Neighbrhd Discussin and Walk Ntes Prepared by RBF and Lamphier-Gregry emplyees. September 12, 2005 Envirnmental Quality PANIL Neighbrhd Walk and Discussin Grup Summary f Cmments (Organized by General Tpic) Neighbrhd Walk Cmments Be mindful f the vistas that will be bstructed by tall KP buildings Nise frm freeway, reverberating ff f new hspital twer, will negatively impact residential quality f life acustics definitely need evaluatin thrugh the EIR Nise and air quality cming frm existing parking garage alng Hwe and Piedmnt is very disturbing Cnsider views frm the upslpe areas Rse Street, Kingstn, Bay Vista, etc. Discussin Grup Cmments Cnsider the visual impacts f taller buildings frm surrunding areas if tall buildings are develped, make sure they are attractive t lk at Care fr and restre Glenn Ech Creek Peple heal better in settings that are quiet, beautiful, and serene Access and Circulatin Neighbrhd Walk Cmments Traffic n Hwe Street is hrrible. It needs t be addressed. Mnte Vista is used by lcals fr easy freeway access a lt f neighbrhd traffic results. Hspital entrance frm Westall is a prblem nise frm ambulances, etc. n Piedmnt will negatively impact neighbrhds Prblem MacArthur intersectins at Piedmnt and Hwe cause significant neighbrhd cut-thrugh traffic Discussin Grup Cmments D nt want a median alng Piedmnt west f MacArthur Prevent cut-thrugh traffic t neighbrhds, Westall, Ysemite, Mnte Vista are amng the mst affected Lk t Alta Bates in Berkeley fr their applicatin f traffic calming and cut-thrugh preventin techniques Cnsider a hybrid right-turn in and ut splitter island at neigh hspital entrance alng Piedmnt (acrss frm Westall) t allw nly eastbund emergency vehicles n Piedmnt t turn left int entrance (while still allwing right turns int and ut f entrance by all ther vehicles) Cncern that Rbley Terrace (ff f Mnte Vista) will be severely impacted during cnstructin A cmplete transprtatin system is needed that relates t Pill Hill and BART Bring street car back t the area Kaiser Permanente culd lead effrt t build light rail that allws peple t park further away cnveniently
Existing shuttle frm BART nly has 2 stps in area a mitigatin measure fr Fabila building Will we ever see a transit village at the BART statin perhaps Kaiser and the city culd lead discussins with BART Urban Design Neighbrhd Walk Cmments Height and width f new buildings n MB site is wrrisme Limit r eliminate windws frm taller KP buildings that wuld verlk residences and negatively impact privacy Traffic lanes n Piedmnt are t wide and sidewalks are t narrw anther 5-8 feet culd be added t the sidewalks and remved frm the traffic lanes Can the wall f the parking garage facing Piedmnt be transfrmed int a vertical garden r backfilled with lfts r micr-retail spaces (assuming Piedmnt lanes can be narrwed)? Why can t Kaiser buy the gas statin and aut repair service t expand and take pressure ff f neighbrhd impacts caused by mre intense twer and tall parking garage? A lng-term plan is needed fr Kaiser and the surrunding neighbrhds s each KP prject is nt a fight Discussin Grup Cmments Lcate massing as clse t I-580 and Bradway as pssible Shrink verall prject flatten it Lk t Cal Tech in Pasadena fr an institutinal use that transitins effectively t the surrunding neighbrhd Des a publicly accessible dcument exist that describes Kaiser Permanente s prgramming needs by building? General feeling that KP is fllwing an ld mdel fr hspital develpment T minimize impacts: Drive parking undergrund Reduce scale f buildings break services ut and distribute them hrizntally mre s than vertically Seek t share parking with ther uses Buildings are ut f scale: can they be drpped? Can services be maintained with building scale drpped? A wrld class prject pprtunity is in frnt f KP, ne that culd make the neighbrhd prud and serve as an example fr large medical institutins cmpatibly integrated with neighbrhds KP campus in SF is wnderful, why can t this ne be? Clser buildings are t the grund, the safer they are especially during natural disasters KP shuld wrk very hard t create a new campus design that is as hip, healthy and trendy as its advertising campaign is Make the new KP buildings GREEN Alameda Cunty leads the cuntry with slar panels n buildings Cnsider hw KP buildings can better wrk with the land tpgraphy, vistas, sun and shade, natural features, etc. Leightn Street is nt accurately depicted n the NBBJ map (it is nt a thrugh street) Msswd Park is underutilized Can Kaiser prvide funding fr its rehabilitatin? What will happen with the tp 4 stries f the existing hspital? Will they be remved? Any pssibility fr Kaiser t celebrate the histry f the area in its designs? Glenn Ech Creek and the City Beautiful Mvement. Julia Mrgan. Street car. Etc.
