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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Castro Valley MAC Meeting: Fire Hazard Maps & Station Updates (Sept 22, 2026)

Board of Supervisors — Tuesday, September 22, 2026

BodyAlameda County, California

SessionBoard of Supervisors

DateTuesday, September 22, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:47:32

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

Good evening, everybody.

0:02

Uh welcome to the September 21st general purpose meeting of the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council.

0:09

Glad everybody's here and welcome to those online.

0:12

And let's start the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:15

Uh, Councilmember Mota, if you would please allegiance to the back of the United States of America.

0:28

One donation individual with liberty and justice for all.

0:36

Thank you.

0:37

And Madam Clerk, can we have the roll call, please?

0:43

Council Member Davis.

0:46

Here.

0:47

Council Member Devaney, excused Councilmember Phoebig.

0:51

Here.

0:52

Councilmember Mota.

0:54

Present.

0:54

Council Member Thomas.

0:56

Present.

0:58

Councilmember Moore, excuse Councilmember Mulgrew.

1:02

Present.

1:02

We have a quorum.

1:04

Thank you.

1:05

We'll start the evening with the approval of the minutes.

1:09

And we will start.

1:12

Oh, I'm sorry.

1:13

Public comment.

1:14

Yes, we do want to do that.

1:16

Okay.

1:17

This is the point in the agenda where we have comments from anybody in the community, and your comments can be on anything that is not on tonight's agenda, announcements, uh, feedback, any kind of comments at all.

1:32

If you wish to speak, you'll have three minutes.

1:35

And we just ask that you fill out a speaker card from the back table and bring it up to staff.

1:41

Is there anyone here who would like to speak on anything that's not on tonight's sorry, Chair?

1:46

Just one quick um to do.

1:48

We have to take public comment on the call to order, roll call, and pledge of allegiance.

1:53

And then I was told we do not have to do that.

1:55

Oh, my mistake.

1:56

Don't worry.

1:58

Monica Carr for public comment.

2:02

Uh on the to the audience, please.

2:04

If you would have you need to turn on the mic, please.

2:16

Yes.

2:18

Button on top.

2:21

All right.

2:23

I'm asking that the council please add the ACPWA Groveway Improvement Project to their upcoming general meeting agenda as soon as possible.

2:31

Neighbors on Groveway have been trying to contact public works to ask questions about the project, and very few have been answered.

2:38

We have made record requests asking for studies on this project and have been denied.

2:43

Public works plan is to widen the street by six feet, three street, three feet on each side.

2:48

The proposed bike lanes that they're doing it for are five feet, and parking lanes are seven feet, meeting the 12-foot minimum federal standard.

2:57

And they pose safety issues to bicyclists due to their proximity to both moving and parked cars as they are riding while within the door zone.

3:06

Since driveways will be shortened, people with larger vehicles will be forced to park on the road, posing even more risk as bicyclists pass by.

3:15

Because the federal standard does not make the appropriate considerations for this, many cities have adopted a 14-foot design standard.

3:22

Groveway cannot be be cannot be widened beyond the PWA plan currently because of the current right of way.

3:30

Thankfully, Groveway is not a high crash zone.

3:34

Bicyclists have told me that they're able to ride up and down the hill regularly without incident.

3:39

Because of these factors, a class two bike lane actually creates more potential for injury and death.

3:45

Therefore, I believe a class three bike lane should be installed instead of the road instead, so the road does not have to be widened and bicyclists remain safe.

3:54

ACPWA and Supervisor Nate Miley have not been responsive to our concerns or requests.

4:00

In 2019, Somerset was marked as receiving class two bike lanes, but instead received class three.

4:06

When I looked at the documents from the Somerset Road Project, I was frustrated to see that not only did residents there receive a special virtual community meeting, but they also got a survey and three design options.

4:19

Why have we not received such courtesy?

4:22

Federal guidelines for bike facility projects state the community studies within a neighborhood be done preemptively to drafting plans.

4:29

Why are the residents here being treated as if they don't matter?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Fire Safety██████████████████████████████30%

Wildfire Prevention██████████████████████22%

Public Comment███████████████15%

Procedural█████████████13%

Public Engagement█████████9%

Disability Rights█████5%

Public Safety███3%

Technology and Innovation██2%

Public Works█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council General Purpose Meeting – September 22, 2026

Note: The agenda and transcript list this meeting as Monday, September 21, 2026; however, the provided timestamp indicates the meeting took place on September 22, 2026. This summary uses the date given but notes the discrepancy.

The Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (CVMAC) met at the Castro Valley Library on September 22, 2026 (as recorded), at 6:00 p.m. The meeting included public comment, approval of minutes, informational presentations on updated fire hazard maps and fire station rebuilding projects, and approval of the 2027 meeting schedule.

Consent Calendar

Minutes of May 18, 2026 – Approved unanimously (6 ayes, 2 excused) with a request to include speaker names in future minutes.
Minutes of July 20, 2026 – Approved unanimously with a correction to Councilmember Mota’s attendance status.

Public Comments & Testimony

Monica Carr (Groveway resident) – Requested that the council add the ACPWA Groveway Improvement Project to a future agenda. She argued that the proposed widening for class II bike lanes is unsafe and that class III bike lanes should be installed instead. She stated that the community has received insufficient communication and that similar projects on Somerset received more outreach.
Devana Belser (Outsiders Coalition) – Presented a formal grievance regarding health, safety, and civil rights violations at the First Presbyterian Church Shelter (2490 Groveway). She reported chronic plumbing failures, lack of ADA-compliant restrooms, and dismissive staff, placing the council and county on notice.
Linda Honeyman – Opposed class II bike lanes on Groveway, citing safety risks from door zones and the burden of right-of-way widening. She supported class III bike lanes with shared road space.
Dr. Ann Maris (longtime Groveway resident) – Opposed the project, noting that CEQA documents were filed in 2024 as categorically exempt, but the public learned of the project only in 2026. She stated that the project would remove approximately 30 mature trees, relocate sidewalks, and reconfigure travel lanes. She requested more than the standard 72-hour notice for affected residents.

