Ballers Hit a Home Run as Planning Commission Approves Permanent Alcohol Sales at Raimondi Park

Oakland's Planning Commission moved quickly through a light agenda Wednesday night, unanimously greenlighting permanent beer and liquor sales for the Oakland Ballers and dispatching a four-year zoning dispute over a Grand Avenue restaurant — but the most charged moments came during open forum, where Rockridge neighbors mounted an organized offensive against a proposed 8-story senior housing tower they say is too tall, too dense, and too dangerous.

• Oakland Ballers win permanent alcohol sales permit at Raimondi Park, replacing monthly special-event renewals with a single conditional use permit tied to the team's license agreement

• Four Rockridge residents blast proposed 80-foot senior housing project at 6230 Claremont Avenue, presenting a 1,000+ signature petition and challenging the developer's density calculations, fire safety, and shadow impacts

• Mimosa on Grand confirmed as a restaurant, not a bar, as commission unanimously denies an appeal from an absent challenger, ending a four-year code enforcement saga

• City Council adopts SB 79 map following Planning Commission's lead, keeping MacArthur, Ashby, and Rockridge BART stations open to streamlined housing development over staff objections

• Council Member Ken Houston flags deplorable conditions at a formerly deed-restricted senior housing building in East Oakland

Why it matters: The Oakland Ballers have become a rare bright spot in Oakland's sports landscape — investing $3 million in a public park while other franchises flee. A permanent alcohol sales permit removes a bureaucratic headache and signals the city's commitment to the partnership.