Parking System Neighbrhd Walk Cmments Can anything be dne t imprve the aesthetics f the existing parking garage n Piedmnt strategic paint scheme t visually break dwn the massing? Discussin Grup Cmments Put as much parking undergrund as pssible Cnsider using new parking technlgy, like Eurpean puzzle lift system that is being used by a develper near Piedmnt use this technlgy t squeeze mre cars in smaller spaces (this culd be used fr staff) Can parking be accmplished n satellite lcatins like BART statin? Can parking be built underneath Msswd Park? (Cncern fr trees d nt remve trees!) Hwe St. Neighbrhd Walk and Discussin Grup The fllwing cmprise the ntes taken by myself, Rebecca Grtn, f cmments relating t the Kaiser prject frm the Hwe Street residents participating in the Neighbrhd Walk n the evening f September 12, 2005. It was my impressin the Hwe Street residents were very supprtive f the prject in general and were lking at it as an pprtunity t address already existing prblems in the area. The main cncerns revlved arund traffic and parking n Hwe Street, with the blcking ff f Hwe Street being central t their visin fr imprvement. Cmmunity member Tm nted sme pinins at the last meeting were nt representative f what he believes t be the general pinins, specifically: SMWM principal (a wman wh s name he desn t remember) presented a very firm plicy at the last meeting and he felt it was nt her place t d s. He and ther cmmunity members he has spken with did nt agree with her pints. The Manila Street grup is nly a small number f peple despite hw vcal they are at meetings and with the press. He des nt believe their views t be representative. Amunt and speed f traffic appeared t be existing cncerns that these neighbrs felt culd be mitigated by this prject. Ideas included: Blck ff Hwe St. just nrth f the garage entrance t prevent thrugh traffic they believe is using Hwe St. t avid lights and traffic n adjacent streets. STRONG SUPPORT. Add diagnal parking r bulb-uts t make the street feel less like a thrughfare Institute Hspital Zne signage and regulatins affecting speed and nise. Imprve timing f lights n Bradway. They feel pr timing f Bradway lights is ne impetus fr traffic using Hwe Street instead. Bradway/MacArthur light is particularly bad and nly lets abut 2 cars make left turns each cycle. Other cmments n traffic: Large pstal trucks travel Hwe Street at all hurs because f pstal building farther t the nrth. They d NOT supprt any new traffic lights in the area. Think abut crrecting sme strange intersectins in the area, such as where Hwe Street intersects 40 th Street/40 th Street Way with dd stp signs.
