ATTACHMENT III
1 Public Forum Feedback for Cal Fire Hazard Severity Maps:
Question: Please provide your comments, concerns, or suggested changes regarding the proposed Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps?
Responses:
1. “I live in a high risk area in Fairview. Our main emergency egress is Kelly St.
We've had multiple times where upper Kelly St has been blocked due to emergencies and accidents, leaving residents trapped. Meanwhile there is a PUBLIC road that has what is essentially aprivate HOA gate at Thurston Ct and Lori Way that is funded by PUBLIC taxpayer money. This despites several hundred residents and every single public agency in favor of removing the gate. This exclusionary gate benefits only 22 households and puts thousands of households at risk. While FFD has come up with emergency egress contingency planning, we have seen during natural disasters those plans fall apart; public safety agencies will be all hands on deck dealing with the disaster and cannot spare the personnel to direct traffic flow, much less go against traffic on narrow streets to open gates that should not exist. I urge HFD and FFD to exercise their public safety authority to remove Thurston gate.”
2. “Create escape routes for varying areas why is Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in an elevated fire zone.”
3. “Can you add landmarks like the hayward airport, 880 freeway and main streets like Hesperian. Winton ave, foothill blvd, mission boulevard.? I can't tell where My street is on the map I think it's in the blue zone Which has no fire hazard.”
4. “What we have here is a classic case of a group of self-serving individuals usurping public property and government for their own self-interests by denying the greater community the practiced of their own rights of use. We have two sides to this argument of whether a gate should exist across this public road paid for by the public for the benefit, use and welfare of that same public or whether a small, very vocal and well organized group of self- interested individuals can overturn and pervert the use and public welfare of the community at large by utilizing a part of their own publicly governing apparatus as a means to subvert the health and welfare of the public body as a whole, much like a cancer subsuming its body host to its own demise. We have 5 public agencies in the form of Works, Roads, Planning, Sheriff and Fire all recommending over the course of 35 years that there exist unimpeded connection and access of the upper Fairview from Lori Way to upper D Street
ATTACHMENT III
2 whose combined expertise, experience, professionalism and purpose is being ignored and challenged by a private, unlicensed, unqualified, unschooled, unvetted, inexperienced arrogantly self-serving group of individuals who would rather usurp the rights, welfare and safety of the community as a whole than to allow the free circulation and open public access to the public over its own roads for its own use and safety by trying to diffuse the argument of its use of Thurston with any number of alternative emergency routes of circulation over other people's private property and rights for the access and egress that already exists on a 36' wide paved, connected, guttered and sidewalked public street known as Thurston Court and Lori Way. This private group complains of the excessive speed and danger of the traffic that already exists when that very traffic can be only themselves since there is a gate preventing traffic from other areas to flow on “their” streets. This same private group complains about the narrowness of upper D Street when there exists not only a publicly owned 50' right-of-way to widen that same street at any time but also has the ability to restrict parking anywhere along that street since parking is not a guaranteed right for traffic anywhere. This private group talks about the noise and safety concerns it will have if “their” street becomes a connected thru-street as if the safety and noise were any greater or different than any other thru street in any other neighborhood in the entire world, let alone this community. This selfish group puts up any number of self-interested arguments to impede the safety and balance of a freer flowing traffic circulation of the community to not be bothered by others. This group puts their own self-interests above the rights and the common welfare of the community as a whole by suggesting alternative solutions to keep Thurston blocked to daily thru traffic in the face of the recommendations and expertise of 5, paid for, professional public agencies whose very purpose is to look out for the welfare of the community at large by their combined wisdom based on the accumulated years of experience of whole specialized professions over the self-interested greed of a few private individuals. The real question before us tonight is not whether to spend more money on technologically based alternatives, but why we shouldn't simply use the solution that already sits before us at very little cost. The question is, why is there a gate across Thurston at all? The solution, to me, is very simple.
Without replacing Thurston gate, use its two gate halves as emergency access traffic barriers at the east and west sides of Lake Ridge Park across existing curb cuts utilizing an occasionally used, 30' wide, gently sloping and graded maintenance vehicle access corridor along its southern boundary, replacing the locked posts at each curb cut with these used gates that have latches encased by a box with one side lockable and made with a breakable glass insert for emergency opening. Nothing wasted, no tech, very low cost, utilizing
ATTACHMENT III
3 materials already at hand while giving us a tertiary egress as well. Done.By the way, why is there a non-sourced document by the above partisan group calling itself “KELLY HILL, FAIRVIEW NEIGHBORHOOD,….REASEARCH AND INQUIRY”, trying to keep this gate at Thurston, included with factual public documentation and study, lending their unprofessional opinions some degree of validity when, in fact, this third attachment is merely publicity and distraction by the pro-gate Thurston and upper D Street crowd. How was that allowed to be associated with actual credible documentation and not be called out for what it is by this MAC? I, for one, resent the misuse of this forum with its unspecified inclusion having compromised the integrity of this Board's function.”
