Pedestrian Bicycle Advisory Committee to Consider Recommendation on Piedmont Safer Streets Draft Plan

Thursday, October 7, 2021, 5:30 p.m., Virtual Meeting

AGENDA and PARTICIPATION > HERE

Piedmont’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan consultants Eisen | Letunic significantly contributed to the plan being considered.  The consultant produced  a program  of seven main phases, resulting in the proposed plan under review by the committee for their recommendation to the Piedmont City Council for their consideration and action.

Most comments received during the PBMP planning process were related to pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, damaged sidewalks, traffic safety on Grand Avenue and Oakland Avenue, lowering speed limits, wayfinding signage, prioritizing SR2S programs, and offering educational programs for traffic safety and biking in Piedmont.

Key input themes that emerged from the round of public engagement for the PSS plan are described below.

• The primary concern expressed was speeding traffic. Several suggestions were received for curbing speeding such as installing traffic calming measures (speed humps, cushions, stop signs, sharrows), lowering speed limits, increasing police enforcement and offering educational campaigns.

• Related to walking, the main concern among participants was regarding unsafe crossing conditions at intersections including: poor sight lines and visibility, insufficient street lighting, and speeding drivers failing to yield to pedestrians. Gaps in existing sidewalk coverage were another concern.

• Related to biking, all comments pointed to the lack of a comprehensive bikeway network and gaps in existing limited bikeway network.

• The Grand Avenue road diet project received mixed opinions, but with a general consensus that the reduction from four lanes to two resulted in vehicular congestion. However, improved safety for pedestrians and bicyclists was noted by participants.

• In general, the installation of low-cost intersection improvement measures was not favored. The prevailing opinion of participants was that the low-cost installations are effective in slowing down traffic and ensuring pedestrian safety, but that they are unattractive and confusing.

• Finally, the elimination of on-street parking close to intersections and overgrown vegetation on corner lots were a concern for most participants.

Read the complete report and plan with street maps, recommendations, and public input > here.

Prior Projects:

• Intersection improvements including flashing beacons installed on Oakland Avenue at Jerome and El Cerrito and painted island cross walks
• Installing bikeways and marking designated bike lanes on Cambridge way (between Grand and Ricardo Avenue), Sheridan Avenue (between Highland and Caperton Avenue), Magnolia Avenue (between Hillside and Nova Drive) among others.
• Road diet on Grand Avenue between the City limit to the south and Greenbank Avenue
• Bulbouts at Linda Avenue/Kingston Avenue and bulbouts, flashing beacons and new street lighting at the mid–block crosswalks on Linda Avenue around Beach School.
• Landscape triangle at the intersection of Kingston, Linda and Rose Avenues.
• Safety railings along both sidewalks of the Oakland Avenue bridge. The last phase of the project is scheduled to complete soon.
• New and improved curb ramps and street resurfacing projects on locations throughout the City.
• Three schools near Piedmont Middle School are enrolled in the Safe Routes to School (SR2S) Program.
• In 2019, Piedmont staff featured a second energizer station for the Bike–to–Work Day event.
• In 2017, the City Council adopted a crosswalk policy to better ensure consistency and objectivity in the review of residents’ requests; provide transparency on the process to the public; and allow for flexibility to industry standards in addressing unique conditions on local streets.

Two million six hundred sixty three thousand and seven hundred twenty nine dollars are Piedmont’s share of the COVID American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds

On Monday, October 4, 2021, the Piedmont City Council will consider how to spend the $2,663,729 in windfall funds arising from  the Federal government to assist with costs.  Read the AGENDA here.

The priority list developed by the Piedmont staff is listed below.

Approve the attached resolution allocating the City’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds as follows:

A. Devote lost revenue funds to address urgent facilities projects, prioritized as follows:

1. Dispatch Center Relocation\Remodel

2. Initiation of Master Planning Process for the future of Police Department, Fire Department and City Hall

3. One or a combination of the following:

• City Hall Basement:
• Digitization of Residential Property Files and Remodel Office Space ·
• Fire Department Living Quarters Renovation
• Recreation Department Building Renovation

B. Devote the remaining more restricted funds as follows:

1. Cover the City’s direct COVID-19 related expenses incurred after March 3, 2021

2. Provide premium pay to certain Recreation Department childcare personnel who were exposed on a daily basis to critical health risks while interacting with the public due to the nature of their jobs

3. Provide COVID-19 specific support to the Piedmont Unified School District by providing $100,000 toward funding a temporary full-time school nurse to assist PUSD in its COVID-19 response. Such resource would be available to support the City’s Recreation Department COVID-19 response needs as well.

