November 20, 2003
Board votes for unions to do SCC construction
By Nada Behziz
ROCKVILLE -- Builders hoping to do construction work on Solano Community College's $124.5 million projects will need to hire union workers, the Governing Board decided Wednesday.
By a 7-1 vote the board mandated the use of project labor agreements - or PLA - for all endeavors under a lucrative bond measure narrowly passed by voters in 2002. The measure includes two extension campuses in Vallejo and Vacaville and a drastic renovation project at the existing campus in Rockville to include a new student learning center.
Boardmember Denis Honeychurch was the first to support the motion even before discussion began on the agenda item. A second to the motion wasn't far behind.
The boardroom was awash with the florescent green shirts of union members present to show their support of the labor agreement.
Carl Sanchez, a representative with the sheetmetal workers union, asked those in support of the PLA to stand up - nearly everyone in the room did.
Once everyone took their seats again, Sanchez continued with the positive attributes the agreement would bring to Solano County and the college community.
Supporters claim the agreements foster cooperation and reduce the risk of construction delays and increased costs from workers shortages or labor disputes. The deals typically contain a no-strike clause and agreement upfront on wages, benefits, working conditions and grievance procedures.
Opponents say such agreements are anti-competitive, drive up costs and effectively shut out 80 percent of the local workforce that doesn't belong to a union. They call the agreements a tool to coerce construction workers into joining unions.
A report by the project's construction manager, Kitchell CEM, said that some projects in other cities have experienced increases in bid costs of up to 15 percent due to the use of PLA.
But union officials dispute the findings and say that the SCC projects won't see an increase because the contractors will work directly with the college.
"It's just bogus," said Louis Franchimon, business manager for the Napa-Solano Counties Building Trades Council, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO. "Some areas have outside contractors to do administration duties, but that's not the case with the college."
Also, as part of the motion, it says that the negotiated PLA should not cost the district any funds to either administer or enforce the contract. Kitchell CEM reported at the meeting that they plan to have all the bids out by May 1 and for the board to hear a progress report at their last meeting in January.
PLAs aren't new, but they have gained wider acceptance in recent years. They were first used on big public works projects in the 1930s, including the Hoover and Grand Coulee dams.
Locally, a PLA was first adopted by the Vallejo School District in 2001. More recently, Fairfield City officials decided to add a PLA to contracts for government offices currently under way.
"It promises a streamline project," Franchimon said. "They eliminate the possibility of work stoppage - both union and nonunion."
The problem, opponents say, is that PLAs cut competition from merit-shop contractors and take away workers' freedom of choice.
Kevin Dayton, government affairs director for the Golden State Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, a merit-shop group, said it's ludicrous to claim that PLAs stabilize the workforce.
"Contractors have no say in the negotiations for an agreement," said Dayton, who was the only speaker at the public hearing to oppose the labor agreement. "Unions negotiate it."
Nevertheless, once the decision was rendered the quiet boardroom rang with applause and contentment from union supporters. Dayton, however, said it isn't over until an agreement is negotiated.
"The board is going against common sense," Dayton said. "Now it's up to university staff to determine if they want to give unions what they want or listen to the taxpayers who voted for the bond measure."
Franchimon told the board before leaving, "When you look back at this meeting after the project is completed, you will know you made the right decision."
Nada Behziz can be reached at nbehziz@dailyrepublic.net.
Thursday, November 20, 2003
Genentech given approval to expand
November 20, 2003
Genentech given approval to expand
By Kevin Clerici/Reporter Staff
Genentech, one of the world's leading biotech firms and one of Vacaville's largest employers, would be allowed to more than double the size of its current facility under an amended development plan approved Tuesday.
The endorsement by Vacaville's Planning Commission positions the giant drug manufacturer to expand its roughly 427,000-square-foot biopharmaceutical facility off Interstate 505 and Vaca Valley Parkway.
Although no formal expansion plans have been submitted to the city, Genentech has the property that would enable it to increase floor space to some 950,000 square feet.
The South San Francisco-based company owns some 96 acres in the vicinity.
In addition to the added space, Genentech would be allowed to increase the building height from 70 feet to 98 feet.
"This sets the stage for expansion," said Ron Rowland, Vacaville's deputy city manager.
Rowland presented an illustration that indicated new buildings would be built on the north and south sides of the existing facility.
As a condition of a new deal, any expansion plans would have to comply with land-use regulations of the nearby Nut Tree Airport, officials said.
"You (Genentech) are an important part of this community," Commission chair Chuck Dimmick said, speaking to company representatives in the City Hall audience. "I would love to see you grow. This is a real plus for Vacaville."
Genentech came to Vacaville in 1995, inking an initial development agreement that called for development of up to 661,000 square feet.
Today, Genentech is a leading biotech company with 12 protein-based products on the market for serious and life-threatening medical conditions and numerous projects in the pipeline, officials said. It is one of Vacaville's top 10 employers, with some 600 people, Rowland said.
Besides Genentech, Vacaville is home to other successful life-science companies, including Alza, Chiron and Large Scale Biology Corp. Alza employs roughly 700 people, a city employment survey found.
Kevin Clerici can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.
Genentech given approval to expand
By Kevin Clerici/Reporter Staff
Genentech, one of the world's leading biotech firms and one of Vacaville's largest employers, would be allowed to more than double the size of its current facility under an amended development plan approved Tuesday.
The endorsement by Vacaville's Planning Commission positions the giant drug manufacturer to expand its roughly 427,000-square-foot biopharmaceutical facility off Interstate 505 and Vaca Valley Parkway.
Although no formal expansion plans have been submitted to the city, Genentech has the property that would enable it to increase floor space to some 950,000 square feet.
The South San Francisco-based company owns some 96 acres in the vicinity.
In addition to the added space, Genentech would be allowed to increase the building height from 70 feet to 98 feet.
"This sets the stage for expansion," said Ron Rowland, Vacaville's deputy city manager.
Rowland presented an illustration that indicated new buildings would be built on the north and south sides of the existing facility.
As a condition of a new deal, any expansion plans would have to comply with land-use regulations of the nearby Nut Tree Airport, officials said.
"You (Genentech) are an important part of this community," Commission chair Chuck Dimmick said, speaking to company representatives in the City Hall audience. "I would love to see you grow. This is a real plus for Vacaville."
Genentech came to Vacaville in 1995, inking an initial development agreement that called for development of up to 661,000 square feet.
Today, Genentech is a leading biotech company with 12 protein-based products on the market for serious and life-threatening medical conditions and numerous projects in the pipeline, officials said. It is one of Vacaville's top 10 employers, with some 600 people, Rowland said.
Besides Genentech, Vacaville is home to other successful life-science companies, including Alza, Chiron and Large Scale Biology Corp. Alza employs roughly 700 people, a city employment survey found.
Kevin Clerici can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Flying J Travel Plaza steers toward Dixon horizon
November 19, 2003
Travel plaza steers toward Dixon horizon
By Barbara Smith/Staff Writer
A Utah-based developer of truck stops who has poked around Dixon for years intends to submit within weeks a formal application to build a travel plaza.
In an unscheduled presentation Tuesday to the Dixon Planning Commission, Terrence Bride, project director for Property Development Group Inc., and the Flying J Travel Plaza, announced the firm's plans to develop an 18,000-square- foot plaza on 16 acres at the southeast corner of Pedrick Road and Interstate 80.
The facility would serve both the professional driver and others, and include a full service restaurant, convenience store, laundry facilities, showers, a rest area and "all the amenities drivers would expect," Bride said.
The firm will hold a couple of informal, community meetings within the next two weeks to gather input, he said.
"We just want to make certain we are not surprising the community," Bride said. "We want to move quickly, but do not want to miss any steps."
Dixon Mayor Mary Ann Courville said Flying J's refreshed interest in Dixon is not surprising because it's been going on for years.
"This has been going on since 1996," she said. "Every once in a while, they come along and start asking questions again, so we think they are coming back with a proposal, but never do."
Courville said the land owned by the developer is included in the northeast quadrant, annexed into the city in 1996.
"There was some preliminary discussions about it, back then, but there wasn't real interest in having them do the project."
About a year ago, they resurfaced and did a parcel split on their map, she said. When the public got wind of the possibility of a truck stop coming, there was quite a bit of opposition, Courville said.
"I think that's why they backed down for awhile in presenting their proposal."
Bride said the project would include a great deal of landscaping, more than would be expected for a travel plaza, and offer a residential appeal and modern design.
Flying J's latest interest in Dixon comes at a time when a racetrack has been proposed for the southwest corner of Pedrick and I-80. Also, the Solano County Transportation Authority is narrowing options for relocation of the Cordelia truck scales. The STA's preferred option includes a truck scales along I-80 on the Vacaville-Dixon Greenbelt.
Courville, who vehemently opposes a truck scales on the greenbelt, said she has no idea if there is a connection.
"They've been in and out of city hall for years now, so I can't begin to say what I think of it. I'll welcome their proposal, and we'll take a look at it," she said.
If Flying J develops the travel plaza, it would be the only large-scale truck stop in Solano County. In September, the Terminal Station Truck Stop, located near the Cordelia truck scales, closed down. It was purchased by a developer and the city of Fairfield Redevelopment Agency.
The truck stop had serviced 400 to 500 truckers per day for 35 years.
Barbara Smith can be reached at dixon@thereporter.com.
Travel plaza steers toward Dixon horizon
By Barbara Smith/Staff Writer
A Utah-based developer of truck stops who has poked around Dixon for years intends to submit within weeks a formal application to build a travel plaza.
In an unscheduled presentation Tuesday to the Dixon Planning Commission, Terrence Bride, project director for Property Development Group Inc., and the Flying J Travel Plaza, announced the firm's plans to develop an 18,000-square- foot plaza on 16 acres at the southeast corner of Pedrick Road and Interstate 80.
The facility would serve both the professional driver and others, and include a full service restaurant, convenience store, laundry facilities, showers, a rest area and "all the amenities drivers would expect," Bride said.
The firm will hold a couple of informal, community meetings within the next two weeks to gather input, he said.
"We just want to make certain we are not surprising the community," Bride said. "We want to move quickly, but do not want to miss any steps."
Dixon Mayor Mary Ann Courville said Flying J's refreshed interest in Dixon is not surprising because it's been going on for years.
"This has been going on since 1996," she said. "Every once in a while, they come along and start asking questions again, so we think they are coming back with a proposal, but never do."
Courville said the land owned by the developer is included in the northeast quadrant, annexed into the city in 1996.
"There was some preliminary discussions about it, back then, but there wasn't real interest in having them do the project."
About a year ago, they resurfaced and did a parcel split on their map, she said. When the public got wind of the possibility of a truck stop coming, there was quite a bit of opposition, Courville said.
"I think that's why they backed down for awhile in presenting their proposal."
Bride said the project would include a great deal of landscaping, more than would be expected for a travel plaza, and offer a residential appeal and modern design.
Flying J's latest interest in Dixon comes at a time when a racetrack has been proposed for the southwest corner of Pedrick and I-80. Also, the Solano County Transportation Authority is narrowing options for relocation of the Cordelia truck scales. The STA's preferred option includes a truck scales along I-80 on the Vacaville-Dixon Greenbelt.
Courville, who vehemently opposes a truck scales on the greenbelt, said she has no idea if there is a connection.
"They've been in and out of city hall for years now, so I can't begin to say what I think of it. I'll welcome their proposal, and we'll take a look at it," she said.
If Flying J develops the travel plaza, it would be the only large-scale truck stop in Solano County. In September, the Terminal Station Truck Stop, located near the Cordelia truck scales, closed down. It was purchased by a developer and the city of Fairfield Redevelopment Agency.
The truck stop had serviced 400 to 500 truckers per day for 35 years.
Barbara Smith can be reached at dixon@thereporter.com.
SCC closes deal for Vallejo property
November 19, 2003
SCC closes deal for Vallejo property
By Tanya Mannes/Reporter Staff
Solano Community College has found land in Vallejo on which to build a satellite college center, a key project in the Measure G bond approved by taxpayers last year.
College officials announced Monday they had closed a deal with Mandarich Development to purchase 10 acres in the Northgate Business Park. Construction is expected to begin this spring, officials said.
"This is a tremendous time for Vallejo to celebrate," said Bill Thurston, president of the SCC governing board and a Vallejo resident, in a press release. "Vallejo residents provided the strongest support for the bond, and soon they will have a first-class institution."
The satellite center will replace the existing limited classroom facilities in Vallejo.
