Partners Team Meeting Notes

[Liwen Cheung]

This discussion page will be used to capture the meeting notes for meetings with our partners - Cal Eng., DeBolt, Monk & Associates, Others as applicable. 

Thursday October 16, 2014

Meeting Attendees: Jim Diggins (DeBolt), Mitch Wolfe (Cal Engineering), Tim Haley (Architect) - partial, Liwen and Vince Cheung (Owners)

Road Alignment: 

1. Resolve with the fire department ASAP on any required modifications to roadways, especially the widening of the turn at the switchback by DeHerrera's gate

2. Note to all: Recent lot line adjustment with DeHerrera transferred ownership of the first parts of the road leading up to DeHerrera's gate. In other words, we officially own the lot covering roads from the switchback up to Tu's property line. This may impact conversation with Fire Department

Action Item (Jim): Set up a meeting week of Oct 20 with Ian and the Cheungs. 

Utility Trenches:
1. Mitch went over the Utility Line Alignment diagram with the team. He recommended that the best way is to get to the non-landslide area (for utility, sewer) as quickly as possible. Best approach is to follow current utility easement, doing a straight line from hook-up at bottom of the bridge up to DeHerrera's gate, then pick up from just outside and around Rick DeHerrera's gate to the "non-landslide" area and follow it straight up to the house.  
Action Item (Mitch): Speak with Geoff Monk to describe how the utility trenches will run in order to complete biological study 

Water Tanks: 
1. Still need to decide on the best way to handle the 4 water tanks and where to dump the dirt. The tanks are currently located in a landslide area. 

1a.. Tim proposed we bury them under the berm. Jim needs to determine if there is enough space for the tanks, turnaround, and house to all fit on that pad. Depending on if and where the tanks will go, the orientation of the house may need to change. Need Mike Murphy, contractor, to weigh in. 

1b. Mitch to conduct further study of the region to determine where to put the water tanks and extra dirt as well as 2 additional borings to complete the building pad geological report.

 

Action Item (Jim): 

Confirm water tank requirements in Fire Department meeting 

Action Item (Mitch): 
Send the Cheung an estimate on boring logs at the following locations: 
- East garage area
- Where water tanks are and possible re-location of dirt
- North and Northwest corners of the house to specify requirements for retaining walls
- Potential widening of the road IF DEEMED NECESSARY by Fire Department

Action Item (Mitch): Start the permit process for boring at Cheung and Tu's properties. Note: Takes 8 days to get permit. Permit fees - $1200 + 24-hour notice required to stop drilling to avoid paying drilling fees.

Action Item (Vince): 

Obtain permission to drill from Tu

Action Item (Jim): After Fire Department conversation, stake the corners of the house to inform location of additional borings. Also stake the utility trench path up to the house.

[Liwen Cheung]

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 19, 2015

Meeting Attendees: Liwen, Vince, David Crompton (Planner, town of Danville), Michael Stella (Sr. Civil Eng, town of Danville)

Team,

Just sending a quick note to let you know that we had a very good meeting with the Town today regarding Engineering's incomplete letter back in the fall. Thank you all for the continued progress, and especially to MITCH and JIM for pushing us to the "finish line" on this front!!

Michael Stella and David Crompton met with us this morning and we went through all the outstanding items on Michael's list. Thanks to Jim and Mitch's work over the last few weeks, we should now be in the clear on Michael's questions. Specifically:

1. Michael wanted reassurance that the proposed house footprint is sound given landslide issues he recalled from the lot. Mitch's hot-off-the-press report addressed that and Michael seemed quite confident that we've done our "homework" on this topic. He will review the geotechnical report in greater details and let Mitch know if he has any questions.

2. Michael did also ask about how we are handling fill, and we provided him with Jim's plan check response and latest drawings for his reference. He was very happy to hear that we won't be trucking any dirt offsite and seemed fine with the proposed fill area. Again, he will review the drawings and connect with Jim with any questions.

3. We continue to feel good about going in front of the Planning Commission on MARCH 24. Town notices have been mailed and the biological report is in process with the State. Both David and Michael were glad to see us making a ton of progress, and also understood that we will be turning in the permit set on Monday morning to begin the process with the Building Dept.

