New parking committee, community monitoring stations report on tap for PRNC

   POINT RICHMOND - The Point Richmond Neighborhood Council will convene at 7 p.m. Wednesday to hear a long list of community reports including one on community monitoring stations presented by Aaron Winer of Veolia, the company that operates the Richmond wastewater facility.
     Winer's report will be an update about the network of six hydrogen sulfide monitors around the Point. Five are owned and managed by the City of Richmond. The sixth is owned and managed by Veolia.
    Winer will be available to answer questions at the meeting.
    There will also be discussion about establishing a new PRNC parking & transportation committee.
    The meeting will be held in the Point Richmond Community Center. The public is invited to attend.
    In addition to reports, PRNC President David Schoenthal will give a "State of the Point Address, " beginning at 7:10 p.m.

    The full agenda for the meeting - with specific times for when matters will be addressed - is below.

PRNC may establish traffic & parking committee, agrees to meet from 7-9 p.m

   POINT RICHMOND - The Point Richmond Neighborhood Council is considering establishing a special committee to review traffic and parking in The Point.
     At an April 3 meeting, PRNC board members decided to put the issue on the April 26 agenda for the full council. The proposed committee would report to the PRNC board and the community at large.
    How to join the committee and details about the committee's responsibilities are expected to be part of the discussion at the April 26 meeting.
   

   Traffic and parking issues have been discussed several times in recent PRNC sessions as concerns - both from the City of Richmond and residents - have been growing with the new housing developments that are likely to come on line in the next year.
    Terminal One, a 323-unit development at the south end of Dornan Drive (shown on the left in the diagram) and Shea Homes 60-unit complex at the south end of Seacliff Drive (on the right) have the green light from Richmond officials. Shea Homes is already beginning construction. Terminal One has had surveyors out for the past week.
    Traffic estimates from those two projects say there could be as many as additional 3,000 vehicle trips per-day generated, some of which will likely impact parking in the downtown business district.
   
   Another complex that will add to the area's traffic burden - if it wins city approval - would be the 270-unit Bottoms Quarry project proposed by New West Development Corporation of Las Vegas, Nevada. It would be built off Seacliff Drive close to Canal Boulevard.
    New West officials say they won't know how many vehicles the development will add to the traffic count until a full traffic analysis is conducted as part of the environmental impact report process.

Earlier Meeting Time for PRNC

   The PRNC board unanimously agreed this month to roll back the starting time for future PRNC meetings from 7:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. each month.
    The new beginning time starts with the Wednesday, April 26 meeting at the Community Center in Point Richmond.
   "The board felt that starting a half-hour earlier would enable the meeting to cover the presentation and discussion of agenda items more effectively," PRNC first vice president Jordan DeStaebler said,
    "As of late there often has not been sufficient time to adequately cover topics of concern to the community."

New street striping, one-way streets - and maybe paid parking - ahead for the Point

   POINT RICHMOND - The City of Richmond is circulating a survey to area residents in conjunction with the Point Richmond Neighborhood Council, outlining three possible options for improving parking in the downtown Point Richmond business district.

Parking Kiosk

    All three involve making Park Place a one-way street. One would convert Washington Avenue into a one-way thoroughfare.
    Also under consideration - but not part of this survey - is a "paid parking pilot" program in which pay stations would be placed around the Point.
 
   "We already have pay stations and mobile payment in the parking lots located in downtown and the 12th Street garage," Denee Evans of the City of Richmond told The Point. They "have been effective in increasing short term, on-street parking occupancy during peak hours."
    Evans also said that with the two residential developments already approved (Terminal One and Shea Homes) - and a third 270-unit project in the city approval process - paid parking is likely needed to alleviate parking problems and congestion.
    Here is a link to a Google docs survey put out by the city:

PARKING SURVEY

Comments about the survey, the options, paid parking or any other parking issues can be emailed to: Richmondparking@ci.richmond.ca.us

Below are sketches of the options presented in the survey.

Temple Beth Hillel Passover Seder Tuesday

   POINT RICHMOND, Hilltop - Temple Beth Hillel has invited community members to join in a what it is calling a family-friendly congregational Seder Tuesday.
    This second-night-of Passover event starts at 6:30 p.m.
    Rabbi Dean Kertesz and Cantor Fran Burgess will be retelling the Passover story. There will also be the singing of holiday songs and sharing of a complete ritual meal. A vegan meal option is available.
    For non-members the price is $35 for adults, $20 for children ages 7-12 and $8 for children 3-6.
    Seating is limited so reservations are required by calling or 510-223-2560 or by following this link: www.tbhrichmond.org.
    Temple Beth Hillel is located at 801 Park Central in the Hilltop area of Richmond.

The Point email server causing problems

POINT RICHMOND - The automated email system - which notifies people who have signed up for email alerts whenever The Point makes a new post - has been sending out old posts for several days.

We are trying to correct the problem.

The posts so far have all been about Republic Services, stories that were filed months ago.

We regret the problem and hope to have it rectified today.

In any event, always be sure to check the date of any posting, located at the top of the story.