What should Piedmont Fund?

Tour open to the public Saturday,

May 7 at 8 a.m. starting at the Tea House.

On Saturday, May 7, the Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Review Committee will meet at  8:00 a.m. at the Tea House in Piedmont Main Park to tour and view various proposed projects to potentially be funded through the Piedmont budget process.  The public is welcome to participate in the entire meeting, tour, and discussions.  Individuals attending are encouraged to provide their own transportation.  Lunch will be served at the Tea House following the tour. 

 A tour schedule, detailed list of projects, information, and agenda can be obtained through:

Parks and Project Manager Nancy Kent at 420-3064 or nkent@ci.piedmont.ca.us 

 There will be no recordings made of the tour. 

The City is making changes to the turn around point in front of the Police Department and Excedra at Highland and Magnolia Avenues. Pick up and drop off of students will be impacted. 

PRESS RELEASE:

The City of Piedmont will make changes to the intersection of Highland and Magnolia Avenues to improve public safety and reduce traffic congestion. The changes will involve closing to all vehicular traffic the paved area between the traffic island in front of the Exedra and the Veterans’ Hall which is currently used as a drop off point and turn around. These changes were approved by the City Council at its regular meeting of October 5, 2015.

As currently configured, this intersection is hazardous to pedestrians and drivers, especially during the drop off and pick up times for Piedmont High School and Piedmont Middle School. Residents often turn in to this area from both directions of Highland Avenue to drop students off for school, resulting in a traffic backup on both Highland and Magnolia Avenues. This makes pedestrian crossings dangerous at the Exedra and at the corner of Highland and Vista Avenues.

When the activity level is high, a long queue can develop causing backups onto both directions of Highland Avenue in front of the Veterans’ Hall. The traffic created by these queues hampers the ability of police cars, which park on Highland Avenue adjacent to this area, to respond in a timely manner to emergencies and other calls for service. In addition, the congestion is multiplied when there are students using the various pedestrian crosswalks that lead to this area, and cars appropriately stop to allow the pedestrians to cross.

Once the change is made, the closed area will be painted and signed to reflect the change in use. The City recognizes this change will require some parents and students to change their drop off routine, but in this case, the public safety benefits outweigh the inconvenience that residents will have to face.

This work is scheduled to be completed during the week of November 23, 2015.

For more information, contact City Clerk John Tulloch at 420-3040.

Prop F Empowers Neighbors to Crack Down on Short Term Rentals in San Francisco – 

A proposition on the November 3 ballot in San Francisco takes an unusual approach to enforce limitations on AirBnB/VRBO/Flip Key type rentals. Prop F would prohibit short-term rentals of second units and limit other short-term rentals to 75 days per year, which is far more than the typical AirBnB online rental by San Francisco hosts. According to a report by San Francisco’s budget analyst, 70% of AirBnB hosts in the city rent only a few weekends per year, receiving a total annual payment of $3120 from AirBnB.

Prof F encourages neighbors within 100 feet to sue hosts of brief visitors renting through online services.  Plaintiffs who win in court would be entitled to special damages of $250 to $1,000 a day on top of attorney fees and costs. It also allows various parties to sue hosting platforms like Airbnb in addition to individual hosts.

Ballotpedia Sf reports:

This measure would impose restrictions on private, short-term housing rentals. It would restrict all such private rentals to only 75 nights per year and impose provisions designed to ensure such private rentals are paying hotel taxes and following city code. It would also require guest and revenue reports from rental hosts and “hosting platforms” every three months. Moreover, Proposition F was designed to prohibit the use of “in-law” units for short-term rentals and enact regulations concerning privacy, peace and quiet. Proposition F would allow enforcement of its provisions by the city, as well as authorizing private action lawsuits by “interested parties”—defined as anyone living within 100 feet—against those suspected of violating the law.

The initiative was motivated by and targets websites such as Airbnb or Homeaway, which feature rental listings nation- and world-wide. It was proposed by a coalition of unions, land owners, housing advocates and neighborhood groups called Share Better SF. In the interest of easy enforcement, the initiative would focus on penalties for websites that post rental listings that do not comply with city law, as well as punishing individual home owners or sub-leasers. The fines proposed for websites featuring illegal posts range from $250 to $1,000 per day for each non-compliant post. Estimates show the fines for a website such as Airbnb could add up to millions of dollars unless a way was found to keep listings in accordance with city law.