The property is easily accessible from Interstate 80 and in a prime area of projected growth and development. Located adjacent to and south of Columbus Parkway at the intersection of St. John's Mine Road, the facility will be 50,000 square feet with modern classrooms and computer labs to meet the educational needs of the expanding Solano County population.
The college also will be building a new facility in Vacaville to replace its leased classroom space with modern buildings and a new computer lab.
Vallejo Mayor Tony Intintoli Jr. called the planned center a "tremendous addition to Vallejo's educational landscape."
"Knowing Vallejoans strongly supported this effort makes it even more rewarding," he said. "More educational opportunities can only enrich our community."
Measure G will infuse $124.5 million into the Solano Community College system through 2009 for new college facilities plus upgrades to the existing campus infrastructure, which is more than 30 years old.
The college has established a partnership with Sonoma State University in order to offer bachelor's degree programs at the new campus. SCC students will be able to complete a four-year degree without changing campuses, according to Superintendent Paulette Perfumo.
"This is an exciting opportunity to bring higher education to the south county through the Solano College Vallejo Center," she said.
Tanya Mannes can be reached at schools@thereporter.com.
SCC closes deal for Vallejo property
By Tanya Mannes/Reporter Staff
Solano Community College has found land in Vallejo on which to build a satellite college center, a key project in the Measure G bond approved by taxpayers last year.
College officials announced Monday they had closed a deal with Mandarich Development to purchase 10 acres in the Northgate Business Park. Construction is expected to begin this spring, officials said.
"This is a tremendous time for Vallejo to celebrate," said Bill Thurston, president of the SCC governing board and a Vallejo resident, in a press release. "Vallejo residents provided the strongest support for the bond, and soon they will have a first-class institution."
The satellite center will replace the existing limited classroom facilities in Vallejo.
The property is easily accessible from Interstate 80 and in a prime area of projected growth and development. Located adjacent to and south of Columbus Parkway at the intersection of St. John's Mine Road, the facility will be 50,000 square feet with modern classrooms and computer labs to meet the educational needs of the expanding Solano County population.
The college also will be building a new facility in Vacaville to replace its leased classroom space with modern buildings and a new computer lab.
Vallejo Mayor Tony Intintoli Jr. called the planned center a "tremendous addition to Vallejo's educational landscape."
"Knowing Vallejoans strongly supported this effort makes it even more rewarding," he said. "More educational opportunities can only enrich our community."
Measure G will infuse $124.5 million into the Solano Community College system through 2009 for new college facilities plus upgrades to the existing campus infrastructure, which is more than 30 years old.
The college has established a partnership with Sonoma State University in order to offer bachelor's degree programs at the new campus. SCC students will be able to complete a four-year degree without changing campuses, according to Superintendent Paulette Perfumo.
"This is an exciting opportunity to bring higher education to the south county through the Solano College Vallejo Center," she said.
Tanya Mannes can be reached at schools@thereporter.com.
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
SCC to begin construction on Vallejo campus next spring
Tuesday November 18, 2003
SCC to begin construction on Vallejo campus next spring
By MARYANN MASLAN, Times-Herald staff writer
FAIRFIELD - After more than 30 years, Solano Community College will begin construction on a new Vallejo campus next spring, officials announced Monday.
"The people of Vallejo deserve this since the college moved from where it started 30 years ago," said Bill Thurston, Solano Community College board president. "This is a tremendous time for Vallejo to celebrate."
Solano Community College closed a deal with Mandarich Development on Oct. 29, to buy 10 acres in Northgate Business Park to construct the Vallejo Educational Center.
The project is funded by the $124.5 million Measure G bond voters passed last year to provide satellite campuses in Vallejo and Vacaville and to modernize facilities on the main campus near Fairfield.
"Vallejo residents provided the strongest support for the bond and soon they will have a first class institution," Thurston said.
The new campus will replace Vallejo's downtown facilities in the John F. Kennedy Library on Santa Clara Street with a proposed 50,000 square-foot building. The facility will house 24 modern classrooms including computer labs and will be located near Columbus Parkway and St. John's Mine Road.
Of the $124 million bond measure, about $25 million will be spent on the Northgate campus.
"The new campus will be a tremendous addition to Vallejo's educational landscape," said Vallejo's mayor Tony Intintoli. "More educational opportunities can only enrich our community."
Solano Community College formed a partnership with Sonoma State University, which will allow students to earn a four-year degree in several majors by 2006, college officials said.
Course work for degrees in education, criminal justice, business, nursing and computer technology are in the master plan.
Of the more than 12,000 students who attend Solano Community College credit programs, 25 percent are from Vallejo.
Developers worked with the city of Vallejo and the college for nearly four years to find a piece of property to suit the college's needs. The area under development includes an adjacent property with 190 deluxe townhouses.
A citizen oversight committee to oversee Measure G expenditures was selected by the board as well as a contracting firm.
"Now we'll have an institution folks can be really proud of," Thurston said.
SCC to begin construction on Vallejo campus next spring
By MARYANN MASLAN, Times-Herald staff writer
FAIRFIELD - After more than 30 years, Solano Community College will begin construction on a new Vallejo campus next spring, officials announced Monday.
"The people of Vallejo deserve this since the college moved from where it started 30 years ago," said Bill Thurston, Solano Community College board president. "This is a tremendous time for Vallejo to celebrate."
Solano Community College closed a deal with Mandarich Development on Oct. 29, to buy 10 acres in Northgate Business Park to construct the Vallejo Educational Center.
The project is funded by the $124.5 million Measure G bond voters passed last year to provide satellite campuses in Vallejo and Vacaville and to modernize facilities on the main campus near Fairfield.
"Vallejo residents provided the strongest support for the bond and soon they will have a first class institution," Thurston said.
The new campus will replace Vallejo's downtown facilities in the John F. Kennedy Library on Santa Clara Street with a proposed 50,000 square-foot building. The facility will house 24 modern classrooms including computer labs and will be located near Columbus Parkway and St. John's Mine Road.
Of the $124 million bond measure, about $25 million will be spent on the Northgate campus.
"The new campus will be a tremendous addition to Vallejo's educational landscape," said Vallejo's mayor Tony Intintoli. "More educational opportunities can only enrich our community."
Solano Community College formed a partnership with Sonoma State University, which will allow students to earn a four-year degree in several majors by 2006, college officials said.
Course work for degrees in education, criminal justice, business, nursing and computer technology are in the master plan.
Of the more than 12,000 students who attend Solano Community College credit programs, 25 percent are from Vallejo.
Developers worked with the city of Vallejo and the college for nearly four years to find a piece of property to suit the college's needs. The area under development includes an adjacent property with 190 deluxe townhouses.
A citizen oversight committee to oversee Measure G expenditures was selected by the board as well as a contracting firm.
"Now we'll have an institution folks can be really proud of," Thurston said.
Vacaville needs new high school?
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Vacaville needs new high school
By Audrey Wong
VACAVILLE -- By 2008, Vacaville may teem with 5,000 teenagers who will crowd the city's high schools and 1,800 of them will attend class in portable buildings, according to the Vacaville Unified School District.
Because of those projections, the district is proposing to build a new high school with a 2,000 student capacity in the northern portion of the city. VUSD officials presented Wednesday night possible sites for the high school and the steps they would need to take before construction can begin.
Even with a decline in middle school students, future growth in Vacaville may draw families with teenage children. This would necessitate the building of another high school, said Leigh Coop, director of facilities.
Vacaville residents Laurie and Jerry Malicki agree.
"Our kids went to Vacaville High School and Wood several years ago and it was overcrowded," Laurie Malicki said. "When they were at Wood there were a lot of classes that didn't have chairs."
Current enrollment at Vacaville and Will C. Wood high schools is 4,000, with 800 students in 45 portable classes, Coop said. Facilities such as Wood's cafeteria can't accommodate all students.
The district is considering two sites. One is a swath south of Elmira Road and east of Leisure Town Road. Much of the property is used for agriculture and just outside city limits but is within the city's sphere of influence.
The city may have to annex the land for the district. The property is divided among six landowners with whom the district must negotiate. Because of the farming, the district must test the site for pesticides. It must take into account the proximity of power lines for safety reasons as well how a high school will affect traffic and neighbors at both sites in an environmental study.
The district has scouted the second site by Eubanks Drive but doesn't favor building a school in the the heart of an industrial park, Coop said.
Purchasing a site can take 18 months and the district hired architects Murray & Downs from Placerville for the project. Planning and design will go on through 2004-2005. The district wants to start construction in the spring or summer of 2006 and open the school by fall 2008.
The district is exploring two options for the new facility. One is to build just the high school on 60 acres. The other is to construct a high school on a corner of a 100-acre lot and include an elementary school and a middle school on the other side of the property.
The $67 million high school is included in plans for Measure V, a $101 million bond. The bond will contribute $46 million toward construction. The district wants to raise $17 million through a state school bond in 2006 and $4 million from developer fees. But it must have all plans completed and voters must approve of a bond in two years.
High school plans are also dependent on whether the district can purchase land at a reasonable price. The middle school and two elementary school proposed in the district's general plans will be funded by developers fees.
Audrey Wong can be reached at awong@dailyrepublic.net.
Vacaville needs new high school
By Audrey Wong
VACAVILLE -- By 2008, Vacaville may teem with 5,000 teenagers who will crowd the city's high schools and 1,800 of them will attend class in portable buildings, according to the Vacaville Unified School District.
Because of those projections, the district is proposing to build a new high school with a 2,000 student capacity in the northern portion of the city. VUSD officials presented Wednesday night possible sites for the high school and the steps they would need to take before construction can begin.
Even with a decline in middle school students, future growth in Vacaville may draw families with teenage children. This would necessitate the building of another high school, said Leigh Coop, director of facilities.
Vacaville residents Laurie and Jerry Malicki agree.
"Our kids went to Vacaville High School and Wood several years ago and it was overcrowded," Laurie Malicki said. "When they were at Wood there were a lot of classes that didn't have chairs."
Current enrollment at Vacaville and Will C. Wood high schools is 4,000, with 800 students in 45 portable classes, Coop said. Facilities such as Wood's cafeteria can't accommodate all students.
The district is considering two sites. One is a swath south of Elmira Road and east of Leisure Town Road. Much of the property is used for agriculture and just outside city limits but is within the city's sphere of influence.
The city may have to annex the land for the district. The property is divided among six landowners with whom the district must negotiate. Because of the farming, the district must test the site for pesticides. It must take into account the proximity of power lines for safety reasons as well how a high school will affect traffic and neighbors at both sites in an environmental study.
The district has scouted the second site by Eubanks Drive but doesn't favor building a school in the the heart of an industrial park, Coop said.
Purchasing a site can take 18 months and the district hired architects Murray & Downs from Placerville for the project. Planning and design will go on through 2004-2005. The district wants to start construction in the spring or summer of 2006 and open the school by fall 2008.
The district is exploring two options for the new facility. One is to build just the high school on 60 acres. The other is to construct a high school on a corner of a 100-acre lot and include an elementary school and a middle school on the other side of the property.
The $67 million high school is included in plans for Measure V, a $101 million bond. The bond will contribute $46 million toward construction. The district wants to raise $17 million through a state school bond in 2006 and $4 million from developer fees. But it must have all plans completed and voters must approve of a bond in two years.
High school plans are also dependent on whether the district can purchase land at a reasonable price. The middle school and two elementary school proposed in the district's general plans will be funded by developers fees.
Audrey Wong can be reached at awong@dailyrepublic.net.
SCC to purchase land for Vallejo campus
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
SCC to purchase land for campus
By Nada Behziz
ROCKVILLE -- In less than three days Solano Community College will be the new owners of 10-acres in the Northgate Business Park slated for a prospective extension campus in Vallejo as part of the Measure G bond project.
Measure G, a narrowly approved $124.5 million bond measure, will fund new campuses in Vallejo and Vacaville, as well as upgrade and expand the current Rockville campus. The new Vallejo campus will replace the existing SCC facilities in Vallejo and will bring 24 more classrooms and upgraded facilities to the city.
"This is a landmark event," said SCC President Paulette Perfumo. "We made it quite clear what we wanted and they gave it to us."
Members of the bond citizen oversight committee discussed recruitment options Monday night to help the college meet state requirements to enroll at least 500 full-time equivalent students at the Vallejo campus.
Although Vallejo will have significantly fewer classrooms than the Vacaville center, members are still concerned that students will continue to travel to Diablo Valley College or other nearby community colleges instead of SCC.
