'No Parking' Zones for President's Visit

Several Piedmont streets will be off limits to parked vehicles on Monday, July 23, when for a campaign fundraising event, according to Capt. Scott Wyatt, the city's interim police chief.

Wyatt said the "no parking" zone and time period will be fairly wide, to accommodate possible last-minute changes in the President's route and schedule. Vehicles that remain parked during the posted hours will be towed, he said.

"No Parking" signs are typically posted about two days in advance of an event, he said.

Wyatt said security for any Presidential appearance is handled primarily by the Secret Service, with cooperation from local law enforcement agencies.

The Piedmont Police Department has a designated dignitary liaison officer, Sgt. Mike Munoz, who has attended specialized dignatary protection training.

The fundraiser will be a dinner at the Piedmont home of of M. Quinn Delaney and Wayne Jordan following a campaign event at the Fox Theater in Oakland, according to KCBS political reporter Doug Severn. Delaney and Jordan hosted a similar, although less expensive, event in June 2007 when President Obama was still a senator.

Some tickets to the dinner were still available on the Obama for America reelection campaign website Friday morning. They cost $35,800 per person and include admission to a reception at the Fox Theater. For the Fox event, the only remaining tickets are for sponsorships at $7,500 (with extra guests at $2,500 per person).

The Piedmont Police Department issued a public safety dispatch Friday afternoon that reads:

"INFORMATION FOR STREET PARKING PROHIBITION ON 07-23-2012

"The visit by a high profile person to Piedmont has necessitated that several streets in Piedmont be posted “NO PARKING – TOW AWAY ZONE” for a six(6) hour duration on Monday afternoon, July 23, 2012.

"PLEASE CHECK YOUR STREET FOR THE PRESENCE OF THESE SIGNS.  If your street is not posted, then you are not affected by the no parking zone.

"PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE SIGNS TO AVOID YOUR VEHICLE BEING TOWED.

"In addition to the no parking zones, there will be brief periods of street closure during ingress and egress.

"Neither the City of Piedmont nor the Piedmont Police Department are at liberty to provide any further information about this event at this time.  Additional information may be available after the conclusion of the event.

"We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

"Sincerely,
Scott A. Wyatt
Interim Chief of Polic"

The Oakland Police Department has issued an advisory notice about street closures and potential traffic problems related to the Fox Theater event:

"President Barack Obama will be visiting Oakland for a campaign-related event at the Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., on Monday, July 23, beginning at 4:30 p.m. For security purposes before and after the event, the Oakland Police Department will be setting up street closures encompassing up to a four-block perimeter around the theater. The street closures may disrupt the evening commute and directly affect access to some buildings in the downtown area.

"Please be prepared for the following: 

• Possible interruptions in public transportation service, including BART and AC Transit, within the security perimeter around the Fox Theater until the event concludes, estimated to be in the early evening.
• Entrances to Kaiser Building parking structures at 1950 Franklin St. and 1800 Harrison St. and the parking lot at 2000 Broadway will be closed except for those with monthly/evening badge access, beginning at 1:30 p.m. and until the event concludes. Those already parked in the garage by 1:30 p.m. will be able to exit as usual but may be affected by street closures.

"Please stay tuned to local news reports throughout the day, and check the following sources for detailed updates: 

• BART’s free alert system provides real-time information about changes in BART service via email and/or text message alerts. 
• AC Transit's eNews provides service-related information alerts by email, text or both.
• 511.org provides updates about Bay Area traffic conditions, road closures and more, both online and by calling 511.  
• Oaklandnet provides City of Oakland updates and alerts and the option to subscribe to email and text message alerts."

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