October 5th Park Commission Meeting – 

During the meeting the main issues or projects which were discussed were the update on the Hampton Park Master Plan, the Linda Kingston Triangle, and the oak tree at Magee Overlook. 

    On October 5th, I attended the City of Piedmont Park Commission meeting. The Park Commission makes recommendations to the City Council about improvements to the parks. The Commission meets monthly on the first Wednesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, City Hall.

   The Hampton Park Master Plan was the first topic which was brought up by Nancy Kent, who is the staff Liaison to the Park Commission. She explained how the tennis courts have been refinished, and they are not sure when the field will get finished but progress is being made. The Linda Kingston island was another area of interest for the Commission. This project puts a traffic island at the crossroads of Linda and Kingston avenues. On the island will be plants to allow the island to have aesthetic appeal. There was large concern over how long the lights were taking and if the city had consulted with its light consultant. The lights being put in on the island will be custom made and will not glare into the surrounding houses, a large area of concern.

   The issue which affected me the most was the Park Commission consideration of taking out an oak tree near the Magee Overlook due to safety concerns. The head maintenance member Dave Frankel spoke on this issue. He explained how the tree was decaying and how if it was not removed soon it could fall and cause damages.

   The final topic of discussion was about possible Coaches Field renovations. In this case the Park Commission seemed to be against my personal opinion. Among the commission there wasn’t much concern about renovating the field when in reality, it is a necessity. All they talked about was the lighting on the field and if there should be artificial grass or not. I would have liked them to discuss future plans to renovate the field.

    After the meeting I interviewed John Lenahan who is a member of the Park Commission. After asking him questions, I learned that he was a part of the Commission because he thinks Piedmont parks are the best part of the community and wants to keep it that way. I learned that he thought money has always been a problem in the Park Commission and getting things approved. Lenahan explained how the Commission recommends how to improve the city parks to the City Council, where the idea either gets accepted or rejected. If the plan is accepted then money is the issue, the city must figure out how to pay for the project, funding usually comes from ¨a combination of both private and public funding¨. An example of this would be if the city was to rebuild Coaches Field, then the Piedmont Baseball Foundation, a private organization, would help fund the project along with taxpayers money. Interviewing John Lenahan helped me understand what the Park Commission does and why he is so engaged in the community.

 Adam Low, Piedmont High School Senior

Report:

I attended the Park Commission meeting of October 5, 2016.  The Commission is involved with all of the parks in Piedmont’s domain. They make sure the parks are well maintained and well funded. For example, there was a tree in Piedmont Park that was dangerously overhanging so the staff cut it down for public safety. Another big part of the Park Commission roll is oversight of all current and future park remodels such as Hampton Field and Linda Kingston Triangle. They stay updated on schedules for the park remodel finishes as well as being properly funded. The Parks Commission meets once every month to talk about these issues and keep the remodeling process on track.

A major issue that they addressed included a $25,000 feasibility plan for a Coaches Field remodel. Other aspects of this issue include lights, and how they will impact the people living around the field, and the different types of material they use for the grass. Other major issues included the remodels that have been previously stated and the Magee Oak Tree that was taken out.

In the meeting everyone was in favor for every measure they proposed. There was one woman, Nancy Kent, the staff liaison, who talked about every single project mentioned. She gave overviews of the Hampton and Linda Park projects, as well as an overview of the Magee Oak tree. Another issue at the meeting was the Coaches Field remodel, and in my opinion it is extremely necessary. The grass is always muddy, there is not a lot of space and it needs lights. I think the city of Piedmont would benefit greatly from a Coach’s Field remodel.

After the meeting, I interviewed a member of the Parks Commission whose name was John Lenahan. He said he wanted to be a part of the commission because the parks of Piedmont are one of our cities best qualities and they need to be preserved and beautified as much as possible. There is also a struggle getting enough funding to maintain the parks as well as having restrictions on water it makes it hard for the trees. In the future, he hopes to get more funding from the city council to keep the parks maintained as well as having city donors who will fund Piedmont’s beautification.

