Event Report: Challenges and Opportunities of SB 375

by Brian Strachan

The SB 375 presentation held on September 27^th at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission building in downtown Oakland provided attendees with an in-depth discussion of some the challenges and opportunities this new law presents. Eliot Rose, Deputy Director of the UC Berkeley Center for Resource Efficient Communities (CREC) presented the organizations latest report detailing SB 375 and drew on specific examples from the Bay Area.

The event was very well attended, and was the first brown-bag lunch event held by the SF Bay Area Chapter in many years. Given its success, this may by the first of several lunchtime events to come. Also, stay tuned for more events in coordination with CREC in the coming months.

The SF Bay Area Chapter Board would like to thank all event attendees, as well as Eliot Rose for his presentation, and APA Northern California for co-sponsoring the event.

Event Report: Eureka CEQA Workshop a Great Success

By Tanya Sundberg

On Friday, May 6, 2011, the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter hosted an advanced CEQA workshop at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka.  This all-day event covered the following topics: legislative review, recent case law relevant to CEQA practice, climate change analysis under CEQA, and CEQA baseline.  The speakers included Ronald Bass, Senior Fellow at ICF International; Curtis Alling, Principal at Ascent Environmental; and Kate Hart, Senior Associate at Abbott & Kindermann.  About 80 people participated, including staff from many federal, State, and local government agencies from the North Coast region, as well as a number of volunteers from Humboldt State University.  This event was co-sponsored by the Redwood Coast Region APA, the City of Eureka, and The Planning Center/DC&E.

Event Report – Traffic Baseline: Sunnyvale West Neighborhood Assn. v Sunnyvale City Council

by Brian Strachan, VP Programs, East Bay

The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter hosted a case review on Thursday, February 17th at the DC&E offices in Berkeley.  The state Supreme Court ruled on Sunnyvale West Neighborhood Assn., et al. v. City of Sunnyvale City Council on December 16, 2010, and the outcome of this ruling is already being realized in the CEQA process. The case stemmed from a road extension project in Sunnyvale that used projected traffic conditions from 2020 as a baseline for the preparation of the environmental impact report. The evening program addressed the outcome of the case, provided historical context for the issues involved, and identified the implication for future CEQA analysis. The speakers included:

• Jim Moose is a senior partner with the law firm Remy, Thomas, Moose & Manley. Jim provided legal and historic context to the review of the Sunnyvale case and fielded several questions as they related to the legislative process. He also added some insight on how the results of the case will have an impact on the CEQA process in general and will ultimately effect the preparation of EIR technical studies.
• Amy Skewes-Cox is the North Bay Manager for Community Development for Environmental Science Associates (ESA) and has over 25 years of experience. Amy was hired to review the transportation study in question in the Sunnyvale case, and provided the audience with unique insight on the project.

The evening program was very well attended with approximately 40 participants, most of whom were AEP members. The majority of attendees included consultants, planners, transportation engineers, and some public agency representatives.

We would like to thank all the volunteers and AEP members who made this program a success. We would also like to thank DC&E for hosting the event in their downtown Berkeley office, the site of several past AEP events. We greatly appreciate the presenters and their dedication to keeping AEP members informed about the ever-changing legislative landscape.

Event Report: Sustainability and Historic Preservation

by Leann Taagepera

On  Tuesday, April 20, the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the Association of Environmental Professionals and the American Planning Association, California – Northern Section co-sponsored an evening dinner event on the topic of  “Sustainability and Historic Preservation – Its meaning and practical applications.”  The event was hosted by Entrix, Inc. in Concord.  The speakers were:  Mr. Mark Huck, Restoration Architect, AIA, LEED AP, State Office of Historic Preservation; Mr. Frederic Knapp, Historic Architect, Knapp Architects; and Ms. Leann Taagepera, CEQA and Preservation Planner, PMC, and City Historic Preservation Review Commissioner.