"We want students in Benicia to know that they are in our district and we want them here," said Governing Board President Bill Thurston. "We want to see if we can recapture students who are going across the bridge."
College officials are also working with Benicia High School to attract more students and have the option of using its facility after school hours.
The college, along with construction manager Kitchell CEM, is currently in the process of narrowing down prospective architects.
Kitchell officials are currently reviewing 40 submitted proposals and expect to narrow down the field in the next few weeks, according to Kitchell representative Mark Newton.
The firm has divided the applicants into two pools, based on their qualifications - projects over $10 million and projects below $10 million. They expect to hire at least two to three architects for the small projects and, at minimum, three to four architectural firms for the larger endeavors.
Kitchell representatives plan to have all architects on board by mid-February.
However, before deciding on architectural firms for the numerous projects under Measure G, the board must first decide if they plan to go with a highly controversial Project Labor Agreement, which limits their options to only union contractors.
The board is expect to discuss the potential project agreement further at its Nov. 19 meeting. The meeting will be held in the board room at SCC, room 626 at 7 p.m.
Nada Behziz can be reached at nbehziz@dailyrepublic.net.
SCC to purchase land for campus
By Nada Behziz
ROCKVILLE -- In less than three days Solano Community College will be the new owners of 10-acres in the Northgate Business Park slated for a prospective extension campus in Vallejo as part of the Measure G bond project.
Measure G, a narrowly approved $124.5 million bond measure, will fund new campuses in Vallejo and Vacaville, as well as upgrade and expand the current Rockville campus. The new Vallejo campus will replace the existing SCC facilities in Vallejo and will bring 24 more classrooms and upgraded facilities to the city.
"This is a landmark event," said SCC President Paulette Perfumo. "We made it quite clear what we wanted and they gave it to us."
Members of the bond citizen oversight committee discussed recruitment options Monday night to help the college meet state requirements to enroll at least 500 full-time equivalent students at the Vallejo campus.
Although Vallejo will have significantly fewer classrooms than the Vacaville center, members are still concerned that students will continue to travel to Diablo Valley College or other nearby community colleges instead of SCC.
"We want students in Benicia to know that they are in our district and we want them here," said Governing Board President Bill Thurston. "We want to see if we can recapture students who are going across the bridge."
College officials are also working with Benicia High School to attract more students and have the option of using its facility after school hours.
The college, along with construction manager Kitchell CEM, is currently in the process of narrowing down prospective architects.
Kitchell officials are currently reviewing 40 submitted proposals and expect to narrow down the field in the next few weeks, according to Kitchell representative Mark Newton.
The firm has divided the applicants into two pools, based on their qualifications - projects over $10 million and projects below $10 million. They expect to hire at least two to three architects for the small projects and, at minimum, three to four architectural firms for the larger endeavors.
Kitchell representatives plan to have all architects on board by mid-February.
However, before deciding on architectural firms for the numerous projects under Measure G, the board must first decide if they plan to go with a highly controversial Project Labor Agreement, which limits their options to only union contractors.
The board is expect to discuss the potential project agreement further at its Nov. 19 meeting. The meeting will be held in the board room at SCC, room 626 at 7 p.m.
Nada Behziz can be reached at nbehziz@dailyrepublic.net.
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Business
County jobless rate stabilizes
By Daily Republic staff
Solano County's unemployment rate is holding steady, according to statistics recently released by the Employment Development Department.
The county had a 5.6 percent unemployment rate in October, compared to a 5.4 percent in October 2002.
Statewide and nationwide, the unemployment rate also is showing little change.
California had a 6.4 percent unemployment rate in October, compared to 6.6 percent in October 2002. The nation had a 5.6 percent unemployment rate in October, compared to 5.3 percent in October 2002.
"It's starting to stabilize," said labor market consultant Cynthia Solorio.
"We're not seeing any major dips in the economy."
Business
County jobless rate stabilizes
By Daily Republic staff
Solano County's unemployment rate is holding steady, according to statistics recently released by the Employment Development Department.
The county had a 5.6 percent unemployment rate in October, compared to a 5.4 percent in October 2002.
Statewide and nationwide, the unemployment rate also is showing little change.
California had a 6.4 percent unemployment rate in October, compared to 6.6 percent in October 2002. The nation had a 5.6 percent unemployment rate in October, compared to 5.3 percent in October 2002.
"It's starting to stabilize," said labor market consultant Cynthia Solorio.
"We're not seeing any major dips in the economy."
Monday, November 17, 2003
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's inaugural address
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's inaugural address
Monday, November 17, 2003
(11-17) 13:31 PST (AP) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's inaugural address:
"Mr. Chief Justice; Governor and Mrs. Davis; Governor and Mrs. Wilson; Governor and Mrs. Deukmejian; Governor Brown; legislative leadership; constitutional officers; my fellow Californians:
I am humbled, I am moved -- and I am honored beyond words to be your governor.
To the thousands of you who came here today, I took this oath to serve you.
To others all across this state -- Democrats, Republicans, Independents -- it makes no difference. I took this oath to serve you.
To those who have no power, to those who have dropped out -- too weary or disappointed with politics as usual -- I took the oath to serve you.
I say to everyone here today and to all Californians, I will not forget my oath and I will not forget you.
Let me first thank Gov. Davis and Mrs. Davis and their entire administration for a smooth transition. There's been a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation, and I thank you for that.
My fellow citizens: Today is a new day in California. I did not seek this office to do things the way they've always been done. What I care about is restoring your confidence in your government.
When I became a citizen 20 years ago, I had to take citizenship test. I had to learn about the history and the principles of our republic.
What I learned -- and I've never forgotten -- is sovereignty rests with the people, not the government.
In recent years, Californians have lost confidence. They've felt that the actions of their government did not represent the will of the people.
This election was not about replacing one man; it was not replacing one party. It was about changing the entire political climate of our state.
Everywhere I went during my campaign, I could feel the public hunger for out elected officials to work together, to work openly and to work for the greater good.
The election was the people's veto -- for politics as usual.
With the eyes of the world upon us, we did the dramatic. Now we must put the rancor of the past behind us and do the extraordinary.
It's no secret I'm a newcomer to politics. I realize I was elected on faith and hope. And I feel a great responsibility -- not to let the people down.
As soon as I go inside the Capitol behind me, I will sign my first order as governor.
I will sign Executive Order No. 1 -- which will repeal the 300 percent increase in the car tax.
I will issue a proclamation convening a special session of the Legislature to address California' fiscal crisis.
I will issue a proclamation convening a special session to reform our workers' compensation system.
I will call on the Legislature to repeal SB60 and I will work to reform government by bringing openness and full disclosure to public business.
I enter this office beholden to no one except you, my fellow citizens. I pledge my governorship to your interests, not to special interests.
So I've appointed to my Cabinet Republicans, Democrats and Independents -- because I want people to know that my administration is not about politics. It is about saving California.
The state of California is in crisis.
As I've said many times, we spent ourselves into the largest budget deficit in the nation.
We have the worst credit rating in the nation.
We have the highest workers' compensation costs in the nation.
Next year we will have the highest unemployment insurance costs in the nation.
And we have the worst business climate in the nation.
But even though these problems are staggering, they do not even compare to what Californians have overcome in the past.
Our state has endured earthquakes, floods and fires. The latest fires have destroyed lives, homes, businesses, and devastated hundreds of thousands of acres of the land that we love.
On behalf of my fellow citizens, I salute all those who have served on the front lines of the battle. Firefighters, emergency workers, law enforcement officials, National Guard and thousands of volunteers. As we watched the firestorms raging, we saw bravery that never faltered and determination that never wavered in a fight that never flagged.
To the families of those who gave their lives and those who have lost their lives, your loss is ours. As Californians, we mourn together, we fight together, and we will rebuild together.
And just as California will come back from the fires, we will also come back from fiscal adversity.
I know there are some of you who say that the Legislature and I will never agree on solutions to our problems. But I've found in my life that people often respond in remarkable ways to remarkable challenges.
In the words of President Kennedy, "I am an idealist without illusions."
I know it will be hard to put aside years of partisan bitterness.
I know it will be hard to overcome the political habits of the past.
But for guidance, let's look back in history to a period I studied when I became a citizen. The summer of 1787. Delegates of the original 13 states were meeting in Philadelphia.
The dream of a new nation was falling apart. Events were spiraling downward. Divisions were deep. Merchant against farmer. Big states against small. North against South.
Our founding fathers knew that the fate of the union was in their hands, just as the fate of California is in our hands.
What happened in that summer of 1787 is that they put their differences aside -- and produced the blueprint for our government; our Constitution. Their coming together has been called "the Miracle of Philadelphia."
Now, the members of the Legislature and I must bring about the "Miracle of Sacramento" -- a miracle based on cooperation, good will, new ideas -- and devotion to the long-term good of California.
What we face may look insurmountable. But I learned something from all those years of training and competing.
What I learned is that we are always stronger than we know. And California is like that, too.
We are stronger than we know.
There's a massive weight we must lift off our state.
Alone, I cannot lift it. But together, we can.
It's true; things may get harder before they get better. But I've never been afraid of the struggle. I've never been afraid of the fight and I have never been afraid of the hard work.
I will not rest until our fiscal house is in order.
I will not rest until California is a competitive job-creating machine.
I will not rest until the people of California come to see their government as a partner in their lives, not a roadblock to their dreams.
Today I ask all of you to join me in a new partnership for California.
One that is civil and respectful of our diverse population.
One that challenges each and every one of us to serve our state in a joyful, productive and creative way.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have an immigrant's optimism that what I have learned in citizen class is true: The system does work.
And I believe that with all of my heart.
I have big hopes for California. President Reagan spoke of America as "the shining city on the hill." I see California as the golden dream by the sea.
Perhaps some think this is fanciful or poetic, but to an immigrant like me, who, as a boy, saw Soviet tanks rolling through the streets of Austria, to someone like me who came here with absolutely nothing and gained absolutely everything, it is not fanciful to see this state as a golden dream.
For millions of people around the world, California has always glimmered with hope and glowed with opportunity. Millions of people around the world send their dreams to California with the hope their lives will follow.
My fellow citizens.
I have taken the oath to uphold the Constitution of California. Now, with your help and God's, I will also uphold the dream that is California.
Thank you very much.
God bless you, and may God bless California.
Thank you, thank you."
EDITORIAL
His window of opportunity for real reform
Sunday, November 16, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE TIME is now. No governor in recent history has had such a mandate to change the ways of Sacramento. Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger was clearly propelled into office by the public's distrust and disgust with the status quo. He can move reform to the forefront of the agenda if he moves quickly -- and boldly -- in the weeks ahead. If he misses this opportunity,
it may not come around again for many years.
He needs your support and encouragement.
Schwarzenegger laid out a modest four-part reform plan in September that offers a start -- an important start, but just a start -- toward changing the culture in Sacramento. As he said at the time: "The people of this state do not trust their government. They feel it is corrupted by dirty money, closed doors and backroom deals. They see the contributions go in, the favors go out, and they get punished with wasteful spending and high taxes."
He is absolutely right. Special interests do have inordinate sway in the Capitol, and they buy it with campaign contributions and exploit it through sleazy practices that allow legislators to work against the public interest without accountability. The only way to change the mores of Sacramento is to change the rules.
Schwarzenegger has endorsed four sensible proposals. They are:
Strengthen the Sunshine Act. Establish a constitutional amendment that would elevate the state's open records and open meetings laws. Schwarzenegger rightly suggests that the amendment should be expanded to include legislative activities. Schwarzenegger has also said he will not sign any bill that has not received a full public hearing, an attempt to discourage the end-of- session "gut-and-amend" tactic in which bills are stripped of their language and replaced with an unrelated issue -- without a chance for meaningful public hearings.
Declare a fund-raising blackout. Political contributions should be prohibited during periods of peak legislative activity. Schwarzenegger is on the right track -- by focusing the restrictions during budget deliberations -- but the "Sacramento shakedown" also should apply to the end-of-session blitz, when fund-raisers and bill deadlines coincide.
Demand instant disclosure. All political contributions would be subject to disclosure within 24 hours through an electronic system that dovetails with software already used by campaigns. It's a worthy idea, but no substitute for a more sweeping campaign-finance reform that limits the flow of big money into state campaigns.
Initiate fair redistricting. Retired judges would be enlisted to draw district boundaries, as an alternative to the blatantly political process that now carves "safe" seats for incumbents and the party in power. California absolutely needs a more independent redistricting process, and Schwarzenegger's commitment to reform is extremely welcome.
