January 26, 2012
Hello Everyone:
Rain was welcomed
enthusiastically by all last week - except our construction crew. One thing you don't do in the rain is pour cement.
As soon as the sun returned, the cement trucks arrived and the Shattuck side pad for the expansion was poured in a day.
Structural steel is being fabricated now for erection next week. You'll see this portion of the project really begin
to take shape in the next several weeks as the walls go up near the Shattuck sidewalk.
The Henry/Vine
area work that had been stalled by a problematic water main has resumed. The remaining tree stump has been removed and
what was left of the old cement planters has been demolished. New water pipes for fire suppression are being installed
now in the Henry expansion corner. Excavation continues for the building footings, and dirt grading in that area is
being done to prepare the pad for a concrete pour in the next several weeks. Henry and Vine St. neighbors will experience
intermittent noise from excavation (digging) and grading (dirt smoothing) for at least the next three weeks before the walls
start going up.
Henry St. neighbors will experience occasional traffic disruptions as trucks arrive
and depart with loads of dirt. The crews are working hard to minimize your inconvenience. Please let us know if
you are having any problems accessing your driveways, getting your garbage and recycling picked up, or have any other issue
or concern. You can always talk to Greg Harp from San Jose Construction at the site if you need something right away,
or call or write to me if your need is not so immediate.
Finally, the store closure date has been
changed - again. The scheduled closure is now mid-March with a grand re-opening envisioned for mid-September.
Have a good week, Elisabeth
| New Expansion Foundation 1-25-2012 |
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January 13, 2012
Hello Safeway Neighbors and Others:
We'll
begin this week's report on the Henry St. side with the water main for fire sprinklers still causing delays for the Henry
St. expansion. The re-routing and expansion of the water main to serve the expanded store is expected to be done this
week. Completing that work allows the crews to finally pull the tree stump and prepare the pad for the new expanded
area in the southwest corner. The dirt mound (a combined pile of excavation from both the Henry and Shattuck sides of
the project) should be completely removed within a week.
Work on the Shattuck side is humming
along. The crews are still building the concrete forms for the expanded store areas that meet the street. There
will be a substantial concrete pour in the coming week when the trucks arrive to deliver the concrete for the new pad.
Workers will be on hand to make sure that shoppers can enter and exit the parking lot.
While we
have experienced some delays due to the water main and other peculiarities of an old building, the balmy weather has been
a lovely gift in helping keep things on schedule. Call or write with questions, complaints, concerns,
gripes, grumbling, annoyances and irritations.
See you next week, Elisabeth
January 5, 2012
Hello Everyone -
The last two weeks were relatively
quiet. I hope the neighbors enjoyed the peaceful days when there was no construction activity. The pace has picked
up this week as we begin the new year and continue our work to keep the re-opening date in late summer of this year.
Construction activity continues in the garage. Walls have been shored for strengthening,
and preparations are being made to construct the new ramp that goes from the upper parking lot down into the garage.
From Henry St. you can see the excavation beginning to make way for the new garage entrance.
The southwest corner (Henry St. near Vine) has been a real challenge for the last month as the crews
must re-route a water main that supplies the water for fire sprinklers. The roots from the last remaining tree stump
have grown around and through the water pipes making stump removal impossible. The workers have painstakingly excavated
the water main in order to replace and extend it to cover the expansion area. We are hoping that work will conclude
this week so that stump can finally be pulled out and the preparation for the pad and footings can continue. Once the
stump is out, the demolition of the planter walls on the Henry side can be finished, which should take a day or two.
The construction of the walls for the expanded southwest corner will begin soon.
Once the footings are in place, the masonry walls will go up, and the structural steel will be erected. There will
be noise associated with this process which should extend throughout the month of January.
There is a mound of dirt on the Henry side which is a product of the excavation. That mound will be moved
or removed soon.
The Shattuck side is beginning to take shape. If
you peer through the chain link from the parking lot, you'll see concrete forms being built close to the existing sidewalk.
