APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
________________________
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. ______________ C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY COUNCILMEMBER JANANI RAMACHANDRAN,
COUNCILMEMBER KEVIN JENKINS, AND COUNCILMEMBER TREVA REID
RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC
(PG&E), OFFICE OF ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE SAFETY (OEIS)
AND THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION (CPUC)
COMMENCE THE REVIEW AND APPROVAL PROCESS FOR THE
UNDERGROUNDING OF OVERHEAD POWER LINES IN THE
OAKLAND VERY HIGH FIRE SEVERITY ZONE , INCLUDING THE
MONTCLAIR DISTRICT AND SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOODS IN EAST
OAKLAND, AS A CRITICAL MATTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO
REDUCE WILDFIRE RISK AND THE POTENTIAL FOR FATALATIES
DUE TO THE AREA’S IMMINENT RISK OF FIRE, POPULATION
DENSITY, AND EXTRAORDINARY CHALLENGES FOR EGRESS AND
INGRESS ROUTES
WHEREAS, California is experiencing fire seasons of worsening severity in recent years due to global warming with expectations that this trend will continue; and
WHEREAS, the Montclair District in the Oakland Hills is in a region designated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFIRE) as a "Very High Fire Risk Area,” the highest such designation given by CalFIRE, as it continues to be considered at a very high severity risk of wildfire; and
WHEREAS, similarly, the Montclair District and several neighborhoods in East Oakland are in what the Oakland Fire Code (Chapter 15.12 of the Oakland Municipal Code) has designated as the “Oakland Very High Fire Severity Zone”; and
2 WHEREAS, the Oakland Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone’s boundaries are set as follows:
BEGINNING at the MacArthur Freeway at the San Leandro boarder to Foothill Boulevard; west on Foothill Boulevard to Stanley; west on Stanley to 98th Avenue; south on 98th Avenue to Stearns Avenue; west on Stearns to Burr Street; west on Burr Street to Thermal; west on Thermal to 8500 Thermal; south at 8500 Thermal to MacArthur Boulevard; west on MacArthur Boulevard to 82nd Avenue; north on 82nd Avenue to Utah Street; west on Utah Street to Partridge Avenue; south on Partridge Avenue to Outlook Avenue; west on Outlook Avenue to Seminary Avenue; south on Seminary Avenue to MacArthur Boulevard; west on MacArthur Boulevard to Buell Street; north on Buell Street to Tompkins Avenue; west on Tompkins Avenue to End; straight line from Tompkins Avenue to Wisconsin Street; west on Wisconsin Street to Carlsen Street; west on Carlsen Street to Maple Avenue; south on Maple Avenue to Morgan Avenue; west on Morgan Avenue to Barner; south on Barner to Morgan Avenue; west on Morgan Avenue to Coolidge Avenue; North on Coolidge Avenue to Alida Street; west on Alida Street to Lincoln Avenue; south on Lincoln Avenue to Tiffin Road; west on Tiffin Road to Whittle Avenue; west on Whittle Avenue to Fruitvale Avenue (Dimond Park); follow the southern and western boundary of Dimond Park to El Centro Road; west on El Centro Road to Dolores; west on Dolores to Park Boulevard; north on Park Boulevard to Piedmont boundary; Piedmont boundary to Mt. View Cemetery; northern boundary of Mountain. View Cemetery to Clarewood Drive; west on Clarewood Drive to Broadway Terrace; south on Broadway Terrace to Margarido Drive; west on Margarido Drive to Lawton; west on Lawton to Broadway; north on Broadway to Keith Avenue; west on Keith Avenue to College Avenue; and north on College Avenue to the corporate limits of the City of Berkeley; and
WHEREAS, critical public safety concerns are elevated due to the Montclair District and several neighborhoods in East Oakland being located in a densely-populated hilly region with narrow roads and very little egress for residents should a fire occur, or ingress for fire suppression and other emergency vehicles; and
WHEREAS, the Montclair District is immediately adjacent to the site of the 1991 Oakland firestorm, which at that time was the nation’s largest suburban wildland-urban interface conflagration that killed 25 people, burned 3800 homes in one day, and resulted in $3 billion in damages in today’s dollars; and
WHEREAS, the timing of PG&E’s action on this matter is critical as on June 22, 2023 the California Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety has issued a Revision Notice to PG&E for their 2023-2025 Wildfire Mitigation plan that specifically points out that PG&E’s undergrounding plan may leave wildfire risk unaddressed in the highest risk areas, and that the plan did not adequately address its risk for hazard trees; now, therefore, be it
3 RESOLVED: That the Oakland City Council requests Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety (OEIS) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) commence the review and approval process for the undergrounding of overhead power lines in the Oakland Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone , including the Montclair District and several neighborhoods in East Oakland, as a critical matter of public safety to reduce wildfire risk and the potential for fatalities due to the area’s imminent risk of fire, population density, and extraordinary challenges for egress and ingress routes; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED: That the City Clerk shall communicate this resolution to PG&E OEIS and the CPUC.
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - FIFE, GALLO, JENKINS, KALB, KAPLAN, RAMACHANDRAN, REID, AND
PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS
NOES –
ABSENT –
ABSTENTION –
ATTEST:
ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland
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