To reiterate, here are our next steps/key dates for everyone:

By this weekend: Tim and Brad to complete permit package

Monday 2/23: Vince will pick up printed copies of package at 8:30 then meet Tim at Building Dept. by 9 to submit. Vince will also sign at-risk form

Next week: Mitch and Jim may receive follow-up questions from Michael Stella on geotechnical and civil

Next week: Mike to review permit package from Tim/Brad and begin to prepare construction cost/bids

By Friday 2/27: Mitch to complete letter to us on remaining items

By Wed. 3/4: Brad to send us estimate for supplemental work on retaining wall design

Week of 3/16: Mike to review construction cost/bids with us

By Mon. 3/23: Tim to coordinate printing of additional sets of drawings for Planning Commission (David Crompton asked for 5 more sets of what we submitted, plus 10 sets of the updated civil drawings from Jim)

Tue. 3/24: Planning Commission meeting

On-going: Building Department plan check on permit package submission

[Liwen Cheung]

Quick note to let you know that we had a very good meeting with the Town today regarding Engineering's incomplete letter back in the fall. Thank you all for the continued progress, and especially to MITCH and JIM for pushing us to the "finish line" on this front!!

Michael Stella and David Crompton met with us this morning and we went through all the outstanding items on Michael's list. Thanks to Jim and Mitch's work over the last few weeks, we should now be in the clear on Michael's questions. Specifically:

1. Michael wanted reassurance that the proposed house footprint is sound given landslide issues he recalled from the lot. Mitch's hot-off-the-press report addressed that and Michael seemed quite confident that we've done our "homework" on this topic. He will review the geotechnical report in greater details and let Mitch know if he has any questions.

2. Michael did also ask about how we are handling fill, and we provided him with Jim's plan check response and latest drawings for his reference. He was very happy to hear that we won't be trucking any dirt offsite and seemed fine with the proposed fill area. Again, he will review the drawings and connect with Jim with any questions.

3. We continue to feel good about going in front of the Planning Commission on MARCH 24. Town notices have been mailed and the biological report is in process with the State. Both David and Michael were glad to see us making a ton of progress, and also understood that we will be turning in the permit set on Monday morning to begin the process with the Building Dept.

NEXT STEPS/KEY DATES

1. By this weekend: Tim and Brad to complete permit package

2. Monday 2/23: Vince will pick up printed copies of package at 8:30 then meet Tim at Building Dept. by 9 to submit. Vince will also sign at-risk form

3. Next week: Mitch and Jim may receive follow-up questions from Michael Stella on geotechnical and civil

4. Next week: Mike to review permit package from Tim/Brad and begin to prepare construction cost/bids

5. By Friday 2/27: Mitch to complete letter to us on remaining items

6. By Wed. 3/4: Brad to send us estimate for supplemental work on retaining wall design

7. Week of 3/16: Mike to review construction cost/bids with us

8. By Mon. 3/23: Tim to coordinate printing of additional sets of drawings for Planning Commission (David Crompton asked for 5 more sets of what we submitted, plus 10 sets of the updated civil drawings from Jim)

9. Tue. 3/24: Planning Commission meeting

10. On-going: Building Department plan check on permit package submission

[Liwen Cheung]

FRIDAY JANUARY 23, 1015

Just a quick update to let you know that we passed a major milestone today on the project! 

As you may be aware, the CA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife had asked us (and the Town of Danville) to conduct a biological study on our project. Today the biologist, Mike Wood, completed his walk-through and essentially give everything a "clean bill of health" (i.e. we should be in good shape to move forward with no future studies or mitigation steps needed) Obviously we were both thrilled and relieved to hear, as we continue to move full steam ahead toward the remaining items before going in front of the Planning Commission for approval and the permitting process.

We would like to aim for the March Planning Commission meeting on March 10th (i.e. 6 weeks from Monday). To make this timeline, here are the immediate next steps:

1. Complete Plan Check Response to the Town of Danville Engineering's Incomplete Letter from last Sept:

a) Updated civil drawings (Jim)

b) Geotechnical Report (Mitch)

c) Recorded easement agreements and lot line adjustment docs (Cheungs)

Mitch, please let us know when you'll plan to have the analysis from last week's borings completed so we can sit down with Jim and Tim on any remaining issues/changes

2. Complete biological assessment by Week of Feb 2 (Mike Wood) - Mike is already on this.

3. Finalize civil drawings for SRVFD (Ian Hardage) review (Jim/Cheungs)

Jim, please let us know by when you'll have the topological graphs completed for the turn

4. Continue completion of construction documents (Tim/Ross/Brad)

Tim, please let us know how far along you are on this and any dependencies from Brad on structural.