This is where the sawtooth-shaped building edge meets the street in the expanded area on the northeast corner. Work
continues on preparing the pad for the concrete pour in the next several weeks.
The noise levels for the next several months will vary. There will be times when, for several consecutive
days, there will be sawing and excavation. I will give you a heads up as accurately as I can but schedules change
often and predictions are tough to make.
Please call or write with questions
or gripes. And don't forget the website: www.safewayonshattuck.com
Thanks, Elisabeth
| Berkeley Construction 12-15-2011 |
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December 15, 2011
Dear Neighbors and Others:
The worst is almost over. The demolition is nearly complete and the dirt compaction will be done tomorrow.
The pad for the foundation expansion at the southwest corner is nearly complete. The next step is excavation for the
footings. The jack hammering through the existing walls is also nearly complete.
The water
main for the fire line in the expansion area is also nearly completed. There is one remaining stump to be removed that
will be dug out by hand. Cement pouring for the building footings will happen toward the end of this month. Construction
of the walls will begin next week through January. The trenching for the underground utilities also begins next week.
None of these activities will be nearly as loud as the demolition or dirt compaction.
Next week
you can also expect some demolition of existing walls on Henry near the loading dock. Also, by the end of the year,
the old utility area to the right of the garage entry will be demolished. Before the demo there will be some shoring
of the walls in that area. This work will take a week, at most.
The Shattuck side hasn't
changed much since last week. More trenching for utilities and preparation for the foundation and footings.
We know it's been a rough week. We really are almost at the end of this really noisy phase. The next
construction phases will have some noise, but it won't be nearly as loud as you've experienced the last several weeks.
As always, call or write to ask questions or express your frustrations. And check the website at http://www.safewayonshattuck.com/.
Thanks, Elisabeth
Watch our progess here:
| December 14, 2011 Henry Street Image |
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December 9, 2011
Dear Neighbors and Others:
Lots
of news this week. Safeway will be closing the store at the end of February in order to accelerate the construction
completion. All of the employees will be temporarily relocated, and the new store is slated to reopen in late summer
of 2012. The Solano Avenue Safeway will be open during this time.
In the short term, there
will be two 3-day weekends where there will be no construction activity. December 26th and January 2nd
will be quiet. That will surely be welcome news to the Henry and Vine St. neighbors.
Parking
restrictions on Henry St. have been lifted. The sewer and storm drain work has been completed and the hole in the street
has been paved over.
Activity at the Southwest Corner (Vine and Henry)
Demolition work continues on the walls at the corner of the store. This will continue through next week.
Expect continuing noise and vibrations. In addition, ground compaction begins to prepare the foundation for the expansion.
Beginning on Monday, there will be considerable noise and vibration for at least several days. We know this is really
difficult for Henry and Vine St. neighbors. Please secure fragile items if you are feeling vibrations at your residence.
There will be continuing traffic restrictions for intermittent truck activity. Flag persons will direct traffic
as trucks arrive and depart throughout the day.
Other Henry St. Activity
Tree and stump removal is complete. Preparation for cement retaining wall construction begins under the existing
loading dock.
Shattuck Activity
The mountain
of dirt has been flattened and compacted to prepare for the expansion foundation. Surveyors are on site to mark the locations
for the footings for the new building. Trenches have been dug to prepare for new water mains and underground utilities.
Hang in there Henry and Vine St. neighbors. The next several weeks are going to be tough. Please call
or write if there is anything you want to know or if you just want to complain.
Elisabeth
| December 2, 2011 Demo Work |
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December 5, 2011
Hello everyone:
Construction
activity is in high gear this week and last. Henry St. neighbors got a heavy dose of noise and vibration, along with
traffic restrictions, as a result of continuing work on sewer and storm drains. This work will continue for the next
10 days or so as the utility reconstruction is completed and the water line for fire sprinklers is re-routed. In addition,
the arborists are back, working closely with the utility subcontractor to carefully prune the tree roots around the new utilities.