Hwe Street never gets cleaned (at least nt effectively). They ticket but dn t tw cars in the way. Clean the street and if nt, at least stp ticketing. Parking gets VERY difficult during street cleaning. Cnsider adding bike lanes r paths t the area as it is currently dangerus fr bicyclists. They culd cnnect t cmmn bike rutes n 40 th and/r 51 st streets. Hwe Street Garage cmments Cnsider pening exits nt Piedmnt. They currently exist but are always gated. Grup felt this culd imprve traffic flw, specifically if Hwe Street is blcked ff. Maybe even just fr Right nly exit (n ingress). Talk f Kaiser acquiring gas statin and aut repair at MacArthur end f the blck. Nt very clear n why except that then they wuld have that whle area and that it may allw sme kind f traffic flw ut that way thugh I m nt t clear n hw that wuld ccur. Why nt als allw pedestrian traffic ut nt Piedmnt? Currently n pedestrian exits in that directin. Lks and feels prisn-like. They dn t feel it is a bad enugh area t warrant that design and as the Kaiser campus expands, it will be nice fr pedestrians t have mre ptins f hw t get where. Parking is a big prblem Residents include many students and artists with numerus cars per huse and limited r n private parking. Hspital visitrs seem t find it easier t park n the street and ften are uncncerned abut tickets. Sme believe peple park in resident parking areas lng term and cme ut and mve their cars every 2 hurs. (I was nt clear n why peple wuld d this they seemed t suggest it was hspital staff attempting t avid parking garage fees.) They are nt cncerned abut the amunt f parking fr Kaiser s much as hw t get Kaiser staff and visitrs t park there rather than n the streets. Hw t d that: D away with parking fee fr Kaiser staff. Pssibly als fr visitrs (parking validatin). Reduce parking fr nn-residents frm 2 hurs t 1 hur and/r make sme areas resident-nly parking. (My wn bservatin: add sme serius signage directing peple t the garage! Very difficult t knw where t g I wuld likely have parked n the street as well if visiting Kaiser.) Cnsider allwing residents t use the parking structure. They weren t sure f specifics abut hw that wuld wrk. Sme srt f shared parking arrangement. They supprt the skywalks. N ne there had a prblem with them. As lng as they are designed well, they agree it culd be mre cnvenient fr Kaiser-internal trips such as dctrs getting arund and mving patients. Currently can be dangerus with fast traffic and pr handicapped ramps. They are nt particularly cncerned abut Msswd park and think there may be t much fcus n it. Ger rid f the mtels! (Specifically Westwd Ldge) They draw crime t the area and make it unsafe fr residents as well as Kaiser clients and staff. Cnsider using thse lts fr Kaiser campus. What ever is dne, make it visually attractive! They understand there will have t be a certain amunt f massing, but that desn t mean it can t lk nice. Gd architectural design is imprtant t this grup. Seems they wuld like t see smething visually cmpelling, interesting, and attractive.
38 th and Cerrit Neighbrhd Walk and Discussin Grup Mre specific ntes are prvided fr in the Neighbrhd Cmments. This is a summary f main cmments: Kaiser emplyees using neighbrhd streets fr parking. Hspital litter can be fund n street during walk. Desire a sensitive barrier between Kaiser and residential. Large shadws already exist, wuld prefer t decrease mass nt increase. Prgram lt at 38 th and Bradway (west side) at residential scale. Neighbrs are bxed in by Kaiser facilities n all sides. City needs t address signage and street cleaning Need a pedestrian crssing/stp light at 38 th and Bradway. Bike paths t prvide fr safe alternative transprtatin ptins. New design shuld have large landscaped setbacks similar t existing hspital. Parking structure n Piedmnt cntains undesirable blank walls and inadequate security- (crimes are cnducted in stairwells). Keep Fd Farmacy and ther such stres alng first level f new hspital. Adpt Msswd Park and integrate prtin int hspital uses. N sky bridges! Oakland aut wrks and gas statin alng MacArthur, between Hwe and Piedmnt shuld be bught and built upn by Kaiser fr Cancer Care Center. Need fr pedestrian amenities alng streets especially trash receptacles. Cnstructin will increase nise and trash- needs t be mitigated. Crime exists alng 40 th near Hwe St. Pst Office emplyees als use the residential streets fr parking.
