From: Patsie Kao
To: Daniel Gonzales
Cc: David Lane; Marcia Lane; Michael A. Gardner; Holly Gardner; Jeni Roberts (Gardner); Luke Schloegel; John Kao; Heidi Schloegel - ; Rachel Asa; Daniel Roberts; City Council Subject: Re: Piedmont Civic Center Parking Discussion - March 17th Council Meeting Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025 2:08:17 PM
[EXTERNAL] This email originated from an external source. Please use judgment and caution when opening attachments, clicking links, or responding.
Dear David,
This is Patsie Kao at Bonita Avenue. John and I have been residents at this address since 1990.
We received your notice, this morning, to discuss a potential parking reconfiguration scenario by converting the 300 block of Bonita into a one-way street. You gave us a choice of either meeting this afternoon at 3 pm or tomorrow afternoon between 3 and 5 pm. This short notice is unprofessional.
Two years ago, you proposed an identical plan for discussion at the February 6, 2023 City Council meeting.
After the neighbors scrambled to gather for a meeting with Sara Lillevand and Conna McCarthy, and after further discussions with Sara over the phone, she assured me that the proposal would not be up for “a discussion or action” at the City Council meeting on February 6, 2023 and that I would not need to attend the meeting.
Nevertheless, I tuned in on my TV that night to watch the meeting. I heard you say that the initial idea to turn the 300 block of Bonita into a one way street to gain ten more parking spots for the school district, etc. was “low hanging fruit.” I don’t know how accurate my recall is but I would like to see the transcript from that meeting. My notes show “low hanging fruit.” When I spoke to Sara on the phone, I voiced my concern for my personal safety as an elderly resident driver backing my car onto a street with heavy traffic and drivers trying to bypass cars in line or cars backing out of diagonal parking. I am 76 years old and my husband, John, is
78. Also, City Council members should be apprised of a walk that Michael Gardner took with Sara Lillevand and Conna McCarthy on January 20, 2023 where over 100 parking spots within two blocks of City Hall were identified and confirmed.
Yours sincerely,
Patsie Kao
510-
On Thu, Mar 13, 2025 at 1:25 PM Daniel Gonzales <[email protected]> wrote:
Hi David:
I appreciate the feedback and look forward to meeting with you.
Parking in the Civic Center isn’t a new issue and has been discussed for well over 30 years.
Between the residents, City facilities, four schools, PUSD district office, Piedmont Park, Mulberry’s, banks, tennis courts, and the pool, we have significantly more vehicles than available spaces. PUSD alone has 280 employees at the four schools and the DO. Residential permitting was implemented in the mid-90’s for precisely that reason.
Nothing is being voted on at the March 17th Council meeting. My goal is to hear from you all and convey your concerns to Council about a Bonita one-way configuration. I believe that it is important that they hear the resident’s perspective regarding how this proposal will impact them so that they can balance it against other considerations.
Daniel
From: David Lane <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2025 12:43 PM
To: Daniel Gonzales <[email protected]>
Cc: Marcia Lane <marcia.berchenko ; Michael A. Gardner
<Mgardner2366 ; Holly Gardner <hollisbea ; Jeni Roberts (Gardner) <drjeniroberts ; Patsie Kao <hellopatsie ; Luke Schloegel <duke.schloegel ; John Kao <jkao ; Heidi Schloegel -
Neighbor <heidischloege
Subject: Re: Piedmont Civic Center Parking Discussion - March 17th Council Meeting [EXTERNAL] This email originated from an external source. Please use judgment and caution when opening attachments, clicking links, or responding.
Hi Daniel,
Marcia and I are happy to walk over to city hall at 3pm today. That way any neighbors that are available could join us as well. As an aside, this is very short notice and it is only because we are on paternity / maternity leave that we are able to take you up on your offer.
In the future would it be possible to get a bit more notice? That would let us set up childcare and / or schedule time off work to discuss these topics.
Also can you please elaborate on the motivation for the need to discuss parking further? As far as I know there has been a pool and a police department in the same locations for several decades and there has never been a need to make Bonita a one way street. I imagine there is more capacity with the new pool which drives more parking demand? Is it possible to quantify the increase in demand for a starting point to our discussion? Assuming there is an increase in pool capacity, how does that translate to parking spaces? What is the assumed amount of carpooling? Considering this is a community pool, what is the assumed number of people driving to the pool vs walking or biking? Thank you,
David
On Thu, Mar 13, 2025 at 11:58 AM Daniel Gonzales <[email protected]> wrote:
Marcia:
Thanks for the feedback. Would you prefer to meet in person, or via phone call? Let me know you preference and I will schedule accordingly.
Daniel
From: Marcia Lane <marcia.berchenko
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2025 11:17 AM
To: Daniel Gonzales <[email protected]>; Michael A. Gardner <Mgardner2366 ; Holly Gardner <hollisbea ; Jeni Roberts (Gardner) <drjeniroberts >; Patsie Kao <hellopatsie ; Luke Schloegel <duke.schloege >; John Kao <jkao ; Heidi Schloegel -
Neighbor <heidischloegel ; David Lane <d.charles.lane
Subject: Fwd: Piedmont Civic Center Parking Discussion - March 17th Council Meeting [EXTERNAL] This email originated from an external source. Please use judgment and caution when opening attachments, clicking links, or responding.
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for sending this to us. I am copying some of our neighbors for reference.
My strong opinion is that any proposal about turning Bonita into a 1-way street should be completely off the table for discussion. End of story.
There are major safety implications of a 1-way street, none of which have been considered. Have you addressed any of the concerns that we raised from the last discussion? I thought this subject was closed the last time it was proposed. You cause great distress to the neighborhood by continuing to propose 1- way traffic on Bonita; none of us want to continue this fight with the city. Please remove this as a topic of consideration from here on out.
You will be gaining dozens of spots back on Bonita between Magnolia and Vista once construction is completed. This should suffice for the needs of the area.
I am available today at 3pm to meet and discuss further. I have a newborn baby so she may have to come to the meeting due to the lack of notice.
Neighbors, please see attached.
Thank you,
Marcia Lane
415
327 Bonita
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Daniel Gonzales <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, Mar 13, 2025, 10:51 AM
Subject: Piedmont Civic Center Parking Discussion - March 17th Council Meeting To: Marcia Lane <marcia.berchenko , Michael A. Gardner
<mgardner2366
Hello Marcia and Michael:
As you might be aware, the City has been soliciting feedback on Civic Center parking in the form of an online survey
(https://communityfeedback.opengov.com/portals/piedmontca/Issue_14297 - closed yesterday), and we will have initial discussions about this topic at the March 17th Council meeting. We are looking ahead to completion of construction on the new community pool and 9-1-1 dispatch center, and the City is will be performing a comprehensive review of public parking along Bonita, Hillside, Highland, Magnolia, and Vista Avenues with the aim of providing the best possible experience for residents and visitors. No vote will occur at this meeting – the goal is to discuss parking and how residents, and Civic Center visitors, are impacted by possible alterations. Do you have a few minutes today or tomorrow to discuss? If so, can you please let me know your availability? I’ve also placed the attached notification on the doorsteps to all homes on Bonita Ave.
Please feel free to also forward this email to the other homeowners/residents on Bonita.
Thanks,
Daniel Gonzales, P.E.
Public Works Director
City of Piedmont
(510) 420-3061 (office)