1. What is the status of the shopping center that “was promised” at the vacant lot at Sellers Avenue and Cypress Road? The shopping center on the privately-owned parcel has planning approval, however, there have not been any building permit applications submitted for construction for any of the buildings yet. The timing of that construction is dependent on the market viability.
2. Why aren’t there more sit-down restaurants and stores in Oakley? Like residents, the City also desires a variety of commercial and industrial opportunities. The City Council included a subobjective, “Seek, in conjunction with the community, sustainable economic opportunities to attract businesses and create jobs, while being sensitive to the types of businesses the community needs and wants” in the Strategic Plan 2022–2027+, which is linked on the City’s website at https://www.ci.oakley.ca.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Oakley_SP_final.pdf. Economic Development staff is constantly working with property owners, developers and brokers to help facilitate development citywide, including on the privately owned parcel at Sellers and Cypress mentioned in question number 1.
3. Will the block painted like cheese on the Safeway site remain? Yes, the “Cheese Rock,” a cement remnant painted yellow with black dots by an unknown artist, which has become a fun landmark for some Oakley residents, has been included in the site’s landscaping conditions of approval.
4. Speaking of Safeway, when will it be done, and will there be a gas station? Safeway is estimated to open at the end of 2025 and a gas station is included in the submitted plans.

And we have a question for you! Do you feel like you’re missing out on what’s going on in/around Oakley? Here are all the ways to stay in the know:

1. Read about the projects that have been formally submitted to the Planning Division at: https://www.ci.oakley.ca.us/departments/planning-zoning/current-projects/. (Bookmark the page and return periodically for the latest information.)
2. Read about current City Projects in Construction at: https://www.ci.oakley.ca.us/capital-improvement-program/. (Bookmark the page and return periodically for the latest information.)
3. Follow the City on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X at CityofOakley.
4. Join NextDoor and check out the City’s posts.
5. Register for the Oakley Outreach, the weekly e-newsletter sent right to your inbox.
6. Read the Oak Leaf paper newsletter mailed to all residences twice a year.
7. Subscribe to Nixle emergency alerts by texting 94561 to 888777 to opt in.
8. Register for County emergency alerts at https://cwsalerts.com/.
9. If you have questions about a project, feel free to call or email our friendly staff in the Planning or Engineering Divisions. If you have other issues or concerns, download the Oakley OnDemand app or visit https://www.ci.oakley.ca.us/ondemand-faqs/ to submit your concern and you’ll be able to track the status!

Contra Costa County Elections will mail a ballot to every registered voter on Oct. 7. Voted ballots must be postmarked by Election Day or returned to a drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, 2024.

Registered voters can sign up to be notified when their ballot is mailed, received, and counted at ballottrax.net. Voters can also use the My Voting Information tool on the Contra Costa County Elections Division website to confirm when their ballot has been issued or received.

If you are registered to vote and did not receive your ballot, or it’s lost or damaged, request a replacement vote-by-mail ballot at contracostavote.gov.

The City of Oakley has taken another step forward to bringing a new, state of the art library to the community. In July of 2022, Baker Tilly, now Management Partners, was hired to help the City prepare an initial feasibility analysis which was presented to the City Council on January 24, 2023. The City Council directed staff to focus on an option that would explore higher density, multi-family housing on the City block bound by O’Hara Avenue to the west, Acme Street to the north, 2nd Street to the east and Ruby Street to the south. The purpose of the housing portion of the project is to allow the City to utilize a Public Private Partnership (P3) model, which in this case would allow a developer to provide the City a public facility as part of a private development project. The new library would be located on the Civic Center campus, approximately in the location where the current City corporation yard sits. 

The initial analysis was promising, and in an effort to continue with that work, the City hired a consulting team led by Urban Field Studio with Economic Planning Systems and HKIT Architects to further study how we can best create the most value for the O’Hara parcel and site plan the future library on the Civic Center campus. The focus of the secondary analysis was to explore further both the residential component of the project and how much realistic residual value the City could generate to help fund the construction of the new library. A variety of densities and product types were analyzed, and that information was presented to the City Council in November of 2023. 

The City Council directed staff to continue to explore the project in addition to seeking funding opportunities. As part of this next phase of the project, our consultant team has prepared renderings of what the Oakley Library could look like as well as a conceptual site plan to give an idea of the potential floorplan of the facility. These renderings will be used by the City and supporters of this library effort, like the Friends of the Oakley Library, to gain support and secure funding for this exciting project.

Follow the progress of this exciting project on our Envision Oakley public engagement platform here.

The Shop Oakley 2024 Coupon Book is now available at all City facilities.

The City currently utilizes an at-large election system, which means that the electors from the entire City choose each of the five Councilmembers. The Councilmembers are eligible to hold office no matter where in the City they reside.  A district-based election system, in contrast, is one in which the City is delineated into separate districts, each with one councilmember who resides in the district and is chosen by the electors residing in that particular district. To learn more about Districting and learn how you can be a part of it visit the Districting page by clicking here.

FOUR STEPS TO TAKE IF YOU FIND A DEAD BIRD

Dead birds are often the first sign of West Nile virus

 Step One

You find a dead bird. What do you do? Here in Contra Costa County, the first step is to call 1-877-WNV-BIRD (1-877-968-2473) or go online to report the bird to the California West Nile Virus Dead Bird Hotline. As you submit the information, the Hotline operator determines if the bird could be a good candidate for testing.

Step Two

The District receives information about birds deemed suitable for testing soon after the report is submitted. We assign a District employee to pick up the bird.

Step Three

Once the bird arrives at the District, the laboratory staff inspect the bird to determine if the reported information is correct. On occasion, the bird is not the species that was reported and cannot be tested. Most birds, however; are the correct species and can be tested. Our entomologist performs a preliminary test and then sends the bird to U.C. Davis for confirmation of West Nile virus infection. U.C. Davis typically informs the District if the bird had West Nile virus within a week.

Step Four

Once the District receives confirmation that a dead bird was infected with West Nile virus, they post the results on the District website and District employees place mosquito traps in the neighborhood near where the bird was reported to collect mosquitoes to test for virus if needed. They increase efforts to find young larval mosquitoes in nearby water sources and we let the person who reported the bird know that the bird tested positive for West Nile virus.

A Few of Your Questions Answered    

What Makes a Bird a Good Candidate for Testing?

• The bird is a raven, crow, jay or magpie which is in the Corvid family and is a species that can be susceptible to West Nile virus.

When Will the Bird Get Picked Up?

• Dead birds are often picked up on the same day as the report, but may be picked up the following day if the report reaches the District late in the day.
• There are no bird pickups on weekends or holidays.

 What if No One Calls Me Back

• If a District employee picks up the bird, but within a week, no one has called back, the bird may not have been suitable for testing or did not have West Nile virus.

Even in cases when a District employee does not pick up a reported bird, the reports are still very important because they still provide information to help the District conduct prevention and control efforts. Not all birds are tested but all reports are valuable.

The City’s Graffiti Rewards Program rewards citizens with $300 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of graffiti vandals. For more information click here.