Speaking of Diesel….
The new bus yard slated for 1325 Sixth Street is up for ZAB review this Monday, Nov. 27, 2006 at 7pm (well, not exactly 7, it depends how the schedule is ordered). A mitigated negative declaration is in the works. Contact Chris Wolf, the planner in charge of the project, for more info: CWolf@ci.berkeley.ca.us
Here are some of the letters I’ve written to the city about the project….few if any concerns have been addressed.
Initial letter May 2005:
On Environmental/Air Quality:
As a resident of West Berkeley , I am very sensitive to any project that has the potential to degrade already dubious air quality. The cumulative effects of future development, along with other existing uses in the area should be considered when determining whether or not this is an appropriate project for this site.
For instance: The neighborhood’s proximity to the transfer station across Gilman on Second St. means garbage trucks come through the neighborhood at Sixth and Camelia at the beginning of their route. The trucks have barely warmed up, so there is a larger than normal amount of diesel exhaust that pours out into and around our homes. I worry something similar would happen with the diesel buses. Along with this is the fact that City of Berkeley vehicles (ie school buses, garbage trucks, etc) no longer run on 100% bio diesel. Due to multiple bad batches of the vegetable oil fuel, the City has now changed the fuel make-up to 20% bio diesel / 80% diesel. There is also the RMC Pacific Ready Mix plant on Gilman and 5th that often has large lines of concrete mixer trucks coming in and out. Then there is the well known neighborhood saga with Pacific Steel Casing. While there is still no firm evidence available to the public to either confirm or deny the potential health effects of the foundry’s pervasive odor, it still leaves one to think twice about adding another source of particulate matter into the mix.
Since 1325 Sixth is slated to have 32 parking spaces for school buses, it will no doubt bring more large idling diesel vehicles to the neighborhood at Sixth and Camelia.
On the Design:
So far, the elevations show an acceptable example of transitional light industrial form and material.
I do have doubts about the location of the building on the site, Sixth (80’) is a wider more traveled street that Seventh(70’). This being the case, I’m curious to know why the mass of the building runs along the edge of Seventh instead. A 7’-6” high fence that runs the entire length of the lot along Sixth—276’-3”– doesn’t do much for positively defining the street edge. Were other configurations considered?
Subsequent letter to DRc Jan 2006:
I am writing in regards to the proposed BUSD bus depot at 1325 Sixth St. I am a resident of the adjacent block to the
West of the site. Following are my thoughts, comments, and questions (shown in bold type) about the project. Alas, I
will not be able to attend this Thursday’s meeting as I’m out of town, so this letter will have to suffice.
Item 1: Site Plan
a) The applicant says this is the optimum arrangement for their use of the site. Could they elaborate on why the site
is arranged as it is? I’m guessing it may have something to do with the 70′ setback along Gilman requested by Tom
Bates, driveway access and drainage, but I’m not sure.
b) I do have strong reactions to the location of the buildings on the site, Sixth (80’) is a wider more traveled main street
that Seventh (60’). This being the case, I’m curious to know why the mass of the building runs along the edge of
Seventh instead. A 7’-6” high fence that runs the entire length of the lot along Sixth—276’-3”– doesn’t anything to
positively define the street edge. Were other configurations considered?
* see attached sketches of preferred layouts
**the above numerical data was taken off the applicant’s site plan.
c) Why can’t the bus parking be run along the North edge of the site, instead of the South as they are shown?
I, and other residents adjacent to the South edge of the site, recommend moving the loudest and most pollution
producing part of the site’s program as far away from the residential part of the neighborhood as possible. As many
may know, air pollution in this part of berkeley is a hot topic (Pac Steel etc.), so any decisions to help mitigate the
addition and proximity of more pollution are certainly encouraged.
Item 2: Vehicular and Pedestrian Access
a) No new comments here, the above discussion contains info that relates to this.
Item 3: Building Design
a) I applaud Baker Vilar Architects for an appropriate aesthetic. So far, the elevations show an acceptable example of
transitional light industrial form and material that are appropriate for this MULI/ MUR/ R-1A neighborhood. Will the
metal siding be painted or left raw?
Item 4: Fence Design
a) The 8′ high fence is a bit excessive and presents a very unfriendly street edge. Could all fences, except the ones on
the interior lot lines, be kept to 6′-6″?
b) I appreciate the more thoughtful design that occurs along the Sixth st. edge. Is there a reason the Sixth St. type of
fence cannot be used on all sides fronting on public right of ways?
Item 5: Landscape Plan
a) I am not familiar with the “London Plane” tree. Are they common in Berkeley, or do some already exist around the
site? If I can recollect correctly, 6th has mostly sycamore’s planted along it, was there a reason they didn’t
specify them instead of the London Plane?
b) This is a vast paved area, and most types of Ginko Bilboa trees tend to be mousy and thin. Could a more verdant
tree type be spec’d for the parking lot?
Recommendations:
1) Encourage the applicant to arrange a meeting with interested community members. Most of us have only a vague
idea of what will go on here on a daily basis. I would like to know about how soon the buses start up every morning,
when they return, and when they head out again in the afternoon. Also, do they warm up on site? Warming up is the
most particulate producing time for a diesel engine. And since they buses are no longer running on 100% bio diesel,
the exhaust isn’t as clean as it used to be.
2) Re-evaluate the current scheme, the fence height and its design, and some of the landscaping choice per the above
suggestions.
Out of idle curiosity, I’ve been looking for various blogs that cover the issues in West Berkeley where I too live.
This issue popped out at me.
If I’m not mistaken, BUSD’s school busses are powered by CNG, not diesel fuel. Compressed natural gas burns very clean and doesn’t produce soot.
I hope that you’ll take this into consideration in your comments to the Zoning board.
I can’t say I am totally on top of what the City of Berkeley is using to power their vehicles these days since I spend much of my time away from Berkeley., but, so far as I know, the CNG they use is only for smaller city vehicles. Garbage trucks and schools buses–I believe–are still run on the 20/80 biodiesel/low sulfur diesel mix. I’m planning on attending a meeting regarding the BUSD bus yard today….hopefully I’ll know more soon. I will post an update as soon as I can, especially if I’m remiss.
See also:
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/citycouncil/2005citycouncil/packet/041205/2005-04-12%20Item%2039.pdf
I was just now walking my dog in the rain. As I was walking, various school busses passed me. All sported a large white diamond sign under the driver’s window stating that the busses were powered by CNG. They also don’t sound at all like diesel vehicles whether powered by fossil fuel or biodiesel. I think that these busses use a gasoline type engine modified to use CNG, which burns even cleaner than gasoline.
Much of your commentary on the bus yard issue are valid and detailed. But I think you’ve based some of them on a false premise.
Berkeley politics can be very acrimonious and sometimes necessarily so. But I think that we can avoid some of it by getting our facts right.
I was riding by Berkeley High yesterday and observed that a couple of the school busses were not CNG powered. They did look older than the ones I saw which were CNG fueled.
I assume that this means that as busses wear out and as funding becomes available, BUSD is buying only CNG busses. According to the signs on the CNG busses, funding for these purchases comes from the Air District.