|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The proposed Garaventa Hills housing development is headed to the Livermore City Council on Monday night with positive recommendations from city staff and the Planning Commission.
Up for consideration is the same 44-unit single-family residential subdivision the commission and council green-lit in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
But this time, following a court ruling that the project’s environmental review inadequately explored the no-project alternative, the council will consider its recirculated partial final environmental impact report. The new EIR rules out open space conservation as a viable option for the proposed project site in northeast Livermore, in large part due to the owner’s unwillingness to sell.
As part of the deliberation process, the council will hold a public hearing for community feedback.
But because the project abides by existing laws, councilmembers cannot be driven by public sentiment. Instead, their role is quasi-judicial, according to the staff report.
If the council finds the project is compliant with existing laws and design standards, then they must approve it for development, according to the report. They have leeway only to impose conditions on the project, like requiring a point of contact for communication during construction.
Behind its decision are recommendations by the Planning Commission and staff to authorize the development, including certifying the project’s recirculated partial final EIR and approving its planning documents.
The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday (Nov. 25) at the Civic Center Meeting Hall in Livermore. The full agenda can be accessed here.
In other business
* The council will discuss terminating three local liaison bodies: the Livermore-Dublin Liaison Committee; the Livermore-Pleasanton Liaison Committee and the Intergovernmental Committee which includes the City of Livermore, the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District and the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District.
These groups are composed of council members who share information with partnering agencies. But, following council direction, staff determined that “staff working groups as needed are more effective,” according to the resolution.
* Councilmembers will consider approving the purchase of seven 2025 hybrid Ford Police Interceptor Utilities to replace Livermore Police Department vehicles. Expenses are capped at $459,558.
* The city is set to receive a grant award of $82,179 for the enforcement of responsible sale of tobacco products, according to the agenda.
Enforcement by the Livermore Police Department includes minor decoy operations, undercover buy operations, monitoring tobacco retailer licenses and more.
Financing will be split between the fiscal years from 2024-25 to 2026-27. Support comes from the California Department of Justice, Office of Attorney General, Tobacco Law Enforcement Grant program.
An additional $26,327, drawn from the Police Department’s budget, will be used for enforcement during the fiscal year 2024-25.
* Councilmembers are also set to approve grants for the Las Positas College Foundation for the 2025 LPC Literary Arts Festival ($10,000), Livermore Arts Association for the 2025 Spring Arts Program ($5,800) and the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center for four events in the Cultural Celebration Series ($10,000).
* They will consider a grant agreement with Livermore Downtown Inc. for the fiscal year 2024-25 ($90,000) to pay for activities that encourage downtown visits, support small business growth downtown and more.
* The council is also set to once again raise the contract limit for the Water Reclamation Plant primary and secondary treatment improvements.
The improvements “are needed to increase the efficiency and reliability of plant operations,” according to the City’s website.
The contract with Cannon Corporation was originally set at $112,900 in August 2022. The following year, compensation rose to $231,026. Now, the council will consider raising the contract ceiling to $324,171 for “additional commissioning support services,” according to the agenda.
* The council’s discussion of an agreement with Ava Community Energy to install solar and battery storage at municipal facilities has been postponed to an undetermined date.
Pleasanton school board set to vote on canceling certain employee layoff noticesApril 16, 2026 7:42 am
