Public Shore Access closed at Craneway Pavilion because of stay-at-home order

RICHMOND - The parking lot for the Richmond-to-San Francisco ferry on South Harbour Way is open solely for ferry patrons to park and closed to other members of the public for parking or other purposes.

Access to the Ferry Parking limited to patrons

Access to the Public Shore adjacent to the parking lot has been closed also. The public shore pathway to the east towards Marina Bay is reportedly still open.

The closings were implemented over the weekend with the placement of cones to block traffic. Monday warning tape was added to cordon off both the parking and public shore. 

A security guard turning people away Monday said the closure is because of the Contra Costa County Health Departments stay-at-home order. The order is expected to remain in force at least until Jan. 7, according the health department.

The parking area is across the street from the Craneway Pavilion which was converted in April to be an overflow medical facility for patients in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last week the Richmond Pulse published a story detailing the status of the facility: Craneway Medical Facilities in Richmond on Standby.

Public Shore access closed off

Ferry Terminal Parking lot on South Harbour Way

Still time to shop locally (and online) for Christmas gifts this holiday season

   POINT RICHMOND - With the Christmas Day countdown upon us, there's still time to shop locally at Point Richmond businesses for gifts - and online through the Arts of Point Richmond.

     The poster below details out AOPR's cornucopia of items. 

     The link to the AOPR gift website is here: AOPR GIFTS!

Brezo, Starbucks close in Point Richmond

POINT RICHMOND - The Richmond Pulse published a story today about the closing of the Brezo restaurant and Starbucks Coffee in the Point.

While the closure are troubling for some downtown businesses, others are not worried.

Here is a link to the full story:

Closings Worry Some Point Richmond Business Owners

BCARD opposes Terminal One price drop

RICHMOND, Calif. - The Brickyard Cove Alliance for Responsible Development went on record this week opposing a price reduction in what developers Laconia, Inc. have agreed to pay the city to purchase the Terminal One property on Brickyard Way where a housing development is planned.

The opposition came in the form of a letter from BCARD, outlining the group's concerns.

"BCARD maintains there should be no revision of the purchase terms for Terminal One because Laconia has caused needless additional expenditures," the letter states.

(See full text of letter below).

The Richmond City Council is expected take up the proposal - and Terminal One's future - tonight in a closed-to-the-public session.

The regular session of the council begins at 6:30 p.m. as a Zoom meeting and will include a public comment session at which time members of the public can ask questions and comment on Terminal One

The Zoom city council meeting (except for the closed session) can be accessed here:

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

https://zoom.us/j/99312205643?pwd=MDdqNnRmS2k4ZkRTOWhlUldQOUF1Zz09

Passcode: ccmeeting

The full text of BCARD's letter to the city council:

Dear Members of the City Council and Ms Laura Snideman, City Manager        

I represent BCARD, Brickyard Cove Alliance for Responsible Development, a neighborhood association formed in 2015 to ensure a responsible development of Terminal One, a unique and irreplaceable property.

We sued the City and Laconia in 2016 over lapses, in our view, of the EIR; the suit was settled via mediation with, among other things, BCARD being awarded funds to serve as an independent monitoring body for the toxics remediation of T1.  That has been our principle focus to date and is the reason we want to be sure the Council and new City Manager are aware of Laconia’s record regarding site cleanup.  It is also the reason we would object, in the strongest possible terms, to any claims made by Laconia that remediation costs are the basis for a price reduction of the T1’s sales agreement. 

Since November 2016, BCARD has submitted fourteen sets of technical comments compiled by our team of consultants drawing on expertise in soil gas, groundwater monitoring and geotechnical remediation.

The City Council has delegated complete cleanup responsibility to Laconia using portions of the $3.2 million fund received from the 2005 Settlement Agreement between the City of Richmond and Responsible Parties.  Consistently, Laconia and their consultants have underperformed in terms of their ability to move the remediation process forward with the appropriate scientific rigor. The agency responsible for oversight, the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), has regularly found data gaps and inadequate submittals and implementation of work plans.  This has necessitated rework on Laconia’s part resulting in additional expense and project delays.

