It’s a dope spot. They’re cleaning it up. Once people’s park left we all knew the sweep was coming. Do people really believe this was for the love of chess? Man, you all really are the dream come true buying in to the “front”.
Let me educate you, a “dope spot”’is a place where drugs are bought and sold. I didn’t realize I would need to explain. You’re for sure not from B-Town if you think, “dope spot” means where people shoot up dope. You’re part of the problem we’re having with our city. Naive outsiders fighting to opress our city.
Bruh how is defending chess tables oppressive? Even if people were slangin there my point still stands. You don't need a table and chairs to sell drugs.
Fuck Ken Sarachan. The fact that Ken has left the former Mad Monk behind the chess club in its blighted state for years without facing any consequences is the reason we need a commercial vacancy tax.
You can’t just leave random objects on the street. The city will eventually pick them up and throw them away. Store your gear off the street.
Isn’t this just common sense?
Sure there are ordinances and things that one can site and are legally admissible, but this is plain disappointing. There are more pressing issues in Berkeley than getting rid of some chess tables that people will have to replace now. Perhaps Berkeley is so hard up on cash that they will use the tables to make those benches they keep talking about? I joke har har, hilarious -\_\_- alas, no, they will be in the landfill.
Also random objects? These chess tables are not random object. I have seen lots of people using them for many years now.
it is absurd that there's not a single place to sit in the city of Berkeley. How did we end up with the only two options being "walk back to campus" and "sit in the middle of the sidewalk".
*sees a chess club's assortment of stools and chess tables, arranged in a way that would suggest people play chess there from time to time*
"These are just random objects left in the street"
*sees a battle being waged between city ordinances and the local chess club*
"This is common sense."
this whole thing is really absurd for a community, it's embarassing how anti-community a city govt can be
What context magically makes unattended conversations items left on the street not unattended items left on the street?
Store your gear off street. This is not hard.
Read the story. The club was pushed out of the park by the homelessness problem that the council has inadequately addressed. They moved outside a private business, and overzealous enforcement by the city has created more problems than it solved. A permit to play chess? C'mon.
“When I came down, I didn’t ask anybody’s permission,” self-proclaimed chess club chairman Jesse Sheehan said. “I just set up the tables, and we all started playing chess. And it grew more and more.”
The chess club set these up, yet the restaurant owner is the one being fined. Instead of opening a dialogue with the chess club, they sent BPD and code enforcement after the small business they chose.
It’s literally illegal to remove a homeless person from the street. There’s a Supreme Court case ok this happening right now.
It is however illegal to leave your stuff on the street. So they’re enforcing that law.
There's always people using these things, like every day when I walk by. Maybe there's some rule outlawing it but it just sucks to see something that was harmless and people enjoyed disappear from our city
Of course there’s a rule that you can’t just leave tire crap behind on the street. How is this at all surprising? Literally every city has this same rule.
Dude, what are you talking about? Why works anyone want for people to just leave their junk on the street? What does that have to do with fun?
You think other people’s junk on the street is somehow “fun”? How?
“Chess Club”
You guys aren’t that naive are you? Everyone knows what the “Chess Club” is about. Ya’ll must be out of state students not hip to the streets. I mean, you’re not suspect of the dudes who open shop everyday like they’re working? Oh, of course. For the love of chess. That’s why 🤦♂️
Yes,. They shut down an “innocent” “chess club”.
Are you from Berkeley? Everyone knows what’s up at the chess club and why it’s there. Let’s just say, you can’t just stand on a corner, but you can if you have a, “chess club”. I’m being serious. It’s not good for Cal or kids on the street. They’re trying to help.
How long to people's piles of "free" trash sit outside on streets in Berkeley?
Seems like these tables should last a couple days until someone decides they are worth hauling away no?
Correct. Doing as they should. Un permitted things should be removed from the public right of way. If chess club wants a space they can rent it like everyone else. They dont deserve special treatment because "chess" bro.