Joey Lalli, Piedmont High School Senior

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the authors.

Park Commission Meeting, October 5, 2016

by Mitchell Argue, Piedmont High School Senior

    On October 5, 2016, the Park Commission met for their monthly meeting in the City Council Chambers at Piedmont City Hall. The purpose of the Park Commission is to discuss current projects for the city parks and collaborate on how to maintain the wellbeing of land owned by the city. The topics discussed at this meeting were the Hampton Field Master Plans, the Linda Kingston Triangle, the health of the Oaks and other trees at Magee Overlook and CIP (Capital Improvement Projects) and the financing for those projects. Supervisor of Maintenance Dave Frankel presented an evaluation of the projects in greater detail in his monthly maintenance report with emphasis on the trees near Magee Overlook. Due to what the Commission suspects is a consequence of the drought, some trees have noticeably started to suffer and at least one Oak will have to be removed.

    On a happier note, the maintenance crews were able to pick up heaps of bulbs so now large numbers of flowers can be grown in the parks, especially at Hampton Field. Also, new landscaping equipment is being considered for purchase, where they may select something with more durability and increased energy efficiency.

    There were very few people in attendance other than the members of the Parks Commission. Those in the audience were Vice Mayor Bob McBain, Dave Frankel, two other classmates, and myself. The topics discussed were mainly updates on the progress of said projects, so arguments were not present.

    I was glad to find out how the Hampton Field Master Plan is taking shape. When I saw the pictures in the meeting’s agenda packet, I was happy to see the excellent work being done. The improvements, when finished, are going to be awesome!

Editors Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Sign up for historic Piedmont walks!

Piedmont resident John Roberts explains why he wants to be on the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) Board of Directors:

I, John Roberts, am a candidate for the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) – Ward 2.

My ‘CAT’ platform stands for Community, Accessibility, and Transparency. Community involvement makes for the best parks, and helps the essence of democracy flourish.  Accessability provides park visitors fair treatment despite socioeconomic, race, handicap, or recreational diversity.  Transparency means the public should be informed of all park decisions because we all fund its function through our tax dollars.  In essence, if my platform were implemented, the structural updates would ensure the community was being heard, park visitors were greatly served and treated equally, and our taxes were being used efficiently.  For more information, please see the tabs above covering different topics, or for a one-page summary, please see my Candidate Statement.

I am married to Amie Garcia and we have three children, Yanela (13), Andres (11), and Emilio (5).  We enjoy visiting our nearby parks, as well as camping in the Sierras.  We also love various types of recreation.  My father served in the U.S. Navy aboard a ship during WWII, my mother is Mexican, and I was born and raised on the border in Baja California, Mexico.  I am fluent in Spanish and also have a working knowledge of Brazilian Portuguese.  I have a B.A. in Economics from the University of California at San Diego, a Master of Finance degree from the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico, and hold the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Financial Risk Manager (FRM) designations.  I work for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as a Senior Complex Financial Institution Specialist.   I conduct continuous bank monitoring, participate in examinations, and cover risk areas such as operations, audit, and regulatory reporting.  I earn a fixed salary yet make recommendations that can adversely affect the salary prospects of bankers who make millions; I do this to protect our deposits from bankers taking undue risks. This experience will help me advocate at EBRPD for the little guy, the visitors of our parks.

Ward 2 represents most of Oakland, Piedmont, Canyon, Moraga, Orinda, Orinda Village, Rheem Valley, Lafayette, Rossmoor, and part of Walnut Creek.  Parks in this ward include: portion of Briones, Anthony Chabot (north of Keller Avene if extended east), Claremont Canyon, Huckleberry, Leona Open Space, a small portion of Las Trampas, Redwood, Roberts, Sibley, and Temescal.

