justification is there to deny the concessions,” Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani said. “The city is not in a position to take on the cost of expensive litigation, when we know at the outset that we are likely to fail.”from Laconia, a Walnut Creek firm that proposed two versions of the project. One would include 240 units and have more studio and one-bedroom apartments; the other, with larger apartments, would have 160 total units. A third project that also sought exemptions from the labor standards, at 2298 Durant Ave., was scheduled to be discussed Monday night but has been withdrawn by developer Valiance Capital, Mayor Adena Ishii said. Plans for the 2425 Durant Ave. project call for including 32 units that would have below market rate rents, while the University Avenue project would have either 24 or 36 affordable units depending on which version of it is built.. Each requested exemptions from the health care and apprenticeship ordinance, known by the acronym “HARD HATS,” or Helping Achieve Responsible Development with Healthcare and Apprenticeship Training Standards. The Durant Avenue project also sought to disregard another requirement supported by construction unions that projects in the Southside neighborhoodLaconia has said the requirements would add more than $5 million to the cost of its University Avenue project. And development consultant Mark Rhoades told the council Berkeley’s mandates would add $16.6 million in costs to the Durant Avenue project, including nearly $13 million from the prevailing wage requirement alone. Union officials disputed those estimates, which they said inflated the true cost of the requirements.Each project was approved by Berkeley’s Zoning Adjustments Board, but those decisions were appealed by the Building and Construction Trades Council of Alameda County and the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council. The groups argued Laconia and Collab Home were abusing the density bonus law, which they said was meant to apply to physical limitations on development, not labor standards.In the weeks leading up to Monday’s meeting, union members protested outside City Hall and the downtown offices of Rhoades’ firm, holding signs and handing out fliers accusing the developers of seeking to exploit workers. Union members and officials in work vests attended the meeting, telling the council that Berkeley’s labor standards would ensure workers get quality training and have coverage if they’re injured on the job. “I can afford to live in Berkeley, I love, because I’ve been given these opportunities through apprenticeships, through a living wage, through health care,” carpenter Stephanie Lind said. The Durant and University projects are some of the first that would be subjected to the HARD HATS ordinance, which applies to projects submitted since 2024, and union leaders fear other developers will follow their strategy of using the state law to nullify Berkeley’s mandate. “The original legislative intent of the density bonus law was to allow developers to build more affordable units as a social good,” attorney Jolene Kramer, who represented the Building and Construction Trades Council, said Monday. “Allowing a developer to avoid a labor standards requirement will do the opposite.” The developers’ attorneys said the density bonus was written with intentionally sweeping language that lets builders exempt themselves from costly mandates that would otherwise stifle housing production.Council calls for legislation to address ‘loophole’ Even if they couldn’t compel the developers to follow Berkeley’s mandates, some council members said they still weren’t willing to vote in favor of the projects. “We all have red lines, this is mine — I cannot in good conscience support housing that will be built on the backs of the workforce,” said Councilmember Igor Tregub. He and others said state lawmakers should pass new legislation to rein in how developers use the density bonus law and prevent future projects like the ones on Durant and University avenues.in the building trades during his run for Sacramento, backed the effort to force the projects to comply with the ordinance. In a statement provided by a spokesperson Tuesday, Arreguín wrote that he was disappointed by the council’s decision and is “considering introducing legislation to amend the state density bonus law to close this loophole.” The council’s opposition to the projects proved only symbolic. The Durant Avenue project was approved with five votes in favor, from Ishii, Kesarwani, Brent Blackaby, Mark Humbert and Cecilia Lunaparra; Tregub joined Terry Taplin, Ben Bartlett and Shoshana O’Keefe in abstaining from the vote. When the University Avenue project came up for a vote, five council members — Taplin, Bartlett, Tregub, O’Keefe and Blackaby — abstained, while Kesarwani, Lunaparra, Humbert and Ishii voted yes. Because the vote failed and the council officially took no action, the zoning board’s decision to approve the project with the concessions stands, and the development can move forward.
Jesse Arregun California Labor Health Care Industry General News News Partner Legislation Politics Protests And Demonstrations Health Care Costs Stephanie Lind Labor Unions Igor Tregub U.S. News Compensation And Benefits Todd Williams U.S. News
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Dallas City Council examines Fair Park First funding, park plansDallas leaders are considering letting Fair Park First build a long-promised community park, with a new report from an advisory group and a briefing shedding...
Read more »
City Council softens protest buffer zone bills, dropping 100-foot perimeter ruleOn the eve of a City Council hearing, Speaker Julie Menin announced significant revisions to two closely watched protest bills, removing a mandatory 100-foot
Read more »
Harrisburg city council votes 7-0 to pass bill limiting city resources in assisting ICEHarrisburg City Council voted unanimously to pass legislation that limits city resources from being used to assist ICE unless required by state or federal law
Read more »
Dallas City Council approves short-term police, fire labor dealThe $75.5 million meet-and-confer agreement runs through the end of September. City leaders and unions say they’ll use the time to negotiate a longer-term...
Read more »
Del Rio council dismisses city attorney, approves separation agreement with city managerDel Rio City Council voted to dismiss the city attorney and approve a mutual separation agreement with the city manager on Tuesday night.
Read more »
Dallas City Council to vote on City Hall move outsThe Dallas City Council will vote Wednesday on whether to move forward with a plan to relocate some emergency departments from City Hall and explore...
Read more »