Read the full October 4, 2021 staff report below:

COVID FUNDS 102021

https://piedmont.ca.gov/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=18049031

Comment links to Piedmont City Councilmembers:

How Healthy is Piedmont’s Tree Canopy in 2021?

The tree canopy is like an umbrella sheltering what is below.  Tree canopies vary greatly in their penetrability based on the density of branches.  It is easier to simply count the number of trees than to evaluate their sheltering effectiveness on a citywide or regional scale.  The Region 5 EarthDefine tree canopy >map indicates in 2018 Piedmont had at least 25 trees per person, using the 2010 census population of 10,667. How many Piedmont trees and significant tree branches have been lost in the past three years? 

California’s tree canopy was estimated to contain 173 million trees in 2017; the annual value of ecosystem services from these trees has been estimated at $8.3 billion and the urban forest asset has been valued at $181 billion (McPherson, E., et al 2017).  The tree canopy layer was created by EarthDefine, under contract with the USDA Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE).  See map of 2018 California tree canopy here.

The purpose of the Tree Canopy analysis is to help communities plan to retain or create the Climate Action benefits from trees.

A tree’s canopy cover – its leaves, branches, and stems that provide coverage of the ground – provides numerous environmental, social, and economic benefits:

– reduce summer peak temperatures,

– improve air quality,

– reduce stormwater run-off,

– enhance property values,

– provide wildlife habitat.

Using the California Tree Canopy map can help communities develop sustainability plans, and manage threats to canopy loss.

Make the change to a healthier landscape now!

Piedmont Connect’s Fall FRONT Garden Tour and Related Events

Piedmont Connect’s Healthy Landscapes Fall Front Garden Tour begins Saturday, Sept. 25 and continues through Sunday, Oct. 3. During this period, Piedmonters can get sidewalk views of 14 selected front gardens featuring an array of drought-tolerant and native plant landscapes in neighborhoods throughout the City, from Baja to St. James Wood and from Moraga Ave. to Boulevard Way.

Check out www.piedmontconnect.org for a map [or see below] of the street addresses, plus photos and complete descriptions of the front gardens explaining what, when, why and how the gardens were transformed from lawns or ivy patches into healthier landscapes.

Additionally, join Piedmont Connect for two related events during the week of the garden tour: On Wednesday, Sept 29 at 10:30 a.m., join Dick Carter’s Wednesday Walkers group for a guided tour of some of the gardens on the Fall Front Garden Tour. A special guest from Piedmont Connect will discuss the significant features of the gardens on Dick’s customized walking route. Meet at the Piedmont Exedra to participate in this free Wednesday Walkers’ walking tour.

On Thursday, Sept. 30, from 7 to 8:15 p.m., Piedmont Connect, with City of Piedmont technical assistance, will host a Zoom event “Living With Drought”. Join the live webinar via the link at www.piedmontconnect.org. “Living With Drought” will be moderated by dynamic Piedmont resident and water expert Eileen White, following an introduction by Piedmont Parks Manager Nancy Kent. Our Water Our World’s Suzanne Bontempo will give helpful outdoor water-saving techniques.

For the finale, three Piedmont residents whose gardens are featured on the Fall Front Garden Tour will inspire viewers with their garden transformations, explaining how they use the latest research to sustain healthy ecosystems and maintain chemical-free, water-efficient oases that support a diversity of wildlife. There will be time for viewer questions and answers following the presentations.

For residents wanting to reduce water use, limit garden maintenance work, adapt to climate changes, build drought resiliency, and attract beneficial life to the garden, fall is the time of year when planting is recommended. Hoped-for (and likelier) winter rains help young or relocated plants to establish new root systems naturally, without supplemental water. Cooler temperatures also impede a few common plant pathogens to which some young plants are susceptible.

Make the change to a healthier landscape now!

By Hope Salzer and Marjorie Blackwell, Piedmont Connect

>Healthy Garden Tour Map

> Descriptions and photos of gardens

>CONNECT garden tour 2021

SCHOOLS, RECREATION, BUILDING RENOVATIONS, CITY MASTER PLAN, PUBLIC SAFETY AND MORE –

On Thursday, September 23. 2021 at 4:00 p.m.. the Piedmont Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee will meet via Zoom to consider a recommendation to the Piedmont City Council on how to spend $2,663,729, Piedmont’s COVID funds. 

