John Lennon, Plastic Ono Band

Mayor’s Message Matt Rinn, Mayor of Pleasant Hill

I am writing this on day two of the three-week “shelter in place” ordered by our county health officer. By the time this print edition reaches homes, we will be two-thirds of the way through. Hopefully, you’ve been able to use this time to discover a favorite new TV show, catch up with friends and family over social media, and even clean out that junk drawer you’ve been meaning to get to.

I’ve been enjoying the creative posts on Facebook by the Pleasant Hill Police Department’s new Social Media Team. Realizing that the shelter in place order limits opportunities for positive interactions with the community, the Social Media Team is focusing on building relationships virtually. If you haven’t started following @PleasantHillPD on Facebook, @phpdofficial on Instagram, and @PHillPD on Twitter, now is a great time.

I’ve also been brainstorming ways to support the local businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19. Many have had to close during this shelter in place period, while those that are allowed to stay open may have seen a huge drop in customers. Nearly all of our restaurants have take-out or delivery options as well as gift certificates for future in-person dining. Retail stores, nail salons, and other small businesses that are closed during the shelter in place order may also have gift cards or certificates that you can buy now and give in the future for birthdays and other special occasions.

While these are unprecedented times, it’s good to know that we have a structure in place to manage any kind of emergency. The Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) is a statewide process that was put into effect after the 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm destroyed nearly 3,000 homes and killed 25 people. One of the challenges during that horrific firestorm was a lack of coordination between first responders, utilities, and government agencies. As a result, state lawmakers passed legislation mandating the creation of a standardized emergency management system that clearly lays out the roles and responsibilities of everyone involved in the response. In layman’s term, it helps us all “stay in our lane.”

In the case of COVID-19, Pleasant Hill is part of a countywide response led by Contra Costa Health Services. While we have not (at least at the time that I’m writing this) had to open our own Emergency Operations Center, we have been in daily contact with Contra Costa Health Services and the Office of Emergency Services to stay on top of developments and gain valuable information to share with our own community.

All of our city employees, from police to finance, are trained in SEMS. We also have a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan that fleshes out how Pleasant Hill uses the SEMS structure to provide for the safety of our community in times of disaster. In addition to trained employees, we are fortunate to have a robust Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, with volunteers ready to assist in our neighborhoods. CERT just revamped their website; if you’re looking for something to do during the rest of the shelter in place period, surf their site at pleasanthillcert.org and pick up some preparedness ideas so you’re ready for the next time we face an emergency. (Hint: Their Home Preparedness Kit checklist lists toilet paper under “essentials.”)

This time of “shelter in place” will come to an end, and we will be enjoying all Pleasant Hill has to offer again. I look forward to seeing everyone around town when that happens. And now, I’m going to go wash my hands again.

Pleasant Hill City News County Supervisors Set Dates

At the February 10 Board of Supervisors meeting, the supervisors adopted a resolution authorizing the issuance of a request for proposals for the sale of 1750 Oak Park Boulevard and fixed May 12, 2020, as the date for receiving proposals for development. The residential project includes 34 two-story units with 7 accessory units that comply with the city’s 20% low-income housing requirement. In addition, a “pocket park” will be constructed by the builder and dedicated to the Pleasant Hill Rec and Park.

The supervisors authorized the county librarian to permanently close the Pleasant Hill Library at 1750 Oak Park Boulevard at 6pm on June 3, 2020, and execute a sublease with the City of Pleasant Hill for temporary library space. The library closure and sale of the property will “maximize public safety while multiple construction projects are underway and minimize neighborhood disruption by completing projects in tandem.”

Supervisor Karen Mitchoff mentioned how cost prohibitive it would be for Pleasant Hill Library to remain open through June 2022 and during construction of the new library. She listed that keeping the HVAC operational would be at a cost of over $300K; electrical maintenance would be performed at around $718K; and repairing the roof, should it fail, would cost approximately $1.2 million. The Contra Costa County Public Works Department provided the estimates. Supervisor Chair Candace Andersen looked at the cost benefit of closing the library and said, “To be able to open a new library with at least 800K worth of new materials is significant, and in the long run I think it’s the most efficient way to get this library built and meet the needs of these four partners working together.” ARC Discusses Development at 401 Taylor Boulevard

At the March 5 Architectural Review Commission meeting, the ARC conducted a study session to provide feedback on an Architectural Review Permit and PUD Concept Plan (Rezoning) request submitted by the applicant, CDP Pleasant Hill, LLC, located in Danville.

The applicant is looking to develop a residential subdivision at 401 Taylor Boulevard on the corner of Taylor Boulevard and Lucille Lane. The site is currently occupied by the Seventh Day Adventists Headquarters and the Adventist Book Center. The Architectural Review Permit is for the design of a 46-unit residential subdivision and related improvements. The 4.96-acre site is proposed to accommodate 46 attached two-story and three-story residential townhouse units with a maximum 35-foot building height. The townhouse units would consist of floor plans ranging in size from 2,101 – 2,791 square feet. Sixteen (16) of the 46 townhouse units are proposed to include an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit). The ARC provided comments to the applicant, including modifying guest parking locations, landscaping, open space uses, and design. The project will consist of rezoning, general plan amendment, major subdivision, and development plan permit, all to be considered by the Planning Commission and City Council at a later date. City sets up COVID-19 Webpage Community Awards Postponed

To make it easier to find information about COVID-19 (coronavirus) and the impacts on Pleasant Hill (e.g. programs closed, events cancelled), the City of Pleasant Hill has set up a special webpage where city staff can post updates and links to key resources. Go to www. pleasanthillca.org and click on the banner at the top of the page. The page also includes links to important health resources, including Contra Costa Health Services, which is managing the COVID-19 response for all Contra Costa cities and does frequent updates. Community Awards event is postponed until this period of “social distancing” and COVID-19 has passed. While City Hall is closed to the public, staff continues to provide essential services by appointment. Documents may be dropped off at City Hall during regular business hours. City page: pleasanthillca.org/covid-19 County page: cchealth.org