While Schwarzenegger is right about his critique of Sacramento dysfunction -- the short-circuiting of processes, the influence of contributions -- he has left out one of the biggest impediments to good governance: California's absurdly tight term limits. Assembly members are limited to just six years in office; senators are limited to eight. As we have seen on many issues, lobbyists have clearly gained additional leverage in an environment of constant turnover and unfamiliarity with complex subjects. During the campaign, Schwarzenegger ruled out a reassessment of term limits. He should reconsider his position.
Other reform measures we would like to see on the new governor's plate:
No "walks." One of the most insidious and common accountability-avoidance tactics in the Assembly is the practice known as "taking a walk." Members know that not voting has the same effect as a "no" vote -- so the more timid among them simply fail to vote on tough issues, which allows them to keep campaign contributions flowing without taking the heat from the public. Our suggested rule: Miss a vote, lose a day's pay.
Require honest voting records. A recorded vote in a public session should never be expunged, as it was June 4 when the Assembly erased the record of a vote on AB406, designed to strengthen public oversight of environmental impact studies.
Retain committee integrity. The Assembly speaker should not be allowed to swap committee members to achieve a particular result on a given day. Members should be replaced only when they are away from the Capitol for a legitimate reason.
Require the right to be heard. The leadership of the Senate or Assembly should not be able to unilaterally kill a bill that has made it through the other house. Legislation to assure that right stalled this year in the Assembly.
Restrict committee size and assignments. The committee structure is unwieldy, especially in the 80-member Assembly. For example, the Health Committee has 25 members, the Budget Committee has 31. Members have up to six committee assignments. This is no way to allow legislators to develop expertise.
Schwarzenegger also needs to lead by example. His scheduling of big- ticket fund-raisers within two weeks of his inauguration, just as his staff is putting together his first budget, has sent a signal that he might not be serious about changing the culture of the Capitol.
If there was a mandate in the Oct. 7 recall election, it was to change the way the public's business is conducted in Sacramento. Schwarzenegger has a chance to execute that mandate. But he must act soon, while politicians at all levels are feeling the heat of a populist revolt.
Monday, November 17, 2003
(11-17) 13:31 PST (AP) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's inaugural address:
"Mr. Chief Justice; Governor and Mrs. Davis; Governor and Mrs. Wilson; Governor and Mrs. Deukmejian; Governor Brown; legislative leadership; constitutional officers; my fellow Californians:
I am humbled, I am moved -- and I am honored beyond words to be your governor.
To the thousands of you who came here today, I took this oath to serve you.
To others all across this state -- Democrats, Republicans, Independents -- it makes no difference. I took this oath to serve you.
To those who have no power, to those who have dropped out -- too weary or disappointed with politics as usual -- I took the oath to serve you.
I say to everyone here today and to all Californians, I will not forget my oath and I will not forget you.
Let me first thank Gov. Davis and Mrs. Davis and their entire administration for a smooth transition. There's been a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation, and I thank you for that.
My fellow citizens: Today is a new day in California. I did not seek this office to do things the way they've always been done. What I care about is restoring your confidence in your government.
When I became a citizen 20 years ago, I had to take citizenship test. I had to learn about the history and the principles of our republic.
What I learned -- and I've never forgotten -- is sovereignty rests with the people, not the government.
In recent years, Californians have lost confidence. They've felt that the actions of their government did not represent the will of the people.
This election was not about replacing one man; it was not replacing one party. It was about changing the entire political climate of our state.
Everywhere I went during my campaign, I could feel the public hunger for out elected officials to work together, to work openly and to work for the greater good.
The election was the people's veto -- for politics as usual.
With the eyes of the world upon us, we did the dramatic. Now we must put the rancor of the past behind us and do the extraordinary.
It's no secret I'm a newcomer to politics. I realize I was elected on faith and hope. And I feel a great responsibility -- not to let the people down.
As soon as I go inside the Capitol behind me, I will sign my first order as governor.
I will sign Executive Order No. 1 -- which will repeal the 300 percent increase in the car tax.
I will issue a proclamation convening a special session of the Legislature to address California' fiscal crisis.
I will issue a proclamation convening a special session to reform our workers' compensation system.
I will call on the Legislature to repeal SB60 and I will work to reform government by bringing openness and full disclosure to public business.
I enter this office beholden to no one except you, my fellow citizens. I pledge my governorship to your interests, not to special interests.
So I've appointed to my Cabinet Republicans, Democrats and Independents -- because I want people to know that my administration is not about politics. It is about saving California.
The state of California is in crisis.
As I've said many times, we spent ourselves into the largest budget deficit in the nation.
We have the worst credit rating in the nation.
We have the highest workers' compensation costs in the nation.
Next year we will have the highest unemployment insurance costs in the nation.
And we have the worst business climate in the nation.
But even though these problems are staggering, they do not even compare to what Californians have overcome in the past.
Our state has endured earthquakes, floods and fires. The latest fires have destroyed lives, homes, businesses, and devastated hundreds of thousands of acres of the land that we love.
On behalf of my fellow citizens, I salute all those who have served on the front lines of the battle. Firefighters, emergency workers, law enforcement officials, National Guard and thousands of volunteers. As we watched the firestorms raging, we saw bravery that never faltered and determination that never wavered in a fight that never flagged.
To the families of those who gave their lives and those who have lost their lives, your loss is ours. As Californians, we mourn together, we fight together, and we will rebuild together.
And just as California will come back from the fires, we will also come back from fiscal adversity.
I know there are some of you who say that the Legislature and I will never agree on solutions to our problems. But I've found in my life that people often respond in remarkable ways to remarkable challenges.
In the words of President Kennedy, "I am an idealist without illusions."
I know it will be hard to put aside years of partisan bitterness.
I know it will be hard to overcome the political habits of the past.
But for guidance, let's look back in history to a period I studied when I became a citizen. The summer of 1787. Delegates of the original 13 states were meeting in Philadelphia.
The dream of a new nation was falling apart. Events were spiraling downward. Divisions were deep. Merchant against farmer. Big states against small. North against South.
Our founding fathers knew that the fate of the union was in their hands, just as the fate of California is in our hands.
What happened in that summer of 1787 is that they put their differences aside -- and produced the blueprint for our government; our Constitution. Their coming together has been called "the Miracle of Philadelphia."
Now, the members of the Legislature and I must bring about the "Miracle of Sacramento" -- a miracle based on cooperation, good will, new ideas -- and devotion to the long-term good of California.
What we face may look insurmountable. But I learned something from all those years of training and competing.
What I learned is that we are always stronger than we know. And California is like that, too.
We are stronger than we know.
There's a massive weight we must lift off our state.
Alone, I cannot lift it. But together, we can.
It's true; things may get harder before they get better. But I've never been afraid of the struggle. I've never been afraid of the fight and I have never been afraid of the hard work.
I will not rest until our fiscal house is in order.
I will not rest until California is a competitive job-creating machine.
I will not rest until the people of California come to see their government as a partner in their lives, not a roadblock to their dreams.
Today I ask all of you to join me in a new partnership for California.
One that is civil and respectful of our diverse population.
One that challenges each and every one of us to serve our state in a joyful, productive and creative way.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have an immigrant's optimism that what I have learned in citizen class is true: The system does work.
And I believe that with all of my heart.
I have big hopes for California. President Reagan spoke of America as "the shining city on the hill." I see California as the golden dream by the sea.
Perhaps some think this is fanciful or poetic, but to an immigrant like me, who, as a boy, saw Soviet tanks rolling through the streets of Austria, to someone like me who came here with absolutely nothing and gained absolutely everything, it is not fanciful to see this state as a golden dream.
For millions of people around the world, California has always glimmered with hope and glowed with opportunity. Millions of people around the world send their dreams to California with the hope their lives will follow.
My fellow citizens.
I have taken the oath to uphold the Constitution of California. Now, with your help and God's, I will also uphold the dream that is California.
Thank you very much.
God bless you, and may God bless California.
Thank you, thank you."
EDITORIAL
His window of opportunity for real reform
Sunday, November 16, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE TIME is now. No governor in recent history has had such a mandate to change the ways of Sacramento. Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger was clearly propelled into office by the public's distrust and disgust with the status quo. He can move reform to the forefront of the agenda if he moves quickly -- and boldly -- in the weeks ahead. If he misses this opportunity,
it may not come around again for many years.
He needs your support and encouragement.
Schwarzenegger laid out a modest four-part reform plan in September that offers a start -- an important start, but just a start -- toward changing the culture in Sacramento. As he said at the time: "The people of this state do not trust their government. They feel it is corrupted by dirty money, closed doors and backroom deals. They see the contributions go in, the favors go out, and they get punished with wasteful spending and high taxes."
He is absolutely right. Special interests do have inordinate sway in the Capitol, and they buy it with campaign contributions and exploit it through sleazy practices that allow legislators to work against the public interest without accountability. The only way to change the mores of Sacramento is to change the rules.
Schwarzenegger has endorsed four sensible proposals. They are:
Strengthen the Sunshine Act. Establish a constitutional amendment that would elevate the state's open records and open meetings laws. Schwarzenegger rightly suggests that the amendment should be expanded to include legislative activities. Schwarzenegger has also said he will not sign any bill that has not received a full public hearing, an attempt to discourage the end-of- session "gut-and-amend" tactic in which bills are stripped of their language and replaced with an unrelated issue -- without a chance for meaningful public hearings.
Declare a fund-raising blackout. Political contributions should be prohibited during periods of peak legislative activity. Schwarzenegger is on the right track -- by focusing the restrictions during budget deliberations -- but the "Sacramento shakedown" also should apply to the end-of-session blitz, when fund-raisers and bill deadlines coincide.
Demand instant disclosure. All political contributions would be subject to disclosure within 24 hours through an electronic system that dovetails with software already used by campaigns. It's a worthy idea, but no substitute for a more sweeping campaign-finance reform that limits the flow of big money into state campaigns.
Initiate fair redistricting. Retired judges would be enlisted to draw district boundaries, as an alternative to the blatantly political process that now carves "safe" seats for incumbents and the party in power. California absolutely needs a more independent redistricting process, and Schwarzenegger's commitment to reform is extremely welcome.
While Schwarzenegger is right about his critique of Sacramento dysfunction -- the short-circuiting of processes, the influence of contributions -- he has left out one of the biggest impediments to good governance: California's absurdly tight term limits. Assembly members are limited to just six years in office; senators are limited to eight. As we have seen on many issues, lobbyists have clearly gained additional leverage in an environment of constant turnover and unfamiliarity with complex subjects. During the campaign, Schwarzenegger ruled out a reassessment of term limits. He should reconsider his position.
Other reform measures we would like to see on the new governor's plate:
No "walks." One of the most insidious and common accountability-avoidance tactics in the Assembly is the practice known as "taking a walk." Members know that not voting has the same effect as a "no" vote -- so the more timid among them simply fail to vote on tough issues, which allows them to keep campaign contributions flowing without taking the heat from the public. Our suggested rule: Miss a vote, lose a day's pay.
Require honest voting records. A recorded vote in a public session should never be expunged, as it was June 4 when the Assembly erased the record of a vote on AB406, designed to strengthen public oversight of environmental impact studies.
Retain committee integrity. The Assembly speaker should not be allowed to swap committee members to achieve a particular result on a given day. Members should be replaced only when they are away from the Capitol for a legitimate reason.
Require the right to be heard. The leadership of the Senate or Assembly should not be able to unilaterally kill a bill that has made it through the other house. Legislation to assure that right stalled this year in the Assembly.
Restrict committee size and assignments. The committee structure is unwieldy, especially in the 80-member Assembly. For example, the Health Committee has 25 members, the Budget Committee has 31. Members have up to six committee assignments. This is no way to allow legislators to develop expertise.
Schwarzenegger also needs to lead by example. His scheduling of big- ticket fund-raisers within two weeks of his inauguration, just as his staff is putting together his first budget, has sent a signal that he might not be serious about changing the culture of the Capitol.
If there was a mandate in the Oct. 7 recall election, it was to change the way the public's business is conducted in Sacramento. Schwarzenegger has a chance to execute that mandate. But he must act soon, while politicians at all levels are feeling the heat of a populist revolt.
Genentech asking for room to expand
November 17, 2003
Genentech asking for room to expand
By Kevin Clerici/Reporter Staff
Genentech, the world's No. 2 biotech firm and one of Vacaville's largest employers, is asking the city of Vacaville for an additional 300,000 square feet of expansion space.
