OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

San Leandro City Council Facilities & Transportation Committee Meeting - May 26, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, May 26, 2026
BodySan Leandro, California
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, May 26, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 53:52
Transcript — Verbatim
0:03

Well, good afternoon.

0:05

Today is Thursday, May 14th, 2026, and I'm calling to order the San Leandro, City of San Leandro City Council Facilities and Transportation Commission.

0:18

And the time is whatever the time is 402.

0:22

Madam Clerk, would you please take our roll?

0:26

Council member boat is absent today.

0:28

Council member Aguilar.

0:33

Repeat?

0:34

Present.

0:36

Mayor Gonzalez.

0:37

Present.

0:39

Okay, Madam Clark, at this time, would you make your announcement, please?

0:42

After each agenda item is presented, the mayor will ask for committee member comments and then take public comment.

0:47

If you would like to speak during public comment, please complete a speaker card and submit it to the clerk before the item is heard.

0:53

Members of the public will have two minutes to share their comments.

0:57

Okay, so we are going to go to item two on our agenda.

1:01

It's the time for public to offer comment on items that are not on our agenda.

1:06

If you would like to speak on this area, not an agenda item.

1:12

Please make sure you've submitted a speaker card.

1:14

Madam Clerk, how many speaker cards do we have?

1:17

We have eight cards.

1:19

So we will continue with our two-minute tradition.

1:21

And please call three so that they may line up.

1:27

Paul, sorry.

1:28

Key and Catherine, can you please come up?

1:59

Good afternoon.

2:01

I'm here to urge the committee to recommend to the council that you make a statement of clarification with regard to the goals of uh reopening Lake Shabot Road.

2:13

Um I'm asking for a uh a statement or an instruction, perhaps the city staff, that it's the intent of the city council to reopen Lake Shabot Road as a goal, and to do so within a uh the quickest period possible reasonably possible.

2:30

As I see it, I see two obstacles to um what's going on with Lake Shabau Road now.

2:36

It's been closed for years.

2:38

Uh one obstacle I believe is that is that the city does not recognize the importance of the road to the uh safety of the residents uh of Baya Vista and in particular the the part of Baya Vista on the back side of the hill on the top of the hill where I live.

2:54

Um it's it's a matter of evacuation.

2:57

Uh it's a matter of uh increasing the routes available for evacuation.

3:02

Uh others will talk about the study that we've you probably know about the study uh that we've had done, and we hope to present it to you.

3:09

But my concern is based on number one, the the glacially slow pace of repairs so far.

3:16

I mean, it at best we're getting the repair done after five years.

3:19

Now that's just not a priority.

3:21

Uh the the fact that there are locked gates, uh, that the bollards that allowed uh limited access just simply disappeared one day.

3:30

Uh it's not just a matter of uh wildfire, it's a matter of earthquakes, uh it's a matter of uh medical emergencies.

3:37

Um another thing that that always concerns me is this uh position the city has that after the repairs are done currently in progress, that the road cannot be reopened.

3:50

Uh and I don't know the basis of that.

3:53

It's not been disclosed in a public way.

3:56

I don't actually think that it's based on any kind of uh current or recent uh geotechnical study.

4:02

I think your time's up.

4:04

Okay.

4:16

Oh, good.

4:17

Hi, good afternoon.

4:18

My name is Ki Wu.

4:21

My wife and I bought our house on View Drive 25 years ago.

4:26

Um, what we what we viewed as uh a very, you know, very quiet, very relaxing.

4:34

Neighborhood in the residential street.

4:37

Um three or four years ago, we had the massive rains which closed Lake Chabot Road, which eventually ended up turning our residential street into a thoroughfare.

4:48

And uh, you know, by recent um evaluations uh in terms of traffic control, I think the numbers were as high as a thousand cars per day going up and down our street, which is basically turned our residential neighborhood into something that was that it was not um, it was much better when we moved here.

5:09

Um, the the people that drive through the neighborhood are not from the from the area, they're probably en route to Castor Valley.

5:19

They're in a hurry.

5:20

They don't really care about the residents uh people, most of the drivers drive in excess of the speed limits, which is 25 miles an hour, probably in the area more like 40 or 50 miles an hour up and down the street.

5:32

So it's very very dangerous for us in the neighborhood.

5:36

The quality of our life has been drastically compromised.

5:40

Um, I'm asking the city and the council to please expedite the opening of Lake Shabot Road.

5:49

Our residential street is not intended to be a permanent solution.

5:54

It is not meant to be a thoroughfare, is it a residential street?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Engineering And Infrastructure███████████████████████████████████████████43%
Transportation Safety████████████████████████████████████████40%
Community Engagement█████████████████17%
Summary of Proceedings

San Leandro City Council Facilities & Transportation Committee Meeting - May 26, 2026

Note: The transcript indicates the meeting occurred on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 4:02 PM, conflicting with the provided date of May 26, 2026. This summary reflects the transcript content but uses the requested date for the title.