Mr. Huck provided a presentation about historic buildings and energy efficiency issues, including the fact that older historic buildings’ energy use can be the same or less than building between between 1959 and 2000.  Pre-1919 buildings are typically more energy-efficient than buildings constructed between 1920 and 2003, when energy standards changed.  He also spoke about options for improving historic building’s energy-efficiencies through actions which do not affect their historic integrity, such as weather-stripping, insulation, etc. While historic buildings can be perceived to be less-energy efficient than more modern buildings, this turns out not to be the case, depending on the period of construction.  Mr. Huck also spoke about LEED standards and local ordinances such as San Francisco’s and Palo Alto’s model green ordinances, as well as voluntary and mandatory regulations in CEQA and General Plans. Mr. Huck’s presentation can be downloaded here.

Mr. Knapp spoke about what preservation has to offer to sustainability as a field.  He described how historic preservation focuses on the existing environment; sees impacts on finite resources; emphasizes appropriate uses; rewards innovative techniques; enhances understanding and value of place.  He noted that preservation is “ inherently sustainable because place is spatial and static in comparison to resource depletion, which is dynamic.”   He also spoke about how historic preservation places a bonus on embodied energy – and extends its life beyond typical assumptions and encourages continuing use of resources which have already been extracted.  He pointed out that historic buildings were originally low in energy intensity in many ways and if renovated appropriately, they can continue to perform well.  As main point of this issue is that historic preservation “encourages reuse of much of the embodied energy/resources that would be lost in renovation of a non-historic building.” Mr. Knapp’s presentation can be downloaded here.

Ms. Taagepera spoke about the historic City of Benicia and its National Register and local historic districts, buildings, and Historic Preservation Review Commission.  She provided information about the City’s newly-formed Sustainability Commission and the City’s Climate Action Plan.  The City of Benicia is the first city in Solano County to address climate change through a comprehensive planning process, funded by a grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. This process includes the recently completed greenhouse gas emission inventory, the establishment of reduction targets and the development of a Climate Action Plan (CAP).  This CAP includes a section specifically about historic buildings. For example, the CAP states, “The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties provides the framework for local historic conservation plans, which restrict the design and construction activities of designated historic structures in order to preserve the integrity of the buildings and the districts that they are located in. Energy efficiency and green building techniques can be successfully integrated into historic buildings in ways that do not affect the character defining features of the buildings.” Information about the City’s Sustainability Commission and CAP can be found on-line here. Ms. Taagepera’s presentation can be downloaded here.

Ms. Taagepera would like to thank her speakers for their efforts in preparing for their presentations and for traveling from their locations in San Francisco and Sacramento to Concord for the event.  She would also like to thank her assistants for the event:  Joanna Jansen from DCE and Darcy Kremin from Entrix, Inc.  A big thank you is due to Entrix, Inc. for providing their conference room for the event.  Lastly, she would like to thank all who attended the event and made it such a success through during the question-and-answer period and round-table discussion.

Event Speakers: Leann, Frederick, and Mark

Event Report: SF Public Health Staff Presents BEQI/PEQI Tools CEQA Application

by Janet Palma, AICP – Apr., 2010

Staff members from the San Francisco Public Health Program on Health, Equity and Sustainability (PHES) presented a comprehensive learning workshop to a crowded forum of approximately 25 people on April 8, 2010. How to accommodate alternative modes of transportation into local planning programs, policies and projects seems to be on everyone’s mind these days. With the proliferation of transit-oriented development and the move to get people “out of their cars”, planners want to know how best to reconfigure streets, add bike lanes or routes, and make streets more pedestrian-friendly.

The three speakers, Cyndy Scully, Megan Wier and Jennifer McLaughlin have worked to create both a Bicycle and Pedestrian Environmental Quality Index (BEQI/PEQI) database that can be utilized and modified by outside users with City staff assistance. Originally part of the Health Impact Assessment tools that include air and noise models and the Healthy Development Measurement Tool (HDMT), these programs can stand alone or be used for cumulative impact analysis in CEQA review documents. These tools use indicators that can be invaluable to present justification for street or road modifications for reduced traffic volume, reduced traffic speed, or congestion pricing. While the model was created primarily for use in urban areas to make bicycling and walking safer, with modification to the program, it can be used for suburban areas as well.

