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Friday, January 17, 2025 | What’s Doing in Lafayette?

News From the City Manager’s Corner

This week’s updates from City Manager, Niroop Srivatsa highlight:

• Crosswalk Daylighting Law Will Result in Removal of Some Parking Spaces
• Get Tickets Now for Teen Tri-City Dance on January 24
• How We Are Prepared to Face Emergencies like Wildfires
• Special Joint Planning Commission and Design Review Commission Meeting on Tuesday Night Regarding New Proposal for Development Project at 1001 Oak Hill Road

Crosswalk Daylighting Law Will Result in Removal of Some Parking Spaces to Improve Pedestrian Safety

Did you know that you can no longer park within 20 feet of an intersection or crosswalk? California's citation enforcement started on January 1, 2025, however, a grace period in Lafayette means that fines are not currently being issued while we educate the community about this change in State law and make physical modifications to some parking spaces and remove meters where necessary.  Note that regardless of whether the curb is painted red or not, parking is still prohibited within the 20-foot range. Read more at www.lovelafayette.org/CrosswalkDaylighting

Get Tickets Now for Thursday Night’s Teen Tri-City Dance!

The Lafayette Youth Commission invites all local 7th & 8th Grade Students the Tri-City "Snow Ball" Dance on Thursday, January 24 at the Jennifer Russell Building (in the Lafayette Community Center). This isn’t just any dance – it’s packed with great games/activities and an awesome DJ playing all your favorite beats to keep you dancing! Tickets are $15 in advance - no tickets will be sold at the door.

The Threat of Devastating Fires is Real in Lafayette, However, We are Prepared to Face Emergencies

Many folks who have seen the devastation of the Southern California wildfires on the news or heard first-hand stories from family and friends are naturally now wanting to know more about Lafayette’s wildfire prevention efforts. So, here is a quick overview of what the City has been doing to address the Council’s priority around Wildfire Prevention, Preparedness and Responsiveness…

Back in 2018, we created a dedicated Emergency Services Coordinator position within the Police Department to focus on enhancing the city’s ability to respond to and manage a large-scale disaster, as well as to improve community preparedness and enhance early-warning communication methods. Since then, the City has installed early warning cameras, coordinated with the fire protection district and other agencies on how to jointly respond to an emergency, and worked with neighborhoods and community organizations to help us all be better prepared for an emergency.

We continue to have a good relationship and work closely with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Con Fire), which is a separate agency funded by your tax dollars to provide fire and emergency medical services. Con Fire provides the “boots on the ground” for fire services in Lafayette, enforces weed abatement standards, and provides public education around fire safety and prevention. We also have a good relationship and work closely with the Moraga-Orinda Fire District.

• Lamorinda Resident’s Guide to Wildfire Preparedness and Evacuation - This guide contains essential information on emergency preparedness and evacuation. It was last updated and mailed to all households in the Lamorinda area in Spring of 2022. The guide is available online or residents can pick up a copy at the Police Department or Main City Office. It is also available through the City’s My Lafayette app (more details below!)

• Are You Ready? Webpage – We provide information to help residents, business owners and property owners to prepare for emergencies at www.lovelafayette.org/ready

• Town Hall Meetings – Each spring, Con Fire and the Lafayette Police Department host a town hall meeting focused on preparing for the upcoming wildland fire season. Stay tuned for information in the coming months about the 2025 Town Hall.

• The Emergency Preparedness Commission - The City of Lafayette’s Emergency Preparedness Commission (EPC), is comprised of seven residents who volunteer their time and expertise who work directly with the Police Department to continually evaluate the City’s Emergency Operations Plan; they recently also gave input on the county’s update to the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and helped get approval for the multi-agency evacuation route clearing project last spring. Back in 2016, the Commission completed the City’s first Wildland Fire Plan, which outlines Police and Fire priorities during emergencies. Learn more about the Commission, including upcoming meetings, on the EPC webpage.

• Lamorinda CERT Foundation – We partner with this local organization which hosts Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training for individuals to become better prepared to respond to an emergency as well as sells emergency supplies such as water drums, extinguishers and medical supplies. Trained CERT members may also be called upon by the Lafayette Police Department to assist with traffic control, disaster recovery, large event support, etc.

• Community Warning System (CWS) - The Contra Costa County Community Warning System (CWS) is the County’s alert system for time-sensitive and potentially life-saving information.  This is the best way we can reach you during a situation that requires you to take action, so sign up at https://cwsalerts.com. 

