Helping homeless people one family at a time

 This story appeared today in the Richmond Pulse.

Point neighbors say oil 'smell' strong hours before Chevron Wharf spill was reported

POINT RICHMOND - Neighbors of the Chevron Wharf have reported on Nextdoor yesterday and today that they smelled oil as early as 12:30 p.m. Tuesday - hours before official reports say the leak of many hundreds of gallons of petroleum into the bay near Keller Beach began. 

And in several cases, people said they called to report the strong petroleum odor to Bay Area air quality officials.

The official cause of that smell, as reported by Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia, was a leaking pipeline that spewed five gallons per minute into the bay for nearly two hours, beginning at 2:40 p.m. Tuesday.

In a Richmond Pulse newspaper story today, Gioia said Chevron didn't do enough to notify the community and that there was not information given.

The link to the full Pulse story can be found here: 

Chevron Oil Spill Is Under Investigation

View of the Chevron oil spill Tuesday

(Photo by Denis Perez-Bravo, Richmond Pulse)

Public Shore, parking open at Craneway

   RICHMOND - The public shore and ferry parking area across the street from the Craneway Pavilion reopened in early January after being closed to the public.

Walkway open again to the public

     Security guards had roped off the parking lot - except for use by ferry patrons - and also kept the public from walking on the shoreline.

     The official reason given was the state's stay-at-home order. Any pedestrians who walked past the yellow caution tape were ordered off the property.

     But without fanfare or public announcement, the yellow caution tape, orange traffic cones and barriers slowly disappeared over a period of days. So did the security guards.

     For the last two weeks public access has been restored and is being enjoyed by cyclists, hikers and fisherman.

     The Craneway Pavilion is still blocked off from public access and ready for use as an emergency overflow hospital facility.

Craneway remains ready for use as an overflow medical facility/hospital

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.

PRNC voices concerns about pollution at proposed Terminal One development

   POINT RICHMOND - The Point Richmond Neighborhood Council this week voiced serious concerns about pollution - and likely "inadequate" remediation efforts - at the proposed Terminal One residential project adjacent to Miller-Knox Regional Park and the Richmond Yacht Club.
     In a letter to the Richmond City Council, PRNC President Peter Thelin outlined a series of PRNC member concerns prompted by a presentation earlier in the month by Brian Lewis of the Brickyard Cove Alliance for Responsible Development (BCARD).

Aerial view of Terminal One location

     "We are concerned about potential discharges to the Bay and adjacent property; about protecting eel grass used by herring to spawn; and most particularly, about the safety to residents and public using this land in the future," Thelin wrote on behalf of the entire PRNC.
     "We have only one remaining chance to clean up this property correctly," he noted.
Thelin's letter came in the wake of a vote by the PRNC Dec. 3 to support the technical recommendations of the consultants to BCARD who have been studying the polluted site.
     Many of the recommendations, comments and findings of those consultants were outlined by Lewis at the meeting including concerns that Trichloroethylene (TCE) will remain at the site.
     "These findings strongly indicated the Remedial Design is inadequate to protect the Bay or adjacent RYC property," Thelin's letter to the council states.
     The Terminal One site is proposed by the Laconia Corporation of Walnut Creek to construct a 316-unit residential development on the former industrial site. It would include a combination of buildings including multi-story condominiums and single family bayside homes.
     A public waterfront park is also part of the project, though current plans show no public parking along the shoreline.
     The City of Richmond is also weighing whether to dip into city funds to help with increased costs of the Terminal One project.
     The funds would be used to help cover developer costs for handling seismic hazards, improvements to the Ferry Point Lift Station and development of the promised park.
     Last summer the proposed allocation of city funds included:

by Michael J. Fitzgerald, The Point

Update on Terminal One project prompts letter from PRNC to Richmond City Council

   POINT RICHMOND - A presentation Wednesday night about the proposed environmental cleanup of the 13-acre Terminal One site on Brickyard Cove Road has prompted the Point Richmond Neighborhood Council to send a letter to the Richmond City Council detailing a variety of concerns.
     The Terminal One site is proposed for a 316-unit residential development by the Laconia Corporation of Walnut Creek. If approved, the development on a former industrial site would be a combination of buildings including multi-story condominiums and single family bayside homes.
     The presentation about the environmental hazards at the site and cleanup was made by Brian Lewis, a member of the Brickyard Cove Alliance for Responsible Development.
     "We have three major areas of concern," Lewis told the PRNC. "Ground water, soil and discharges to the bay."

Proposed development site, adjacent to the Richmond Yacht Club

     BCARD was formed to act as an environmental watchdog as area residents voiced repeated concerns in recent years about whether the toxic wastes at the site could be cleaned up adequately to allow for people to live there.
     "We felt the city was not listening to us," Lewis said.
     In his overview, Lewis walked PRNC members through some of the planned remediation proposals and cautioned that there needs to be effective monitoring of water quality if the project is built.
     "We as a community want to make sure it's cleaned up properly," he said.
     And because many of the known toxins - including Trichloroethylene (TCE) - will remain at the site, "it needs to be monitored indefinitely," he added.
     The letter from the PRNC is expected to be drafted next week so it can be included in the city council packet of information for the January 21 council meeting. Letters need to be received no later than January 15 to get to the council before the meeting.
     In addition to echoing concerns about environmental issues, the PRNC's letter is expected to ask questions about the appropriateness of a proposal to use nearly $3 million of city monies from other funds - like those designated for parks and sewer - to subsidize the Terminal One development.
     That fund-shift proposal has been under consideration since earlier this year. For details about that proposal, see "City delays consideration of funding" published by The Point July 1.
     For more background about the Terminal One site and a proposed cleanup plan, see Public Hearing from September 2018, also published by The Point.
     - Story by Michael J. Fitzgerald, The Point