September 13, 2005 38 th St Neighbrhd Walk and Discussin Grup The fllwing cmprise the ntes taken by myself, Rebecca Grtn, f cmments relating t the Kaiser prject frm the 38 th Street residents participating in the Neighbrhd Walk n the evening f September 13, 2005. It was my impressin the 38th Street residents were less cncerned abut the impacts n 38 th Street specifically as n crime in the area. They d NOT supprt the skyways. They referenced reductin f street life wuld make the area mre unsafe. (My bservatin: they seemed t be passinate nt f their wn accrd but because smene else is very much against them did this happen in anther meeting? Is SMWM against them?) Much call fr remving and/r imprving the mtels alng MacArthur believed t bring much crime t the area. Thughts n this tpic included: The area is/will be unsafe fr Kaiser clients and staff, particularly the walk t the prpsed administrative building. Culd draw criminals lking fr prescriptin meds. General agreement Kaiser shuld d smething abut these mtels, pssibly buying sites and using them as part f their campus. If Kaiser desn t d smething, city definitely shuld. Other thughts abut reducing crime: Remve public telephnes that still exist in the area Add better street lighting t MacArthur fr pedestrians. Currently nly lights in median. They expressed cncern fr Manila Street residents wh they feel will be negatively impacted by develpment near them. Cncern was expressed ver lcating the cancer center near residents (again, they were cncerned fr ther residents as this is nt prpsed near 38 th Street). Is there any danger frm the radiatin? Wuld this be better lcated away frm residents? The current structure ccupying the space t the suth f MacArthur is nt friendly t the street. They wuld like the new structure t be friendly t the street. Ideas fr this included: Landscaped setback nt built t sidewalk Mre/bvius entryways t sidewalk They wuld like t see inclusin f retail alng streets, specifically alng the building t the suth f MacArthur. This will make the buildings mre friendly and tie in better with the nearby Piedmnt retail district. They believe Kaiser emplyees are parking in the neighbrhd. Cnsider remving the parking fee fr emplyees t get them t park in the garages. Reduce parking frm 2 hur limit t 1 hur limit withut a resident pass t help keep Kaiser staff and clients frm parking n the streets. Tw ideas were presented t imprve traffic flw in the area: Imprve timing f lights n Bradway, specifically Bradway/MacArthur intersectin Replace MacArthur n-ramp s traffic lking t get back n the highway des nt have t traverse lcal streets t get t the nearest entrances. There is an fframp nearby but the n-ramp was remved in 1989(?) and never replaced.
Richmnd Neighbrhd Walk Summary f Cmments: Central Utility Plant: Neighbrs expressed cncerns abut the prpsed lcatin f the central utility plant. They were cncerned abut nise, air emissins, drs, garbage, and the use f hazardus materials at the plant. Others were cncerned abut the visual affect f the plant alng Piedmnt Street. The neighbrs expressed a desire t visit ther similar utility plants t get an idea f the nise and dr impacts. They wuld als like Kaiser t mve the plant away frm the neighbrhd. They think that the utility plant shuld be hidden and lcated in the center f the blck r placed undergrund. Parking: Parking was a majr issue f cncern fr the neighbrs. Many hmes d nt have garages r ff-street parking spaces and it can be difficult fr them t find adequate parking in their neighbrhd. Parking permits are currently required fr residents living in the area. The residents are required t pay fr the permits. Guest parking fr residents is a majr hassle. Residents are required t purchase guest parking permits frm the City prir t their guest arriving. Despite the permits, Kaiser emplyees and patients cntinue t park in the neighbrhd (during the walking tur, tw emplyees walked frm the neighbrhd t the hspital). Neighbrs wuld like t see a better parking system fr their neighbrhd. They requested the fllwing imprvements: Kaiser shuld pay fr all residential parking permits since they cause the majrity f the parking prblems and create the need fr the permit system. Permits shuld be required fr all vehicles parking in the neighbrhd at all times. Parking fr Kaiser emplyees, patients, and ther retail stres in the area shuld nly be allwed n metered spaces alng Piedmnt Avenue. Residents shuld receive extra guest permits that they can give t their visitrs. The current guest parking system is a hassle and discuraged neighbrs frm having guests. The City shuld cnsider imprving the wider prtin f Richmnd Bulevard t create angled parking within the center f the street. Parking culd be used by residents and guests. Traffic: Currently, there are a variety f traffic and circulatin prblems in the Richmnd Neighbrhd. Stacking ccurs at the entrances and exits t the Kaiser parking structure n Piedmnt Avenue and several f the majr intersectins during a.m. and p.m. peak hurs. T avid the stacking and the busy intersectin, peple drive thrugh the Richmnd Neighbrhd at relatively high speeds. Peple ften drive the wrng way n ne-way streets in the neighbrhd. There are als several traffic signs that prhibit certain turning mvements. Drivers ften ignre the signs and drive thugh the neighbrhd. The n ramps t I-580 frm MacArthur Bulevard als get backed up because all f the lanes merge int ne. Residents wuld like t see a detailed traffic study that cnsiders cut-thru traffic in their neighbrhd. They wuld als like Kaiser and the City t make the fllwing imprvements: Mve all vehicle entrances t the hspital t Bradway t prevent traffic prblems n Piedmnt Avenue. Extend the median n MacArthur Bulevard past Richmnd Bulevard t prevent left turn mvements frm westbund MacArthur Bulevard n t Richmnd Bulevard and left turn mvements frm nrthbund Richmnd Bulevard n t MacArthur Bulevard. Install traffic calming devices in the neighbrhd t prevent cut-thru traffic and slw vehicles. Imprve n-ramps t Interstate 580 t eliminate stacking caused by the merging f lanes.
