City’s Goal  To Streamline Ordinance – 

Among other issues, the Piedmont Planning Commission will consider possible changes to the City’s second unit ordinance at its November 14 meeting, which starts at 5:00 p.m. in City Hall.  The full agenda will be posted on the City’s website  by Friday, November 11. > Click to read more…

Big Changes at MacArthur BART Parking Lot

Piedmonters who drive to the MacArthur BART station for their weekday commute can expect to encounter blocked entrances and a reduced parking lot size, although parking capacity will not decrease.  For the next three months or longer, up to 60% of the parking lot will be closed for the construction of a parking garage.  There will be no access from MacArthur Boulevard or Telegraph Avenue via Apgar Street.  Soon, the only access will be from eastbound 40th Street. 

In order to accommodate the same number of cars in the shrinking lot, only the north end near 40th street will remain self-park.  South of that, BART introduced weekday assisted parking* from 7am to 10pm.   > Click to read more…

Less Costly Ways to Save Home Energy, Solar and Non-Solar

Every year about two dozen Piedmont families install solar panels on their homes.  On Thursday, January 29, 2009, Piedmonters were invited to an event at the Community Hall sponsored by the City.*  Dozens of residents attended the meeting to learn about solar electric panels that could provide an alternative source of energy for their homes. 
> Click to read more…

At its first September meeting on the 6th, the Piedmont City Council will consider the Piedmont Station town homes development of the former PG&E substation site at 408 Linda Avenue.  On August 8, the Planning Commission reviewed the project and recommended approval to the City Council of the vesting tentative map and the Environmental Impact Report (EIR).  The public is invited to attend the hearing on Tuesday, September 6.   Send written comments to the City Council at 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94611, or send an e-mail to the City Council via the City Clerk at jtulloch@ci.piedmont.ca.us. > Click to read more…

On August 8, the Planning Commission devoted three hours to the hearing on the Linda Avenue townhouse project for the defunct PG&E substation site before voting to recommend that the City Council approve it and its Environmental Impact Report (EIR).  This was a milestone in a three year process that began with a March 28, 2008 application.  > Click to read more…

Private sewer laterals must be replaced by homeowners

A new requirement has been imposed on Piedmont homeowners when selling a home:  the repair or replacement of any leaking lateral sewer lines running from the owner’s home to the public sewer main at a cost of $5,000 to $10,000 per lateral.  The new requirement is also triggered when doing remodeling work over $100,000 or re-sizing a water meter, and may be imposed as a result of routine ongoing city inspections of the main sewer lines, at the discretion of city staff.

The new law requires a homeowner to hire a contractor to pressure test his lateral sewer line in the presence of an EBMUD inspector, proving it does not leak between the home and the main line.  A presentation on the new requirement is now airing on KCOM.  Information is also available on the EBMUD website.

Approximately 60% of Piedmont homeowners will find themselves responsible for replacement of “lower lateral” portion of the line below the clean-out, in addition to the “upper lateral.”   This will be required for homes where sewer rehabilitation work has not been completed by the City of Piedmont.  The depth of the lower lateral can affect repair or replacement costs.

Homeowners likely to have to replace clay and cast iron lines > Click to read more…

The townhouse project for the defunct PG&E substation site located at 408 Linda Avenue is on the Planning Commission agenda Monday, August 8.  Developers, Piedmont Station LLC, submitted their application to redevelop the PG&E substation site on March 28, 2008.  The initial California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) study by LSA Associates determined that a focused Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is required.  > Click to read more…

Assumptions used for the PG&E substation project are questioned

June 9, 2011

Piedmont Planning Commission
c/o Kate Black, City Planner

Re: June 13 Commission meeting re: 408 Linda Ave. Development (“Proposal”)

PART I: SCOPING COMMENTS FOR DEIR:  [Draft Environmental Impact Report]
The DKS: Traffic Analysis Piedmont Townhomes entirely fails to examine street traffic traveling east bound down Linda Avenue right before the blind left hand curve in the road where traffic will be entering and exiting the new 408 driveway. Will a car be waiting in the lane for another car exiting?  This will be occurring right at the point where the school speed zone reverts to 25mph, a normal place for drivers to speed up. The critical traffic issue of cars traveling with no adequate sightline east bound immediately before the Proposal driveway must be analyzed. > Click to read more…

On Monday, June 6, at 7:30 pm, the Piedmont City Council is expected to accept staff recommendations to change the City’s General Plan Housing Element. The proposed changes include increasing housing density in areas of Piedmont zoned for multi-family housing (Zone C) and commercial (Zone D).

The language submitted for approval will require the Council to review an annual report from the Piedmont Planning Department analyzing the number of units added to Piedmont’s housing stock and the number for low-income or very low-income occupants.  If the City Council does not find a sufficient number have been built, the Council commits to reduce requirements for Zones C (multi-family) and D (commercial) or ask the Piedmont voters to amend the City Charter to approve zoning changes to permit more housing units in Piedmont.

Barry Miller, Piedmont’s Housing Element consultant reports, “HCD suggested the City create additional incentives for multi-family development, such as prohibiting single family homes in the multi-family zoning district and raising the maximum lot coverage standard in the multi-family zone.” > Click to read more…

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for a townhouse development project has been prepared and is now available for review.  The project is located at the site of the defunct PG&E Substation below the Oakland Avenue Bridge on Linda Avenue.  The 5,688-square-foot concrete PG&E structure would be demolished to create a roughly triangular .4 acre site that abuts the bridge, a two-story apartment building and a single-family home on Linda Avenue.

LSA Associates of Point Richmond, contracted to provide the DEIR, is the same firm that produced the CEQA Initial Study, “Piedmont Station LLC,” and the Moraga Canyon DEIR in 2010.  > Click to read more…