To participate and view the meeting see the Agenda link below.

Of the $2,663,729 allocated to the City, $2,382,545 is tied to lost revenue and can be used in category 3 which, as noted in the full staff report linked below, may be used for any governmental services, including infrastructure projects. The remaining $281,183 must be used in accordance with the provisions of the other four categories.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:

By motion, recommend that the City Council allocate the City’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds as proposed by staff:

A. Devote lost revenue funds to address urgent facilities projects, prioritized as follows:

1. Dispatch Center Relocation\Remodel

2. Initiation of Master Planning Process for the Future of Police, Fire and City Hall

3. City Hall Basement: Digitization of Residential Property Files and Remodel Office Space

3. Fire Department Living Quarters Renovation 3. Recreation Department Building Renovation

B. Devote the remaining more restricted funds as follows:

1. Cover the City’s direct COVID related expenses incurred after March 3, 2021

2. Provide premium pay to Recreation Department personnel who were exposed on a daily basis to critical health risks while interacting with the public due to the nature of their jobs

3. Provide COVID-19 specific support to the Piedmont Unified School District by providing funding toward a temporary full-time school nurse to assist PUSD in its COVID-19 response. Such resource would be available to support the City’s Recreation Department COVID response needs as well.

AGENDA >2021-09-23 Budget Advisory and Financial Planning Committee Agenda

READ  FULL STAFF REPORT >2021-09-23 ARPA Funding Direction – BAFPC

Piedmont Water Saving & Drought Education Events in September

by Hope Salzer and Marjorie Blackwell, Piedmont Connect

In the face of California’s current, severe drought, Piedmont Connect is hosting two events focused on saving outdoor water.  First, from Saturday, Sept. 25 through Sunday, Oct. 3, Connect will sponsor a self-guided tour of Piedmont front gardens that include drought-tolerant and native plants.

SELF-GUIDED TOUR SEPT. 25 – OCT. 3: Participating gardens will be announced at the Piedmont Harvest Festival on Sunday, Sept. 19.  Maps and garden descriptions will be available at:

www.piedmontconnect.org.

On Thursday, Sept. 30, Connect and the City of Piedmont will host a virtual event, “Living with Drought,” from 7 to 8:15 p.m. The event will feature a speaker from Our Water Our World explaining techniques for outdoor water conservation, as well as presentations from Piedmont residents who have transformed their landscapes to reduce water use, replenish groundwater, enhance our local biosphere and eliminate fossil fuel emissions. To learn more about water reduction options, get new ideas, ask questions, and explore methods used by other Piedmont residents, access the link for the Zoom event at www.piedmontconnect.org.  A link to access an event recording will be available after the event.

According to a 2019 Public Policy Institute of California report, 50% of California’s residential water is used for landscaping, primarily for water-intensive lawns. In order to meet Gov. Gavin Newsom’s drought declaration goal of reducing household water use by 15 percent, the report states that “in urban areas, the greatest potential for further water savings lies in long-term reductions in landscape irrigation– a shift requiring changes in plantings and watering habits.”

A number of Piedmont residents are heeding the Governor’s call by curtailing sprinklers and letting their lawns turn a tawny-gold. Some are augmenting their landscapes with California native flora that need little water, are deep-rooted to impede erosion and sequester carbon, are disease-resistant, and harbor an array of life forms.

A trip around Piedmont also reveals that residents are beginning to discover the wide variety of native grasses suitable to our geographic setting. These include grasses that flourish in sandy/loamy soil, and others adapted to heavier clay, as well as grasses that prefer full sun and those adapted to shade or dappled light.  Some grasses grow around East Bay native oaks, and others can be mowed to mimic a conventional lawn or grown with native, annual herbaceous flowers and/or low perennial flowering shrubs to approximate a meadow setting.  If native grasses are allowed to flower, resident and migratory birds will feed on the seedheads later in the year and/or collect stems for nesting material.  There are also options for planting low-maintenance native groundcovers that support moths and butterflies, prevent soil erosion, and are fire-resistant.

Piedmonters are invited to take the self-guided tour to view these example gardens where residents have curtailed outdoor water use and then to learn more from garden experts and residents at the “Living with  Drought” Zoom event on Sept 30th.