Airbnb has responded with a media campaign against the measure through a political committee, SF for Everyone, No on Proposition F.

Two related ordinances are under consideration by the city’s Board of Supervisors, one would limit short-term rentals to 60 days per year and the other would impose a  120 days per year limit.

Share Better SF web ad supporting Prop F.

Airbnb web ad opposing Prop F.

SF Chronicle article.

Landscape 1:  Ramona/Ronada Traffic Triangle.  A traffic island built to improve pedestrian safety that uses drought-tolerant landscaping.  Supported by the neighborhood, the project cost was $185,000 with $30,000 in private contributions ($25,000 from the Piedmont Beautification Foundation and $5000 from the neighborhood).  At this, the peak of the drought, the triangle is in full bloom.

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Landscape 2: the Highland Garden Walk.  A drought-tolerant landscape with pathways, pedestrian seating and themed gardens proposed to replace the Sheridan Avenue “crescent”, the swath of lawn where Sheridan runs into Highland Avenue. Supported by a majority of the neighborhood, the project is estimated to cost $90,000 and is in line for $30,000 in grant funding ($20,000 StopWaste, and $10,000 from EBMUD).  At this the peak of the drought, the project would replace an ornamental lawn that uses 600,000 gallons of water per year.

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The difference between the two projects?  The Traffic Triangle is completed and is an asset to the community. The Garden Walk is at a standstill and at risk of losing it’s funding.

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If you are interested in more details, watch the Park Commission meeting at minute 58 to see staff’s assessment of the project (http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/video/,  Park Commission, September 2 meeting).  The main reasons for the delay seem to be preference for the lush lawn and “50/50” support for the project by the Piedmont Beautification Foundation.  Additional meetings will be held to tweak the project but unless the design is resolved soon, funding for the project will be lost as well as the planting window for a new garden.

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The lawn at Sheridan and Highland Avenues is the most water-inefficient public landscape in Piedmont.  This small lawn uses 600,000 gallons of water per year, 4% of municipal water usage, yet goes virtually untrodden on by the public.  Commenters at the Park Commission suggested that the lawn provides a pleasant visual “drive by” landscape for Piedmonters.   I suggest they drive by the Sheridan lawn and the Ramona/Ronada Triangle today and see which provides a better visual drive by.

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Drought-tolerant landscaping is the future for California and Piedmont should take advantage of any available funding. Is the city’s legacy for the worst drought in California history going to be that it rejected funds to replace water-wasteful landscaping?   And how can the city honestly ask for neighborhood contributions when it won’t avail itself of these funds?

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Garrett Keating, Former Piedmont Council Member

Editors’ Note:  The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Piedmont Civic Association. Comments on the opinions are welcomed.

District Facilities Master Planning Process, District Assistance with Litter in Main Park, Civic Center Parking Issues, City Facilities Planning – Space Analysis for the Recreation Building and Study of Options for Possible New Aquatic Facility,  Police Department Training “Response to Mass Casualty,” Holiday Book Drive, and Landscaping Issues are on the agenda for discussion. 

The School Board/City Council Liaison meeting will be held Tuesday, August 25, 2015, at 4:00 p.m. in the City Council Conference Room.  The meeting is open to the public for participation and comments. Because of construction work, participants must enter City Hall through the entrance to the Fire Department.  The meeting will not be broadcast.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015  4:00 p.m. 

City Hall Conference Room, City Hall,

120 Vista Avenue,

The agenda is below.

Open Forum: Public participants may speak to items not on the agenda – overall time limit – 10 minutes.

Public participants may address the following items as they come up on the agenda.

1. Briefing by District on Progress with the Facilities Master Planning Process

2. Discussion of Littering in Main Park and Opportunities for District to Assist with Control

3. Discussion of Civic Center Parking Issues

4. Discussion on City Facilities Planning:

(a) Space Analysis for the Recreation Building

(b) Study of Options for Possible New Aquatic Facility

5. Briefing on Police Department “Response to Mass Casualty” Training

6. Discussion of Landscaping Issues

7. Discussion of the Annual City/School Holiday Book Drive

8. Schedule of Future Meetings

(a) November, 17, 2015

(b) February 9, 2016

(c) April 26, 2016

Mixed Commercial/ Muliple Family Residential development to be presented –

On Monday, July 6 at 5 p.m., the City Council will hold a joint work session meeting with the Planning Commission to learn about a development proposal for 29 Wildwood Avenue from the project team. The site is the long established Shell gas station at the corner of Wildwood and Grand Avenues, owned by City Gateline, LLC. The 10,478 square foot lot is primarily in Piedmont, but 789 square feet are within Oakland. Like the former PG&E site, which was not developed as affordable housing, this site meets the state and ABAG criteria for affordable housing.