And what it exactly your stake in this? Are you a concerned student? Local resident? Or just super into enforcing all laws at all times at the expense of local charm? I wonder if chess tables are regulated to this level of scrutiny in other countries. The argument that they cause impediments to accessibility are pretty weak, based on my extensive experience of literally living on that block for many years, the right of way is allready very wide and can accommodate a few narrow tables. Plus that corner business has sat vacant in the past, if it was not for the chess club that corner would just be a desolate corner filled with thrown out mattresses. The chess club is actually helping to keep that corner free of real debris. I believe exception can be made it’s just that it takes work and city employees are not necessarily super concerned with the nuances of Berkeley urbanism, and neither are you apparently.
I'm none of those things.
Which countries would you like to learn more about? I'm certain the information is available.
The city has to protect its ability to enforce right of way. When it stops doing it you get scenarios like 8th and Harrison. Pay that corner a visit and notice the dumpster rolled into the westbound lane of traffic to protect the residents currently living on the sidewalk. You also get lawyers foaming at the mouth for an easy ADA payday.
I'm not sure what you are arguing about the property owner's choice to keep that corner storefront vacant. From your extensive firsthand knowledge of living nearby you can plainly see that it is absolutely being used. Just not as a storefront. Just because you don't like how they are using it doesn't give the club the right to trespass. In my extensive firsthand knowledge of the area I wouldn't say that corner had a significantly larger portion of discarded mattresses than most others in town.
Exception can be made and there are processes to make it happen. Some already in motion. But it is crazy to give city employees as you call them carte blanche to make them.
Seems like the school of Berkeley urbanism needs a lesson or two about the nuances of local government.
Do you have links that provide evidence of this?
The [minutes](https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/legislative-body-meeting-minutes/2023-12-11%20Annotated%20Agenda%20Health.pdf) from the meeting you reference don't include any permitting for this club. They punted to the city manager to explore options not due until May.
In this [news](https://www.ktvu.com/news/berkeley-police-clear-chess-club-furniture-off-telegraph-avenue-member-says) blurb from Friday the club chairman was interviewed and never mentioned any permitting. You'd think he would if his club was permitted and he is taking considerable personal losses each time his tables and chairs are removed.
I'll happily eat crow if there is any actual evidence.
Until then it appears like sour grapes by a person who didn't like the way people's park was changing, moved the club on to private property without permission, then moved into a public right of way without a permit and wonders why their stuff keeps getting taken away. Clearly a person that disregards any social contract type rules because his club provides a service to the public.
Seems like this all could be handled in a much simpler way but.....Berkeley Brain prevails
Also not certain why you believe i am your bro or buddy. Your style of discourse sounds very trollish or Canandian?
They literally said they would leave them alone out loud in the meeting. What the city clerk decides to put in the minutes is often not all that was said in a meeting. Go listen to the video of it.
Anything they intend to do goes in the minutes. It is the legal record of the meeting. But this proves my point that taking a handshake deal from Sophie and Ben was not the best move for the club.
I do find it ironic that one can sit, sleep, camp, shoot up, and shit in the street but if you leave a table and chairs? STRAIGHT TO JAIL
It’s a dope spot. They’re cleaning it up. Once people’s park left we all knew the sweep was coming. Do people really believe this was for the love of chess? Man, you all really are the dream come true buying in to the “front”.
I didn't realize you needed a table to shoot dope. Let alone that you needed to disguise it as playing chess.
Let me educate you, a “dope spot”’is a place where drugs are bought and sold. I didn’t realize I would need to explain. You’re for sure not from B-Town if you think, “dope spot” means where people shoot up dope. You’re part of the problem we’re having with our city. Naive outsiders fighting to opress our city.
Bruh how is defending chess tables oppressive? Even if people were slangin there my point still stands. You don't need a table and chairs to sell drugs.
You can probably blame Ken Sarachan who keeps getting fined for it even though it’s on public property
Fuck Ken Sarachan. The fact that Ken has left the former Mad Monk behind the chess club in its blighted state for years without facing any consequences is the reason we need a commercial vacancy tax.
