Archive for the ‘Construction’ Category

Natural gas ban lifted for new buildings in Contra Costa County

Wednesday, February 28th, 2024

Supervisors suspend all-electric requirements following U.S. Court of Appeals ruling

(Martinez, CA) – The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors Tuesday suspended enforcement of its requirement that most new buildings be constructed as all-electric buildings.  The County’s all-electric building requirement, as part of the County’s building code, had prohibited the installation of natural gas infrastructure in most new buildings and required developers to use electricity as the sole source of energy in the building.  With Tuesday’s action, the County’s all-electric building requirement will not be enforced.

Last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit invalidated a City of Berkeley ordinance that prohibited natural gas infrastructure in new buildings. The court held that the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act precludes cities and counties from adopting building codes that prohibit the installation of gas plumbing in buildings.

Contra Costa County’s all-electric building requirement, like the invalidated City of Berkeley ordinance, prohibits the installation of gas plumbing in new buildings.  The County is therefore suspending this requirement in response to the Ninth Circuit’s decision.

At the same time, the Board of Supervisors remains committed to the goals that prompted it to adopt the all-electric requirement: improving public health and fighting what they believe contributes to climate change. The Board referred the topic of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings to its Sustainability Committee and directed staff to report on alternatives for advancing this objective at the Committee’s next meeting.

“Contra Costa County remains committed to reducing the use of fossil fuels in buildings and continues to support the construction of new buildings using all-electric technologies,” said Board Chair Federal D. Glover, District 5 Supervisor.  “We are eager to identify new and innovative ways to continue to pursue our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.”

The County encourages residents and businesses to continue to install all-electric building systems and appliances. There are many benefits of all-electric construction, some of which include:

  • Cleaner air and better health outcomes from eliminating the emissions associated with burning fossil fuels, particularly indoors.
  • Not having to pay to install gas pipes in new buildings.
  • Taking advantage of financial incentives and rebates for all-electric appliances.
  • Resilience against power outages, particularly when electric technologies are paired with battery storage.
  • Hedging against high electricity costs by being able to schedule electric appliances to operate at times of day when electricity costs are lowest.
  • Preparing for the potential discontinuation of gas appliances in the future that could occur from possible regulatory actions by regional, state, or federal agencies.

There are many good resources on the benefits of all-electric buildings, including:

The County’s sustainability web site has information on state and federal incentives, rebates, and other ways to fund all-electric upgrades.

The Bay Area Regional Energy Network has information on training opportunities, rebates and incentives, and contractors.  

MCE, the community choice energy provider for most of Contra Costa County, offers rebates and incentives.

The Switch Is On, sponsored by the Building Decarbonization Coalition, is a collaborative campaign to support all-electric home conversion by providing tools, support, and resources to Californians.

Rewiring America provides information about the benefits of all-electric technologies, and helps generate a personalized plan for individuals, including costs and savings.

PG&E also has resources on all-electric buildings, including rebates, incentives, rate plans, and design guides.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Traffic control on Marsh Creek Road during Bridges Replacement Project Nov. 28

Friday, November 24th, 2023
Traffic Control Work Area Map on Nov. 28, 2023. Source: CCCPWD

By Kelly Kalfsbeek, PIO, Community & Media Relations Coordinator, Contra Costa County Public Works Department

November 22, 2023, Clayton and Brentwood, CA- The Contra Costa County Public Works Department will be using traffic control on Marsh Creek Road, approximately .25 miles northwest of the intersection of Marsh Creek Road and Camino Diablo, on Tuesday November 28,2023, barring unforeseen circumstances, for work that will take place between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., weather permitting.

Traffic control is being used to ensure the safety of the travelling public during the installation of concrete girders on Bridge 145. Traffic will be stopped in both directions while the girders are being lifted into place.Delays of 15 minutes are expected.

This project is replacing two (2) bridges on Marsh Creek Road with two (2) new concrete bridges. Work is taking place on Marsh Creek Road at Bridges 143 and 145. Bridge 143 is located approximately 1.5 miles northwest of Deer Valley Road near the Clayton Palms Community. Bridge 145 is located approximately 3.0 miles east of Deer Valley Road near the road transition to Camino Diablo. Work also includes reconstruction of the bridge approach and construction of drainage facilities.