Work is also continuing on the southwest corner of the site where the building expands into the
space behind the store on the Vine St. side. Once the fire sprinkler line is in place, the remaining stumps will be
ground in preparation for building the new foundation in that area and for installing the footings for the new walls.
The existing walls at this corner are being demolished fairly quickly by a cruncher (the machine that looks like a dinosaur
with big teeth). The cruncher makes less noise than jack hammers. That work should be done by mid-December.
The wet sawing of the corner panel should be finished this week.
Also on the Henry St. side, construction
of the new retaining walls below the loading dock will this next week. The crews will be installing footings and building
the forms for pouring new concrete walls.
Moving over to the Shattuck side, the crews are
continuing to prepare the pad for the new foundation in the expansion area . Footings should be installed next week,
and the plumbing contractor is beginning his work to lay new pipe in this area.
We know the Henry
St. neighbors are really feeling the brunt of our work at this point in the project. The crews are working as quickly
and as safely as possible to get this part of the project done. Please continue to call or email me with your complaints,
questions or concerns.
Thanks, Elisabeth
Websites:
http://www.safewayonshattuck.com/ information/new store drawings/city documents
http://oxblue.com/pro/open/safeway/691berkeley watch our progress
November 30, 2011
Some of you have asked how the new store lighting
-- both exterior and interior - will be improved once the renovated store opens.
The lighting
in the finished store will be significantly less obtrusive to neighbors. The existing lights are very bright, they are attached
to the high ceiling, and there are a lot of them. All of these factors add up to a spillover effect where the barrel vaulted
ceiling inside the store spills light into the night sky. The most important change we have made is to drop all of the barrel
vault light fixtures down to 15 ft above the floor. These will be fluorescent pendant fixtures ganged together and suspended
from the high ceiling. In essence, the lighting is designed to light the products and the floor. This was a condition of approval
for the Planning Department, and we believe that it will benefit the neighbors and the customers as well. In addition, the
quantity of light and type of light is not going to be as harsh as it was when the store was last renovated. Technology and
the shopping experience allow for less flooding of space and more task-oriented lighting with less spillover. The new
lighting is also much more energy efficient.
Exterior lighting will also be entirely new.
New light standards will illuminate walkways and parking areas with the light focused downwards. This reduces light
pollution while maintaining security for customers and employees.
Elisabeth
November 28, 2011
Parking and traffic are restricted on Henry St.
starting today.
Safeway applied for and received an encroachment permit from the City of Berkeley
to do what they call "wet utility" work. That means sewer and storm drain work in Henry Street. The
permit from the city includes a traffic management plan that allows Safeway to restrict traffic to one lane during construction
hours (M-F). The utility subcontractor will manage the traffic, meaning you will be able to get in and out of your driveways
as usual, and the garbage and recycling trucks will also be able to do their pickups.
Safeway
does not anticipate that this work will continue until January. The city requires Safeway to finish this work during
the time allowed under the permit, so permit applicants naturally give themselves plenty of time to finish. I will have
a better idea next week of how long this work will take. In the meantime, expect that traffic will be managed weekdays
between 8am and 6pm. Each night the contractor will cover up the work areas and both the street lanes will be restored.
I am checking on whether there will be street parking during non-construction hours.
I hope
this helps you anticipate construction activity for the next week or so. I will update you as often as I can so you
know what to expect. If you can avoid Henry St., please do so.
Elisabeth
November 10, 2011 Hello Safeway Neighbors and Others:
Activity
at the site picked up noticeably this week. The major highlights are: tree work is nearly done, the Shattuck side is torn
up, and the loading dock wall on the Henry side came down yesterday.
Here is more detail on our
progress and a look ahead at next week:
Shattuck:
The old loading
dock door has been removed, the cement planters have been demolished and the trees in those planters are gone. All the asphalt
has been removed as well. In the next several days the piles of dirt will be spread over the area to form the base for the
new foundation. You can refer to the drawings on the website (www.safewayonshattuck.com) to see that the store will be expanded
to cover this whole area.