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I am running because the East Bay Regional Park District has only about 24 miles of tight singletrack for mountain bikes and almost half of that is in one park, Crockett Hills Regional Park, even though the EBRPD reports to have 65 parks, and over one thousand miles of trails.  I, of course, am an avid mountain biker after I hurt my knee and can no longer hike.  I often ride with my kids, one of which rides with a middle school mountain bike team.

John Roberts, EBRPD Candidate and Piedmont Resident

Go to the link below for photos and campaign information.

www.JohnRobertsDemocracy.com.

Editors Note: PCA does not support or oppose candidates for public office. 

Stop signs spawned civil unrest, plus free mosquito inspection –

The sixteen additional stop signs placed this past summer around Piedmont have spawned civil unrest throughout the city. While many are advocating for the increased safety that they bring, others are questioning the reasoning behind these additions. This subject matter dominated the Public Forum that marked the opening of the Piedmont City Council’s bi-monthly meeting on Monday, September 21st at Piedmont’s City Hall located at 120 Vista Avenue.

Enraged citizens took the stand, sharing their personal stances on the matter. Piedmonters Jon Elvekrog and Reid Settlemier spoke out against the installation of these additional stop signs, insisting that more data analysis be performed to evaluate whether they are actually necessary.

While both Elvekrog and Settlemier are in favor of increasing safety, they are also concerned about the added expense of this project and are suspicious as to whether they are the best option for the entire community. They also hoped to develop a policy in which these additions could be discussed in a way so that the entire community is involved in the process. While these two men spoke against this current project, another woman who took the stand was incredibly thankful for their installment. She found the email sent by Elvekrog to be upsetting, because it told people to come to City Hall and protest even though these additions have benefitted her life immensely, stating that she is “sick of anti-government” feelings in the community.

Personally, I believe the addition of these stop signs is crucial to the safety of Piedmont. As a teenager, I am usually in a rush and tempted to speed, especially down Hampton Road. My route to school in the morning may be slightly longer with the two new stop signs on my way, but it is far safer. The men at the meeting argued that more data analysis needs to be performed to evaluate the necessity of these stop signs; however, in my opinion, I do not think this needs to be done because even if data concludes that there have not been many accidents at a certain intersection in the past, it cannot be decided that none will occur in the future.

Following the public forum, the Council meeting commended the work of University of Wisconsin alum Matthew Anderson in his efforts to make energy more sustainable at a municipal level. Acting Mayor Jeff Wieler announced that September 19th will forever now be known as “Matthew Anderson Day.” Following Wieler’s announcements, members of the community responded to Anderson’s work as well. Garrett Keating gifted him a $2 trinket while another woman commended him for his “strong presence” in Piedmont CONNECT, an environmental organization. Anderson’s contributions in working with greenhouse gas, inventory, and making residents be more energy efficient proved beneficial to the entire community.

Following the proclamation was a presentation from the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District. This presentation included information about the life cycle of mosquitoes as well as the company’s efforts to prevent a Zika or West Nile virus from spreading in the Bay Area. In Piedmont, the presenter specifically said that areas in need of testing are swimming pools, cemeteries, gutters, creeks and catch basins. Citizens of Piedmont can contact the public agency for a free mosquito inspection.

Among the other issues discussed were the planning and zoning provisions of the municipal code. A resident living at 1250 Grand Avenue shared his feelings towards the changes to Zone D in the last two years. He stated that he was “optimistic that good can come out of it.” Other members of the community shared that they are content with the analysis that has gone into this planning. Vice Mayor Robert McBain expressed his joy in hearing that the public is interested in having there be something other than the Shell gas station on the small parcel of land located on Grand Avenue near ACE Hardware. Council member Teddy King expressed the Council’s efforts to make this “an open and transparent process,” while instructing the public to “be patient and wait for an outcome.”