29 Wildwood elevations

The Shell gas station would be demolished and replaced with a three story mixed use structure featuring retail space on the ground floor and two floors of three two-bedroom residential units on the upper floors. As proposed in concept drawings, staff notes that the project does not meet Piedmont’s parking requirements.

This unique pre-application presentation by a private owner on a planning matter at a joint meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission will not be broadcast or visually recorded. The special session will take place in the Police Department Emergency Operations Center (EOC), 403 Highland Avenue.

29 Wildwood floor plan

The public is invited to be present and comment on the proposed project.

Recent controversy centered on a City Council enacted zoning change allowing multiple family residences in the Commercial zone.  The change eliminated the long standing requirement permitting only commercial uses or single family residential dwellings in the Commercial zone.  The City Charter states zoning changes require Piedmont voter approval.

This is the first multiple family proposal under the new Commercial zoning change.

Average speed on Oakland Avenue is 35 MPH despite Police issuing twice as many speeding tickets in 2014 as in 2011 and 2012 combined.

– Public Safety Committee Continues Work on Disaster Preparedness Checklist –

May 28th Public Safety Committee Report by Piedmont High School Student Remy Afong, the only public person attending the meeting –

On Thursday, May 28, the Public Safety Committee met at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers for a regularly scheduled meeting. Established three years ago by a City Council charge, the committee meets every two months to discuss ways to increase public participation in crime reduction strategies and disaster preparedness. It also serves to provide a forum for community members to share concerns regarding public safety issues.

Before addressing items on the agenda, Chairman Lyman Shaffer asked if there was anyone who would like to speak about an item not listed on the agenda. As the only audience member, I was allotted the full 10 minutes of public forum to myself, though I only spoke for one or two. To increase pedestrian safety, I suggested installing a lighted crosswalk at the intersection of Highland Avenue and Sierra Avenue, and at other intersections near schools. I described how on numerous occasions, I have had to run across the street to avoid being hit by a car; each time the car failed to show any signs of slowing down.

School District President Andrea Swenson, a member of the committee, said that she has had similar experiences and agreed that many intersections in Piedmont are unsafe.

After the meeting, Shaffer suggested that I restate my proposal at a City Council meeting.

The most hotly discussed issue at the meeting was the Disaster Preparedness Checklist, an item yet to be released to the community. Shaffer briefed the committee on the origins of the document. It is the project of a task group led by committee member Garrett Keating that

stems from the Tiburon/Belvedere Disaster Preparedness Program. Committee members took a moment to review the 4-page document before discussing improvements.

Shaffer praised the checklist as a nice basic resource to have in everyone’s homes and noted the importance of perfecting the document because it cannot be re-edited after mass distribution. He suggested placing all emergency numbers on the front page, a proposal that was well-received by the rest of the committee. Swenson added that school phone numbers should be removed to prevent them from being overwhelmed with frantic phone calls.

Committee member Ryan Gilbert commented that overall, the document has too much text and suggested narrowing the focus to imperative statements.

Chief of Police Rikki Goede added that the document should be in a more succinct, action plan style. She did not think that the “Map Your Neighborhood” portion, which includes a checklist of necessary resources and instructions on how to organize a neighborhood disaster team, had a place on the document. Rather, there should be a link to a website with neighborhood preparedness information instead.

Committee member Sue Lin, however, strongly advocated for Map Your Neighborhood. She argued that if it is just listed as an additional resource and not elaborated upon, people would not be encouraged to think on a broader spectrum outside their individual lives.

Keating agreed that having an entire page dedicated to Map Your Neighborhood would boost resident participation. His subcommittee will continue to revise the document and the whole committee will discuss the item again at the next meeting.

Personally, I agree with Gilbert and Goede that the Disaster Preparedness Checklist should be as concise as possible to avoid people becoming overwhelmed and disregarding the document altogether. Though I support the idea of Map Your Neighborhood, I think that it

should be separate. This document will be most useful if it is designed in an easy-to-read format that focuses on individual household preparedness.

Editors’ Note:  Opinions expressed are those of the author. The meetings of the Public Safety Committee are not broadcast but are open to the public.