Henry St:
Tree trimming and removal is done.
Stumps will be ground starting early next week. Cement planters and part of the dock wall to the left of the garage entrance
will be demolished. Steps from Henry up to store will be demolished. This area becomes the ramp down to the underground garage
and the new covered loading dock.
There will also be some utility work next week that will effect
some neighbors. PG&E will be capping off the old gas line which is located on Henry St in front of the driveway between
1426 and 1430. This work is currently scheduled for November 15th (next Tuesday). PG&E will have to block the entrance
to this driveway for a few hours while they are working. Since this is a U-shaped driveway, the exit will be unimpeded during
this time.
Tomorrow is a national holiday, so no construction work will occur. Next week will
be noisy. We're going as fast as we can to get this work done but I would safely say the next 10 business days will be loud
and dusty.
Don't forget you can watch the construction from the comfort of your home by going
http://oxblue.com/pro/open/safeway/691berkeley.
Many of you have written to express your appreciation
of the updates. Please let me know if I'm leaving anything out you want to know. And thank you for your patience during this
portion of the construction.
Elisabeth
| November 9, 2010 Demo Work |
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November 3rd
Hello Safeway Neighbors and Friends:
If you've been to the store this
week, you noticed that the tree work is nearly complete. Trees that were in the footprint of the expanded store have been
removed. Many of the remaining trees got a long overdue haircut. The tree removal is now done and the trimming should be finished
by early next week. Next week the stumps will be ground, so expect a few noisy days. There is lots of structural work happening
now which is not visible to the public. Utilities are being upgraded and relocated.
We're happy to report that
the bike rack was replaced in front of the store. It was relocated from the Shattuck side which is now fenced off. The parking
lot in front of the store has been challenging as we get used to sharing space with the delivery trucks. The store is open
and operating at normal hours.
Check in with your questions or concerns by emailing me. Check the website for the
webcam and plans/drawings of the new store atwww.safewayonshattuck.com
Elisabeth
October 26, 2011
Dear Safeway Neighbors and Others:
Tree work continued on both Shattuck and Henry, as well as on the south side of the building in the open space behind
the store. Banners went up on the front of the store and on the Henry St. construction fence to remind shoppers the
store is open and direct people to the construction website.
Two important websites:
- 1. http://www.safewayonshattuck.com/ (Sorry I forgot to include that last week.)
- 2. http://oxblue.com/pro/open/safeway/691berkeley This is a link to the webcam mounted at Rose and Henry that allows you to monitor our progress in real time.
You can use the zoom function on the lower left corner of the screen to get a closer look. The camera will record the progress
of construction until completion. Go take a look.
Please contact me with questions or concerns,
and use the website for access to plans, drawings, city documents and more.
Elisabeth
October 20, 2011
Dear Safeway Neighbors and Others:
Please forgive my inaccurate predictions of when certain work will occur. I can tell you with confidence that the
tree trimming has been completed since that happened this past week. I am also reasonably certain that tree removal
will occur next week along with some cement removal on the Henry St. side. Trees will be removed on Henry St. from the
garage area south toward Vine. There will also be several trees removed in the open space south of the store behind
the chain link fence. If you can avoid driving on Henry St. between Vine and Rose, that would be advisable.
The contractor and numerous sub-contractors continue to assess the building inside and out. This is a complicated
project due to the age of the structure (1964) and the fact that some of the building will be saved and some newly expanded.
All of the building will be thoroughly modernized including mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Like a home
remodel, you're not always sure what you're going to find when you open things up. That makes predicting what
will happen each week a little tricky, but I'll do my best.
Don't forget to check the website
to see drawings and site plans if you want more detailed info. Call or write if you have questions.
Elisabeth
October 13, 2011
Tree trimming and removal is in full swing this week.