The meeting was called to order at 4:02 PM with Mayor Gonzalez and Councilmember Aguilar present; Councilmember Boat was absent. No formal votes were taken. The committee heard public comments on the closure of Lake Chabot Road and received a presentation on the Bay Fair Community-Based Transportation Plan (CBTP). The meeting adjourned at 4:55 PM.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Lake Chabot Road Closure (8 speakers): All speakers urged the committee to recommend reopening Lake Chabot Road to two-way traffic, citing safety concerns, wildfire evacuation risks, traffic diversion onto residential streets, and the need for geotechnical studies. Speakers included:
    • Paul: Expressed concern over the slow pace of repairs and locked gates; argued the road is critical for evacuation during wildfires, earthquakes, and medical emergencies.
    • Ki Wu (View Drive resident): Described how the closure turned his residential street into a thoroughfare with up to 1,000 cars per day, speeding, and safety hazards; requested expedited reopening.
    • Catherine Luce: Highlighted fire danger from the freeway and need for an additional escape route; urged proactive planning.
    • Greg Novak (Bay-O-Vista resident): Noted no geotechnical study has been done; criticized the bolting of gates without community outreach; emphasized vulnerability of elderly neighbors.
    • Mary Ann Miller: Argued the closure constitutes a project under CEQA without proper analysis or public notification; recommended funding for geological studies.
    • Brian Lebo: Recalled prior council support for reopening but noted lack of formal policy; asked the committee to forward a recommendation to the council.
    • Unnamed speaker (likely Kat Wallman): Presented a citizen-led evacuation study showing 100–400 residents could be exposed to toxic fire smoke; announced a citizen-led revenue measure (Citizens for a Safe and Vibrant San Leandro) to fund infrastructure, including the road repair. Asked for a council resolution committing to reopening subject to funding.

Discussion Items

  • Bay Fair Community-Based Transportation Plan (CBTP):

    • Avalon Schultz (Assistant Community Development Director) and Molly Sun (Fair and Pears) presented an update. The CBTP is a joint effort with Alameda County, funded by Alameda CTC, to improve safety and mobility around Bayfair BART and surrounding neighborhoods. Key points:
      • Engagement included 164 survey responses, four interviews, two pop-up events, a steering committee, and a community open house (50 attendees).
      • Six key themes emerged: safe BART access, auto-dominated landscape barriers, disconnected bike network, safety/security concerns, structural barriers, and desire for welcoming streets.
      • Priority streets identified: Hesperian, Bancroft, East 14th, Fairmont, Halcyon, and 150th.
      • Top improvements requested: better lighting, benches/shade at bus stops, safer crossings, and greening.
      • Next steps: draft project list (June–July), further outreach (late summer), draft plan (early fall), final by end of 2026.
    • Committee comments: Councilmember Aguilar asked about school engagement (limited) and age-based variation (similar themes). Mayor Gonzalez suggested outreach to Eden Dale Middle School, Hillside Elementary, and Jefferson Elementary; noted survey bias; encouraged an at-grade crossing at Union Pacific rail line; and stressed funding for geotechnical studies as a concrete step.

  • Lake Chabot Road Discussion:

    • Following public comments, Mayor Gonzalez noted that prior council discussions (February 2025) did not result in a motion to open the road one-way or to fund a geotechnical study. City Engineer Jason Emai confirmed that both motions failed. The mayor suggested funding the geotechnical study (estimated ~$100,000) would be a clearer commitment than a resolution, given apparent council consensus for reopening. The topic may be agendized for future discussion.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes or decisions were made.
  • The committee acknowledged public input on Lake Chabot Road and discussed potential next steps, including a possible referral to the full council (Item 11) to fund geotechnical studies or revisit reopening.
  • The Bay Fair CBTP presentation was received; the committee provided suggestions for broader outreach (schools, equity communities) and requested continued coordination with transit agencies.

Meeting Transcript

Well, good afternoon. Today is Thursday, May 14th, 2026, and I'm calling to order the San Leandro, City of San Leandro City Council Facilities and Transportation Commission. And the time is whatever the time is 402. Madam Clerk, would you please take our roll? Council member boat is absent today. Council member Aguilar. Repeat? Present. Mayor Gonzalez. Present. Okay, Madam Clark, at this time, would you make your announcement, please? After each agenda item is presented, the mayor will ask for committee member comments and then take public comment. If you would like to speak during public comment, please complete a speaker card and submit it to the clerk before the item is heard. Members of the public will have two minutes to share their comments. Okay, so we are going to go to item two on our agenda. It's the time for public to offer comment on items that are not on our agenda. If you would like to speak on this area, not an agenda item. Please make sure you've submitted a speaker card. Madam Clerk, how many speaker cards do we have? We have eight cards. So we will continue with our two-minute tradition. And please call three so that they may line up. Paul, sorry. Key and Catherine, can you please come up? Good afternoon. I'm here to urge the committee to recommend to the council that you make a statement of clarification with regard to the goals of uh reopening Lake Shabot Road. Um I'm asking for a uh a statement or an instruction, perhaps the city staff, that it's the intent of the city council to reopen Lake Shabot Road as a goal, and to do so within a uh the quickest period possible reasonably possible. As I see it, I see two obstacles to um what's going on with Lake Shabau Road now. It's been closed for years. Uh one obstacle I believe is that is that the city does not recognize the importance of the road to the uh safety of the residents uh of Baya Vista and in particular the the part of Baya Vista on the back side of the hill on the top of the hill where I live. Um it's it's a matter of evacuation. Uh it's a matter of uh increasing the routes available for evacuation. Uh others will talk about the study that we've you probably know about the study uh that we've had done, and we hope to present it to you. But my concern is based on number one, the the glacially slow pace of repairs so far. I mean, it at best we're getting the repair done after five years. Now that's just not a priority. Uh the the fact that there are locked gates, uh, that the bollards that allowed uh limited access just simply disappeared one day. Uh it's not just a matter of uh wildfire, it's a matter of earthquakes, uh it's a matter of uh medical emergencies. Um another thing that that always concerns me is this uh position the city has that after the repairs are done currently in progress, that the road cannot be reopened. Uh and I don't know the basis of that. It's not been disclosed in a public way. I don't actually think that it's based on any kind of uh current or recent uh geotechnical study. I think your time's up. Okay. Oh, good. Hi, good afternoon. My name is Ki Wu. My wife and I bought our house on View Drive 25 years ago. Um, what we what we viewed as uh a very, you know, very quiet, very relaxing. Neighborhood in the residential street.

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