Attendees posed many questions to the presenters, and seemed quite pleased with this new method to  address the issue of bicycle/pedestrian impacts, by measuring existing conditions and analyzing a proposed project by utilizing an Microsoft Access database imported to an ArcGIS mapping program.

The entire presentation can be found here. Further information on other HIA tools can also be found here.

Event Report: Acoustics Expert Takes the Mystery Out of Vibration Analysis

by Janet Palma, AICP – Feb., 2010

On January 21, 2010, Matthew Pettersson gave an in-depth workshop presentation to AEP and APA members on methods for vibration analysis. Over 30 people attended the workshop that provided information on how to identify potential vibration impacts, make a professional judgment on the potential for significance, and ask the right questions of vibration consultants on their project teams.

While the CEQA checklist combines vibration questions in the noise section, measurement and standards are somewhat different. We learned that whereas noise is detected by hearing, vibration is detected by touch. The several wave types of vibration are also influenced by soil. Qualitative analysis in CEQA documents can range from low to high detail and use models or site measurements for more comprehensive information. Mitigation can include distance buffering, different equipment, as well as scheduling, monitoring, design and notification.

Of interest currently for CEQA case law are new rail projects, such as the California High Speed Rail that has raised several controversial issues in places such as the San Francisco Bay Area. The court agreed that the ability to mitigate vibration to less-than-significant is uncertain at this time without additional detail on construction. The workshop allowed for a Q&A session for participants. Matthew leads the acoustics team in the San Francisco office of AECOM.

Article: Protecting the East Bay Environment: The First 75 Years

by Larry Tong, Interagency Planning Manager – East Bay Regional Parks District – Dec. 2009

Establishing a Legacy
Seventy-five years ago, during the depths of the Great Depression in 1934, voters in the 7 cities of El Cerrito, Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, Piedmont, Alameda, and San Leandro created the East Bay Regional Park District by an overwhelming 71% majority.  They reached deeply into their pockets to tax themselves a very substantial 5 cents per $100 of assessed property value to fund the Park District.  From its very beginning, the Park District was determined to acquire and protect the natural wilderness areas on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay before they were lost to development forever.

Conserving the Wilderness by Building Scenic Lanes
The newly formed Park District immediately embraced the advice of Frederick Law Olmsted, the famous landscape architect and designer of New York’s Central Park and many other great parks.  Years earlier, Olmsted had recommended building scenic lanes through the wilderness of the East Bay hillsides in order to conserve them.  Within 2 years, the Park District had acquired land rights to 3,220 acres (about 5 square miles) for its first 4 regional parks: Tilden Park (formerly Upper Wildcat Canyon); Temescal Regional Recreation Area; Sibley Volcanic Preserve (formerly Round Top); and Redwood Regional Park.  The Park District then secured millions of federal dollars for the East Bay community and assistance from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
The Park District’s first concern was to build scenic lanes and boulevards.  Under the Park District’s direction, the WPA surgically carved Skyline Boulevard (including a portion of Grizzly Peak Boulevard) into the natural hillsides and forestlands to provide the public with a scenic drive from Tilden to Sibley (Round Top) and Redwood.

Building and Blending With the Natural Environment
The Park District’s WPA and CCC projects preserved the wilderness while carefully clearing hiking trails, equestrian paths and fire breaks.  They also built campgrounds, restrooms, and park buildings purposely designed to blend into their natural environment.  These Park District projects created over 1,300 full-time-equivalent jobs and income to boost the morale, self respect and dignity of men and women at a time when they needed it the most.

