Bentley School

Established in 1920 and located at its 1 Hiller Drive Campus in Oakland’s Hiller Highland’s for 40 years, Bentley’s Hiller Campus is a small, urban, independent school in Oakland enrolling students in grades kindergarten through eighth.  Having realized its Major Conditional Use was drastically outdated, it proceeded to get a new CUP to legalize its existing student enrollment of 360 – 160 more students than its 1960s CUP identified.  Due to this perceived sizable jump in students and distrust from opposing neighbors, Bentley School engaged in more than five years of unsuccessful negotiations and two arbitrations.  Less than one month before its hearing, Bentley School hired Barbary Coast to lead it in intensive and highly focused messaging and supporter outreach and mobilization efforts, and government affairs assistance.  Barbary Coast’s seasoned and rigorous organization and dialogue with decision-makers paid off; the Oakland Planning Commission unanimously approved its new CUP and the opponents did not appeal the decision.  At present, Barbary Coast continues to provide Bentley School with government affairs strategy as it relates to its 2009 Major Conditional Use Permit.