For instance, here are two recent examples from the RWQCB project manager and principle scientific reviewer as noted in his 3 March 2020 comments to Ms Velasco regarding Laconia’s consultants (and, the City’s) work:

“However, the RD [Remedial Design] report does not adequately address the Water Board’s conditions for the 2018 RAP, [Remedial Action Plan] has other deficiencies as detailed below, and therefore is unacceptable.”  (Page 1) 

“The Self-Monitoring Program will not adequately monitor groundwater quality and slurry wall effectiveness. Revise the RD report to provide additional piezometer-well pairs along the slurry wall alignment; long-term, quarterly self-monitoring; and an acceptable Contingency Plan if the remedy is ineffective.”  (Page 3) https://documents.geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/regulators/deliverable_documents/3699547886/RB2%20Revised%20Letter%20with%20Cover%20for%20Terminal%201%20Requirement%20for%20RD%20Revision%203-3-2020.pdf

And, from the RWQCB’s letter of 24 August 2020 to Ms Velasco, the project manager stated: 

“Quarterly, long-term groundwater monitoring was abandoned during the third quarter of 2019. The data gap, now spanning at least four quarters, limits our understanding of petroleum discharges to the San Francisco Bay and our ability to evaluate future slurry wall performance…Please address these comments and submit a reviewed workplan.” (Page 1-2) https://documents.geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/regulators/deliverable_documents/2506330192/RB2%20Comments%20on%208-4-20%20Revised%20Work%20Plan%20for%20Groundwater%20Monitoring%208-24-20.pdf

In summary, the Regional Board’s comments suggest frustration with Laconia, (and the City as the delegating party) regarding the quality of submissions resulting in delays in moving the project forward.  Accordingly, BCARD maintains cost overruns and additional expense are largely due to the management of the project by Laconia on behalf of the City.  Once the property has sold, the City still has not legally relinquished its liability for the site’s cleanup and ongoing monitoring.  Regardless of what Laconia does, once the Settlement funds for cleanup and monitoring are exhausted, the City will still be the responsible party; BCARD maintains there should be no revision of the purchase terms for Terminal One because Laconia has caused needless additional expenditures.   

Respectfully,

Brian Lewis

Chair, BCARD Steering Committee

Kaleidoscope Coffee set to re-open Tuesday, limited walk-up service five days per week

   POINT RICHMOND - Kaleidoscope Coffee, 106 Park Place in Point Richmond announced Monday it is open for business starting Tuesday.
     The shop will be open for walk-up service Tuesday through Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday.
     Tuesday through Friday hours are 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
     Saturday the shop is open from 9 a.m. to noon.
     "We'll have pastries, all the coffee drinks, and of course, ice cream," owner Cassie says.
     She also said Kaleidoscope's popular PBJ sandwiches might be available, too.

New COVID-19 quarantine orders issued by Contra Costa County Health services

   RICHMOND - A set of even more stringent orders - these using the term quarantine - were issued by the Contra Costa County Health Services today.
     The following is a press release about the orders. Below the text of the press release are links to the full orders.

PRESS RELEASE:

"Contra Costa Issues Mass Isolation and Quarantine Orders for People with COVID-19 and Their Close Contacts 

Health Officer Dr. Chris Farnitano announced today that the County is issuing a mass order for residents with COVID-19 and their close contacts to isolate and quarantine themselves. 

The mass order is being issued to help slow COVID-19’s spread, protect vulnerable individuals, and prevent the healthcare system in the County from being overwhelmed. The county’s public health staff no longer have the capacity to individually notify and track everyone with COVID-19 and their close contacts who may have been exposed to the virus.   

As of Friday, 307 county residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and five people have died from the virus. Contra Costa County had no local cases at the beginning of March. 

“We’ve reached a critical point in the COVID-19 crisis here in Contra Costa,” Dr. Farnitano said. “Our resources are stretched extremely thin and business as usual is not an option. We believe this mass order is a creative and effective way of getting the job done to keep the sick isolated from others.” 

Residents must isolate themselves in their home or another residence if they test positive for COVID-19. They may not leave their home except to receive necessary medical care or during an emergency that requires evacuation.   

COVID-positive individuals without symptoms must isolate for 7 days from the date of a positive test. Those with symptoms must isolate at least 7 days have passed since their symptoms started. Initially symptomatic people must also wait at least 72 hours have passed since after symptoms go away. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, coughing and shortness of breath. 

County residents who test positive for COVID-19 will now be required to tell their close contacts that they need to quarantine themselves if they may have been exposed. Close contacts must then remain at home or another residence for 14 days from the last date that they were in contact with the person infected or with COVID-19. 