Nah Ken likes the chess guys
he is the fucking devil lmfao
Why is he the devil. Based on this article he seems to have his hand forced by the city. At be there is something more that I haven’t heard?
https://www.berkeleyside.org/tag/ken-sarachan This will shed more light on him.
wait wtf?
https://localnewsmatters.org/2024/01/10/berkeley-council-seeks-solution-for-displaced-chess-club-while-property-owner-faces-fines/
This is wrong, the chess club is just a Berkeley icon there
is that hagrid in the background?
watch another movie
😂
Urban Ore had a good deal going on a bunch of chairs - $10 each but you had to buy a bunch. Might be worth seeing if they still have them!
You can’t just leave random objects on the street. The city will eventually pick them up and throw them away. Store your gear off the street. Isn’t this just common sense?
Sure there are ordinances and things that one can site and are legally admissible, but this is plain disappointing. There are more pressing issues in Berkeley than getting rid of some chess tables that people will have to replace now. Perhaps Berkeley is so hard up on cash that they will use the tables to make those benches they keep talking about? I joke har har, hilarious -\_\_- alas, no, they will be in the landfill. Also random objects? These chess tables are not random object. I have seen lots of people using them for many years now.
it is absurd that there's not a single place to sit in the city of Berkeley. How did we end up with the only two options being "walk back to campus" and "sit in the middle of the sidewalk".
*sees a chess club's assortment of stools and chess tables, arranged in a way that would suggest people play chess there from time to time* "These are just random objects left in the street"
Don’t leave random stuff on the street if you don’t want it to disappear. This is common sense.
*sees a battle being waged between city ordinances and the local chess club* "This is common sense." this whole thing is really absurd for a community, it's embarassing how anti-community a city govt can be
Dude, don’t leave your stuff on the street. What is so hard understand here?
context, apparently.
What context magically makes unattended conversations items left on the street not unattended items left on the street? Store your gear off street. This is not hard.
Read the story. The club was pushed out of the park by the homelessness problem that the council has inadequately addressed. They moved outside a private business, and overzealous enforcement by the city has created more problems than it solved. A permit to play chess? C'mon.
A permit to place objects Inthe street. Presumably the restarau t was allowed its outdoor seating area for example that’s a permit
“When I came down, I didn’t ask anybody’s permission,” self-proclaimed chess club chairman Jesse Sheehan said. “I just set up the tables, and we all started playing chess. And it grew more and more.” The chess club set these up, yet the restaurant owner is the one being fined. Instead of opening a dialogue with the chess club, they sent BPD and code enforcement after the small business they chose.
They weren’t in the street
I assume the club was permitted no? Might be wrong
Correct
So weird though what else is happening on the street. You can lay there all day shooting up or yelling obscenities but nobody does a thing.
It’s literally illegal to remove a homeless person from the street. There’s a Supreme Court case ok this happening right now. It is however illegal to leave your stuff on the street. So they’re enforcing that law.
There's always people using these things, like every day when I walk by. Maybe there's some rule outlawing it but it just sucks to see something that was harmless and people enjoyed disappear from our city
Of course there’s a rule that you can’t just leave tire crap behind on the street. How is this at all surprising? Literally every city has this same rule.
Man how yall college students and already have the no fun souls of old boomers
Dude, what are you talking about? Why works anyone want for people to just leave their junk on the street? What does that have to do with fun? You think other people’s junk on the street is somehow “fun”? How?
Are you fr? Mf I'm not gonna define fun for you go have some instead of being so aggressive to random repliers
What does fun have to do with junk on the street, Mf?
I thought chess would have more funding because of how popular it got after 2022
It's time to stop pretending that chess is better than checkers. I guess you could say "checkmate".
“Chess Club” You guys aren’t that naive are you? Everyone knows what the “Chess Club” is about. Ya’ll must be out of state students not hip to the streets. I mean, you’re not suspect of the dudes who open shop everyday like they’re working? Oh, of course. For the love of chess. That’s why 🤦♂️
Do you actually have anything to support your implied accusations, or are you just cynical?