Ross, I think we are all set on your part until we are ready to complete the landscape construction docs. Tim, please let us know otherwise.

[Tim Haley]

Added Debolt's drawings to the Current Drawing section (PDFs)

[Liwen Cheung]

THURSDAY DECEMBER 18, 2014

Attendees: David Crompton(Planner for Town of Danville), Tim Haley, Liwen Cheung, Vince Cheung

We met with David Crompton (Planner with Town of Danville) this morning, along with Tim, to go over the following updates to the plan:

1. Change in water tank location (now to the south of the west garage) due to landslide concerns around the original location. David agreed that this is an appropriate location, and suggested using natural colors and screening which is already in our plan.

NEXT STEPS:

- Mitch completes borings as soon as weather and equipment are available. Complete all permits for drilling by next week.

- Ross to note changes to water tank location during detailed drawing phase

2. Widening of road at switchback by DeHerrera's gate: We went over the team's recommendation of widening the road uphill with a cut versus downhill with fill, due to landslide concerns. David was receptive to this and deferred to the fire department on whatever will satisfy their concern for access and safety.

David did ask how tall we anticipate the retaining wall would be, and felt that if it's going to be quite high (~10') then we might consider breaking it up, or grow some vines on it to minimize the view from downhill. We'll need to keep this in mind when finishing the details.

We also asked about how we'd suggesting handling the trees in the event that our cut would impact them in any way. David confirmed that if the tree trunk is less than 10 diameters at the 4.5 feet height, then no permit is required to cut it down. We can also replant and replace with new ones. He does not see this as a requirement for the biologist. 

NEXT STEPS:

- Jim to complete mapping of trees in drawings and determine details for retaining wall needed

- Mitch to add boring locations in this area as needed (complete all permits by next week)

3. Proposed fill area to the north side of the lot: David didn't have any comments on that except reiterating that it is good that we are not having it trucked offsite given the weight and potential impacts to the city roads that we have to mitigate. 

NEXT STEP:

- Jim to follow up with Geoff Monk on his overlay of federal and state water jurisdictions per the CAD files sent

[Liwen Cheung]

Monday October 27, 2014

Water tank requirements from the San Ramon Fire Department Plans Examiner - Ian Hardage

1) The Total Cubic Volume of the House (Livable Areas) is 69,772 c.f. and the Garages are 22,482 c.f.

2) Based on the total volume the required fire water supply per NFPA 1142 is 19,769 Gallons of water that by local requirements we are able to reduce by up to 50% when the building is protected throughout by an automatic fire sprinkler system in accordance with NFPA 13, 13D, or 13R.  For NFPA 13D systems the minimum design criteria is a four-head design area without exceptions to sprinkler head locations (i.e. all bathrooms, closets and attics would be required to be protected)  All protection can be done with residential type sprinklers.  Worst case scenario would be a 5-head design for the attic if required by the listing of the sprinkler.  If the reduced water supply requirements are met then the minimum  required water supply would be 9,885 gallons.

 

[Liwen Cheung]

Thursday October 23, 2014

Meeting Attendees: Ian Hardage (Plans Examiner), Jim Diggins (Civil), Liwen and Vince

We met with Ian Hardage at the San Ramon Fire District to review the requirements for widening of the road and water tanks. 

Switchback (Road Widening): 

1. Ian offered to have a fire truck go to the site to determine if they could maneuver around the turn and the existing roadway.  This will be done next week.  
Action Item (Jim): Send him a vicinity map and arid an aerial showing how to get to the site. (Done)

2. If the rest of the road is 16 feet wide then that satisfies the fire department min. requirement. 

Water Tanks: 
1.The size of the water tanks is a function of the volume within the residence, including attic and garage areas.  Ian stated that if the architect forwarded that information, he would calculate the size of the tank based upon fire codes.  He also said that the architect could determine the tank size using the codes if he wished.

Once the size of the tank is determined, we will review the location, whether to have multiple tanks, etc.  Ian did say the shape of the tank was not important only the capacity.  He also said that the connection to the tank should be 3 feet to 12 feet from the edge of the new driveway.