November 19, 2003

PRNC Minutes, October 2003

Here are the draft minutes for the October 29, 2003 meeting of the Point Richmond Neighborhood Council (PRNC).

PRNC Minutes, 10-2003 (PDF)

Full text follows...

Meeting called to order 7:35 pm
Officers present: President Don Woodrow, Treasurer Artrese Morrison, Second Vice President Fred Frye, First Vice Presidents Jeff Lee and Rod Satre. Secretary Sheila Davidson was unavoidability absent. Satre took the minutes.
Beat Report: Cpl. Lester Lawson: Phone 510-620-6901, pgr 262-3474, message 621-1222 ext 7060 & Sgt. Joseph Silva: Phone 510-620-6635, pgr 925-306-7890
Total of: 9 thefts: 7 auto, 1 residential, 1 commercial
Officer noted that enforcement of lights in tunnel is going to be picked up both ways. Fines are expensive!! Bicycles are to be walked in the tunnel, on the sidewalk.
Parking on street is limited to 72 continuous hours. Beyond that, the vehicle is subject to ticketing. Boats are not supposed to be stored on streets.

Land Use and Design Review: all three items approved as recommended by the Committee:
1. 160 Washington (Point Richmond Market): Informational only for 1000 square foot remodeling, recommended to articulate the front of the building and allow for street frontage access for public use such as tables and chairs to complement the planned deli in the store. This alternative was in lieu of architect and owner plans to take space out of the back side of the building.
2. 300 Block Western Drive: Lot split and reparcelization, Kowlowski owner: Street frontage allowed to 50 width with criteria that the 50 lot width continue for 40% of “level land depth of the site.
3. 514 Western Drive: studio, King applicant, advised to come back with 2nd dwelling unit request next month
Treasurer’s Report:
Bishop Alley $694.87, Ferry Point $629.23, Wig Wag $2,970.94, General Acct $3,284.31

Old Business:
Port of Richmond, Jim Matzorkis- Executive Director
Anticipated activities:
Point Protrero marine terminal , Shipyard 3, 100 acres end of Canal Blvd long ago, 53 acres were found to be contaminated and remediation of the area needed to be capped with 24 inches cover per DTSC (Department of Toxic Substance Control) this project site will be fully paved at the end of the year and ready for parking and port storage

Over the last 20 years, most of the port had been used for auto import. Over the last 15 years, the importers have switched to domestic manufacture. Most international shipments shifted to southern California. As the container business has taken over the Southern California port area, auto imports are possibly moving to Richmond’s Port. For Richmond, what used to be 200,000 cars/year dwindled down to several thousand cars per year. With the shift from Southern California, the Port expects increases to 150,000 cars per year in the future. $3 – 4 Million /year new revenue and Port would be profitable. 150 to 200 new jobs. This would be next to the proposed Hanson Aggregate project.

Inbound auto activities also would include final finishing and local distribution. Rail service now typically one way drop will be able to have two-way with the import autos of (Hundayi and Kia). Trucking about 5 – 10 trucks per hour from 8:00 AM to 4:PM
Rail switching involves set-ups of full and empty rail cars and pick up and loading on port property.

Terminal 4’s future likely links to future of Point Molate.

REACT – Richmond Fire Department Richard Kalayjian, filling in for Chuck Davis on REACT program: Richmond has a Richmond Emergency Action Team (REACT) 4 week program for 10 to 15 people with training of valuable skills that will be needed should we have a sizeable earthquake 66% probability in the next 25 years.!!! YIKES!... Could be tomorrow!!!
Traing Program includes:
Good activities with hands-on training in the program:
Utility control- gas, water , electricity
Dealing with hazardous materials, many found under your sinks!!
Hands on fire extinguisher training at the Fire Department’s Training Center on Cutting Blvd
ADVICE from RFD: You should have one extinguisher in the kitchen and one in the garage and one in your car. Recharge your extinguisher no less frequently than every two years. If you buy the single-use extinguisher, after three years they are likely of no good as the chemicals settle out and harden.