The request, if granted, would position the giant drug manufacturer to expand its roughly 427,000-square-foot biopharmaceutical facility off Interstate 505 and Vaca Valley Parkway.
At this time, the South San Francisco-based company has not filed an application to enlarge its local operation.
"This simply gives us the option to consider future growth," spokeswoman Amy Gartner said Friday.
Gartner added that Genentech has a "strong relationship" with the city.
"We are absolutely pleased with our decision to locate (in Vacaville)," she said.
In addition to the added space, Genentech wants the ability to increase the building height from 70 feet to 98 feet, planning documents show.
Vacaville's Planning Commission will consider the amendment request Tuesday. The public hearing begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall Chambers, 650 Merchant St.
Genentech came to Vacaville in 1995, inking an initial development agreement that paved the way for development of up to 661,000 square feet on roughly 100 acres.
Now, the company wants 950,000 square feet and a higher building height.
Vacaville is home to some of the largest and most successful life-science companies, including Genentech, Alza, Chiron and Large Scale Biology Corp. City officials have made it no secret they would like to see the companies expand. Genentech is one of Vacaville's top 10 employers, with some 600 people. Alza employs roughly 700 people, a city employment survey found.
"We are always interested in expansion for a company like that," Economic Development Manager Michael Palombo said. "This (amendment) makes it easier for Genentech to do something in the future."
Genentech is a leading biotech company with 12 protein-based products on the market for
Genentech asking for room to expand
By Kevin Clerici/Reporter Staff
Genentech, the world's No. 2 biotech firm and one of Vacaville's largest employers, is asking the city of Vacaville for an additional 300,000 square feet of expansion space.
The request, if granted, would position the giant drug manufacturer to expand its roughly 427,000-square-foot biopharmaceutical facility off Interstate 505 and Vaca Valley Parkway.
At this time, the South San Francisco-based company has not filed an application to enlarge its local operation.
"This simply gives us the option to consider future growth," spokeswoman Amy Gartner said Friday.
Gartner added that Genentech has a "strong relationship" with the city.
"We are absolutely pleased with our decision to locate (in Vacaville)," she said.
In addition to the added space, Genentech wants the ability to increase the building height from 70 feet to 98 feet, planning documents show.
Vacaville's Planning Commission will consider the amendment request Tuesday. The public hearing begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall Chambers, 650 Merchant St.
Genentech came to Vacaville in 1995, inking an initial development agreement that paved the way for development of up to 661,000 square feet on roughly 100 acres.
Now, the company wants 950,000 square feet and a higher building height.
Vacaville is home to some of the largest and most successful life-science companies, including Genentech, Alza, Chiron and Large Scale Biology Corp. City officials have made it no secret they would like to see the companies expand. Genentech is one of Vacaville's top 10 employers, with some 600 people. Alza employs roughly 700 people, a city employment survey found.
"We are always interested in expansion for a company like that," Economic Development Manager Michael Palombo said. "This (amendment) makes it easier for Genentech to do something in the future."
Genentech is a leading biotech company with 12 protein-based products on the market for
Sunday, November 16, 2003
Survey reveals local economic optimism
November 16, 2003
Survey reveals economic optimism
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen /Vallejo Times-Herald A new survey of business leaders says the Bay Area is experiencing an economic recovery, although not all the news is good.
The most recent Bay Area Business Confidence Survey, conducted quarterly by the San Francisco-based Bay Area Council, indicates an economic recovery has taken hold, with the third consecutive quarter of large gains in business confidence reported. But, the survey also indicates some serious lingering concerns.
The council is a business/CEO-led nonprofit, public policy organization founded in 1945.
Sunne Wright McPeak, the council's president and CEO, said the survey questioned more than 500 top business executives in the nine Bay Area counties between Oct. 15 and Oct. 30 and found the results mostly positive.
Rick Wells, Vallejo Chamber of Commerce president, said he's cautiously optimistic that the city may be experiencing an economic recovery.
"I think there are some indications of it taking place in Vallejo," Wells said. "However, I think we probably need to see more definitive indicators like new businesses opening up and growth of existing businesses. The holiday shopping season will be a good indicator of consumer confidence, which directly impacts our local economy."
The number of business executives in the study who said economic conditions are better now than six months ago jumped 18 points, from 23 percent to 41 percent from last quarter. And 65 percent expect further improvement in the next six months, which is up 15 points from July. The number of those reporting conditions are worse now than six months ago dropped 15 points from 26 percent in July to 11 percent this quarter.
The survey lumps Contra Costa and Solano counties together for statistical purposes. According to the survey, 78 percent of business executives reported business conditions are better now than six months ago, and 83 percent said they expect them to get better still in the next six months.
On a sliding scale of one to 10, with one being poor and 10 being excellent, respondents rate the United States' business climate at a 6.12. California's overall rating is significantly worse at 4.4, and the Bay Area's ranks lowest 4.25.
The survey also found that the larger the company, the greater the dissatisfaction with the Bay Area's business climate. High housing costs had the greatest negative impact on these businesses, followed by labor costs, taxes, transportation and traffic.
McPeak said these negative findings are "cause for concern."
But most of the signs are good, said council spokesman John Grubb.
"We saw business confidence increasing, which is a very positive sign, and it's the third quarter with growth there," Grubb said. "More people are saying positive than negative things about the business climate here, and that's a great sign. But there are still negative sentiments out there, and those may put the recovery in jeopardy."
Survey reveals economic optimism
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen /Vallejo Times-Herald A new survey of business leaders says the Bay Area is experiencing an economic recovery, although not all the news is good.
The most recent Bay Area Business Confidence Survey, conducted quarterly by the San Francisco-based Bay Area Council, indicates an economic recovery has taken hold, with the third consecutive quarter of large gains in business confidence reported. But, the survey also indicates some serious lingering concerns.
The council is a business/CEO-led nonprofit, public policy organization founded in 1945.
Sunne Wright McPeak, the council's president and CEO, said the survey questioned more than 500 top business executives in the nine Bay Area counties between Oct. 15 and Oct. 30 and found the results mostly positive.
Rick Wells, Vallejo Chamber of Commerce president, said he's cautiously optimistic that the city may be experiencing an economic recovery.
"I think there are some indications of it taking place in Vallejo," Wells said. "However, I think we probably need to see more definitive indicators like new businesses opening up and growth of existing businesses. The holiday shopping season will be a good indicator of consumer confidence, which directly impacts our local economy."
The number of business executives in the study who said economic conditions are better now than six months ago jumped 18 points, from 23 percent to 41 percent from last quarter. And 65 percent expect further improvement in the next six months, which is up 15 points from July. The number of those reporting conditions are worse now than six months ago dropped 15 points from 26 percent in July to 11 percent this quarter.
The survey lumps Contra Costa and Solano counties together for statistical purposes. According to the survey, 78 percent of business executives reported business conditions are better now than six months ago, and 83 percent said they expect them to get better still in the next six months.
On a sliding scale of one to 10, with one being poor and 10 being excellent, respondents rate the United States' business climate at a 6.12. California's overall rating is significantly worse at 4.4, and the Bay Area's ranks lowest 4.25.
The survey also found that the larger the company, the greater the dissatisfaction with the Bay Area's business climate. High housing costs had the greatest negative impact on these businesses, followed by labor costs, taxes, transportation and traffic.
McPeak said these negative findings are "cause for concern."
But most of the signs are good, said council spokesman John Grubb.
"We saw business confidence increasing, which is a very positive sign, and it's the third quarter with growth there," Grubb said. "More people are saying positive than negative things about the business climate here, and that's a great sign. But there are still negative sentiments out there, and those may put the recovery in jeopardy."
Friday, November 14, 2003
Vallejo's Georgia Street extension to reopen
Friday November 14, 2003
Georgia Street extension could open in December
By CHRIS G. DENINA, Times-Herald staff writerA
fter more than a year of construction, a new stretch of roadway linking Georgia Street to Mare Island Way could open in December, city officials said.
As early as next week, a section of Santa Clara Street closed for months during the Georgia Street construction is expected to reopen, officials said.
The city had expected to finish the roughly $2 million Georgia Street project in April, but construction delays - including finding undocumented utility lines underground - pushed back the opening.
The city now is aiming for a Dec. 18, grand opening of the Georgia Street extension linking the downtown and waterfront.
Part of the extension doubles as an area dubbed Unity Plaza that can be closed for events.
"They're planting trees now," Senior Civil Engineer Royce Cunningham said. "They're doing some of the final touches on the light poles and things like that. But the controlling items of work right now are these granite paving stones. They're very time-consuming."
Santa Clara Street, which crosses Georgia Street, was expected to open earlier than next week, but construction was affected by recent rains, Cunningham said.
Georgia Street once extended to the waterfront, but the city closed the extension in the 1960s when a freeway was planned for the waterfront.
For the grand opening, city officials are planning such festivities as music, food and a parade of old cars on the newly opened road, city spokesperson Mark Mazzaferro said.
City officials also are considering what to do with several memorials and statues that were removed from a plaza razed to build the extension, he said.
The pieces - including a bust of former state Sen. Luther E. Gibson and a plaque dedicated to former city employee James Richardson - were put in storage before construction began.
"At this point there hasn't been any decision made as to what to do with them," Mazzaferro said.
The plaza's landmark fountain was dismantled during construction.
It's "certainly gone forever," he said.
The road extension was designed to complement a $52 million transit center at Santa Clara and Georgia streets on the site of a post office.
City officials plan to meet next week with Washington D.C. officials to lobby for funding for the Vallejo Station project.
- E-mail Chris G. Denina at cdenina@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6835.
Georgia Street extension could open in December
By CHRIS G. DENINA, Times-Herald staff writerA
fter more than a year of construction, a new stretch of roadway linking Georgia Street to Mare Island Way could open in December, city officials said.
As early as next week, a section of Santa Clara Street closed for months during the Georgia Street construction is expected to reopen, officials said.
The city had expected to finish the roughly $2 million Georgia Street project in April, but construction delays - including finding undocumented utility lines underground - pushed back the opening.
The city now is aiming for a Dec. 18, grand opening of the Georgia Street extension linking the downtown and waterfront.
Part of the extension doubles as an area dubbed Unity Plaza that can be closed for events.
"They're planting trees now," Senior Civil Engineer Royce Cunningham said. "They're doing some of the final touches on the light poles and things like that. But the controlling items of work right now are these granite paving stones. They're very time-consuming."
Santa Clara Street, which crosses Georgia Street, was expected to open earlier than next week, but construction was affected by recent rains, Cunningham said.
Georgia Street once extended to the waterfront, but the city closed the extension in the 1960s when a freeway was planned for the waterfront.
For the grand opening, city officials are planning such festivities as music, food and a parade of old cars on the newly opened road, city spokesperson Mark Mazzaferro said.
City officials also are considering what to do with several memorials and statues that were removed from a plaza razed to build the extension, he said.
The pieces - including a bust of former state Sen. Luther E. Gibson and a plaque dedicated to former city employee James Richardson - were put in storage before construction began.
"At this point there hasn't been any decision made as to what to do with them," Mazzaferro said.
The plaza's landmark fountain was dismantled during construction.
It's "certainly gone forever," he said.
The road extension was designed to complement a $52 million transit center at Santa Clara and Georgia streets on the site of a post office.
City officials plan to meet next week with Washington D.C. officials to lobby for funding for the Vallejo Station project.
- E-mail Chris G. Denina at cdenina@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6835.
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
Vallejo City officials heading to Washington
City officials heading to Washington
By CHRIS G. DENINA, Times-Herald staff writer
City officials plan to visit Washington, D.C. next week to lobby for Mare Island cleanup, a downtown renewal project and sparing Travis Air Force Base from a future round of base closures.
A delegation including Mayor Tony Intintoli Jr. and City Manager David Martinez plans to leave Sunday and return Nov. 20 after meeting with high-level military and federal officials.
This year, Mare Island is at the top of the Vallejo group's agenda for the annual trip.
The city wants to convince the government to separately transfer ownership of the former naval base's north end, known as Area 1, and an industrial area known as Area 10 near the south end, officials said.
That would allow the city to take control of Area 1 from the federal government without waiting for the other site to be ready for transfer, Martinez said.
The Vallejo City Council recently extended until next October negotiations on Area 1 with the development team of Weston Solutions Inc. and Harvest Properties.
"We've got a developer ready to go but their hands are tied until this issue can be resolved," Martinez said. "We're going back there basically to untie their hands."
