Planning Commission Considers Substation Redevelopment

Piedmont's Planning Commission may vote Monday night to recommend plans to demolish the vacant electrical substation at 408 Linda Ave. and build seven three-story townhouses.

The construction of the four-bedroom townhouses, to be sold as condominiums at market rate, would involve retaining walls and fencing going up along the Linda Avenue frontage. The project would also likely spill over into the 20' setback of the adjacent Oakland Avenue bridge, requiring a variance.

The environmental impact report for the project found that the construction could have potentially significant impacts on the air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, geology, hazardous materials and noise on and around the site. City planning staff is suggesting a list of nearly 70 conditions of approval for the construction and the map establishing condominium ownership that includes mitigations for those impacts.

Since the substation dates back to 1926, its demolition would destroy a "historical resource"—that was the only impact singled out by the EIR as unavoidable.

If the commission votes to recommend the project Monday, City Council could approve it at its next meeting, Sept. 6.