• Nixle Alerts - The Police Department will issue significant emergency advisories, such as a major road closure, using Nixle. You can subscribe by texting “94549” to “888777” or signing up at http://local.nixle.com/lafayette-police-department. You are encouraged to sign up for email-based alerts, and not just text-based alerts, since we will only send out Nixle notification text messages for significant emergency advisories.

• Genasys Protect -  This evacuation planning tool for first responders (formerly called “Zonehaven”) is now used countywide and focused on enhancing the use of evacuation zones to enable the Police and Fire departments to evacuate residents more safely and efficiently during an emergency. To look up the evacuation zones in Lafayette, visit https://protect.genasys.com.

• Lafayette Emergency Radio AM 1670 - In 2020, Lafayette launched an AM radio channel designed to provide Lamorinda residents with news and information during emergencies, such as power outages, wildfires, and other disasters. You can tune in using an AM radio or online at https://bit.ly/LafayetteRadio1670AM. It is also available through the City’s My Lafayette app.

• My Lafayette Mobile App - The City of Lafayette’s mobile app, My Lafayette, provides you with an easy and convenient option for tuning into AM1670 as well as a way to report maintenance requests via your mobile device. The app (operated by GoGov, Inc.) is available for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play - Android Store.  

• ALERT California Cameras - Since 2019, the Lafayette Police Department has partnered with the ALERTCA program to install and maintain a network of cameras used for detecting, alerting, and monitoring wildfires in our area. You can view the numerous cameras throughout the State at https://www.alertca.live.

PREVENTION

• The Firewise Program -  This national program helps neighbors work together to make their homes safer during a wildfire by undertaking proactive measures to safeguard their property.  Currently, Lafayette has more than 20 Firewise neighborhoods. The program application (managed by Con Fire) is renewed yearly to maintain the Firewise certification. If you and your neighbors are interested in forming a Firewise neighborhood, please email Andy Comly to get started.

• Brush and Weed Clearing - The City will continue to work with Con Fire to ensure key evacuation routes are kept clear of brush and overhanging limbs. Neighborhoods that have received the Firewise designation, or groups of at least ten participating homes, can contact Con Fire to schedule a free chipping day to assist with reducing weeds, brush and other flammable landscaping.  Contact info@cccfpd.com for more info.

• Updated Tree Protection Ordinance – On January 9, 2025, the City’s updated TPO went into effect, and includes new fire-sensitive regulations. Check the Tree Permit webpage for more information and management options.

• With an Arborist Report, residents can remove dead or dying trees; no Tree Permit fee or replacement trees are required.
• Residents can remove any tree within 5’ of a building or an attached structure; no Tree Permit or staff review is required, but staff recommends photo documentation first.

• Updated Safety Element - The recently updated Safety Element (adopted 2023) identifies plans for natural and human-caused hazards that exist in Lafayette and provides a framework to increase the community’s resilience to hazards such as wildfire, earthquakes, floods, dam failure, pipeline failure, severe weather, drought, hazardous materials, and cyber-threats. 

• Evacuation Route Planning - As part of the Safety Element Update, the City looked at evacuation routes and completed an Evacuation Analysis in 2022 that included multiple mass-evacuation scenarios. See the city’s major evacuation routes at: https://bit.ly/evac-route-map. Additionally, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is currently in the process of developing a Countywide Emergency Evacuation Plan, which will include local-level evacuation assessments and a high-level analysis of evacuation route capacity, safety, and viability.

   

• WildFire Severity Zones - The Safety Element includes a section on wildfires and includes a map of Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones in Lafayette. The State Fire Marshall is currently in the process of making recommendations to update Fire Hazard Severity Zones across the state and we will be working closely with Con Fire once the State releases the updated maps. See the current Fire Severity Zones map  (adopted in 2013).

   

City Meetings & Events

The meeting starts at 7 pm and includes a study session on a proposed 90-unit project at 1001 Oak Hill Road. The current proposal is to construct a 7-story (5 residential stories over 2-story parking podium) mixed-use development with 90 for-sale units (including 11 below market rate units), including 2,000 sq. ft. commercial area, 186 parking spaces and 52 bicycle spaces, and removing approximately 22 trees.

Note: This meeting is a study session for design review of the project and will focus on massing and design, compliance with Downtown Objective Standards and consistency with the Downtown Design Guidelines. Once City staff deem the formal 90-unit application complete and conduct environmental review consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the project will return to the Design Review Commission and the Planning Commission for public hearings.

See the full agenda for the staff reports as well as information about how to participate in or watch the meeting. Information is also available at www.lovelafayette.org/calendar

Other Top Meetings:

• Transportation & Circulation Commission – Tuesday, January 21 at 7pm
• 2025 Road Paving Project Informational Meeting – January 22 at 6pm for planned work this Spring/Summer on a large portion of St. Mary’s Road and the very west end of Mt. Diablo Blvd.

To view all upcoming public meetings and their locations, please visit our calendar. You can also sign up for meeting notices to come straight to your email inbox.

Other Community News & Events

Friends Corner Book Shop Closed This Monday

The Friends Corner Book Shop will be closed on Monday, January 20, in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Board of Supervisors to Host 47th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Event on Tuesday, January 21

The County Board of Supervisors is honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Commemoration Event on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 11 am in the Board of Supervisor Chambers 1025 Escobar St., Martinez. The public can also watch the ceremony online or on Contra Costa Television (CCTV) channels, Comcast Cable 27, ATT/U-Verse 99, and Astound 32 & 1027.

The theme of the event is “Celebrating Our Shared Humanity” and will feature keynote speaker Mitchell Hopson and presentations honoring Adult Humanitarian of the Year, Rodney “Alamo” Brown, and Student Humanitarians of the Year, Soha and Imran Sohail Guller, from San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, CA.

Welcome to Lafayette! Ribbon Cuttings with the Lafayette Chamber

• Join the Lafayette Chamber in welcoming Horn Barbecue to Lafayette! A Ribbon Cutting will be held on Wednesday, January 22 at 11am at Horn Barbecue’s new Lafayette location, 3422 Mt. Diablo Blvd.
• On Thursday, January 23 at 5:15pm the Lafayette Chamber will celebrate the Ribbon Cutting for the new ownership and the new location of Mathnasium. Their new Lafayette location is at 960 Moraga Road, Suite B.

Learn more and register at https://lafayettechamber.org.

Last week to register for the Lafayette Chamber’s Business Person of the Year Dinner

Registrations for the dinner are required by 10am Friday, January 24! The 2025 Business Person of the Year is Nick Boyzch, Managing Director of the Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa. A dinner will be held next Thursday, January 30 at the Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa to honor Nick. The evening will also include the installation of the 2025 Lafayette Chamber Board of Directors. Learn more and register at https://lafayettechamber.org/bpoy.

Contra Costa's Transportation Authority Wants Your Input on a New Countywide Transportation Plan

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is updating the Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP), including the identification of future transportation system improvements through multimodal planning, program, and project-related investments through 2050. Take their survey | Haga clic aquí para ver este formulario en español. | 点击此处查看此表格的中文版。

Audition to Join Diablo Women's Chorale

The Diablo Women's Chorale welcomes women of all ages to join their Spring 2025 Season, starting Monday, January 20. Rehearsals and auditions are held at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 3051 Putnam Blvd, Pleasant Hill CA 94523. For more information, visit https://www.diablowomenschorale.org/join-us or contact Membership Chair, Nancy Hickman at hickmandg@gmail.com or (925) 899-5050. 

Caldecott Tunnel Proposed Upgrade Projects – Meeting on January 22

Caltrans has proposed Rehabilitation and Ventilation Upgrade Projects for the Caldecott Tunnel Bores 1, 2, and 3. The projects aims to preserve the structural integrity of the tunnel, improve ventilation performance and fire-fighting operation response, and extend its service life.

Caltrans will hold a hybrid public meeting for this project on January 22 from 6 to 7:30 pm at the Orinda Library Auditorium at 26 Orinda Way, Orinda. See the project webpage for link to participate online.

Repair Café on January 25 in Walnut Creek

The City of Walnut Creek will be hosting a repair café on January 25 from 10am to 1pm at the Civic Park Community Center (1375 Civic Dr, Walnut Creek). A repair café is a community event where people can bring in broken items like clothing and small appliances to be fixed by a volunteer for free. Fixing things instead of replacing them, extends the life of the item, reduces waste, and saves money. The repair café is open to all, and you do not need to be a Walnut Creek Resident to attend. Items that can be brought to the repair café include:

• small household appliances
• clothing
• jewelry
• lamps
• guitars
• bicycles (for minor repairs, safety checks, adjustments, proper tire inflation, etc.)

Dining with Moraga Rotary Fundraiser - Take out from La Finestra on January 27

Each meal includes Penne Pasta with Italian Sausage and Mushrooms in Tomato Sauce, with Spring Salad, Focaccia Bread and a Cookie. The cost per meal is $35 ($25 for food, and $10 donation); Orders $70 and over include one free bottle of wine (Must be 21+ years of age to pick up). Orders must be placed at moragarotaryfundraiser.com by January 27 by 5 pm. Your donation to Moraga Rotary will continue to help support local youth projects.

Nominations for Lafayette Citizen of the Year Due By January 31

Submit your nomination by noon on Friday, January 31, 2025. Dinner tentatively scheduled for the evening of Thursday, March 27, 2025 at the Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa. Review criteria and submit a nomination online at https://lafayettechamber.org/citizen-of-the-year/.

Give Your Input on Proposed African American Holistic Resource and Wellness Hub on February 3

On Monday, February 3 from 6 to 8pm, you are invited join Supervisor Andersen at the Family Justice Center to share your feedback regarding your needs as part of the African American community residing in District 2.

The County is conducting a feasibility study to help determine the best design and structure for the County’s first African American Holistic Resource and Wellness Hub. This in-person listening session is the next step in that process to assess the needs, gaps and wanted services, with the final recommended plan to be presented to the Board of Supervisors this spring. Learn more about the County Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice.

Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation News

The Art & Science of Food series starts on February 11, so get ready for genetic modification, Michelin stars, and a fascinating story of how a young boy found his way from his mom’s kitchen to research labs and restaurants around the world. Vayu Hill-Maini, PhD, shares his research on how filamentous fungi - a diverse group of organisms that includes molds and mushrooms - can be used to make foods for feeding a growing population in ways that are not only sustainable but also delicious and nutritious. Learn more at www.lllcf.org/hill-maini. For FREE student tickets call (925) 283-6513 ext. 102.

Looking for more upcoming happenings around town?

Visit the Chamber’s Community Events Calendar online.

Miscellaneous

Tiny Tots Preschool - Registration is still open with just a few more spaces available! Act now for the 2025-2026 school year. Visit www.Lovelafayette.org/TinyTots for the application

Update on Repaired Sculpture: The City’s Public Art Committee is pleased to report that artist Ann Weber repaired her String of Pearls sculpture in the Lafayette Library stairwell after it was damaged by a water bottle. Weber noted that the visible repair reflects the sculpture’s evolving history and documented the restoration with a dated note inside.

City Launches New Program to Help Encourage ADUs in Lafayette: The City is now offering a Pre-approved Accessory Dwelling Unit (PADU) program for architects and designers. Vendors can visit the City’s website for instructions on how to submit PADU plans.

Tree Protection Ordinance Updates Now in Effect: Changes include clearer and lower replacement tree ratios, more attention paid to fire safety and defensible space, and new penalties for violations of the ordinance. Details on the Tree Permit Application webpage. For more information, please email Staff at planner@lovelafayette.org.

Now Hiring! Are you the City’s Next Accounting Technician? We are currently seeking a dynamic and detail-oriented Accounting Technician. See full details and how to apply at www.lovelafayette.org/jobs.

BART Bus Bridge This Weekend: Free buses will replace trains between Walnut Creek and Concord on January 18 and 19. BART must replace decades-old track components between Walnut Creek and Concord stations to ensure reliable service. Riders can expect delays of 20 to 30 minutes in the work area on both days of the planned work. 

Winter/Spring Recreation Registration: We offer classes and programs for all ages and interests. Register online.

Lafayette Planning Applications and Major Development Projects: Want to know what planning applications the City’s Planning Department is processing? You can visit the Planning Applications Received page for the latest application information. Curious about construction taking place around town? Information on major developments that are underway can be found on the Major Development Projects website.

Sign up to receive City notifications: Sign up for meeting agendas and Lafayette’s publications at bit.ly/LafayetteNotifications. Also, find out how to follow us on social media at https://www.lovelafayette.org/connect

Cultural Observations and Celebrations

Celebrate our diversity by learning more about these upcoming cultural observations and celebrations! January is Poverty Awareness Month.

18 Bodhi Day (Buddhist)

19 World Religion Day (Bahá'í)

20 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday - City Administrative Offices will be closed on Monday, January 20.

Photo for the Week

Through the State’s mutual aid system, the City of Lafayette sent its emergency preparedness coordinator, John Cornell, to the Palisades fire last week to assist with drone detection and mitigation in support of the continued firefighting efforts. The City of Lafayette is grateful for its partnerships with numerous companies that allow us access to state of the art hardware and training on this equipment.

Quote for the Week

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.

 - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

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 The Weekly Roundup is prepared for the Lafayette Community, City Council and Staff. If you have thoughts about this week’s Roundup, a contribution for a future edition or a photo to be considered for the “Photo of the Week”, please email the City of Lafayette's Communications Analyst/Public Information Officer, Suzanne Iarla.

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