5. “Please consider an earthquake in Hayward causing a fault shift and fires across Kelly Street severing Kelly Street along with its water, gas, electric and sewer for thousands of people whose only wat out id Kelly Street and the publicly gated private community of Thurston and upper "D" streets. In a major event, first-responders become very rare almost immediately depending on the size of the event. Sending someone whose busy saving lives to open a gate becomes of secondary importance. There have been many occasions when traffic on upper Kelly has been restricted to a standstill for HOURS because of any number of comparatively minor occurrences like a jackknifed truck, across Kelly, a fugitive search or a downed phone pole blocking the street where most people werebacked up for over half a mile not even knowing that there is a secondary route into and out of upper Kelly but even if they had known would have trouble getting the locked gate open to proceed. I actually witnessed a Thurston or upper "D" street rebuke a CHP officer who was opening the gate manually but quit when he saw everyone on both sides of the gate ready to summarily address his absurd position. The officer opened the gate anyway and let traffic flow. This is the attitude of the Thurston crowd in viewing their publicly funded private gate. Like the Paradise Fire demonstrated, lack of unrestricted alternate access and egress roads can lead to calamity. This is blatantly true with Kelly Street being the only open access or egress for about 730 homes east of Maud Avenue. While there exists a 36-foot wide paved, guttered, drained, side-walked, public road which all of the local departments would like to see used as an open throughway to serve as an alternate, the entrenched, very vocal local residents on upper "D" and Thurston streets who want to see Alameda County fund the gate for their small community of around 40 homes gated to the peril of the larger upper Fairview from Maud eastward of about 270 homes and about 2100 residents.The big question that no one seems able to answer is WHY is the gate there at all. While the pro-gate
ATTACHMENT III
4 people complain about the increase of noise and flow of non-gated traffic and how their home values will be lowered because of the increased traffic in this very landlocked eastern extremity of the Fairview, many are being held in peril by this selfish, uncaring minority whose lack of caring for the greater good is astounding not only by this minor but powerful clique but by the MAC and Alameda County Board whose job it is to look out for those who might be endangered through callous disregard for the lives of others.Secondly, there is a tertiary prospective thoroughfare, at least for emergency egress, across Lakeridge Park from Lakeridge Avenue to Pickford Way which lets out onto Maud Avenue. This was also suggested earlier to deaf ears with the bollards at each side of the park remaining under lock and key after 6 years. FIX IT! Thirdly, the suggested egress at Canyon Drive off of Valley View Drive at the end of Kelly Street is unusable. The road is a one lane switchback down into a fire-draw canyon with a private electric gate on the Valley View side and a developer locked gate on the 5 Canyons Development side. With western prevailing winds and a fire coming from the Don Castro Park area heading up this canyon, people would be trapped with the fire funneling up the canyons.”
6. “Since the colors red and orange stand for Very High and High respectively, what does the colors blue and green stand for and what do the phases mean?”
7. “I receive a postcard asking to share my feedback. The card is completely uninformative, very small print and hard to read.”
8. “Why are gate at Lori Ave which is our second way out in case of fire.”
9. “Neighbors Overgrown trees and cut trees left on the ground and not cleaned up.”
10. “What does proposed mean? What are the other proposals? The interactive map seems clear and easy to use.”
11. “I’m not in City limits. I’m in Alameda County.”
12. “Please inspect the last home on Hidden Lane next to the gate of Hidden Oaks Dr. The front yard looks like a Wheat Field. It’s a rental and the renters don’t care. Please inspect this property and notify the owner. Thank you.”
13. “At this point I haven’t viewed your website so I don’t have an opinion yet.”
ATTACHMENT III
5 14. “Hi my name is XXX(redacted) my concern is that the fire hydrant in front my house has been out of service since the city of hayward replaced the sewer lines on hayward blvd but it looks to me on map I' am not in a severe fire zone is that correct thanks again .also I had fire department look around my house and what I can do for fire protection i always keep a good fire zone keep trees pruned removed badtrees keep weed whacked always 0 debris no out buildings thanks again”
15. “I assume there’s more detailed maps on your website (assuming you have one?), I’llGo look. There’s not much to guide an Opinion .. ? .. looks like the Natural Remote stuff is more likely to burn? North side of Redwood Road looks bad? What are we going to Do about it? Cut fire breaks? Work Parties to do Brush Reduction? Rate or other Benefits for property ownerswho do a good job of risk reduction?”
16. “Map is very aggressive. There is no fire close by. It really hard to get insurance in Fairview. This information insurance companies used and now they refuse to give insurance. Everyone have fall on state insurance options.”
17. “It is what it is - nothing to change - just keep pruning / trimming / cutting.”
18. “Is this address included in the fire hazard area”
19. “First concern is if this represents a perceived increase in fire risk, in case of fire how do we easily evacuate when the city reduces Hayward Blvd from 4 lanes to two? Second, how will insurance companies use this information? Will policies be canceled?”