Crdinate traffic study and imprvements with Summit Hspital. Building Frntages: The residents are extremely cncerned abut uses alng the street. They wuld like t see active uses, such as stres, cafeterias, and restaurants alng the street t avid dead znes. Currently, walking alng the Piedmnt Avenue during the day and especially at night is very scary because the Kaiser parking structure creates a lng dead zne. Peple feel very islated and vulnerable while walking alng the street. The lighting is als pr, especially under the freeway. The pedestrian experience is further degraded by fast vehicle speeds, narrw sidewalks, and a lack f landscaping and pedestrian amenities. Residents wuld like t see active uses, wider sidewalks, imprved landscaping, and pedestrian amenities alng Piedmnt Avenue and ther streets. Elevated Walkways: Residents wuld like t eliminate the prpsed verhead walkways fr the Kaiser prject t encurage pedestrian activity alng the street and t minimize visual impacts f the hspital. Nise: Residents wuld like a nise wall alng I-580 t reduce verall nise levels. They are als cncerned abut nise frm vehicles traveling t and frm the hspital, including delivery trucks and ambulances. The vlume and timing f trips shuld be studied t determine nise impacts. Nise frm parking structures and hspital equipment shuld als be evaluated. Ptential Mitigatin Prjects: Residents wuld like the Envirnmental Impact Reprt t cnsider varius prjects t mitigate impacts n the neighbrhds verall quality f life. Ptential mitigating prjects include: Imprvements t Glen Ech Creek Park: defining the edge with rcks, landscaping, and lw fences r walls t prevent parking in the park, installing public restrms, restring the histric pedestrian bridge, imprving park seating and pedestrian amenities, imprving lighting, installing a funtain, etc. Installing native planting alng the creek and within Caltrans right-f-way. Manila Neighbrhd Walk and Discussin Grup See Neighbrhd Ntes Webster Neighbrhd Walk and Discussin Grup Mre specific ntes are prvided fr in the Neighbrhd Cmments. This is a summary f main cmments: City- need street sweeping, street amenities Pedestrian uses shuld be encuraged and made safe and friendly alng streets. Bike rutes and paths need t be clearly delineated. Stp signs are need alng Webster t allw fr safe pedestrian crssings t Park. Msswd Park Park needs better lighting and upkeep. (we walked thrugh the park in the dark with few lights wrking) Playgrund is dirty. Need a playgrund fr tddlers that is fenced in. Need better prgrammed uses- (a sccer game and vlleyball game were ging n and using their wn equipment r items fund in the park t make gals.)
Access t Msswd Park is difficult and is nt crdinated with paths within the park. Shuttle service between BART and Hspital- made mre regular. AAA Building- needs better lighting and security fence arund parking lt. Crime activities are ccurring in the parking lt and in the mtel acrss the street. Mst pedestrians try t avid intersectin at Bradway and MacArthur- timing f pedestrian light is ff. Landscaped setback is desired fr new Kaiser Hspital. Massing f new Hspital shuld be brken up with pedestrian plazas, landscaping and water features.