The city also hopes to secure federal dollars for cleaning up environmental contamination left by the Navy. Mare Island's 120-acre north end represents many jobs to the city and, once developed, will serve as an "economic engine" for the rest of the island.
"We need to go back and fight for getting that money," Martinez said.
The Vallejo group also plans to ask for more money to help Triad Development Inc.'s $125 million downtown renewal project, officials said.
They also plan to fight for Travis' future. A new list of base closures is expected in 2005, Martinez said.
"We've trying to keep Travis off the list," Martinez said. "Travis is a regional economic engine. Many people that work in Travis live throughout the county, including Vallejo. It would be an economic blow."
After the closing of Mare Island Naval Shipyard in 1996, the city should protect the area's remaining major base, Intintoli said.
"There's a very significant impact on us," the mayor said. "It probably wouldn't have the full impact of the base closure of Mare Island, but it would be a serious impact."
By CHRIS G. DENINA, Times-Herald staff writer
City officials plan to visit Washington, D.C. next week to lobby for Mare Island cleanup, a downtown renewal project and sparing Travis Air Force Base from a future round of base closures.
A delegation including Mayor Tony Intintoli Jr. and City Manager David Martinez plans to leave Sunday and return Nov. 20 after meeting with high-level military and federal officials.
This year, Mare Island is at the top of the Vallejo group's agenda for the annual trip.
The city wants to convince the government to separately transfer ownership of the former naval base's north end, known as Area 1, and an industrial area known as Area 10 near the south end, officials said.
That would allow the city to take control of Area 1 from the federal government without waiting for the other site to be ready for transfer, Martinez said.
The Vallejo City Council recently extended until next October negotiations on Area 1 with the development team of Weston Solutions Inc. and Harvest Properties.
"We've got a developer ready to go but their hands are tied until this issue can be resolved," Martinez said. "We're going back there basically to untie their hands."
The city also hopes to secure federal dollars for cleaning up environmental contamination left by the Navy. Mare Island's 120-acre north end represents many jobs to the city and, once developed, will serve as an "economic engine" for the rest of the island.
"We need to go back and fight for getting that money," Martinez said.
The Vallejo group also plans to ask for more money to help Triad Development Inc.'s $125 million downtown renewal project, officials said.
They also plan to fight for Travis' future. A new list of base closures is expected in 2005, Martinez said.
"We've trying to keep Travis off the list," Martinez said. "Travis is a regional economic engine. Many people that work in Travis live throughout the county, including Vallejo. It would be an economic blow."
After the closing of Mare Island Naval Shipyard in 1996, the city should protect the area's remaining major base, Intintoli said.
"There's a very significant impact on us," the mayor said. "It probably wouldn't have the full impact of the base closure of Mare Island, but it would be a serious impact."
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
The Defense Bill strengthens the position of Travis
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Bill to benefit Dixon and Travis
By Ian Thompson
FAIRFIELD -- Two provisions in the Defense Bill that passed the House of Representatives last week will benefit Dixon's migrant workers and Travis Air Force Base, Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo, announced.
One prohibits premature retirement of older C-5A Galaxy jet transports and the other clears the way for improving migrant workers' housing and living conditions in Dixon.
Tauscher's first provision prevents older C-5s from being retired until a reliability test and the re-engining program is completed with the results reported to Congress.
Travis AFB is home to three dozen C-5s. The newer ones will be modernized while the Air Force plans to gradually retire the older ones, replacing them with 12 C-17s which are slated to arrive at Travis AFB in 2006.
"The Defense Bill strengthens the position of Travis as the preeminent airlift location by modernizing planes and keeping workers on base," Tauscher said of plans to do the modernization work at Travis instead of sending aircraft to a depot.
Tauscher's other provision expedites transferring Navy land to the Dixon, which leased the 40 acres since 1984. Dixon's Housing Authority uses the former Navy base to provide housing and support services to migrant workers who live there part of the year.
A quicker transfer allows the authority to start much-needed repairs on crumbling roads and to upgrade an inadequate water system. It also allows the authority to build more housing.
"I am thrilled that I was able to finish the land transfer, paving the way for the city of Dixon to make improvements that will make a big difference in people's lives," Tauscher said in a press release.
The bill now goes to President Bush who is expected to sign it into law within the next few weeks, Tauscher's office said.
Ian Thompson can be reached at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.
Bill to benefit Dixon and Travis
By Ian Thompson
FAIRFIELD -- Two provisions in the Defense Bill that passed the House of Representatives last week will benefit Dixon's migrant workers and Travis Air Force Base, Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo, announced.
One prohibits premature retirement of older C-5A Galaxy jet transports and the other clears the way for improving migrant workers' housing and living conditions in Dixon.
Tauscher's first provision prevents older C-5s from being retired until a reliability test and the re-engining program is completed with the results reported to Congress.
Travis AFB is home to three dozen C-5s. The newer ones will be modernized while the Air Force plans to gradually retire the older ones, replacing them with 12 C-17s which are slated to arrive at Travis AFB in 2006.
"The Defense Bill strengthens the position of Travis as the preeminent airlift location by modernizing planes and keeping workers on base," Tauscher said of plans to do the modernization work at Travis instead of sending aircraft to a depot.
Tauscher's other provision expedites transferring Navy land to the Dixon, which leased the 40 acres since 1984. Dixon's Housing Authority uses the former Navy base to provide housing and support services to migrant workers who live there part of the year.
A quicker transfer allows the authority to start much-needed repairs on crumbling roads and to upgrade an inadequate water system. It also allows the authority to build more housing.
"I am thrilled that I was able to finish the land transfer, paving the way for the city of Dixon to make improvements that will make a big difference in people's lives," Tauscher said in a press release.
The bill now goes to President Bush who is expected to sign it into law within the next few weeks, Tauscher's office said.
Ian Thompson can be reached at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.
Monday, November 10, 2003
Major plans for minor road--STA seeks funding for study of little-known Highway 113
Monday, November 10, 2003
Major plans for minor road--STA seeks funding for study of little-known Highway 113
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD -- Highway 113 will never be mistaken for Route 66.
Famous nationwide? It's not even famous in Solano County, its own back yard. The local stretch of highway runs from Dixon through eastern Solano County farmland to Highway 12 near Rio Vista.
But the highway could grow in importance during coming decades. It is also called the Rio-Dixon Road because it links Dixon and Rio Vista, two fast-growing communities.
And Highway 113 could soon get that honor that shows it has arrived: an expensive study. The Solano Transportation Authority has this item on its "to-do" list, pending funding. Any roadway worth its asphalt gets a study these days.
Here's a look at the sights, sounds and people along Highway 113 in Solano County, all 21 miles of it. Don't worry about getting lonely. Even the county's obscure highway carries 4,000 to 15,000 vehicles daily, depending on the location.
Dixon
The county's northern-most stretch of 113 is in the middle of Dixon. The highway passes by a block of mom-and-pop stores that are the city's Main Street USA.
The Embroidery Shop is in the masons lodge, a brick building built in 1884. Rafael's Family Restaurant has red awning and recently offered a $3.99 breakfast special. R.A. Robben's Department Store has a sign reading "tuxedos, suits, sales and rentals" in a storefront window lined with cowboy hats.
"Each of the buildings you walk into is filled with history," said David Restle, who has lived in Dixon for 25 of his 27 years.
Not so quaint are the big rigs heading to and from Interstate 80. Dixon wants to study relocating Highway 113 out of town. The local stretch of roadway would become a city street free of the flow of trucks.
"They come in and they're big and they're loud," local businessman Rob Salaber said. "Dixon has the tall buildings and narrow streets and it reverberates."
Salaber owns four downtown buildings, among them the old Masonic Hall and hotel.
Towns typically do some hand-wringing about relocating highways from their downtowns. They want to get rid of too much traffic, but fear they will also lose potential customers for their businesses.
Salaber appreciates the dilemma. Still, he doesn't see Dixon dying if the highway relocates. He's happy to see the city doing such things as putting in benches and historic lighting and renovating the sidewalks.
"You're going to see a real transformation," Salaber said.
Moving Highway 113 from downtown Dixon is an old dream.
Dixon made a push in the mid-1990s to have the state relocate the highway to rural Midway and Pedrick roads. But widening and improving Pedrick Road and improving the interchange at I-80 would cost millions of dollars.
State Department of Transportation officials said at the time their agency didn't have the millions. They offered to let Dixon pay - an offer the city turned down.
So Dixon wants the Solano Transportation Authority to do a study on Highway 113. That could lead to a new push to relocate the highway from the downtown.
Binghampton
Highway 113 passes through Binghampton a few miles outside of Dixon, though one wouldn't know it to look at the vast, empty spaces. The only thing left of this ghost town is a cemetery behind a chain link fence.
A cemetery and also a story.
Binghampton dates back to 1863, when the Civil War raged on the East Coast. A group of local Union supporters formed a military company called the Maine Prairie Rifles. James Bingham served as a lieutenant.
Binghampton became the headquarters. The military company built a brick armory. With no Rebels to fight, they drilled, took target practice and had picnics.
All of this created "that harmony and good feeling for which Binghampton has been so noted," historian J.P. Munro Fraser wrote in 1879.
The town had a Lodge of Good Templar's with 125 members. It had a church. But it had no reason for existing, other than the military company.
So Binghampton quickly faded away, leaving only the cemetery as a marker for Highway 113 travelers.
Building wetlands
Most of Highway 113 may be far from civilization, but civilization intrudes on it.
There's the Norcal Waste Systems landfill, with its 20-foot-high mesh fence to catch windblown plastic bags and other trash. Waste from Vacaville has to go somewhere. This is the place.
Far-away cities leave their imprint in another way. The next leg of Highway 113 is a prime area for creating wetlands to mitigate for development.
Federal laws protect wetlands. Bulldoze a wetland in a city to build and you might have to preserve or create wetlands at another location.
Highway 113 has become the location. A developer created wetlands here in return for building Vacaville subdivisions. Solano County built wetlands here so the county could build its Health and Social Services building in Fairfield.
The city of Fairfield is next. The city owns 50 acres along Highway 113 that will become future wetlands. Then Fairfield will be able to build on vacant land in the heart of town.
Cows and sheep graze on the Highway 113 land. Still, Fairfield won't have to start building wetlands from scratch.
"There are wetlands out there, some good vernal pools on the property," city principal planner Erin Beavers said.
Jepson Prairie
Wetlands and this area are a natural.
The proof comes just a little farther up the road, where Highway 113 makes an L-like jog. That's the location of Jepson Prairie, the vernal pool hotbed of Solano County.
Jepson Prairie is 1,566 acres owned by the Solano Land Trust. It is part of the University of California Natural Reserve System and a federally designated Natural National Landmark. It has the Ollicut Pool, one of the largest vernal pools in the state, with a diameter of a half-mile.
Impressive. Only Jepson Prairie isn't impressive year-round. Only a trickle of visitors come in the summer, fall and winter.
"It's almost all in the spring," prairie land steward Ken Poerner said. "That's when the pools and flowers are out."
Vernal pools are clay-lined depressions. In the summer, they look dry and dead. After winter and spring rains, they are alive with plants and such rare creatures as the vernal pool fairy shrimp.
Poerner estimated a few thousand
people visit the prairie then, some
coming on weekends and some with
university classes.
A Regional Park?
This section of Highway 113 is rural, flat and isolated. It is 13 miles from Dixon, seven miles from Vacaville, 12 miles from Rio Vista and 14 miles from Suisun City and Fairfield.
Where some might see an out-of-the-way spot, county planners see a destination waiting to be born. The county envisions a regional park someday, perhaps in the coming 12 years.
The area is centrally located and is near both Jepson Prairie and Argyll Park, an off-road vehicle park. People could visit these places, then go to a county park with picnic tables, sports and games area, fishing, possibly even camp sites.
"It's one of those things, if the opportunity presented itself, we might go for it," said Anthony Norris, the county's real estate and park services manager.
For now, the county has no land there and no money for a park. But it has an idea. And, thanks to Highway 113, it has the major road needed to handle visitors should a successful park ever become a reality.
An Abrupt End
Highway 113 dead-ends at Highway 12. Drivers don't get so much as a traffic light to make a left turn. They have to wait for a break in traffic.
That's just one more sign of the highway's obscure status. Even the Rio Vista's Trilogy subdivision a mile or so east on Highway 12 has a traffic signal.
The STA is trying to get state funding for a Highway 113 study, though that's proven difficult given the state's financial straits.
