Oakland Global News: July, 2013

  • by BPC Staff
  • on July 18, 2013
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OAKLAND GLOBAL NEWS

Monthly Updates on the Oakland Army Base Project

 

 

 

Oakland Global News, July 2013

 

Dear Reader,  

 

Oakland Global News is a monthly newsletter for individuals and groups with a special interest in staying current as the Oakland Global Trade & Logistics Center (former Oakland Army Base) project evolves. In this issue, you will learn about important legislation, air quality monitors, job resources and a new team member. You will also get a chance to see some Army Base photography.

 

City Council approves key project legislation

 

On July 16 the Oakland City Council approved legislation that will help propel the Oakland Army Base development forward as the project’s Fall 2013 construction start date nears.

 

The council voted 7-0 to approve a new zoning district and a supplemental development agreement, which provides clarity on development fees and other technical details. Councilmember Desley Brooks was a lone abstention. The council approved related building and landscape design guidelines on July 2. 

 

The new zoning area — the Gateway Industrial District — allows for the seaport, rail and logistics operations that are integral to the Oakland Global Trade and Logistics Center (Oakland Army Base development). Under city law, the council had to determine that the new zoning district is consistent with Oakland’s General Plan. Based on that standard, the Planning Commission approved the new district on May 1. The Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board also gave its support on April 8.

 

Before approving the legislation, councilmembers made some modifications. Most notably, the council imposed a requirement that environmental mitigation plans required of the development — such as a truck diesel emission reduction plan and a traffic control plan — be available for public review before they are finalized. As a result, the public will receive a 45-day notice of a plan’s release and will then have 17 days in which to provide comments. 

 

Air quality monitors on the way

Parks and Rec Advisory Commission approval

 

On July 10 the Oakland Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission recommended approval of an air quality monitor at West Oakland’s Raimondi field, which will track air quality related to Oakland Army Base project construction. 

 

The Raimondi monitor is one of three new West Oakland monitors scheduled for installation as part of an air quality monitoring plan required by a development agreement between the City of Oakland and developers.

 

The Bay Area Air Quality Monitoring District (BAAQMD) helped develop the air quality monitoring plan, including giving its approval of the Raimondi location and two others in West Oakland – one to the south of Raimondi at Prescott Elementary School, and another to the west of Raimondi at the Army Base’s West Gateway (near the Bay Bridge touchdown). A fourth monitor, installed by BAAQMD several years ago at West Grand Avenue and Adeline Street, also will provide useful information.

 

The goal of the program is to monitor West Oakland air quality and to understand changes, if any, once construction starts. The data will be made available to the West Oakland community and other stakeholders.

 

In addition to executing the air monitoring program, the city and developers are required to perform a long list of environmental mitigation measures to limit emissions associated with construction and the trade and logistics facilities that will be built as part of the project. 

 

Job Resource Center orientations

Useful information for job seekers

 

The West Oakland Job Resource Center will be offering an orientation on July 23 as part of its biweekly orientation schedule that began in April.

 

The orientations provide job seekers with information about the following:

  • Construction industry jobs and how to access those jobs
  • Trades and unions
  • Pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship training opportunities
  • Local construction project job placement assistance

Employers using the Job Center require applicants to meet the following criteria:

  • Able to pass a drug test
  • At least an eighth grade reading and math level
  • Proof of legal eligibility to work in the United States
  • Proof of Oakland residency for six months prior to registering for an orientation
  • Possession of a valid California driver license or California identification card
  • Access to reliable transportation

The orientations are held at the Job Center — 1801 Adeline Street, 2nd Floor in West Oakland. They typically run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Interested parties should call 510-419-0509.

 

The Job Center is a joint project between the City of Oakland, employers, unions, community organizations and developers. 

 

About the team 

Each month the newsletter features one of the many firms that are contributing to the Oakland Global project. This month: 44 Energy Technologies.

 

 

44 Energy Technologies (44 Energy), an Oakland-based company focused on energy, transportation and environmental technologies, is the newest member of the Oakland Global Trade and Logistics Center team.

 

44 Energy joins the team as air quality issues related to the construction and operations of Oakland Global (Oakland Army Base project) remain a top priority for the City of Oakland, developers, regulators and community members.

 

The development agreement between the city and developers requires scores of mitigation measures aimed at minimizing new emissions related to construction and new facilities that will replace the obsolete army base, which was built in the early 1940s.

 

Most of the mitigation measures are expected to be detailed in written plans on specific topics. Examples include a construction management plan, truck management plan, maritime and rail-related emissions reduction plan and a truck diesel emissions reduction plan.

 

So far, 44 Energy has worked with the developers, the city and regulators to devise the best strategies to fulfill or exceed construction mitigation measures. Construction is expected to start in Fall 2013 and to continue for approximately four years. As a result, the development team has already drafted a construction management plan. Other plans will follow as more is known about Oakland Global’s new facilities, tenants and operations.

 

44 Energy is a good fit for the project because the company has extensive experience helping to reduce Bay Area truck emissions. 44 Energy CEO Brad Edgar and co-founder Juston Smithers worked directly on the design, manufacture and implementation of diesel emission retrofit systems that allowed trucks to comply with strict 2009 state truck emission standards.

 

As a result of the regulations, approximately 800 of the trucks that serve the Port of Oakland were retrofitted and about 200 were replaced. State officials estimated that the rule changes and related funding resulted in an 85 percent reduction in port-serving diesel truck emissions. Meanwhile, a recent University of California report shows that state rules limiting emissions from diesel trucks, buses and off-road vehicles, have taken the equivalent of four million cars off California roads every year since the late 1980s.

 

Army Base photography 

As a recurring feature, the Oakland Global News will present photography from the Army Base.The photos and captions below are by Dan Nourse.

 

 

The recyled foundation of building 802 ready for reuse as base rock.

 

 

 View of City Hall from the Oakland Army Base.

  

Dan Nourse is a project manager for the Oakland Army Base focusing on the environmental remediation, site elevation increase and site surcharging.  Dan was instrumental in the redevelopment of Emeryville and West Oakland.  He is a self taught photographer and uses photography to capture the progress of redevelopment projects as well as producing artful images along the way.

 

Along with being a project manager, Dan is also the head coach of Cal Men’s Lacrosse Team.

 

Issue 4

 

IN THIS ISSUE

Key Legislation

Air Quality Monitors

Job Resources

About the team

Photos!

 

 

 

QUICK LINKS 

Oakland Global Website 

 

 

Stay informed

 

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the Oakland Global Trade & Logistics Center development. I believe that the Oakland Global Newsletter will prove to be a useful tool for staying informed and current on this important project going forward. I also want to thank Laura Nasca and Rob Selna for their contributions to the newsletter. 

 

Sincerely,

Phil Tagami