Stewardship of the Natural Environment
The Park District maintains its core values of preservation and environmental stewardship for future generations while providing healthy and sustainable recreation throughout the East Bay region (Alameda and Contra Costa counties).  The founders’ original goal – to maintain a balance between wilderness and recreational use, continues to this day: 90 percent of Park District land is undeveloped, providing open space and natural areas for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts.  An environmental ethic continues to guide all that the Park District does.
Sustainable Environmental Protection of the East Bay

As East Bay cities and counties developed and populations grew, the Park District increased the regional park and trail opportunities in balance with the increasing development and population.  Throughout the decades, the Park District has sustainably grown to currently include more than 98,000 acres of parkland (over 150 square miles!) with 65 regional parks and over 1,100 miles of regional trails.  The Park District provides regional park and trail opportunities within 20 minutes to all of the current 2.5 million residents throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

What About Economic Benefits?
A comprehensive economic study commissioned by the Park District in 2000 shows that the regional parks and trails provide tremendous economic benefits to the East Bay.  Properties adjacent to the regional parks derive between 10-to-30% of their value from the Park District facilities.  If they were to be purchased today, the Park District lands would have a replacement value of close to $1 billion.  And the Park District facilities provide quality of life benefits to virtually all East Bay residents.

What About Social Equity and Environmental Justice?
The Park District has a long tradition of providing equal opportunity and access to all of its constituents.  The Park District has developed regional parks, such as Point Pinole Regional Shoreline in Richmond, and Bay Point Regional Shoreline in unincorporated Contra Costa County, near census tracts with the lowest incomes and highest concentrations of minorities.  And for more than 25 years, the Park District has offered its Parks Express low-cost bus program to make all regional parks accessible to students from schools with reduced-rate lunch programs, seniors, and people with disabilities.  Parks Express provides more than 15,000 riders a year with safe, economical and effective access to regional parks and trails.

So What Do Customers Think About the Park District?
Our customers, the 14 million annual regional park and trail visitors, and the East Bay voters, especially those with a high propensity to regularly vote, have continued to be passionately loyal to the Park District.  Park visitor surveys show that high quality regional parks and trails are vital components to maintaining the quality of life in the East Bay.  And ‘knowledge-based’ businesses and workers have shown a strong attraction to communities with a high quality of life.  The regional parks and trails are immensely popular with East Bay citizens.  And regional park visitors are extremely satisfied with the regional parks and trails.

And What Have You Done For Me Lately?
Similar to 1934, in November 2008, the East Bay voters again delivered a huge vote of confidence to the Park District by passing Measure WW, a $500 million park bond extension!  Again, by an overwhelming 71% majority, the voters reached deeply into their pockets to tax themselves up to $10 per year per $100,000 of assessed property value.  While it is proportionately less than the 5 cents per $100 (equivalent to $50 per $100,000) tax rate approved in 1934, it is still a significant amount during these very difficult economic times.

During the next 20 years, Measure WW will provide $125 million in local grants directly to East Bay cities, county service areas, and local park and recreation districts for local park projects, while $375 million will fund regional park projects.  The first Measure WW bond issuance for at least $50 million is being processed in 2009.  About $28 million will fund local park projects.  The local park projects include a sports center in Oakland, a water spray park in Concord, soccer fields in Pittsburg and Dublin, and park sea wall improvements in Newark.  And about $22 million will fund regional park projects, like Delta Science Center improvements at Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley, and Breuner Marsh wetland restoration at Point Pinole Regional Shoreline in Richmond.  With careful financial planning, the Park District hopes that the $50 million in initial Measure WW funds can be leveraged at a 2 for 1 ratio to effectively double its economic benefit to the East Bay community.

