Public Comments on the Public Review Draft General Plan March 2023
Contents
Contents........................................................................................................................................................1 Public Comments Received Relating to the Public Review Draft General Plan: 2022-2023.........................1 Public Comments Received Relating to the Public Review Draft General Plan: 2022-2023
Jack Prosek
Public Comment
January 4, 2023
Listed below are the major topics from my earlier comments on the General Plan Drafts for the specific Sections as noted. References in parentheses are made to the dates of the emails wherein the more detailed comments were submitted.
Section 3 - Land Use Element (April 6th, July 24th & August 5th, 2022):
There have been some updates to the Land Use Diagram (now shown on page 3- 12), but it is highly likely that there should be many more to bring this document totally in line with all the current authorized land uses with the City. My earlier comments were limited to perhaps only 1% of the total land area within the City Limits.
Also, the scale of this one-page map as presented makes it EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to make a careful review.
Section 4 - Housing Element (in separate documents):
Although this Section was reviewed elsewhere & is NOT included in in this Public Review Draft document, I do want to take this opportunity to point out once again that the Public is STILL WAITING for documentation on the Community College District's plans for any proposed development of Site "A" - the DVC Overflow / North Parking Lot. Also, we question how the area of the development of this site has grown from FIVE to SIX to SEVEN Acres of this 10 acre site - where is the documentation that supports this mission creep ??? Will the total number of Dwelling Units be increased accordingly ??? Section 5.1, 5.4 & 5.x - Transportation (April 22nd & June 24th, 2022):
As recorded in my June 24th email, most of the detailed issues raised in my April 22nd email were NOT addressed . . . . . and they STILL have NOT been !! The MAJOR ones are:
Public Comments on the Public Review Draft General Plan March 2023
1- the need for a specific GOAL to have at least one standard-width pedestrian sidewalks on ALL Collector & Arterial streets by 2040.
2- the need to have revised PARKING standards for ALL Occupancies. FAILURE to address these issues AT THIS TIME will undoubtedly result in the City Staff & the City Council having to spend endless hours over the next 18+ YEARS listening & responding to complaints about street parking incursions from nearby commercial & multi-family developments - especially into our valuable singlefamily residential neighborhoods !!! Furthermore, the City Council should take whatever actions are necessary to ELIMINATE assigned parking spaces within ALL commercial developments - these create an artificial underutilization of parking spaces (of perhaps 10-20%) which then results in an unnecessary overflow into our adjacent single-family residential neighborhoods.
Section 6.8 - Schools (March 8th, March 10th & March 11th, 2022):
There continues to be a heavy bias towards the Public School system in this Section even though the City has only very limited influence on their operations & NO direct authority or responsibility for that separate government entity !! However, since our Schools are NOT LIMITED to "Public Facilities", perhaps this topic belongs under a NEW Section for Schools and Churches ! Furthermore, I believe that we do have a vibrant Home School element in our community that appears to be totally ignored. Our City should be supporting ALL efforts for age-appropriate education of ALL our CHILDREN from their pre-K thru their Junior College years. Diversity & Inclusion are the hallmarks here ! NO Section Assigned - Churches & other Religious Institutions (no prior comments):
I found NO recognition at all in this extensive Long-term Planning Document given to the role that our Churches & other Religious Institutions do & will continue to provide for the benefit of residents of our City. These are especially relevant to ALL in terms of providing food, clothing, medical care, utilities & short-term housing to the less affluent individuals & families. These Institutions also are a major supporter of efforts to address needs of the homeless population !! See comments under Schools above regarding the need for a NEW Section in the 2040 General Plan.
Sue & Ken -
Public Comments on the Public Review Draft General Plan March 2023
It is really disheartening to find that so very few of these quite legitimate concerns have been addressed in this nearly complete Final Draft. What is needed to get this complex document up to par ???
Jack Prosek
Public Comment
February 1, 2023
So now that the EIR for the City's 2040 General Plan Update has been published, it becomes increasingly confusing as to WHO's on First . . . . . and what the tentative schedule is for making revisions to both sets of documents as needed !!! Will the General Plan be updated during the Public Comment period for the EIR that now extends to the Ides of March ?
When will the DVC issues be addressed ??
When will the Parking Requirements be addressed ???
When will you acknowledge the important role that our Faith-based Schools, Churches & other religious institutions play in our City ???? And then there is the Housing Element - when will the HE be submitted to HCD ?????
Inquiring minds are looking for some insights into these issues . . . . . thanks ! X&M Gomez
Public Comment
February 13,
2023
I am a Pleasant Hill resident and would like to respectfully request that the planning commission and city council take the following feedback into consideration when finalizing the 2040 General Plan. Thank you for your consideration.