Discussion Items

I. Zone Zero and Recent Changes to California Fire Hazard Maps (Informational)

Presenters: Aaron P. Panfilio, Division Chief, and Breanne Slimick, Public Education Assistant, Alameda County Fire Department.
Overview: Explained the shift from 2009 fire hazard severity zones to updated 2025 maps using better data and technology. In Castro Valley, the number of very-high-hazard parcels dropped from 2,348 to 984, with an additional 1,531 parcels designated high, 838 moderate, and about 1,000 reclassified as non-wildland. The new “Zone Zero” rule (0–5 feet around structures) was adopted by the state on August 19, 2026, and will be phased in over 3–5 years for existing properties.
Q&A: Councilmembers asked about evacuation planning, annual inspections (only for very-high zones), insurance impacts, the relationship between zones and PG&E shutoffs, and the chipper program. Slimick explained that she personally inspects 984 very-high-zone homes annually. Panfilio and Slimick committed to follow up on questions about remodels, tree requirements in Zone Zero, and the Diablo Fire Safe Council.

II. Update on Fire Station Rebuilding Projects Funded by Measure X (Informational)

Presenter: Deputy Chief Eric Moore, Alameda County Fire Department.
Updates:
- Fire Station 7 (Palomares Hills): Located at 6855 Villarreal Drive. The structure is nearly complete; sheetrock installation is underway. Expected completion around January 15, 2027. A ribbon-cutting event is planned for late February/early March. The station will house a fire engine and a Type III wildland engine, plus an apparatus storage building.
- Fire Station 25 (San Miguel): Slab pouring scheduled for tomorrow. The project includes a vapor mitigation system due to soil contamination. An underground pool observed is groundwater. Will house a Type I engine, tiller truck, and battalion chief.
- Fire Station 26 (Castro Valley): Demolition of the former public market has begun. Design and environmental studies are underway. Estimated total cost ~$25 million. The current Station 26 property (Lake Chabot) is owned by ACFD and future use is undetermined.
Budget: The four stations will use $90 million from Measure X. ACFD will fund Station 24 (Ashland) from reserves. Stations 7 and 25 are currently tracking under budget despite unexpected soil remediation costs at Station 25.
Council comments: Members expressed appreciation, asked about traffic impacts near Castro Valley Elementary, and urged partnership on zoning for the Station 26 site.

III. Approval of 2027 CVMAC Meeting Schedule (Action)

Presenter: Chair Bill Mulgrew. The schedule (including both general purpose and land use meetings) was presented. Councilmember Mota requested ensuring technology functions on Thursday meeting dates. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously (6 ayes, 2 excused).

Key Outcomes

Minutes of May 18 and July 20, 2026 – Approved with minor corrections.
2027 Meeting Schedule – Approved unanimously.
Directives/Follow-up: Chief Panfilio will provide answers on fire-resistant construction requirements for remodels, tree pruning rules, and Diablo Fire Safe Council contacts. Councilmember Mota requested a formal tracking process for council requests and follow-up items. Staff agreed to share responses via email to the full council.
Next meeting: The regular meeting for September 28, 2026, was canceled.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everybody. Uh welcome to the September 21st general purpose meeting of the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council. Glad everybody's here and welcome to those online. And let's start the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Uh, Councilmember Mota, if you would please allegiance to the back of the United States of America. One donation individual with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. And Madam Clerk, can we have the roll call, please? Council Member Davis. Here. Council Member Devaney, excused Councilmember Phoebig. Here. Councilmember Mota. Present. Council Member Thomas. Present. Councilmember Moore, excuse Councilmember Mulgrew. Present. We have a quorum. Thank you. We'll start the evening with the approval of the minutes. And we will start. Oh, I'm sorry. Public comment. Yes, we do want to do that. Okay. This is the point in the agenda where we have comments from anybody in the community, and your comments can be on anything that is not on tonight's agenda, announcements, uh, feedback, any kind of comments at all. If you wish to speak, you'll have three minutes. And we just ask that you fill out a speaker card from the back table and bring it up to staff. Is there anyone here who would like to speak on anything that's not on tonight's sorry, Chair? Just one quick um to do. We have to take public comment on the call to order, roll call, and pledge of allegiance. And then I was told we do not have to do that. Oh, my mistake. Don't worry. Monica Carr for public comment. Uh on the to the audience, please. If you would have you need to turn on the mic, please. Yes. Button on top. All right. I'm asking that the council please add the ACPWA Groveway Improvement Project to their upcoming general meeting agenda as soon as possible. Neighbors on Groveway have been trying to contact public works to ask questions about the project, and very few have been answered. We have made record requests asking for studies on this project and have been denied. Public works plan is to widen the street by six feet, three street, three feet on each side. The proposed bike lanes that they're doing it for are five feet, and parking lanes are seven feet, meeting the 12-foot minimum federal standard. And they pose safety issues to bicyclists due to their proximity to both moving and parked cars as they are riding while within the door zone. Since driveways will be shortened, people with larger vehicles will be forced to park on the road, posing even more risk as bicyclists pass by. Because the federal standard does not make the appropriate considerations for this, many cities have adopted a 14-foot design standard. Groveway cannot be be cannot be widened beyond the PWA plan currently because of the current right of way.

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