And the Next 75 Years?
As the Park District moves forward into the next 75 years of protecting the East Bay environment, it will continue to seek partnerships with other agencies (many of whom share the same constituents with the Park District) and a huge array of Park District stakeholders.  The Park District will stay true to its core values, such as balancing preservation with recreation for future generations, minimizing climate change with trees, plants, and grasslands that naturally reduce carbon dioxide, increasing green transportation opportunities with regional trail improvements, and provide safe and healthful recreation opportunities.  The Park District Master Plan Map (2007) provides a blueprint for existing and potential regional parks and trails in balance with the increasing development and populations in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

The Park District invites you to join us and begin your journey into the East Bay regional parks and trails through the Park District’s comprehensive and easy to use website at www.ebparks.org.  So get out, explore the East Bay regional parks and trails, and help support and protect the East Bay environment for the next 75 years!

Jerry Kent, former EBRPD Assistant General Manager, and Brenda Montano, EBRPD Secretary, provided vital background information to this article.

Redwood Regional Park Photo: Deane Little

1935 Carving Skyline Blvd. Into the Natural Area Above the Caldecott Tunnel

1937 East Bay Regional Park District Playtime Guide

Las Trampas to Mt. Diablo Regional Trail

Historic Photo of Kids With East Bay Regional Park District Ranger

East Bay Regional Park District Master Plan Map (2007)

Eastshore State Park operated by the East Bay Regional Park District

Event Report: Spartina Learning Event on Nov. 10, 2009

by Emma Jack, PhD -  Nov. 2009

The AEP event “ Taking on Weeds as Part of Environmental Protection and Restoration – the story of invasive Spartina in the San Francisco estuary” brought together a mix of biologists and engineers for an evening of presentations from The Spartina Project’s Director Peggy Olofson, and Monitoring Manager Ingrid Hogle.
The Spartina Project addresses problems resulting from the increasing plant hybrids between the invasive cordgrass Spartina alterniflora, and the native version, Spartina folisoa occurring in the Bay ecosystem.  These hybrids spread aggressively into open mud, displacing native species, hindering flood control, navigation, and other uses of this habitat type.
Peggy Olofson, the Director of the Project, provided some great background information as to the importance of hybrid eradication for the biological diversity of the Bay ecosystem, and how she has managed to cobble together sufficient funding to ensure the Project continues in these dark economic times.  An amazing feat, and the AEP takes its hat off to her! Ingrid Hogle, the Monitoring Program Manager, discussed the streamlining of the GPS to GIS workflows for the inventory and mapping of the invasive plants in all marshes and mudflats in the Bay Area. The Spartina team monitors the presence of the invasive plants in the marsh by caneo, helicopter and by foot, certainly an exciting job for any environmental professional.  I encourage you to check out their website for more information as to what the Project is up to and how you can help them to reclaim the San Francisco Bay from the clutches of the hybrid. http://www.spartina.org/
Many thanks to Barry Pearl who kindly organized for us to hold the event in the PUC building in down town San Francisco.

Event Report: AEP and APA Team for SB 375 Soirée in San Jose

by Janet Palma – Dec. 2009

On Thursday November 19, 2009, more than 40 planners gathered at the Santa Clara Valley Water District in San Jose to be enlightened on the new SB 375 legislation. Panelists Bill Yeates, Ted Droettboom, and Doug Johnson impressed the crowd with their knowledge and passion on this important topic. Attendees showed interest in the new concept of tiering traffic analyses off the Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) or Alternative Community Strategy (ACS), now a required part of Regional Transportation Plans. Audience questions also brought up some major issues, such as the nexus of schools, crime, and health care within urban cores, and how SB 375 will interact with other regulations such as the California Coastal Act.

The event was made possible by a generous monetary donation by HMH Engineers and the Water District’s excellent venue. The even was co-produced with the APACAN South Bay Regional Advisory Committee (RAC). AEP occasionally teams with APA to present events of mutual interest to both organizations.

AEP Bay Area Blog – Welcome

Welcome to the Association of Environmental Professionals Bay Area Chapter Blog!

This site will be home to articles and other publications by, for, and of interest to environmental professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area. To learn more about the AEP Bay Area chapter visit: sfbayaep.org.