City Council Meeting
June 16, 2026
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Elizabeth Lake FROM: Josh Rowan
Acting City Administrator Director, OakDOT
SUBJECT: Summarily Vacate Public Utility
Easement 747 52nd Street
DATE: May 18, 2026
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Summarily Vacating A Public Utility Easement Located At 747 52nd Street To The Property Owner, Children’s Hospital & Research Center At Oakland, And Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act Findings
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Approval of this proposed Resolution will authorize the City Engineer to issue a vacation permit summarily vacating an existing ten-foot-wide public utility easement located at 747 52nd Street to the property owner, Children’s Hospital & Research Center at Oakland, dba UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland or BCH Oakland ( “BCH Oakland”), and authorize the City Clerk to file a certified copy of the Resolution with the Alameda County Clerk -Recorder for recordation.
The limits of the public utility easement proposed for vacation are delineated diagrammatically and described textually in Exhibit A and Exhibit B to the Resolution.
The City Engineer has determined that the subject of public utility easement on the private property at 747 52
nd Street is no longer necessary for any future public purpose. Public utilities that were located within the easement area have been removed and relocated at the coordination and expense of BCH Oakland with the appropriate utility companies. In particular, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E”) facilities that were within the easement area have been relocated to support this proposed Resolution. A PG&E Easement Deed was recorded on May 23, 2025, Instrument No. 2025067819, by Alameda County Clerk-Recorder for the location of the relocated PG&E facilities within BCH Oakland’s property that shall remain.
Vacation of the public utility easement is necessary to facilitate BCH Oakland’s future New Hospital Building Project where the public utility easement in question overlaps with the proposed location of the new building extension.
Betsy Lake (May 28, 2026 17:10:31 PDT)
May 28, 2026
Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: Summarily Vacating Public Utility Easement at 747 52nd Street Date: May 18, 2026 Page 2
Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 9, 2026
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Originally, there was an existing ten-foot-wide public path located on private real properties (APN: 14-1205-19-1, 14-1204-14-5, and 14-1204-15) known collectively as 747 52nd Street, which runs approximately up to 312.56 feet in length. The subject public path was originally ‘dedicated for sidewalk purposes only’ on that certain map entitled “Map of the Santa Fe Tract No. 12, Oakland, Calif.,” filed July 10, 1905 in Map Book No. 20, at page 49, in the Office of the Recorder of Alameda County, California.
On May 18, 1967, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 7637 C.M.S., finding and determining that said public path is unnecessary for present or prospective path purposes; and ordering the vacation of said portion of public path; subject, however, to the reservation and exceptance from the vacation, of the easement and right to construct, maintain, and operate fire alarm lines, communication lines, and electrical transmission and distribution lines, and all appurtenances thereto, in and over the portion of path proposed to be vacated. This City Council Resolution effectively reclassified the public path as a public utility easement which exists as of today.
On May 19, 2015, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 85601 C.M.S., as recommended by the City Planning Commission, certifying a 2015 Environmental Impact Report (2015 EIR) and approving BCH Oakland’s Campus Master Plan Project that provides for the development of new and replacement facilities within its existing 11-acre campus located at 747 52nd Street.
Subsequent to this action, the hospital was renamed UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, under management of a nonprofit public benefit corporation with the Regents of the University of California as the sole member of the nonprofit. The Regents of the University of California undertook permitting authority from the City for what was subsequently named the New Hospital Building Project and on June 21, 2023, submitted a ‘Letter of Commitment Related to New Hospital Building Project’ to the City Administrator to memorialize areas of mutual interest and establish protocols and processes that BCH Oakland would follow with respect to the entitlement and completion of construction of the New Hospital Building Project.
Shortly thereafter, in July 2024, BCH Oakland prepared and certified an Environmental Impact Report for the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland New Hospital Building Project (2024 EIR).
BCH Oakland, as part of implementing its Regent-approved New Hospital Building Project, filed an application to the City Engineer of the City of Oakland for Summary Vacation (PPE2500056) of this public path, now public utility easement, that overlaps with the proposed location at 747 52nd Street. To further support this application, BCH Oakland has coordinated with PG&E to relocate its facilities that were within the easement area and a PG&E Easement Deed was recorded on May 23, 2025, Instrument No. 2025067819, by Alameda County Clerk-Recorder, for the location of the relocated PG&E facilities within BCH Oakland’s property that shall remain.
Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: Summarily Vacating Public Utility Easement at 747 52nd Street Date: May 18, 2026 Page 3
Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 9, 2026
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
Approval of the proposed Resolution would support the Citywide priorities of vibrant, sustainable infrastructure by allowing BCH Oakland to support the development of its new hospital building extension. The proposed development also includes upgrades to existing public infrastructure and payment of the Sewer Mitigation Fee which represents the developer’s buy-in for the cost of future City Sewer infrastructure improvements in the sub-basin where the property is located.
Approval also supports the Cityside priority of responsive, trustworthy government as pursuant to the California Streets and Highways Code Chapter 3, General Vacation Procedure [8320 - 8325], the City Council may adopt a Resolution vacating a public use easement after the City Council conducts a public hearing by which the legislative body shall hear the evidence offered by persons interested and if the legislative body finds, from all the evidence submitted, that the street, highway or public service easement described in the notice of hearing or petition is unnecessary for present or prospective public use.
FISCAL IMPACT
Staff costs for processing the proposed summary vacation permit are covered by the Master Fee Schedule (permit number PPE2500056) and have been paid for by BCH Oakland.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
City staff has reached out to utility companies that serve the parcel, and adjoining property owners, and has received no objection.
COORDINATION
This report was coordinated with the Department of Planning and Building, Budget Bureau, and the Office of the City Attorney. The Office of the City Attorney has reviewed the proposed Resolution for form and legality.
RACE AND EQUITY
Staff did not complete a Racial Equity Impact Analysis on the recommended policy/program/planning action as adoption of the proposed Resolution will have no direct impacts or opportunities related to race and equity and is pursuant to the California Streets and Highways Code Chapter 3, General Vacation Procedure [8320 – 8325].
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
This action complies with CEQA because the UCSF BCH Oakland New Hospital Building Project was analyzed under the 2024 EIR and this action supports the Regent-approved Elizabeth Lake, Acting City Administrator
Subject: Summarily Vacating Public Utility Easement at 747 52nd Street Date: May 18, 2026 Page 4
Public Works and Transportation Committee
June 9, 2026
entitlements that were analyzed under the 2024 EIR. As such, there are no circumstances pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15162 or 15164 that would necessitate further environmental review.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Summarily Vacating A Public Utility Easement Located At 747 52nd Street To The Property Owner, Children’s Hospital & Research Center At Oakland, And Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act Findings
For questions regarding this report, please contact Tadd Tsui, Assistant Engineer II, at [email protected].
Respectfully submitted,
Megan Wier acting for Josh Rowan
Megan Wier acting for Josh Rowan (May 28, 2026 14:56:32 PDT)
JOSH ROWAN
Director, Oakland Department of Transportation
Reviewed by:
Jamie Parks, Assistant Director, Department of
Transportation
Reginald Bazile, Right-of-Way Division
Manager, Department of Transportation
Ishrat Jahan, Supervising Civil Engineer,
Department of Transportation
Prepared by:
Tadd Tsui, Assistant Engineer II,
Department of Transportation