People considered “close contacts” are persons who, during the sick individual’s infectious period, live in, or have stayed overnight, at the individual’s residence; are intimate sexual partners of the individual; or provided care to the individual without wearing a mask, gown, and gloves. 

People can access instructions on how to isolate and quarantine themselves at cchealth.org/coronavirus. "
=============

LINKS TO Health Department ORDERS:
ORDER 1
ORDER 2

COVID-19 outbreak at Orinda senior facility, officials urge citizens to wear masks

  ORINDA - Contra Costa County Health Services said today that 27 people who live or work at a skilled nursing facility in Orinda have tested positive for COVID-19.
     No deaths have been reported in connection with the outbreak at the Orinda Care Center which has 45 residents.

Orinda Care Facilty (Photo by Erik K/Yelp)

    " Public health has prepared for the possibility of outbreaks happening in skilled nursing facilities and other congregate care settings," Contra Costa Public Health Director Dan Peddycord said. "We are working closely with the facilities now to protect residents and staff."
     CCHS began investigating after two staff members sought medical care. Test results were positive for the workers and for two patients at the facility Wednesday.
     By Thursday all patients and staff had been tested with 24 residents testing positive so far. Two are receiving care at local hospitals.
     The county is also testing two other senior care facilities in the county.
     "The situation is very serious and we are deeply concerned about residents of our senior care facilities," Dr. Chris Farnitano, county health officer said. "That is why we need everyone to follow the stay-at-home order, social-distance guidance and other measures in recent health orders."
     Health officials also issued a "strong recommendation" that residents wear masks or other protective face covering when going to the grocery store or when engaged in other essential activities.
     There have been five confirmed deaths and more than 300 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in Contra Costa County, health officials reported.

Craneway Pavilion being converted to a 250-bed hospital for COVID-19 patients

   RICHMOND - The Craneway Pavilion on South Harbour Way is in the process of being converted into a 250-bed hospital/medical station to treat COVID-19 patients.

Beds being set up in the Craneway for COVID-19 patients

     Trucks loaded with beds and equipment began arriving and unloading Thursday morning. By noon public access to the Craneway - including the walkway around the building - was gated and closed.
     At present, the facility is planned to be used only for COVID-19 patients who do not need to be placed in a hospital Intensive Care Unit. The beds and supplies were brought in by the National Guard.
     Officials said the facility is expected to be up and running by the third week of April, the time health officials expect to see a peak in the number of COVID-19 patients in the Bay Area.
     "This is one more step to be better prepared for the anticipated COVID-19 surge," Candace Andersen, chair of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors said.
     The medical facility will only be used if local hospitals cannot handle the expected surge.
     The site will be secured and no visitors will be allowed.
     The county is also establishing other alternative care sites include using hotels for homeless county residents, officials said.
   The parking lot across the street - previously used for ferry patron parking and public access - is expected to be closed to the public also to be reserved for medical and hospital support personnel.

 Public access around the Craneway will be closed while it is used as a medical facility

State and law enforcement officials were on hand for the deliveries of beds & medical supplies

Inside the Craneway - now a medical facility

Dewitt reception Saturday at Kaleidoscope

   POINT RICHMOND - A reception for internationally known artist and yachtsman - and Point Richmond resident - Jim Dewitt will be held Saturday at Kaleidoscope Coffee.
     The event is open to the public and runs from 4 to 6 p.m.
     His artwork will remain on display at Kaleidoscope until April 30..
   Among his many awards was being named America's Cup Artist-in-Residence in 2013.
      Dewitt is AOPR's oldest member, having turned 90 in February and his artwork spans decades. But he hasn't slowed down and says he is still happiest with a paintbrush in his hand, immersed in the creative process.
     More information about Jim Dewitt's art is available here: JIM DEWITT.

Temple Beth Hillel Purim Carnival Sunday

   HILLTOP - Temple Beth Hillel will host an open-to-the public Purim Carnival and Raffle Sunday, March 8 from noon to 2 p.m.
     The carnival will be held at the Temple, 801 Park Central in Richmond.
     Organizers encourage attendees to wear costumes and masks - and bring noisemakers.
     Along with a reading of the Megillah - the biblical story of Esther - and singing Purim songs, there will be activities, crafts, games and prizes for children.
     Home-baked goods and lunch will be available for sale.
     For more information, contact the Temple at 510-223-2560.