Roots Stadium Plan Returns to Planning Board Aug. 24

Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Club want to turn their training grounds on Harbor Bay Parkway into a real game-day venue, and Alameda's Planning Board is taking a second look at the idea on Aug. 24. If you live anywhere near Harbor Bay or drive that stretch of the island, this is the meeting where you can actually weigh in before staff writes up a formal recommendation.

What Oakland Roots Wants to Build

The club has run its 17-acre headquarters and training facility at 1150 and 1220 Harbor Bay Parkway since the Raiders left for Las Vegas. Now the team is asking the city to let it add modular stands and temporary facilities so it can host real matches there, not just practices.

• Up to 24 professional soccer matches a year, plus some smaller sporting events
• Crowds of up to 8,000 people per match
• A five-year permit, not a permanent stadium

That's not a small ask for a site that's used to being quiet. It's also not the massive, permanent stadium some people picture when they hear the word. Think temporary bleachers that come down, not a new arena on the skyline.

Why Aug. 24 Isn't a Final Vote

Don't expect a decision at this meeting. It's Public Workshop #2, which means the Planning Board is gathering input, not voting on anything yet. The first workshop happened back on June 22, when the board heard the initial pitch and flagged traffic, noise and lighting as the issues to sort out. A full environmental review still has to wrap up before the board can vote on the actual use permit, and that vote is still down the road.

What Neighbors Are Watching

City staff have already pulled together a traffic study and a draft transportation management plan for the meeting, since Harbor Bay Parkway isn't built for match-day crowds. There's also a letter from the Port of Oakland in the packet, because the site sits right next to Oakland's airport, and anything with tall lights and stands out there needs a sign-off on flight paths and the city's dark-skies rules.

How to Weigh In

The workshop is Monday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 2263 Santa Clara Ave., third floor. It's open to the public and it's the spot to ask questions before this goes any further. For more upcoming meetings and things happening around town, check our events calendar. And if you want the backstory on how the Roots ended up at Harbor Bay in the first place, we covered their original pitch when it first came before the board.