The International Boulevard Transit-Oriented Development Plan (TOD) was approved by the city of Oakland Planning Commission last week and will appear next before the city's Community and Economic Development Committee at 2 p.m. on Feb. 22.

Pending CEDC approval, the City Council will consider the plan on March 1.

If adopted by the Council, city staff and other agencies can begin implementing more than 80 actions put forth by the community to improve life along International Boulevard. The actions range from the quick and inexpensive (such as zoning changes, new security cameras and a bike parking inventory) to the more complex and costly (such as acquiring vacant properties, creating new police sub-stations and redesigning major streets for bike lanes).

The plan begins by stating the community's principles for the corridor. Through public meetings and working groups, the plan's authors heard the priorities, concerns, and requests of the communities along International Boulevard. Principles such as "fostering jobs" and "a safe and healthy community" aren't particularly controversial, but they set the tone.

The plan details strategies to revitalize eight "catalyst areas" along International Boulevard. Because the corridor is dense with transit, the plan's authors relied on existing neighborhoods and historical connections to group bus stops and anchor future transit-oriented development. In these areas, the plan goes block by block, detailing existing structures and laying out a plan to bring new life to each parcel.

For instance, there is 2.6 acre triangular lot south of International Boulevard, between 75th Avenue and Hegenberger. Currently, the lot is largely vacant, except for an open drainage channel, a church, and 151 small homes (averaging 1,050 square feet). The report suggests covering the drainage channel, creating a new road, constructing a small building for a new business and making a new park. The report makes recommendations on the arrangement of parking, additional housing and landscaping along each of the streets, as well.

Finally, the plan lays out 15 recommendations and more than 80 related actions. Each action is rated by its level of difficulty and cost. Many items require action by the city, but others rely on community organizations, AC Transit, merchant's associations and other groups. Redevelopment agencies are identified as the responsible party for many actions, creating a possible complication if Governor Jerry Brown eliminates redevelopment agencies as proposed.

The plan assumes that BRT will bring $100 million of federal and regional funds to the six-mile corridor. Certainly, the corridor would benefit with such a rapid infusion of jobs, new infrastructure and improved transit, bicycle and pedestrian access. The plan's detailed recommendations and action would help the community even without BRT, but given how crucial BRT and transportation access are to the community's vision in the plan, the success of the two plans are certainly intertwined.

The entire 95.7 MB plan is available online, but be warned - it will take a while to download.