Funding for this project is provided by the federal Highway Bridge Program and local Gas Tax funds. To learn more about this project, please visit: www.contracosta.ca.gov/MCR-Bridge

About Contra Costa County Public Works Department:

Contra Costa County Public Works Department (CCCPWD) maintains over 660 miles of roads, 150 miles of streams, channels, and other drainage and over 150 County buildings throughout Contra Costa County. CCCPWD provides services such as Parks and Recreation, Sandbag Distribution and Flood Control throughout the unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County. CCCPWD operates two airports, Buchanan Field Airport in Concord, and Byron Airport in Byron. For more information about CCCPWD, please visit us at: www.cccpublicworks.org Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X @cccpublicworks.

CONTACT: Project: Matt Taliaferro, 916.969.6646

Highway 4 in Brentwood to close for trail overcrossing construction tonight, Tuesday night, Oct. 9 & 10

Monday, October 9th, 2023

Between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road

Single-lane closures Wed.-Sat. nights, Oct. 11-14

By City of Brentwood

The construction of the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing span over State Route 4 (“SR4”) in Brentwood requires a temporary nighttime freeway closure in both directions for two consecutive nights.  Additionally, there will be single lane closures for several subsequent nights.   

 The highway will be closed in both directions, between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road on the following dates/times:   

Monday, October 9, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m., the following morning.

Tuesday, October 10, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m., the following morning.

Detours will be in place as follows:

Eastbound traffic will be directed to exit at Lone Tree Way, go eastbound to Shady Willow Lane, then southbound on Shady Willow Lane to Sand Creek Road, before proceeding westbound on Sand Creek Road to the eastbound State Route 4 on-ramp.

Westbound traffic will exit on Sand Creek Road and go eastbound on Sand Creek Road to Shady Willow Lane, then northbound on Shady Willow Lane to Lone Tree Way, and proceed westbound on Lone Tree Way to the westbound State Route 4 on-ramp.

There will be single-lane closures in the eastbound and westbound directions on the following dates/times:

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 4:00 a.m., the following morning.

Thursday, October 12, 2023 from 10:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m., the following morning.

Friday, October 13, 2023 from 11:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m., the following morning.

Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 11:00 p.m. until 8:00 a.m., the following morning.

Visit the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing web site for more information on the project.

Pittsburg man who died at Antioch construction site identified

Tuesday, August 8th, 2023
The construction site at the former ABC Rendezvous bar where a crew member died on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. Photo by Ronn Carter, Emergency Spotlight – CoCoCounty, California

Cause of death not yet determined, but not an accident

By Ronn Carter & Allen D. Payton

A man who died while working at construction site in Antioch last Wednesday, August 2, 2023 has been identified. According to Contra Costa County Deputy Coroner Gonzalez, the man was Saul Cisneros, age 55, (born January 31, 1968) of Pittsburg.

While contractors were transforming the former ABC Rendezvous bar located on Walter Way near Railroad Avenue into what appears to be a commercial storage facility, a crew member collapsed on the job. Antioch Police and Con Fire paramedics were dispatched at 2:39 p.m. for a medical emergency. Soon after their arrival the medical team announced the individual as a ‘1055’ coroner’s case. In response to the situation, all construction staff were released for the day as APD took charge and roped off the area.

As of 4:15 PM that day, Antioch Police Department spokesman Sgt. Price Kendall said an officer was on the scene still investigating. On Sunday, he said no more details will be released, that the Coroner’s Office has the investigation, now and they will determine the cause of death.

On Tuesday, August 8, Gonzalez said, “the cause of death has not been determined and is labeled as ‘pending.’ It was not an accident.”

One-way traffic controls for Marsh Creek Road bridges project begin Aug. 7

Sunday, August 6th, 2023
Source: CCC Public Works

By Kelly Kalfsbeek, PIO, Contra Costa County Public Works Department

The Contra Costa County Public Works Department will install one-way traffic control on Marsh Creek Road from approximately 1.3 miles northwest of Deer Valley Road near the Clayton Palms Community to approximately 0.6 miles west beginning on Monday, August 7, 2023, through April 2024, barring unforeseen circumstances.

The traffic control will include installing a temporary traffic signal system to allow one direction of traffic at a time through the Marsh Creek Road Bridges Replacement Project work area for the public’s safety. Message boards and signage will alert drivers about the traffic control. Drivers should expect delays up to 15 minutes.