20. “I would like to see a map”
21. “Mi casa está cerca de una área que está llena de pasto seco durante el verano y con peligro de incendios, es muy preocupante que los propietarios de esos terrenos no tomen consideración en limpiar por seguridad a nuestra casa y nuestro vecindario.”
22. “I don’t have any. I haven’t seen the map yet.”
23. “When is inspection day?”
ATTACHMENT III
6 24. “HARD open space is behind my house. The agency used to trim the trees.
Last time was 1999. I want advice on getting the taller onescut back. I paid a tree person to cut two. I want advice and guidance.”
25. “In the Stonebrea country club, The whole place is surrounded by golf course.
There is no tall or dense trees around the surrounding, so I don’t think it’s a high fire hazard severity zone area. In addition, the houses inside the Stonebrea country club are new houses houses Which are more fire deterrence. Thank you.”
26. “Given what we all saw happen to Pacific Palisades, I welcome the proactive measure of assessing relative fire risk to different properties. Here are some points you should consider:* By officially assessing a property as having an elevated fire risk, this inherently lowers the market value of that property and this should immediately be reflected in its assessment for property tax purposes. * Now is the time, while the memory of the most recent SoCal fires is so fresh, to ask people to pitch in and pay for removal of invasive High-Risk plants like these enormous Eucalyptus trees that are so threatening. Float a "Tree Removal" bond measure. Get various environmental and community service groups involved. * Just as we here in the OHHA (Old Highlands Homeowners Association) accepted a $16,000 / parcel assessment to get our roads built, we would gladly accept something similar to get rid of all the dangerous trees removed from our greenbelt canyons. OK, maybe not quite $16,000, but I would totally sign off on $10,000 per parcel. That is WAY less than the decline in our property values due to just FEAR of fire, not to mention the formal designation of "elevated fire risk". * Remember, a big part of why OHHA agreed to the parcel assessment to get our roads fixed was the increase in property value it would generate. It clearly will add more than the assessment value to the market value of the house, so that was an easy ask.
Fire remediation to lower risk assessment should have the same argument, but even more immediate since it is reflected in immediate yearly insurance costs per parcel. * Even if you ONLY remove all the foliage from the Eucalyptus trees and then "ring them" so they die, that would be a huge improvement. You can come back later and get the trunks. That would lower the front-end cost of the project considerably. A tree that would cost $15,000 to totally remove would only cost $5,000 to get just the foliage. Come back in 2 or 3 years to get the trunks. * Lastly, just as was the case in the Pacific Palisades fires, we have homeless people living in our canyons. This is a clear and present fire danger. Send rangers AND police through the canyons once a month to clear out folks who are "camping" there. Get them into housing or just
ATTACHMENT III
7 give them debit cards and bus tickets but get them out of the "Green Belt" canyons.”
27. “Need to know about Fairview area fire danger info.”
28. “I dont know what previouse zone maps looked like, I am concerned about the effect this may have on my property insurance.Also, I am aware that approximately 45 years ago there were hardly any trees in this area. I am very concerned about the numerous eucaliptus trees below us, on Picea Court that have grown tremendously over the past years. I understand fires can creep uphill quite fast from canyon areas. Can something be done about these trees?”
29. “The maps are fine. You might want to include an add on how we can maintain our residences to reduce fire hazards internally and externally.”
30. “My neighborhood appears as high risk which I'd agree with. The City should consider offering residents information on assessing risks around their individual properties.”
31. “The Fairview Area has long been locally understood to be a high fire danger area. There are many heavily wooded, steep ravines that run throughout the Fairview Area and the local fire departments just are not equipped to deal with wildfire here if one were to break out. The current proposed Cal Fire LPC maps do not extend far enough into the Fairview Area-stopping essentially where residential neighborhoods begin. I truly believe that it was Cal Fire’s intent to leave the final decisions up to the local fire departments that are more familiar with the terrain and fuel situation. This opportunity to increase the fire danger rating of the Fairview Area above what Cal Fire has proposed so that Fairview becomes a high fire/very high fire danger area on the Cal Fire maps needs to be taken. The California legislature has had a significant push to take local housing development out of the control of local communities, forcing upon us higher density housing which brings added evacuation and fire danger. This has left the local concerns about fire danger and evacuation ignored. The only way to remedy this is for the Fairview Area to be properly designated as high fire/very high fire on the Cal Fire maps so that the local community, that knows the area best, will not be dismissed as we raise the very real concerns about evacuation and fire danger as denser housing and more traffic congestion are pushed on us.”
ATTACHMENT III
8 32. “The updated map does not take into consideration the golf course surrounding the Stonebrae community as a fire break area . The updated map also has had a direct impact on a lot of home owners insurance . What are the plans to improve fire prevention services and response in our community ?”