Construction fencing extends into Henry Street to protect pedestrians and cars during the tree work. Pedestrians must
use the west side of Henry Street for a while. You will also notice construction fencing on the Shattuck side near the
old loading docks. That means the small delivery trucks will be sharing the parking area in front of the store for the
foreseeable future.
Due to the beginning of some structural work at the back of the store, the
public bathrooms have been reduced to one stall in the women's restroom while two remain in the men's room. In addition,
the historic plaque near the old well has been removed for safekeeping. It will be reinstalled after the remodel is
finished.
Call or write with questions or concerns.
Elisabeth
Elisabeth Jewel
Aroner, Jewel & Ellis Partners
1803 6th St., Suite B
Berkeley, CA 94710
510/849-4811 ph
510/849-4827 fax
www.ajepartners.com
October 7, 2011
Dear Safeway Neighbors and Others:
Week
one of the remodeling of the Berkeley Safeway saw slow but steady progress in setting the stage for a transformation of this
old store. The garage off Henry was closed and the general contractor has begun moving people and equipment onto the
job site. Next week the activity will pick up as the demolition of the cement planters begins on Henry St., along with
the tree work. You will notice the contractors placing barriers around some of the trees to protect them during construction.
The city's arborist will be working alongside the tree crews as the they trim and remove trees according to the plan negotiated
with the city and neighbors.
You will also notice construction fencing erected on the Shattuck
side between the store and the Bank of the West. There will be some tree and cement removal in that area as well.
The parking in front of the store will be unaffected.
Please email me with your questions and
concerns.
Elisabeth Jewel
Aroner, Jewel &
Ellis Partners
1803 6th St., Suite B
Berkeley,
CA 94710
510/849-4811 ph
510/849-4827
fax
www.ajepartners.com
September 29, 2011
Dear Berkeley Safeway Neighbors and Others: I am Safeway's
community and government affairs consultant on the remodel/expansion of the Berkeley store on Shattuck. After many months,
the construction of the remodeled store is scheduled to begin next week. The entire project is expected to take about
nine months. Our goal is to get the construction done quickly and with the least impact to the community. From
now until the new store opens next summer, we're going to provide weekly updates on the project website (http://www.safewayonshattuck.com/) and address your questions and concerns along the way.
The first phase of the project takes place outside the store.
It involves Henry St. as well as the Shattuck corner of the building next to the Bank of the West. The first thing you
will notice is that the store's underground garage on Henry Street will be closed beginning this Monday, along with the stairs
that connect the street to the parking lot in front of the store. Parking and pedestrian traffic will be confined to
the west side of Henry during this period. During the first several weeks of October, the cement planters on Henry St.
will be demolished and some trees will be removed. There will be noise from jack hammers and chain saws. Shoppers
inside the store will not be affected by this work.
At the same time, the crews will begin demolition of the store wall
on the Shattuck side where the old loading docks are (where the recycling used to be.) This work will be done to prepare
for framing the expansion of the store out toward Shattuck. Again, this will not impact shoppers. The front parking
lot will be unaffected.
Construction hours for this project are Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm, and 9am-12pm on Saturday.
In addition, construction is allowed inside the building until 4pm on Saturdays. There is no construction allowed on
Sundays or federal holidays.
We will be posting the project's Conditions of Approval that were negotiated between Safeway,
neighbors and the City of Berkeley on our website. We will also post the traffic management plan that governs the construction
period that was approved by the City.
Please feel free to contact me through email or by phone with your questions.
You can also forward this message to friends and neighborhood groups affected by this project.
We are excited
to get the construction underway and will do our best to keep everyone informed of our progress.
Sincerely,
Elisabeth
Jewel
Aroner, Jewel & Ellis Partners
1803 6th St., Suite B
Berkeley,
CA 94710
510/849-4811 ph
510/849-4827 fax
www.ajepartners.com
Traffic Management Plan - Henry
Traffic Management Plan - Shattuck