The project will replace two (2) bridges on Marsh Creek Road with two (2) new concrete bridges. Work will take place on Marsh Creek Road at Bridges 143 and 145. Bridge 143 is located approximately 1.5 miles northwest of Deer Valley Road near the Clayton Palms Community. Bridge 145 is located approximately 3.0 miles east of Deer Valley Road near the road transition to Camino Diablo. Work also includes reconstruction of the bridge approach and construction of drainage facilities. The temporary traffic signal system to allow one direction of traffic will be installed at the Bridge 143 site only.

Funding for this project is provided by the federal Highway Bridge Program and local Gas Tax funds. To learn more about this project, please visit: www.contracosta.ca.gov/MCR-Bridge

About Contra Costa County Public Works Department:

Contra Costa County Public Works Department (CCCPWD) maintains over 660 miles of roads, 150 miles of streams, channels, and other drainage and over 150 County buildings throughout Contra Costa County. CCCPWD provides services such as Parks and Recreation, Sandbag Distribution and Flood Control throughout the unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County. CCCPWD operates two airports, Buchanan Field Airport in Concord, and Byron Airport in Byron. For more information about CCCPWD, please visit us at: www.cccpublicworks.org Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @cccpublicworks

Traffic Advisory: Overnight Hwy 4 closure planned in Brentwood May 19-20

Thursday, May 18th, 2023
Mokelumne Trail Overcrossing April 2023 progress. Photo: CCTA

For Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing

By Linsey Willis, Director of External Affairs, CCTA

BRENTWOOD, CA – In partnership with the City of Brentwood, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is constructing the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing to provide safe access to cyclists and pedestrians for commuting and recreational travel, reconnecting two sides of the trail that were separated by the expansion of State Route 4.  The overnight closure will enable the contractor to pour concrete for the superstructure as part of the construction work installing the pedestrian and bicyclist crossing over State Route 4.  This closure will impact State Route 4 in both the Eastbound and Westbound directions.  CCTA and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) have scheduled the closure during the early morning hours in order to minimize impacts to the motoring public.

Overnight Freeway Closure of State Route 4 between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road

In order to ensure crew and public safety during the planned construction work, a temporary nighttime freeway closure in both directions of State Route 4 will occur between Friday, May 19, 2023 and Saturday, May 20, 2023 on the following schedule (weather permitting): Eastbound and Westbound Highway 4 will be closed from 9:00pm on Friday, May 19 until 6:00am on Saturday, May 20, 2023. 

Detours

Detours will be in place to reroute drivers around the closure and are planned as follows:

Eastbound traffic will be directed to exit at Lone Tree Way, go eastbound to Shady Willow Lane, then southbound on Shady Willow Lane to Sand Creek Road, before proceeding westbound on Sand Creek Road to the eastbound State Route 4 on-ramp.

Westbound drivers having to detour will exit on Sand Creek Road and go eastbound on Sand Creek Road to Shady Willow Lane, then northbound on Shady Willow Lane to Lone Tree Way, and proceed westbound on Lone Tree Way to the westbound State Route 4 on-ramp.

Future Freeway Closures

Additional overnight closures will be needed over the course of the next eight weeks (weather dependent) to facilitate concrete pours for the stem and soffit and deck of the future Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing.  Additional information regarding dates and detours will be provided once the schedule is confirmed. This project is anticipated to be complete in late summer or early fall of 2023.

About the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing

In partnership with the City of Brentwood, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is constructing the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing to provide safe access to cyclists and pedestrians for commuting and recreational travel, reconnecting two sides of the trail that were separated by the expansion of State Route 4.

When completed, the overcrossing will provide access to the future East County Intermodal Transit Center and BART Station in Brentwood, as well. It is part of the larger Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail which also includes the Delta de Anza Regional Trail that runs through Antioch and Oakley,  that will, when completed, connect six counties across California from the East Bay to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

The cost to design and build the bridge is approximately $13 million, with funding provided through Measure J taxpayer dollars, the State Route 4 Bypass Authority, and bridge toll funds.

