Sierra Club
The SFBCSC resolves that:
WHEREAS, the City of Oakland granted a permit to proceed with construction of a subdivision by Schauffler and Watt Company on the "Ridgemont" tract of the Oakland hills, and construction began there about 1982; and
WHEREAS, quarrying is being carried out by Gallagher & Burk Company between the Ridgemont development and Freeway 580, in the same watershed, even though the City of Oakland has not yet received a reclamation project plan from the operating company, nor granted a Conditional Use Permit nor Grading Permit; and
WHEREAS, the City of Oakland has storm drains combined with sewers which were placed immediately alongside Chimes Creek, and whenever pipes are broken, drain directly into the creek, a situation which Mayor Wilson publicly requested on March 15, 1983 to have the Department of Public Works rectify, but which has not yet been so rectified; and
WHEREAS, drainage from the Quarry, the Freeway, and the City appear to run directly into the creek system at Edwards Ave., and Coast Guard analysis of Chimes Creek water identified crankcase oil, soap, sewage, and other pollutants; and
WHEREAS, the three creek branches (Chimes, Leona and Arroyo Viejo) which have their headwaters in the Ridgemont development/Quarry area have all experienced heavy or massive flooding and/or erosions and damage to property in 1983 and subsequently, but not for many years previous; and
WHEREAS, even though 1982-83 was an extremely heavy rainfall winter, other creeks did not have such flooding or erosion problems then, nor since; and
WHEREAS, the flooding and/or erosion problems on these three creek branches are being handled by Alameda County Food Control as three separate and highly-localized problem areas; and
WHEREAS, the watershed's jurisdiction is split up among the City of Oakland, Alameda County, the Ridgemont development, the Quarry owners, and possibly Merritt College, the East Bay Regional Park District, and a number of homeowners; and
WHEREAS, the East Bay Regional Park District is holding off on accepting watershed lands from Ridgemont which need public protection, because responsibility for drainage problems is uncertain;
THEREFORE, be it resolved by the SFBCSC that the City of Oakland, and, in particular, the Department of Public Works, be strongly requested to become the lead agency in:
The Chapter further stresses that the Drainage Study and interdepartmental consideration of its results be carried out as soon as possible (possibly as a section of the North Oakland Hills Area Plan), and well before propoals currently being developed by the Alameda County Flood Control Department for Chimes and Arroyo Viefjo (and possibly Leona) creek branches are considered by the City of Oakland and before any reissuance of permis for the Gallgher & Burk Quarry; and that Alameda County Flood Control proposals for these creek branches not be considered by the Ciy of Oakland until the study and its interdepartmental consideraton are accomplished.
The Chapter notes that the intent of this resolution is to encourage a study of the North Oakland Hills watershed as a whole system, in order that the city, county, and all other interested parties may have a basis for evaluating proposals for flood control, erosion control, future development, and habitat preservation in the North Oakland Hills and adjacent areas.
and enforced by the City of Oakland until the full consideration, completion, and adoption of the NOHASP by the City of Oakland.
San Francisco Bay Chapter, Sierra Club Headquarters and Bookstore, 2530 San Pablo Ave., Suite I, Berkeley, CA 94702-2000; 1-510-848-0800, bookstore 1-510-658-7470.
Last Update: December 7, 1997
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