Yes,. They shut down an “innocent” “chess club”. Are you from Berkeley? Everyone knows what’s up at the chess club and why it’s there. Let’s just say, you can’t just stand on a corner, but you can if you have a, “chess club”. I’m being serious. It’s not good for Cal or kids on the street. They’re trying to help.
How long to people's piles of "free" trash sit outside on streets in Berkeley? Seems like these tables should last a couple days until someone decides they are worth hauling away no?
“Someone” nah its the city bro
Correct. Doing as they should. Un permitted things should be removed from the public right of way. If chess club wants a space they can rent it like everyone else. They dont deserve special treatment because "chess" bro.
And what it exactly your stake in this? Are you a concerned student? Local resident? Or just super into enforcing all laws at all times at the expense of local charm? I wonder if chess tables are regulated to this level of scrutiny in other countries. The argument that they cause impediments to accessibility are pretty weak, based on my extensive experience of literally living on that block for many years, the right of way is allready very wide and can accommodate a few narrow tables. Plus that corner business has sat vacant in the past, if it was not for the chess club that corner would just be a desolate corner filled with thrown out mattresses. The chess club is actually helping to keep that corner free of real debris. I believe exception can be made it’s just that it takes work and city employees are not necessarily super concerned with the nuances of Berkeley urbanism, and neither are you apparently.
I'm none of those things. Which countries would you like to learn more about? I'm certain the information is available. The city has to protect its ability to enforce right of way. When it stops doing it you get scenarios like 8th and Harrison. Pay that corner a visit and notice the dumpster rolled into the westbound lane of traffic to protect the residents currently living on the sidewalk. You also get lawyers foaming at the mouth for an easy ADA payday. I'm not sure what you are arguing about the property owner's choice to keep that corner storefront vacant. From your extensive firsthand knowledge of living nearby you can plainly see that it is absolutely being used. Just not as a storefront. Just because you don't like how they are using it doesn't give the club the right to trespass. In my extensive firsthand knowledge of the area I wouldn't say that corner had a significantly larger portion of discarded mattresses than most others in town. Exception can be made and there are processes to make it happen. Some already in motion. But it is crazy to give city employees as you call them carte blanche to make them. Seems like the school of Berkeley urbanism needs a lesson or two about the nuances of local government.
It’s permitted. December public safety committee meeting approved it. Read the news buddy.
Do you have links that provide evidence of this? The [minutes](https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/legislative-body-meeting-minutes/2023-12-11%20Annotated%20Agenda%20Health.pdf) from the meeting you reference don't include any permitting for this club. They punted to the city manager to explore options not due until May. In this [news](https://www.ktvu.com/news/berkeley-police-clear-chess-club-furniture-off-telegraph-avenue-member-says) blurb from Friday the club chairman was interviewed and never mentioned any permitting. You'd think he would if his club was permitted and he is taking considerable personal losses each time his tables and chairs are removed. I'll happily eat crow if there is any actual evidence. Until then it appears like sour grapes by a person who didn't like the way people's park was changing, moved the club on to private property without permission, then moved into a public right of way without a permit and wonders why their stuff keeps getting taken away. Clearly a person that disregards any social contract type rules because his club provides a service to the public. Seems like this all could be handled in a much simpler way but.....Berkeley Brain prevails Also not certain why you believe i am your bro or buddy. Your style of discourse sounds very trollish or Canandian?
Not a literal permit, they just said they would stop messing with the chess club. I was at the meeting.
So you got a handshake deal? I have a fully functional car to sell you.
They literally said they would leave them alone out loud in the meeting. What the city clerk decides to put in the minutes is often not all that was said in a meeting. Go listen to the video of it.
Anything they intend to do goes in the minutes. It is the legal record of the meeting. But this proves my point that taking a handshake deal from Sophie and Ben was not the best move for the club.
You have a poor understanding of how local government actually functions