Plan to run BNSF trains in Miller-Knox Park derailed by Superior Court ruling

   POINT RICHMOND - A controversial plan to run Burlington Northern Santa Fe trains on formerly abandoned tracks along the shoreline in Miller-Knox Regional Park has been derailed by a court ruling, the Point Richmond Neighborhood Council was told Wednesday night.

BNSF's abandoned tracks along the Miller-Knox shoreline

     "We beat the railroad," Point resident Eric Zell said in a brief presentation to about 30 PRNC members and the public. (In late February, the PRNC voted to oppose BNSF's plans.)
     Zell has been working with the East Bay Regional Park District to fight BNSF's plans since earlier this year.
     According to Zell, the judge in the case ruled that the railroad has no rights to reactivate the tracks. And the terms of a previously signed agreement between the Texas-based railroad and EBRPD precludes the company from claiming that federal law would allow them to do so.
     Zell said the judge hasn't signed his ruling, pending a request from BNSF to now settle with the district over the issue. The settlement, he said, might be to avoid setting some legal precedent about federal vs. state law.
     Regardless, the park district might be in a position to get the railroad to agree to do some improvements along the abandoned rails as part of a settlement.
     Zell also announced that Dec. 14 from noon to 3 p.m. - rain or shine - the district is hosting an open-to-the-public celebration at the park to thank the public for its help in fighting BNSF's plan.
     The party is being called "A Celebration of Public Advocacy Protecting the Richmond Shoreline at Miller-Knox Regional Park."
     The celebration will also honor retiring EBRPD Director Whitney Dotson who represents the area.
     For more information about the celebration, email Monique Salas or call her at 510-544-2008.

BNSF trains will still use tracks part way into the park

Reports on trains in Miller-Knox, Terminal One project on PRNC agenda Wednesday

   POINT RICHMOND - The Point Richmond Neighborhood Council will hear reports on BNSF railroad's plans to run trains along the shoreline of Miller-Knox Regional Park and an update on the Dornan Drive-Brickyard Cover Road Terminal One housing project Wednesday.
     The PRNC meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Community Center in Point Richmond and is open to the public.
     The BNSF train update will be provided by Eric Zell and is set to begin at about 7:50 p.m.
     The PRNC's last update on the ongoing trains-in-the-park situation was in July.
     The update on Terminal One will be from Brian Lewis and Jeff Vines of the Brickyard Cove Alliance for Responsible Development (BCARD).  The presentation by the BCARD members should begin about 8:15 p.m.
     The BCARD presentation will likely include comments about the proposed lack of public parking alone the shoreline of the development, information on ongoing attempts to clean up the toxic areas of the site and City of Richmond plans to help fund certain portions of the project.

Local authors to speak at Temple Beth Hillel

   HILLTOP - Local authors Robert Schoen and Catherine deCuir will be discussing their new novel, The Rabbi Finds Her Way, Sunday, Nov. 17 beginning at 2 p.m.
     The novel features a female rabbi/cantor as she moves through the scenes, activities and politics of a modern-day synagogue.
     It is the first in a planned series of novels by the pair.
     For more information, see the flier below.

Richmond weekend ferry service pondered

   RICHMOND - Weekend ferry service between Richmond and San Francisco - suspended last weekend - is being studied by the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) for possible resumption.
     If the popular service is resumed, it will likely not be until next spring or summer.

First day of Richmond to SF ferry service in August
(Photo by Richmond Standard)

     WETA spokesman Thomas Hall said the agency will be considering resumption in the next few months. "We will be considering ridership, expenses and fund availability holistically," Hall said.
     During the three-month pilot trial period for the Richmond-to-SF ferry there was an average of 1,100 boardings per weekend, with a high of 1,800 during Fleet Week.
     Regular weekday commuter ferry service will continue, he said.
     To comment on the Richmond-to-San Francisco ferry service, WETA can be contacted by phone at 707-643-3779 or toll free at 877-643-3779.
     WETA can also be contacted via email at WETA.

New Richmond-to-SF ferry schedule starts, no more weekend ferry service for winter

   RICHMOND - The weekend ferry service from Richmond to San Francisco that began August 3 ended this past weekend.
     The announcement from the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) says that the popular Saturday and Sunday service trial service is over, but makes no mention when - or if - WETA will reinstate the weekend ferries from Richmond Ferry Terminal to the San Francisco Ferry Terminal.
     The ferries back and forth to SF during the final weekend were well attended with passengers.
     Regular weekday commuter ferry service will continue WETA says.
     For updates about changes to the weekday schedule, check out the WETA website here.
     To comment on the suspension of the Richmond-to-San Francisco ferry service, WETA can be contacted by phone at 707-643-3779 or toll free at 877-643-3779.
     WETA can also be contacted via email here: WETA.

View from the Richmond-to SF ferry Saturday, November 2