Then and Now Walking Tour of Piedmont and the Mountain View Cemetery

The Piedmont Historical Society and the Piedmont League of Women Voters are sponsoring free walking tours of Piedmont’s “rich and colorful history.” The three mile walks on March 25 and April 2 will focus on Piedmont pioneer Walter Blair.

Piedmont “Then and Now” Walking Tour Details
On Friday, March 25, the Piedmont League of Women Voters, in collaboration with the Piedmont Historical Society, will launch the first in a series of free, guided walks featuring Piedmont’s rich and colorful history. The first walk will be repeated on Saturday, April 2.

In addition to offering brisk, outdoor exercise, the series of “Then and Now Walks” will cover Piedmont’s growth from a few scattered ranches in the mid-1800’s to an incorporated city, providing fascinating background on early residents, as well as on water and transportation infrastructure, parks, architecture and more.

Both the March 25 and April 2 walks will begin at 10 a.m. at the corner of Highland and Blair Avenues and end at the starting place by noon. The approximately 3-mile walk will cover the northwest portion of pioneer Walter Blair’s 650-acre ranchland, which stretched from what is now Scenic Avenue down to Grand Avenue, encompassing much of today’s Piedmont.

On the walk, guides Chris Read and Marj Blackwell, will point out the site of Blair ‘s one-room cabin, his dairy farm, his rock quarry in Dracena Park, and — after traversing Piedmont neighborhoods that once were ranchland — head into Mountain View Cemetery to see where Blair is buried.

The return walk will head back uphill on streets adjacent to Moraga Avenue, where Blair’s streetcar line ran from downtown Oakland to the entrance to his park at Highland Avenue. The walk will end on Waldo Avenue, the site of Blair’s spacious ranch house and formal gardens.

On a scale of 1 (easy) to 5 (more difficult), this walk is rated a 3 in difficulty.

The League’s “Then and Now Walks” are open to all but are limited to the first 30 who sign up. To RSVP, email marjb@sbcglobal.net by March 23 for the Friday, March 25 walk, and by March 31 for Saturday, April 2 walk.

If heavy rain cancels the walks, participants will be notified by or before the morning of the walks. Piedmont maps and historic information will be available for sale at the walks.

In late April, a second walk will focus on development of central Piedmont, including the popular Piedmont Springs Hotel, which burned down in 1898, the Sulphur Springs in Piedmont Park, historic houses built by prominent residents Jesse Wetmore and Hugh Craig, and classic Victorian houses on Rose and Kingston Avenues. Dates and details will be forthcoming.

Future walks may feature Piedmont’s underground springs — the only source of early residents’ water; transportation, from horse-drawn wagons to streetcar lines, and Piedmont homes designed by prominent architects, then and now. For more information, email marjb@sbcglobal.net .

On rainy Friday, March 4th, the City Council, participating City staff and contractors gathered for the ribbon-cutting to re-open the Community Hall after two months of renovations.

City Administrator Paul Benoit supplied the ribbon cutting     scissors.

Mayor Margaret Fujioka cutting the ribbon.

Council member Bob McBain looking at the new flooring.

Festive celebratory buffet

New drinking fountain

New floor

New wall sconces

Lawsuits –

On February 19, Piedmont’s City Clerk announced resolution of the second of two lawsuits arising from the excessive cost overruns of the Piedmont Hills Undergrounding District, and the Hampton-Seaview Undergrounding District.  The City recouped $667,000 from over $2 million of excess costs.  The bottom line is that Piedmont’s taxpayers are stuck covering a $1.3 million debacle.

Now it’s over.  It’s time to move on.  We must accept the penalty and see that such gross mismanagement is never repeated again.   True enough.  But there are consequences from this financial fiasco.  Future proposals for tax increases or bond funding for big projects will have to meet higher standards of review.  And if there is any doubt at all about the veracity of new proposals, or the competence of their sponsors, Piedmont’s citizens will probably reject them.  Once bitten, twice shy.

Bruce Joffe, Piedmont Resident
3-4-16

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

Following reports and statements by the Mayor and Council members at the Council meeting, 7 p.m., Monday, March 7, in the Council Chambers, there will be a reception to celebrate the refurbished City Hall and Council Chamber entry.

On May 18, 2015, the City Council unanimously approved $62,000 for millwork and carpentry by Mueller/Nicholls as phase I of the City Hall Entry Renovation Project. The complete design plan, estimated to cost $100,000 was approved by the Council on April 20, 2015. The funds were largely drawn from the City’s Facilities Maintenance Fund augmented by donations to improve the “aesthetics, circulation, and functionality of the entrance hallway.”

City to Re-Open Community Hall After Two Months of Renovations, Friday, March 4, 2016 – 4:00 p.m.

On Friday, March 4th, the City of Piedmont will re-open the Community Hall after two months of renovations.

The ribbon cutting will be held at 4:00 p.m.