Community member Rick Schiller expressed his disdain for the planning and zoning revisions which would change the City Property Zone B to to allow a community-serving business – like a newspaper or beverage stand – to have its headquarters in a government building. His concerns rested in his criticism of the Piedmont Post for its biased views on civic issues. Addressing the “serious conflict of interest issues,” Schiller shared his concern for public property being used by the Post, since it is not a non-political business.

The sixth item on the agenda addressed a potential agreement with the Local Government Commission for $5,000 regarding the Civic Spark Internship Program. This amount was awarded to the program in hopes of achieving climate action goals.

 The next item regarded the appropriations for CIP Projects including work at Beach Elementary School and Coach’s Field. In the words of Council Member Teddy King, this was an issue “bandied around for over a decade.” Jen Cavenaugh, candidate for City Council in the election November 8, shared her opinions on multiple matters throughout the meeting. For the proposal of CIP projects, she came to the meeting to share her belief in the necessity of “moving forward” with its plans because it would “overlap the city and the school district [in order to] maximize space.” Cavenaugh also shared that she sees new opportunities for programming in these buildings should they be remodeled. Thirty-five thousand dollars was granted to the Linda project and $25,000 was granted to the Coach’s Field project. At a future meeting, a clear approach to both projects is supposed to be presented.

The Council then discussed money for the renovation of Veterans Hall, the Recreation Center, and the Community Hall. The proposed changes for these buildings allow for their reconfiguration to allow better access. Specifically the Veterans’ Hall, which is very expansive with no divisions can only be used by one party at a time and would benefit from a renovation. Additionally, for the Recreation Center, due to its old feel, it is unable to meet modern day recreation needs, and is also inaccessible to the public. Fifty-five thousand, one hundred and twenty five dollars was given to the Coastland Engineers for Property Condition Assessments of these buildings to make them more functional to the public.

At 9:30 p.m., the two-hour meeting drew to a close. In good spirits, the Council was adjourned and members dwindled out of the doors of City Hall into the warm summer night.

Rebecca Glick, Piedmont High School Senior

Editors’ Note: Opinions expressed are those of the author.

Available funds to go toward developing plans for Linda Beach and Coaches Field are on Council agenda for Sept. 19, 2016. The Coaches Field Feasibility Plan will investigate expansion of the playfield area. The Linda Beach Master Plan would include a new layout for the tot lot.

Agenda here.

Read about the appropriations for the Linda Beach Master Plan and Coaches Field Feasibility Plan here.

City Council will tour Hampton Field Renovation Project and Review Project Progress (No Action Will Be Taken).

This Special Meeting is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Special City Council meeting will be held on Friday, July 29, 2016,  3:30 p.m., Hampton Field, Hampton Road and La Salle Avenue.

“The $2 million project was approved by the City Council in late April. The large-scale improvements are being financed by a combination of public and private funds. The city is using $507,000 in Measure WW park bond money, $417,000 from the legal settlement with Harris & Associates over the Piedmont Hills undergrounding project and about $390,000 in private donations. The city is backfilling the remaining cost for now from the athletic facilities preservation fund and the general fund. Other donations may roll in reducing the city’s obligations, City Administrator Paul Benoit said.”   Piedmonter

Read the entire Piedmonter article > here.

Piedmont News Release and Photos of Hampton Field Project > here.

After many years of planning and community participation, the Piedmont City Council approved the construction and implementation of the long awaited traffic, pedestrian safety and beautification project at Linda, Rose and Kingston Avenues.  Ray’s Electric, a misnomer for the construction company, was awarded the contract to fully construct the project with hardscape, electrical work, plantings, and irrigation. Former Mayor Craig Lundin of Tree Sculpture is donating trees for the project.  The total cost authorized is $ 283,594.

Residents involved in the project development and fundraising gave a round of applause to the Council for their foresight and approval of the project at a Piedmont entry providing both safety and beauty.

Read the prior PCA article for details on the project here. <