Visit www.piedmontconnect.org for more details about these events and to find more water-saving and drought adaptation tips.

Planning Commission Makes Recommendation to City Council Regarding Use of Measure A-1 Funding –

“(Our community) needs time to understand and explore what this means… Development is more successful with community support behind it.” 

On September 13, 2021, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council direct staff to continue developing an affordable housing program using Piedmont’s share of Alameda County Measure A-1 funding. The Commission supported the three-step approach for the funds recommended by the Planning Commission’s Ad-Hoc Subcommittee on Measure A-1.

The Commission recommended the City Council explore ways to: 1) Establish a Piedmont Affordable Housing Fund; 2) Launch a low-interest loan program for affordable housing, such as scattered site single-family homes, ADUs and JADUs, conversion of commercial land, small houses, and shared housing; and 3) Preserve $2.2 million in funding in the form of a low-interest loan for the development of an affordable housing development of up to 40 housing units on ½ to 1 acre of land in Piedmont.

The reason behind the Commission’s recommendation of a sequential use of the Measure A-1 funds, first for the low-interest loan program that then transitions for use towards a traditional multifamily development as the loans are repaid, is that the County’s timeline does not allow for the time necessary to successfully identify and analyze a site for a multifamily project and carryout robust community engagement for the General Plan amendments and zoning ordinance revisions that would be necessary to attract a developer.

Planning Commission Chair Rani Batra stated, “(Our community) needs time to understand and explore what this means… Development is more successful with community support behind it.”

Commissioner Tom Ramsey stated, “All of us support a traditional affordable housing development… Where we have discussion is how we get there.”

In making its recommendation, the Planning Commission determined that the development of a multifamily affordable housing project on City-owned land would have a greater chance of attracting a developer and gaining entitlement once the City had completed its update to the Housing Element, the related zoning code revisions and environmental review. That process is not expected to be completed within the constraints of the County’s timeline for receipt of Measure A-1 funds.

The City Council’s receipt of the recommendation for the approach for the use of the funds has not been scheduled but is expected to occur in October or November.

During the meeting, the Planning Commission heard comments from eleven community members. Many urged the Commission to recommend that the City Council approve the 2023- 2031 Housing Element update and associated changes by November 2022 so that the Measure A1 funding could be used towards the development of affordable housing in Piedmont within the faster timeline requirements set forth by Alameda County.

In 2016, Alameda County residents voted to adopt Measure A-1, a $580 million property tax revenue bond for affordable housing. The City of Piedmont is allocated $2.2 million in Measure 2 A-1 funding in the form of a low-interest (3%) loan program administered by the Alameda County Department of Housing and Community Development (County HCD). Piedmont’s Measure A-1 allocation must be used for the development of affordable rental housing or site acquisition.

State requirements have challenged City officials to find sites and policies to promote the construction of 587 new houses and apartments by 2031. Earlier this year the City Council engaged the services of Lisa Wise Consulting to assist the City in preparing a Housing Element update that facilitates the production of this allocation of housing units, and the services of Rincon Consulting to perform the related environmental review required by the California Environmental Quality Act.

At 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 29th, the Piedmont Planning Commission and Housing Advisory Committee will hold a joint study session about the basic requirements for Housing Element updates in California.

Senior City Planner Pierce Macdonald-Powell

For more information and project updates, please visit the City of Piedmont’s web site at http://piedmont.ca.gov

How to Prepare Expired Drugs for Careful Disposal

It is very important to remove personal information from containers of liquid and cream medications.  Pills and tablets should be  combined in a small sealable baggy –Their containers use up volumes of space in the disposal bins limiting capacity of the bins.

1. Remove pills and solid medications from their prescription containers and place them in a clear, sealable bag. Keep liquid and cream medications sealed in their original containers.
2. Take medications to an authorized collection location or place them in a mail-back envelope or package for delivery to an authorized destruction location.
3. Remove, black out, or scratch off your name and other personal information from prescription drug containers.
4. Place empty pill bottles and other containers for solid medications in your household recycling bin.

Unfortunately, Piedmonters are finding a number of local pharmacy bins too full for additional drop offs. The Well Spring Pharmcy on Piedmont Avenue and the CVS on 41st St have been full for at least a week in August.

Other Safe Expired Drug Disposal Bin Locations near Piedmont include: