MAC Meeting: Old Library, Sidewalks, Billboards, and More
On Monday, the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) heard progress updates from the county's Public Works and Economic Development departments that address safety, traffic, and the look and feel of the town.
Pedestrian safety around schools has been heightened after a woman and her son got hit by a car on their way to Proctor Elementary on February 6.
Rosa Leither, who lives on Proctor Road and witnessed the injury, said it is a daily struggle for many neighborhoods that are frustrated that traffic and on-street parking priorities are coming into conflict with kids and parents on their way to school.
"We have been outraged for years, and our cries have been falling on deaf ears. These schools are not safe to walk to or ride to," Leither told the MAC. She added that construction vehicles and work trucks block walking paths, forcing people to walk in the street.
In his sidewalk update to the MAC, Alameda County Public Works Agency (PWA) director Daniel Woldesenbet outlined the progress made near Castro Valley Schools, including the $3 million in sidewalks and crosswalks currently being added along Anita Avenue.
"We are working as fast as we can to add safety measures to these neighborhoods under the Safe Routes to Schools program and Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan," Woldesenbet said. "We continuously take a look at what we can do to change the signs and the lanes, but it is also important to educate the students and parents and help them be aware."
Woldesenbet cited cost constraints and low staffing issues in getting the work done faster. He said PWA's to-do list included all the unincorporated areas and that priorities depend on a project's alignment with One Bay Area Grant funds, Measure BB Sales Tax, and others. Adding sidewalks and other safety features near Castro Valley Elementary has the highest priority in town, followed by Stanton Elementary and Castro Valley High School.
Sidewalk improvements slated for Proctor Avenue could come as early as 2025 at an estimated cost of $8.5 million, Woldesenbet said.
OLD LIBRARY FOR VETS
For veterans, the good news is that the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted this month to keep the old Castro Valley Library building intact and renovate it as a service center. A previous proposal suggested tearing down the 60-year-old building in favor of a 4-story, 7,470 mixed-use space that would accommodate about 36 apartments. County staff reported to the MAC that the plan has now been scrapped. The county is now looking at what it would take to spruce up the facilities. In 2020, renovation and improvement costs were estimated between $1.5 and $9 million. According to County Economic and Civic Development Department director Eileen Dalton, that number has not been adjusted for current inflation and is likely to increase.
BYE-BYE BILLBOARDS?
Billboards along Castro Valley Boulevard may disappear entirely if the CV MAC has its say. The Council heard an update about the county's plan to erect a digital billboard in Cherryland on Langton Way near Interstate 238 and how it might tie into funding for adding community-specific signage, murals, and other seasonal banners that welcome visitors to the town.
The unincorporated towns have 47 billboard spaces (about 24 structures) left. Castro Valley has about three clustered around the Boulevard between Park Way and Anita Avenue. The county has negotiated with the two main billboard companies (Clear Channel and Outfront Media) to remove old billboards in favor of digital ones. Three digital billboards have been erected—two along Interstate 880 and one at 580 Market Place in Castro Valley. The signs can show as many as seven ads in 8-second increments.
The process has been a moneymaker for the unincorporated area, netting $340,8873. If the Langton billboard is approved, it could add an additional $40,000 annually and help the removal of the few remaining billboards on the Boulevard and allow Castro Valley and surrounding areas to invest in community signage.
Councilman Ken Carbone suggested the county help remove all non-digital billboards before spending on community funding. Councilman Chuck Moore floated the idea of spending billboard money to add welcoming signs for drivers coming into town along Crow Canyon Road.
BURGER ISLAND TRAFFIC
The Council got its update on plans for the infamous "Burger Island"- the patch of land on the west end of Castro Valley Boulevard, home to McDonald's and Wendy's. The county is reconfiguring the island with improvements to the intersection and a new sidewalk. The median will be reconstructed at Castro Valley Boulevard and Stanton Avenue, and a traffic signal with a left turn and southbound through movements will be added.
A traffic signal will also be added at John Drive for northbound Strobridge Avenue traffic. Two crosswalks are being added to allow for safe pedestrian and bike traffic. Construction was expected to begin in September 2022, but rains and other factors have delayed reconfiguring and construction until Fall 2023. The environmental clearance was completed this past January. Public Works will finalize its designs and work with Caltrans on property permits in July 2023.