Tag Archives: 2707 Rose Street

Court date moved in next stage of Mitch Kapor home saga

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Update, 01.31.12: Both parties in the 2707 Rose Street case, which went to appeal and was heard in the First Appellate District, Division 4, California Court of Appeal in San Francisco on January 24th, are now waiting to hear the outcome. In the meantime Berkeley Hills Preservation group alerts us to its website which contains full details of its case.

Original storyMitch Kapor is no closer to being able to begin construction on his new home in the north Berkeley hills after a court date set for tomorrow, January 10th, at which opponents to his plans were to have appealed a December 2010 ruling against them, has been moved back 14 days.

Meanwhile, Kapor, the philanthropist and founder of Lotus, and his wife Freada Kapor Klein — who received approval approved use permits from the City of Berkeley City of Berkeley’s Zoning Adjustments Board two years ago this month to build a new for a 6,478 sq ft home with 10-car garage at 2707 Rose Street — have voluntarily agreed not to undertake any construction activities at the site.

The lot has, however, been cleared in anticipation of a possible build. The original home at the location, a 2-story 2,477 sq ft 1925 house, abandoned for many years, has been removed, as well as a garage at street level, leaving merely foundations in their place.

The Berkeley Hills Preservation Group’s appeal rests on the argument that the build will have “a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances” (California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines [14 Cal.Code Regs.]), and therefore warrants a CEQA environmental review — something not normally required for the construction of single family homes. … Continue reading »

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Mitch Kapor takes first step to building Berkeley home

Photo: Jason Strauss

Fifteen months after Mitch Kapor received permission from the city of Berkeley to build a home at 2707 Rose Street, the Lotus founder and philanthropist has begun to dismantle the abandoned 2-story, 2,477 sq ft 1925 house on the property, in readiness, one assumes, for construction to begin on his new abode.

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Protesters in Mitch Kapor case say the battle is not over

Kapor home model

A group of north Berkeley residents who are contesting the construction of a new home by Lotus founder and philanthropist Mitch Kapor on his property at 2707 Rose Street say they may move for a new trial after a judge ruled against them in December.

“The case is not yet over,” said Susan Nunes Fadley, a member of the Berkeley Hills Preservation group which has protested the bid by Kapor and his wife Freada Kapor-Klein to build a … Continue reading »

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Lotus founder may yet build his Berkeley home

A model of the home Mitch Kapor hopes to build at 2707 Rose Street in north Berkeley. Photo: Marcy Wong Don Logan Architects.

A group of north Berkeley residents who are trying to prevent Lotus founder and philanthropist Mitch Kapor and his wife from building a new home in the city lost their case which was heard in the Alameda County Superior Court early last month.

On Thursday, Judge Frank Roesch ruled against the Berkeley Hills Preservation (BHP) group whose attorney, Susan Brandt-Hawley, had argued that the city of Berkeley should not have given Kapor approval to build a 6,478 sq ft … Continue reading »

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News

Kapor Foundation supports diversity in science effort

Mitch Kapor

Mitch Kapor, the philanthropist and founder of Lotus, has not allowed the difficulties he is facing building a home in Berkeley to deter him from channeling his money into good causes based in our city.

The Mitchell Kapor Foundation recently announced a five year renewable gift of $250,000 to UC Berkeley’s College of Letters and Science to support the launch of the Berkeley Science Network (BSN).

BSN’s stated aim is to strengthen the pipeline of … Continue reading »

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News

Will Mitch Kapor persevere to get his Berkeley home?

Kapor home model

It’s been a while since we checked in on Lotus founder and philanthropist Mitch Kapor and his attempt to move to Berkeley — indeed to build a new home for himself here.

As some readers will doubtless remember, late in 2009 Mr Kapor applied to build a 6,478 sq ft, contemporary house in north Berkeley at 2707 Rose Street, on a 0.68 acre lot complete with old house that he acquired in August 2008.

Continue reading »

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Urban planning

City of Berkeley sued over Mitch Kapor home

A group of Berkeley residents has filed suit against the City of Berkeley for failing to act with due process when it approved the application, by Lotus founder and philanthropist Mitch Kapor, to build a new home at 2707 Rose Street.

The newly formed Berkeley Hillside Preservation group filed a petition in the Alameda Superior Court yesterday stating that the city had exempted the Kapor application from an environmental review that is mandated under the California Environmental … Continue reading »

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Urban planning

Mitch Kapor’s Berkeley home: From white to gray

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Notice anything different? A new image of the architects‘ model for Mitch Kapor’s proposed home at 2707 Rose Street has emerged. Seems as though someone has had a change of heart on the exterior hue of the home.

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Urban planning

Welcome to Berkeley Mr Kapor: Appeal is voted down

A model of the home Mitch Kapor hopes to build at 2707 Rose Street in north Berkeley. Photo: Marcy Wong Don Logan Architects.

Software mogul Mitch Kapor can crack open the champagne. At last night’s City Council meeting Berkeley’s council members voted to reject the appeal on his approved application to the Zoning Application Board to build a new home in our city. His plan for a contemporary, 6,478 sq ft house at 2707 Rose Street now has the green light.

The item was passed 6 in favor, 2 against and one in absentia. Commenting on the long, divisive debate that preceded … Continue reading »

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Urban planning

Mitch Kapor’s Berkeley home: Countdown to appeal

Item 17 on the agenda for tomorrow’s City Council Meeting is bound to draw crowds. It concerns the appeal to the zoning board’s approval for a new home to be built at 2707 Rose Street. The application was made in the name of Mitch Kapor and his wife Freada Klein.

You can read all about the application and the appeal in Berkeleyside’s extensive coverage of the issue here.

Seventy-three people have submitted communications in relation to the appeal, making … Continue reading »

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