Flooding:
More action to help residents who live in flood prone areas by actively looking at smaller more immediate solutions in addition to big solutions. My neighborhood (Pleasant Valley Hook, Astrid and Cleaveland) experiences significant flooding any time there is a heavy rain. Flood waters reach 2-3 feet on people’s properties multiple times per year, flooding their homes and causing damage. We also pay thousands of dollars a year to pay for mandatory flood insurance. The city needs to take the lead on creating forward looking green infrastructure improvements that will help mitigate the current flooding and the worsening of flood events that is projected to happen due to global warming especially in known problem areas.
Open spaces:
It would be nice to see less ball/sports fields installed and more open spaces and parks. The open space across from the new library is a great opportunity for the city to create a beautiful open space and park. That immediate area already has 9 ball fields at PH Park and the middle school. More ball fields is not an inclusive use of the space as it excludes people who are not able bodied, not at an age or Public Comments on the Public Review Draft General Plan March 2023
place in life where they can play sports, or don’t have the money to join a sports team. Creating the planned bioretention basin along with a green/open space with a native plants park and opportunities for inclusive activities would be a jewel in that area and show that Pleasant Hill is a modern, green city. Also, residents in that area already deal with excessive noise due to cheering and yelling from ball games in evenings and on weekends throughout the year. More ball fields in that specific location will just add to that and further disrupt the peace, especially if the proposed ball fields are lit and used after dark.
Pedestrian friendly trails, crossings and bike paths:
The trail system along the canal and creek needs better connectivity and safety. A pedestrian and/or bike path from the library to downtown Pleasant Hill would be a wonderful way to make southern Pleasant Hill feel more cohesive since it would encourage movement between those two popular areas. Regarding safety, the trail crossing at Oak Park Blvd should be made into a mandatory stop for cars, and speed bumps or some other method for slowing cars should be installed. I have witnessed a car accident (due to a car stopping for me to cross and then being rear ended) and have almost been hit while on foot at that intersection due to it being an optional yellow flashing light. I now actively avoid crossing that intersection whenever possible. Also middle school kids and people going to the library should have a safe way to access the school and library from the south side of Oak Park since many people use the trail to access that location.
Leaf blowers:
Look into minimizing the use of gas-powered leaf blowers and work towards a full ban. Many cities have done this to become more climate friendly and to protect the health of residents.
Noise: Leaf blowers disrupt public peace due to excessive noise. This is disruptive at any hour, but is especially a nuisance due to the fact that there are no regulations regarding allowed hours of operation. In my neighborhood residents are subjected to leaf blower noise as early as 7am on weekends.
Health: Particles due to leaf blowers are shown to negatively impact health.
Walking down the street residents are often confronted with a leaf blower and have to inhale dangerous dust and particles in order to walk down the sidewalk.
Climate: Gas leaf blowers emit more pollution than cars and are a major source of carbon emissions.
Wendy Gollop
Public Comment
February 14,
2023
I would like to comment on TC. 14.3. Minimize truck impacts on air Quality and noise. Please incorporate The CA State Air Resources Board laws and standards into the Pleasant Hill General Plan. Please consider a goal with a pathway to enforce it. Please see below.
Public Comments on the Public Review Draft General Plan March 2023
From the California Air Resources Board.:
California’s 5-minute Idling Rules are Enforced:
Know the rules and your options
Trucks can idle for 5 minutes everywhere in California. Any law enforcement department, including air districts and CARB, can fine a 10,000 pound or greater truck owner and driver up to $1000 per day for illegal idling (13 CCR 2480 & 2485). Where can’t trucks idle for more than 5 minutes? Within 100 feet of these restricted areas, Homes, Schools, Hospitals, Senior Care Facilities, Childcare Facilities
even with a certified Clean Idle engine/sticker or while queuing: When can trucks idle for more than 5 minutes? With certified Clean Idle engines and while queuing in unrestricted areas In adverse weather conditions Using power take-off devices In traffic During mechanical failure
We have numerous trucks using Keats Circle and Longfellow to deliver to the Oak Park Shopping Center. Many park on Longfellow and idle their trucks. These trucks are within the 100 ft restricted area of residential houses, kids walking home from school, and a Karate studio. Noise makes it hard to participate in zoom meetings and generally in daily activities around the house. Idling can last for more than an hour at times, multiple times per day.
Thank You. I look forward to your comments tonight.
Bruce Irion
Public Comment
at Planning
Commission
Meeting
February 14,
2023
One comment and two questions – natural gas debate – unintended consequence of a ban. Incentives always work better than bans (related to gas hook ups).
Wildlife corridor impacts. Compliance with wildlife regulations and preservation.
It more than that, the General Plan should also support of all wildlife, not just endangered species.
Asked a question on status of Housing Element comments from the State. Consider establishing baselines, related to traffic, parking, wildlife, noise, etc.