When disaster strikes, you should be prepared for no less than 72 hours of independent survival in the case of an emergency with no transport and services available.
Budget Cut information:
Station 61, in the Point is slated to be closed, contrary to prior promises by the fire chief last April. Stations closest to Point Richmond will then be #62 at 7th and Hensley and the one at Cutting Blvd (by 12th). Station #64Bayview and #68 at Hilltop are more distant. Point Richmond is a High Fire Risk (HFR) area. See www.ci.richmond.ca.us and go to services for GIS information on HFR areas unique to the Point. Questions raised included: Why close the fire station nearest/in the HFR? Why close the “…only Richmond fire station upgraded for earthquake survivability.” Why put citizens in Point Richmond at greater risk by lengthening response times for fire and health emergencies?

ACTION ITEM: Bonnie Daley, Sarah Eels pointed out that we need to act now! Sarah , Don Woodrow and others will gather perhaps as many as five persons and meet with Isiah Turner, following a letter discussing our PRNC concerns. Passed unanimously by voice vote.

Old Business: November 6th Planning commission meeting regarding 130 East Scenic and two standard and one substandard lot on Pacific @ High

Other old Business: Frog Town: Jeff Lee: The site does not support a wetland, Rod Satre is to write a letter for the President to Planning Director, Building Regulations, Whareham Development and USACE indicating an alternative site along Canal Blvd and no future permits or new construction until such time as a satisfactory wetland is restored under USACE 404.
For the Good of the Order:
Pat Pearson reported that 13303 Executive Order deals with oil installations and handling in Iraq, not US.
Other reports: Bruce Beyaert: City of Richmond will dedicate the new Lucretia Edwards Park at the Foot of Marina Way South, by the water.
TRAC : Bruce Beyaert reported on behalf of TRAC, the Trails for Richmond Action Committee, that the Lucretia Edwards Shoreline Park at the foot of Marina Way South will be dedicated and opened with celebratory ceremonies on Thursday, Oct. 30. The Bay Trail on the shoreline of this spectacular two-acre park connects the doorstep of the historic Ford Assembly Building with the trail already completed though the Marina Bay area all the way to Buchanan Street in Albany. This includes new Bay Trail recently completed by East Bay Regional Park District along the shorelines of Central Avenue and Isabel St.. Closer to Point Richmond, Toll Brothers has paved the new Bay Trail along Seacliff Drive from Canal Blvd. to the crest of the hill and along the Seacliff Estates frontage on Brickyard Cove Rd. Cooperation from Brickyard Landing Homeowners Association is critical for the trail to be extended westward along Brickyard Cove Rd. Toll Brothers is required to continue the Bay Trail past the front of Brickyard Landing only if the land is made available.
Undergrounding of power lines: Ed Gingrich. Although the City Council Finance Committee approved an advance against the potential bond issue of $70,000 to hire an Assessment Engineer exactly 2 years ago, the funds were designated to come from the Capital Improvement Project fund (CIP fund) which, unfortunately, did not contain any unallocated funds.
After many telephone calls from the Committee representative Gingrich, City Engineer Rich Davidson found a way to come up with the funds. He determined the CIP fund had $2 million in allocated funds waiting in limbo for completion of some drawings. The fund had been earning interest and the interest was unallocated. Davidson applied to have the earned interest allocated to the undergrounding study in early October.
Since then, the interest income monies have been frozen until a study of the current financial status of the City can be reviewed. This is now expected to be completed by Nov. 1. If approved, it then goes to the City Council for approval of a contract with the Assessment Engineer.
There will not be much the Undergrounding Committee can do until the completion of the assessment figures. At that point, the Committee needs to organize an education blitz to advise Pt. Richmond residents of the pros and cons of undergrounding.

Safety Committee: Bill York and Joan Gatten. the Police Department’s role in an emergency includes public safety and disaster relief. Phone 510- 232-1214 for the animal control office if you are having trouble with for skunks and raccoons or you can call 510-620-6643 for the watch commander if you think you have a problem with animals.
Still looking for first aid training, REACT meets on the second Wednesday @ 7:00-8:30 pm at the Methodist Church. Next meeting is November 12th

PRAM: Elana Dolberg (Point Richmond Association of Mothers) reported that the Community Center and the Field House are slated to be closed and a petition is out to keep them open. PRAM is working to raise funds to avoid the threatened closures.Meeting adjourned at 9:10 pm.

Posted by kgs at November 19, 2003 03:30 PM | TrackBack
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