San Leandro council rejects immediate move to study one-way opening of Lake Chabot Road; staff and fire officials urged keeping road closed

San Leandro city staff told the City Council on Feb. 3, 2025, that Lake Chabot Road should remain closed while crews prioritize permanent repairs, and a proposed council motion to hire a geotechnical consultant and proceed with design for a temporary one-way westbound circulation failed on a 3-3 vote with one recusal.

The issue matters to thousands of residents who rely on the hilltop Bayo Vista neighborhood for daily access and would be affected in an emergency: city presentations described an $11 million estimate to repair four damaged slope locations along the road and said interim changes could increase risks to emergency access and neighborhood circulation.

Public Works Director Sheila Marquesas and City Engineer Jason presented technical findings and alternatives, describing a November 2011 geotechnical investigation and follow-ups in 2018–2019 that found embankment fill settlement and downslope creep. Marquesas told the council the project team recommended keeping the road closed “to protect the hillside back in November before the storms” and to focus on permanent repairs and required environmental clearances tied to federal grant funding.

Jason, the city engineer, said staff asked Langan (the geotechnical engineer of record) for a supplemental investigation. Langan’s proposed scope would include a new topographic survey and slope-stability evaluation; the fee shown in the staff report was $89,500 and staff said…