"We need to get a better sense of what is the future of that corridor," STA Executive Director Daryl Halls said.
Highway 113 is a strange hybrid between a major road and a backwater. Still, it links Dixon and Rio Vista, two fast-growing cities in one of the region's faster-growing counties.
"It's only going to get more important, not less," Halls said.
Barry Eberling can be contacted at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Major plans for minor road--STA seeks funding for study of little-known Highway 113
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD -- Highway 113 will never be mistaken for Route 66.
Famous nationwide? It's not even famous in Solano County, its own back yard. The local stretch of highway runs from Dixon through eastern Solano County farmland to Highway 12 near Rio Vista.
But the highway could grow in importance during coming decades. It is also called the Rio-Dixon Road because it links Dixon and Rio Vista, two fast-growing communities.
And Highway 113 could soon get that honor that shows it has arrived: an expensive study. The Solano Transportation Authority has this item on its "to-do" list, pending funding. Any roadway worth its asphalt gets a study these days.
Here's a look at the sights, sounds and people along Highway 113 in Solano County, all 21 miles of it. Don't worry about getting lonely. Even the county's obscure highway carries 4,000 to 15,000 vehicles daily, depending on the location.
Dixon
The county's northern-most stretch of 113 is in the middle of Dixon. The highway passes by a block of mom-and-pop stores that are the city's Main Street USA.
The Embroidery Shop is in the masons lodge, a brick building built in 1884. Rafael's Family Restaurant has red awning and recently offered a $3.99 breakfast special. R.A. Robben's Department Store has a sign reading "tuxedos, suits, sales and rentals" in a storefront window lined with cowboy hats.
"Each of the buildings you walk into is filled with history," said David Restle, who has lived in Dixon for 25 of his 27 years.
Not so quaint are the big rigs heading to and from Interstate 80. Dixon wants to study relocating Highway 113 out of town. The local stretch of roadway would become a city street free of the flow of trucks.
"They come in and they're big and they're loud," local businessman Rob Salaber said. "Dixon has the tall buildings and narrow streets and it reverberates."
Salaber owns four downtown buildings, among them the old Masonic Hall and hotel.
Towns typically do some hand-wringing about relocating highways from their downtowns. They want to get rid of too much traffic, but fear they will also lose potential customers for their businesses.
Salaber appreciates the dilemma. Still, he doesn't see Dixon dying if the highway relocates. He's happy to see the city doing such things as putting in benches and historic lighting and renovating the sidewalks.
"You're going to see a real transformation," Salaber said.
Moving Highway 113 from downtown Dixon is an old dream.
Dixon made a push in the mid-1990s to have the state relocate the highway to rural Midway and Pedrick roads. But widening and improving Pedrick Road and improving the interchange at I-80 would cost millions of dollars.
State Department of Transportation officials said at the time their agency didn't have the millions. They offered to let Dixon pay - an offer the city turned down.
So Dixon wants the Solano Transportation Authority to do a study on Highway 113. That could lead to a new push to relocate the highway from the downtown.
Binghampton
Highway 113 passes through Binghampton a few miles outside of Dixon, though one wouldn't know it to look at the vast, empty spaces. The only thing left of this ghost town is a cemetery behind a chain link fence.
A cemetery and also a story.
Binghampton dates back to 1863, when the Civil War raged on the East Coast. A group of local Union supporters formed a military company called the Maine Prairie Rifles. James Bingham served as a lieutenant.
Binghampton became the headquarters. The military company built a brick armory. With no Rebels to fight, they drilled, took target practice and had picnics.
All of this created "that harmony and good feeling for which Binghampton has been so noted," historian J.P. Munro Fraser wrote in 1879.
The town had a Lodge of Good Templar's with 125 members. It had a church. But it had no reason for existing, other than the military company.
So Binghampton quickly faded away, leaving only the cemetery as a marker for Highway 113 travelers.
Building wetlands
Most of Highway 113 may be far from civilization, but civilization intrudes on it.
There's the Norcal Waste Systems landfill, with its 20-foot-high mesh fence to catch windblown plastic bags and other trash. Waste from Vacaville has to go somewhere. This is the place.
Far-away cities leave their imprint in another way. The next leg of Highway 113 is a prime area for creating wetlands to mitigate for development.
Federal laws protect wetlands. Bulldoze a wetland in a city to build and you might have to preserve or create wetlands at another location.
Highway 113 has become the location. A developer created wetlands here in return for building Vacaville subdivisions. Solano County built wetlands here so the county could build its Health and Social Services building in Fairfield.
The city of Fairfield is next. The city owns 50 acres along Highway 113 that will become future wetlands. Then Fairfield will be able to build on vacant land in the heart of town.
Cows and sheep graze on the Highway 113 land. Still, Fairfield won't have to start building wetlands from scratch.
"There are wetlands out there, some good vernal pools on the property," city principal planner Erin Beavers said.
Jepson Prairie
Wetlands and this area are a natural.
The proof comes just a little farther up the road, where Highway 113 makes an L-like jog. That's the location of Jepson Prairie, the vernal pool hotbed of Solano County.
Jepson Prairie is 1,566 acres owned by the Solano Land Trust. It is part of the University of California Natural Reserve System and a federally designated Natural National Landmark. It has the Ollicut Pool, one of the largest vernal pools in the state, with a diameter of a half-mile.
Impressive. Only Jepson Prairie isn't impressive year-round. Only a trickle of visitors come in the summer, fall and winter.
"It's almost all in the spring," prairie land steward Ken Poerner said. "That's when the pools and flowers are out."
Vernal pools are clay-lined depressions. In the summer, they look dry and dead. After winter and spring rains, they are alive with plants and such rare creatures as the vernal pool fairy shrimp.
Poerner estimated a few thousand
people visit the prairie then, some
coming on weekends and some with
university classes.
A Regional Park?
This section of Highway 113 is rural, flat and isolated. It is 13 miles from Dixon, seven miles from Vacaville, 12 miles from Rio Vista and 14 miles from Suisun City and Fairfield.
Where some might see an out-of-the-way spot, county planners see a destination waiting to be born. The county envisions a regional park someday, perhaps in the coming 12 years.
The area is centrally located and is near both Jepson Prairie and Argyll Park, an off-road vehicle park. People could visit these places, then go to a county park with picnic tables, sports and games area, fishing, possibly even camp sites.
"It's one of those things, if the opportunity presented itself, we might go for it," said Anthony Norris, the county's real estate and park services manager.
For now, the county has no land there and no money for a park. But it has an idea. And, thanks to Highway 113, it has the major road needed to handle visitors should a successful park ever become a reality.
An Abrupt End
Highway 113 dead-ends at Highway 12. Drivers don't get so much as a traffic light to make a left turn. They have to wait for a break in traffic.
That's just one more sign of the highway's obscure status. Even the Rio Vista's Trilogy subdivision a mile or so east on Highway 12 has a traffic signal.
The STA is trying to get state funding for a Highway 113 study, though that's proven difficult given the state's financial straits.
"We need to get a better sense of what is the future of that corridor," STA Executive Director Daryl Halls said.
Highway 113 is a strange hybrid between a major road and a backwater. Still, it links Dixon and Rio Vista, two fast-growing cities in one of the region's faster-growing counties.
"It's only going to get more important, not less," Halls said.
Barry Eberling can be contacted at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Major plans for minor road--STA seeks funding for study of little-known Highway 113
Monday, November 10, 2003
Major plans for minor road--STA seeks funding for study of little-known Highway 113
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD -- Highway 113 will never be mistaken for Route 66.
Famous nationwide? It's not even famous in Solano County, its own back yard. The local stretch of highway runs from Dixon through eastern Solano County farmland to Highway 12 near Rio Vista.
But the highway could grow in importance during coming decades. It is also called the Rio-Dixon Road because it links Dixon and Rio Vista, two fast-growing communities.
And Highway 113 could soon get that honor that shows it has arrived: an expensive study. The Solano Transportation Authority has this item on its "to-do" list, pending funding. Any roadway worth its asphalt gets a study these days.
Here's a look at the sights, sounds and people along Highway 113 in Solano County, all 21 miles of it. Don't worry about getting lonely. Even the county's obscure highway carries 4,000 to 15,000 vehicles daily, depending on the location.
Dixon
The county's northern-most stretch of 113 is in the middle of Dixon. The highway passes by a block of mom-and-pop stores that are the city's Main Street USA.
The Embroidery Shop is in the masons lodge, a brick building built in 1884. Rafael's Family Restaurant has red awning and recently offered a $3.99 breakfast special. R.A. Robben's Department Store has a sign reading "tuxedos, suits, sales and rentals" in a storefront window lined with cowboy hats.
"Each of the buildings you walk into is filled with history," said David Restle, who has lived in Dixon for 25 of his 27 years.
Not so quaint are the big rigs heading to and from Interstate 80. Dixon wants to study relocating Highway 113 out of town. The local stretch of roadway would become a city street free of the flow of trucks.
"They come in and they're big and they're loud," local businessman Rob Salaber said. "Dixon has the tall buildings and narrow streets and it reverberates."
Salaber owns four downtown buildings, among them the old Masonic Hall and hotel.
Towns typically do some hand-wringing about relocating highways from their downtowns. They want to get rid of too much traffic, but fear they will also lose potential customers for their businesses.
Salaber appreciates the dilemma. Still, he doesn't see Dixon dying if the highway relocates. He's happy to see the city doing such things as putting in benches and historic lighting and renovating the sidewalks.
"You're going to see a real transformation," Salaber said.
Moving Highway 113 from downtown Dixon is an old dream.
Dixon made a push in the mid-1990s to have the state relocate the highway to rural Midway and Pedrick roads. But widening and improving Pedrick Road and improving the interchange at I-80 would cost millions of dollars.
State Department of Transportation officials said at the time their agency didn't have the millions. They offered to let Dixon pay - an offer the city turned down.
So Dixon wants the Solano Transportation Authority to do a study on Highway 113. That could lead to a new push to relocate the highway from the downtown.
Binghampton
Highway 113 passes through Binghampton a few miles outside of Dixon, though one wouldn't know it to look at the vast, empty spaces. The only thing left of this ghost town is a cemetery behind a chain link fence.
A cemetery and also a story.
Binghampton dates back to 1863, when the Civil War raged on the East Coast. A group of local Union supporters formed a military company called the Maine Prairie Rifles. James Bingham served as a lieutenant.
Binghampton became the headquarters. The military company built a brick armory. With no Rebels to fight, they drilled, took target practice and had picnics.
All of this created "that harmony and good feeling for which Binghampton has been so noted," historian J.P. Munro Fraser wrote in 1879.
The town had a Lodge of Good Templar's with 125 members. It had a church. But it had no reason for existing, other than the military company.
So Binghampton quickly faded away, leaving only the cemetery as a marker for Highway 113 travelers.
Building wetlands
Most of Highway 113 may be far from civilization, but civilization intrudes on it.
There's the Norcal Waste Systems landfill, with its 20-foot-high mesh fence to catch windblown plastic bags and other trash. Waste from Vacaville has to go somewhere. This is the place.
Far-away cities leave their imprint in another way. The next leg of Highway 113 is a prime area for creating wetlands to mitigate for development.
Federal laws protect wetlands. Bulldoze a wetland in a city to build and you might have to preserve or create wetlands at another location.
Highway 113 has become the location. A developer created wetlands here in return for building Vacaville subdivisions. Solano County built wetlands here so the county could build its Health and Social Services building in Fairfield.
The city of Fairfield is next. The city owns 50 acres along Highway 113 that will become future wetlands. Then Fairfield will be able to build on vacant land in the heart of town.
Cows and sheep graze on the Highway 113 land. Still, Fairfield won't have to start building wetlands from scratch.
"There are wetlands out there, some good vernal pools on the property," city principal planner Erin Beavers said.
Jepson Prairie
Wetlands and this area are a natural.
The proof comes just a little farther up the road, where Highway 113 makes an L-like jog. That's the location of Jepson Prairie, the vernal pool hotbed of Solano County.
Jepson Prairie is 1,566 acres owned by the Solano Land Trust. It is part of the University of California Natural Reserve System and a federally designated Natural National Landmark. It has the Ollicut Pool, one of the largest vernal pools in the state, with a diameter of a half-mile.
Impressive. Only Jepson Prairie isn't impressive year-round. Only a trickle of visitors come in the summer, fall and winter.
"It's almost all in the spring," prairie land steward Ken Poerner said. "That's when the pools and flowers are out."