After a two month closure for significant renovations to the main hall, the Community Hall will re-open on Friday with a new floor, new light fixtures, fresh paint, and accessible restrooms. The Piedmont Community Hall is one of the most well used buildings in Piedmont and is scheduled for use nearly every day of the year.

In 2015, 89 wedding receptions took place at Community Hall along with countless other community events and Recreation Department programs. The Community Hall is booked more than a year in advance for weekend events and so it required 18 months of advanced planning to take this building off-line for much needed renovations.

The centerpiece of the project was a full replacement of the herringbone hardwood floor. The previous floor was installed in 1991 when the Community Hall underwent an extensive renovation. It lasted 24 years, which is outstanding performance for a veneered floor. Due to the constant use, the existing hardwood flooring in the main hall had reached the end of its useful life.

Taking advantage of the hall’s closure, crews also renovated the main level restrooms, which were made accessible for persons with disabilities. In addition, new light fixtures were installed in the main hall, the foyer, and bathrooms. The public areas of the Hall also received a fresh coat of paint.

The project was a collaboration between the Recreation and Public Works Departments. Recreation Supervisor Marissa Clavin and Plans Examiner Craig Griffin worked with their departments to create a construction timeline that ensured that all work was completed within the two month closure window. The construction schedule also accommodated the safety and comfort of the three preschool programs that run every weekday morning in the lower level of the Community Hall.

Contacts for further information:

Recreation Director Sara Lillevand – 420-3070

Public Works Director Chester Nakahara – 420-3050

The Piedmont Park Commission will meet on Wednesday, March 2 at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, located in City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue.  The meeting will be broadcast live on cable Channel 27 and on the City’s website.

Agenda for the meeting:

• Approval of February 3, 2016 minutes
• Update on Ranleigh Way Street Tree Planting
• Consider the removal of Main Park declining Mt Vernon Pin oak tree and donation of replacement tree by East Bay Garden Club
• Update on the planting design and the impact of the CA Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) requirements on Linda/Kingston Triangle
• Update Piedmont Garden Club donation on behalf of Piedmont resident Jane Lee
• Update on Hampton Park Master Plan
• Update on Arbor Day
• Monthly Maintenance report

An Opportunity to Serve Your Community!

Vacancies on Piedmont’s commissions and committees offer an excellent opportunity for Piedmonters to get involved in Piedmont activities important to the ongoing success and quality of the City.  These citizen volunteer positions allow individuals to use their abilities on a wide range of subjects.  Being on a commission or committee engages a person in a high level of civic involvement.

Each commission has a special role in making decisions and advising the City Council.  A full term on a commission last for 3 years with a two term limit.  Positions without an incumbent are ready opportunities for new participants.

Interested residents may download the Application for Appointive Vacancy. Applications are due to City Hall on or before the deadline of Thursday, March 17, 2016.

Interviews with the City Council for these positions will be scheduled for Tuesday, March 22, 2016. No appointments will be made without a Council interview.

“On Money in Politics and Voter Turnout”

On Monday, February 29th, the City of Piedmont will continue the removal of aging and beetle infested Monterey Pine trees from Blair Park that began on Friday.  An arborist identified the 22 trees selected for removal, as the third of three phases of tree removal in the park. Blair Park will be closed while this work is being conducted.

Questions regarding the project may be addressed to the Public Works Department at (510) 420-3050.

Piedmonter offers parking idea for Piedmont schools plan.

The current version of the Piedmont Unified School District (PUSD) facilities plan would take away a number of parking spaces on the High School/Middle School campus. School Board Vice President Sarah Pearson has brought up several times her concern about parking, and expressed her view that somehow the new facilities should include parking spaces for staff and teachers. Per the school architect, the cost of adding a parking floor to a standard building is around $40,000 a space.

School Board Member Doug Ireland has expressed his desire to see the City and the District work closely together to solve this problem (and many others). So maybe the City could provide much needed parking.

I talked with the CEO at Park Works, a local supplier of Puzzle Parking. Bottom line his solutions are still​  expensive: $20,000 to$30,000 per parking space, occupying about a third of side­-by­-side ground parking. The company claims to have installed 1.6 million parking spots in Japan and 1 million in Europe. There are an 82 unit storage system installed in San Leandro and a 20 unit one in Berkeley at 1218 7th Street (a BMW repair shop).

I then found a Chinese company​ who sells Puzzle Parking structures as a kit to be assembled on site. There​ is no need for excavation for installation. Here is their product spec for 2​­6 level puzzle parking. The​ company claims that the cost is between $2,000 to $4,000 per spot, with a very reduced footprint. Their full catalog is available at: Full catalog​.​

Would Puzzle Parking be a solution for PUSD?

Does anybody have any experience with Puzzle Parking?

Bernard Pech, Piedmont Resident

 

puzzle parking

Chinese 6 level puzzle parking

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