About the Contra Costa Transportation Authority

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is a public agency formed by Contra Costa voters in 1988 to manage the county’s transportation sales tax program and oversee countywide transportation planning efforts. With a staff of twenty people managing a multi-billion-dollar suite of projects and programs, CCTA is responsible for planning, funding and delivering critical transportation infrastructure projects and programs that connect our communities, foster a strong economy, increase sustainability, and safely and efficiently get people where they need to go. CCTA also serves as the county’s designated Congestion Management Agency, responsible for putting programs in place to keep traffic levels manageable. More information about CCTA is available at ccta.net.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Housing construction is key to Contra Costa’s economic rebound in “Post-COVID New World Order” Supervisors told

Saturday, January 29th, 2022

Construction Activity in Contra Costa County. Source: Beacon Economics

By Daniel Borsuk

A housing boom in the single family and multi-family residential construction sectors will jump start Contra Costa County’s economy in the post-COVID 19 era, economist Dr. Christopher Thornberg told the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors during their retreat on Tuesday.

“Housing, housing, housing is the wave of the future for Contra Costa County,” Dr. Thornberg of Beacon Economics said during a two-hour remote presentation entitled “The Post-Covid New World Order: It’s a seller’s market for now.”

In 2021, Contra Costa County outpaced other Bay Area counties especially San Francisco and Alameda counties in issuing single family and multi-family residential permits, the economist said.  Housing construction serves as an economic sparkplug for the local economy – stores and services, especially public schools.

From this increased economic activity, the county will draw increased sales tax revenue particularly from the newly voter approved Measure X sales tax measure.  County officials estimate Measure X will pump in $170 million of additional revenue for county health and social programs for the 2022-23 fiscal year.

Contra Costa County had issued 1,687 permits in 2021 for single family residential units, an increase of 466 permits from 2019 and 1,336 permits for multi-family residential units, an increase of 580 units from 2019, based on statistics that Dr. Thornberg showed.

In the meantime, San Francisco City and County issued only 86 single-family housing permits in 2021, an increase of only nine permits from 2020, and 2,075 multi-family residential unit permits in 2021, a decrease of 552 permits, from 2020.

Residential construction in Alameda County was down in both categories. Single family was declined 41 permits with 1,241 permits issued overall in 2021.  Multi-family residential construction was also down 126 units to 2,953 units multi-family residential unit permits overall.

“Offices are going to take a beating in the suburbs,” the economist forecast. More people are working from home, and it appears this remote trend is here to stay for a while, he said.

In San Francisco’s Financial District, where it is nearly deserted because of the pandemic, there are office buildings that are practically empty of workers, Thornberg said.  He said it would be very costly to convert unused office buildings into residential buildings in the city.

79.8 Percent Fully Vaccinated 

Meanwhile, Contra Costa County Health Services Director Anna Roth reported that 79.8 percent of the county’s population is fully vaccinated.

“Mask-wearing has become a priority and wearing cloth masks are not that protective,” said Roth

Even then there has been a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the county Deputy Health Officer Dr. Ori Tzvieli said with 281 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 or the Omicron variant.

Supervisors also learned the county on average administers 12,000 COVID-19 tests daily.

Nino Recommends Postponing $59 Million of American Rescue Plan Funds

Supervisors also, on the recommendation of County Administrator Monica Nino, voted 5-0 to postpone the acceptance of $59 million of the second-year allocation of American Rescue Plan funds “until the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and related impacts on Contra Costa County is better understood in January 2023,” she stated.

In the meantime, some $53 million in year two American Rescue Plan funds be accept by the county.

Nino had cited bureaucratic red-tape issues both at the state and federal levels for temporarily halting portions of the federal funds used for rental assistance, employment assistance and other federal government subsidy programs developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

Maintenance work on Vasco Road postponed until Nov. 1-4

Monday, October 25th, 2021

Source: CCC Public Works

Contra Costa County Public Works Department will clean-up debris and replace delineators to enhance safety on Vasco Road. The work will occur approximately 1 mile south of the Camino Diablo/Vasco Road intersection to the Alameda County Line, a length of approximately 7.5 miles, and will include a rolling lane closure. The work is scheduled for Monday, November 1, 2021 through Thursday, November 4, 2021, barring unforeseen circumstances. Work will take place between 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., weather permitting. Drivers should expect delays. Message boards will be placed in advance to advise drivers of work and expected delays. This is essential work required for the public’s safety.