Alan Bade
Public Comment
at Planning
Commission
Meeting
February 14,
2023
Thanked the GPAC for supporting creeks and new language included in the General Plan that give them more importance than only drainage facilities. Want to seek funding from State and Federal sources related to creeks. Working on a watershed plan, not completed, but would be ideal to include if possible. Would like to see adopted 50 year plan of Contra Costa County for restoration and infrastructure improvement of creeks mentioned in the GP document. List Western pond turtle as specie of special concern. Conflicting goals of encouraging EV charging and the resulting diminishing parking supply to accommodate EV. Need more EV parking requirements in residential Public Comments on the Public Review Draft General Plan March 2023
development (rental housing). Requested definition of Reach codes and any policies related to solar and EV and microgrid support.
Wendy Gollop
Public Comment
at Planning
Commission
Meeting
February 14,
2023
Natural gas equipment and noise – nice to have time of day when that can be used, particularly from activity from commercial properties onto residential properties. Want to see support for native plants in landscaping as much as possible. Creek setbacks are nice to be 25 feet, but it would be nice to have it wider, noted Grayson Creek. Avoid building at top of creeks and supporting vegetation are beneficial.
Jack Prosek
Public Comment
February 15,
2023
I did listen to the video later in the evening & was pleased to hear the home schooling issue raised. I do know that Mark & Kristin Celio did home-school a number of their children while they were living here in Pleasant Hill, and I was surprised to learn during that time that there were a significant number of other residents who did likewise. As a Member of the PH Lions Club, I did make several (unsuccessful) efforts to involve some of these children in our annual Peace Poster Contest for middle school children. At this point, I do not have any further information on this topic to share with you.
But as an important component of the General Plan's broad vision for our City, I do believe that the City should demonstrate STRONG support for the K-12+ education of ALL our students attending ALL our local schools whether they be Public (but NOT operated by the City), Faith-based or held in a home setting !!! Likewise, it is long past time for the City Council AND the City Staff to take the blinders off in order to acknowledge the important role that our local Churches & other religious institutions play in our community - especially their support for the poor & homeless among us - but you have yet to even address this topic at all !!! Several other major issues that I raised, such as Parking Requirements, were totally ignored. Parking is like the fourth leg of a rectangular table for the Transportation network - just as necessary a component as are Streets & Bike Paths & Sidewalks !!! Have you NEVER had to circle around & around in the lots at the mall or even at our old Library building (YES - I have done so) waiting for someone to leave so that you could park in the space that their vehicle had occupied ?? And you might recall that residential parking NEEDS was the primary reason that the 401 Taylor Housing project was reduced from 46+16 to 31+6 housing units before it was accepted by the immediate neighbors & approved by the City Council last year.
No, instead of making comments on a broad array of topics, most of the commissioners chose to spend over an hour focusing on two pet ideas: natural gas connections for new housing units & the "Reach Code" which appears to be a way to accelerate the imposition of even more government restrictions. I don't know if it still is true today (especially with the price increases in the past year), but for many decades, it was well known that natural gas was both cleaner burning & far LESS COSTLY to use to heat your house & your hot water than Public Comments on the Public Review Draft General Plan March 2023
electricity. Here again, the City seeks to impose installation & operating cost burdens that make housing LESS AFFORDABLE in the long run. And these benefits only increase with multi-family housing units that can take the advantage of scale for such applications. I also heard some references made to "Low-rise" housing developments, but it is my firm belief that those will never "pencil out" for most of the sites included in the Housing Element & therefore few, if any housing units, will actually get built in such a development ! As I recall, you advised me that the City does NOT even have a definition for a "Low-rise" project . . . . .
So those are my thoughts following the Planning Commission meeting last night.
Bruce Irion
Public Comment
March 14, 2023
Some years ago I took a week long management course that, simply summarized, said you could only manage what you measured. That said, in looking through the General Plan and supporting documents I found numerous measures of age, race, and income demographics, jobs, employment, and business makeup, and housing diversity and ownership. I found no measures of parking, traffic density, or park, open space, trail, community facility, or recreation program use, or wildlife diversity or populations. It’s not that any of these are particularly difficult to measure. And judging by public comment, it’s not that these aren’t important to residents or even good measures for meeting the guiding principles in the General Plan. Why then were measures not included? And if they are not being measured, what can we assume about how they will be managed? Some specific questions:
What is the current parking utilization in downtown Pleasant Hill? Is there sufficient spare capacity to handle anticipated city growth? What does current level of street parking in varying neighborhoods around Pleasant Hill say about current and future adequacy of residential parking requirements?
What is the current level of traffic congestion at major street intersections in the city? How will anticipated growth impact this? What is the current utilization of existing parks, open spaces, and trails through the city? How will anticipated growth impact this and what if any plans are there for addition space?
What community facility and recreation programs are most utilized currently? Are current offerings and facilities adequate or are changes needed to handle anticipated future growth?
What can be said about the health and diversity of wildlife around the city? How will infill development impact trees, plants, vegetation, and open spaces these species thrive in?
Thanks for the opportunity to ask questions and input on the General Plan.