Vernal pools are clay-lined depressions. In the summer, they look dry and dead. After winter and spring rains, they are alive with plants and such rare creatures as the vernal pool fairy shrimp.
Poerner estimated a few thousand
people visit the prairie then, some
coming on weekends and some with
university classes.
A Regional Park?
This section of Highway 113 is rural, flat and isolated. It is 13 miles from Dixon, seven miles from Vacaville, 12 miles from Rio Vista and 14 miles from Suisun City and Fairfield.
Where some might see an out-of-the-way spot, county planners see a destination waiting to be born. The county envisions a regional park someday, perhaps in the coming 12 years.
The area is centrally located and is near both Jepson Prairie and Argyll Park, an off-road vehicle park. People could visit these places, then go to a county park with picnic tables, sports and games area, fishing, possibly even camp sites.
"It's one of those things, if the opportunity presented itself, we might go for it," said Anthony Norris, the county's real estate and park services manager.
For now, the county has no land there and no money for a park. But it has an idea. And, thanks to Highway 113, it has the major road needed to handle visitors should a successful park ever become a reality.
An Abrupt End
Highway 113 dead-ends at Highway 12. Drivers don't get so much as a traffic light to make a left turn. They have to wait for a break in traffic.
That's just one more sign of the highway's obscure status. Even the Rio Vista's Trilogy subdivision a mile or so east on Highway 12 has a traffic signal.
The STA is trying to get state funding for a Highway 113 study, though that's proven difficult given the state's financial straits.
"We need to get a better sense of what is the future of that corridor," STA Executive Director Daryl Halls said.
Highway 113 is a strange hybrid between a major road and a backwater. Still, it links Dixon and Rio Vista, two fast-growing cities in one of the region's faster-growing counties.
"It's only going to get more important, not less," Halls said.
Barry Eberling can be contacted at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Major plans for minor road--STA seeks funding for study of little-known Highway 113
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD -- Highway 113 will never be mistaken for Route 66.
Famous nationwide? It's not even famous in Solano County, its own back yard. The local stretch of highway runs from Dixon through eastern Solano County farmland to Highway 12 near Rio Vista.
But the highway could grow in importance during coming decades. It is also called the Rio-Dixon Road because it links Dixon and Rio Vista, two fast-growing communities.
And Highway 113 could soon get that honor that shows it has arrived: an expensive study. The Solano Transportation Authority has this item on its "to-do" list, pending funding. Any roadway worth its asphalt gets a study these days.
Here's a look at the sights, sounds and people along Highway 113 in Solano County, all 21 miles of it. Don't worry about getting lonely. Even the county's obscure highway carries 4,000 to 15,000 vehicles daily, depending on the location.
Dixon
The county's northern-most stretch of 113 is in the middle of Dixon. The highway passes by a block of mom-and-pop stores that are the city's Main Street USA.
The Embroidery Shop is in the masons lodge, a brick building built in 1884. Rafael's Family Restaurant has red awning and recently offered a $3.99 breakfast special. R.A. Robben's Department Store has a sign reading "tuxedos, suits, sales and rentals" in a storefront window lined with cowboy hats.
"Each of the buildings you walk into is filled with history," said David Restle, who has lived in Dixon for 25 of his 27 years.
Not so quaint are the big rigs heading to and from Interstate 80. Dixon wants to study relocating Highway 113 out of town. The local stretch of roadway would become a city street free of the flow of trucks.
"They come in and they're big and they're loud," local businessman Rob Salaber said. "Dixon has the tall buildings and narrow streets and it reverberates."
Salaber owns four downtown buildings, among them the old Masonic Hall and hotel.
Towns typically do some hand-wringing about relocating highways from their downtowns. They want to get rid of too much traffic, but fear they will also lose potential customers for their businesses.
Salaber appreciates the dilemma. Still, he doesn't see Dixon dying if the highway relocates. He's happy to see the city doing such things as putting in benches and historic lighting and renovating the sidewalks.
"You're going to see a real transformation," Salaber said.
Moving Highway 113 from downtown Dixon is an old dream.
Dixon made a push in the mid-1990s to have the state relocate the highway to rural Midway and Pedrick roads. But widening and improving Pedrick Road and improving the interchange at I-80 would cost millions of dollars.
State Department of Transportation officials said at the time their agency didn't have the millions. They offered to let Dixon pay - an offer the city turned down.
So Dixon wants the Solano Transportation Authority to do a study on Highway 113. That could lead to a new push to relocate the highway from the downtown.
Binghampton
Highway 113 passes through Binghampton a few miles outside of Dixon, though one wouldn't know it to look at the vast, empty spaces. The only thing left of this ghost town is a cemetery behind a chain link fence.
A cemetery and also a story.
Binghampton dates back to 1863, when the Civil War raged on the East Coast. A group of local Union supporters formed a military company called the Maine Prairie Rifles. James Bingham served as a lieutenant.
Binghampton became the headquarters. The military company built a brick armory. With no Rebels to fight, they drilled, took target practice and had picnics.
All of this created "that harmony and good feeling for which Binghampton has been so noted," historian J.P. Munro Fraser wrote in 1879.
The town had a Lodge of Good Templar's with 125 members. It had a church. But it had no reason for existing, other than the military company.
So Binghampton quickly faded away, leaving only the cemetery as a marker for Highway 113 travelers.
Building wetlands
Most of Highway 113 may be far from civilization, but civilization intrudes on it.
There's the Norcal Waste Systems landfill, with its 20-foot-high mesh fence to catch windblown plastic bags and other trash. Waste from Vacaville has to go somewhere. This is the place.
Far-away cities leave their imprint in another way. The next leg of Highway 113 is a prime area for creating wetlands to mitigate for development.
Federal laws protect wetlands. Bulldoze a wetland in a city to build and you might have to preserve or create wetlands at another location.
Highway 113 has become the location. A developer created wetlands here in return for building Vacaville subdivisions. Solano County built wetlands here so the county could build its Health and Social Services building in Fairfield.
The city of Fairfield is next. The city owns 50 acres along Highway 113 that will become future wetlands. Then Fairfield will be able to build on vacant land in the heart of town.
Cows and sheep graze on the Highway 113 land. Still, Fairfield won't have to start building wetlands from scratch.
"There are wetlands out there, some good vernal pools on the property," city principal planner Erin Beavers said.
Jepson Prairie
Wetlands and this area are a natural.
The proof comes just a little farther up the road, where Highway 113 makes an L-like jog. That's the location of Jepson Prairie, the vernal pool hotbed of Solano County.
Jepson Prairie is 1,566 acres owned by the Solano Land Trust. It is part of the University of California Natural Reserve System and a federally designated Natural National Landmark. It has the Ollicut Pool, one of the largest vernal pools in the state, with a diameter of a half-mile.
Impressive. Only Jepson Prairie isn't impressive year-round. Only a trickle of visitors come in the summer, fall and winter.
"It's almost all in the spring," prairie land steward Ken Poerner said. "That's when the pools and flowers are out."
Vernal pools are clay-lined depressions. In the summer, they look dry and dead. After winter and spring rains, they are alive with plants and such rare creatures as the vernal pool fairy shrimp.
Poerner estimated a few thousand
people visit the prairie then, some
coming on weekends and some with
university classes.
A Regional Park?
This section of Highway 113 is rural, flat and isolated. It is 13 miles from Dixon, seven miles from Vacaville, 12 miles from Rio Vista and 14 miles from Suisun City and Fairfield.
Where some might see an out-of-the-way spot, county planners see a destination waiting to be born. The county envisions a regional park someday, perhaps in the coming 12 years.
The area is centrally located and is near both Jepson Prairie and Argyll Park, an off-road vehicle park. People could visit these places, then go to a county park with picnic tables, sports and games area, fishing, possibly even camp sites.
"It's one of those things, if the opportunity presented itself, we might go for it," said Anthony Norris, the county's real estate and park services manager.
For now, the county has no land there and no money for a park. But it has an idea. And, thanks to Highway 113, it has the major road needed to handle visitors should a successful park ever become a reality.
An Abrupt End
Highway 113 dead-ends at Highway 12. Drivers don't get so much as a traffic light to make a left turn. They have to wait for a break in traffic.
That's just one more sign of the highway's obscure status. Even the Rio Vista's Trilogy subdivision a mile or so east on Highway 12 has a traffic signal.
The STA is trying to get state funding for a Highway 113 study, though that's proven difficult given the state's financial straits.
"We need to get a better sense of what is the future of that corridor," STA Executive Director Daryl Halls said.
Highway 113 is a strange hybrid between a major road and a backwater. Still, it links Dixon and Rio Vista, two fast-growing cities in one of the region's faster-growing counties.
"It's only going to get more important, not less," Halls said.
Barry Eberling can be contacted at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Friday, November 07, 2003
Businesses filling Fairfield downtown vacancies
Business
Businesses filling downtown vacancies
By Julie Gordon
FAIRFIELD -- When Devore McGrew was getting ready to open Mrs. Moon's Cafe, she couldn't think of a better location for her new business than downtown.
Not only is downtown growing, but it's a beautiful area with a lot of potential, McGrew said.
"It's more personal," she said, adding downtown is close to where she lives. "It has a friendlier feel to it. I like it down here. It's comfortable."
Mrs. Moon's Caf/ is just one of several businesses opening, expanding or relocating downtown, filling a wealth of vacancies.
Building owners are trying to attract upscale tenants downtown, said Karl Dumas, economic development project manager for the city.
"Instead of just allowing any type of tenant into that space, they're trying to get a tenant in there that will benefit everything that's going on downtown," Dumas said. "That's why you'll see some vacancies. They want to wait for a tenant that fits the image of what they see downtown. You could fill all those spaces tomorrow, but you wouldn't have the quality of tenant they're desiring down there."
Getting businesses to come downtown has been challenging because it isn't visible from the freeway, said Emily Low, Main Street program coordinator and director of the Fairfield Downtown Association. She said visitors tend to think of the Westfield Shoppingtown Solano mall as the center of activity.
Rents downtown are less than in the mall area because properties are older and there's less foot traffic, said Sue Violette, special event planner for the Fairfield Downtown Association.
Mrs. Moon's Caf/, a Mediterranean restaurant at 720 Texas St., Suite 101 B, opened in mid-October. McGrew brews Starbucks coffee and has a cyber cafe hooked up for wireless and DSL.
The goal is to cater to the crowd at Pepper Belly's, a comedy and variety club down the street, McGrew said.
"After 9 p.m. nothing else is open for people who want to get dinner, or go out for coffee or dessert" she said. "Have you ever tried to go out and get a meal at 9:30? It's virtually impossible. (Pepper Belly's has) been really supportive of us and we want to be supportive of them, also."
It took McGrew, who has been the restaurant business 25 years, a year to get Mrs. Moon's up and running. She had to learn about all the channels a new business owner had to go through, buy all new equipment, and put some TLC into the old building before opening her doors.
Her new restaurant will be joined by another new eatery opening in January - J.T. Gumbo's Cajun, Creole and Fine Southern Cuisine owned by Jim and Teri Green.
J.T. Gumbo's, at 622 Jackson St. behind Pepper Belly's, will feature live blues and jazz on weekends and evenings. The restaurant's motto will be: "Food for the soul."
Jim Green, who has been in the restaurant industry more than 20 years, said he likes that he'll be able to catch those who work downtown during their lunch hour.
"I think that downtown is emerging as a new people destination location," he said. "I believe that over the next couple of years downtown is going to emerge as a more lucrative business environment with an increased entertainment appeal for the Solano County area."
He added that he also plans to stay open late to help bring people downtown after business hours.
But there is more than just new places to eat coming downtown. There are also retail businesses expanding.
K&A Home Furnishing, 935 Texas St., opened a second location downtown a couple of months ago. And Second Time Around, 948 Texas St., recently ventured into a second business next door called Baby Comfort, which will sell new baby furniture to complement the children's consignment shop.
Danc-Sing Stars Studio, which offers tap, acrobatics, jazz and vocal instruction, has moved to 1125 Missouri St., said owner Carole Warren.
The new location is offering "Mommy & I" classes for moms with 2- to 5-year-olds.
"I think the downtown area is a little safer, more conducive to a family dance environment," Warren said.
Julie Gordon can be reached at jgordon@dailyrepublic.net
Businesses filling downtown vacancies
By Julie Gordon
FAIRFIELD -- When Devore McGrew was getting ready to open Mrs. Moon's Cafe, she couldn't think of a better location for her new business than downtown.
Not only is downtown growing, but it's a beautiful area with a lot of potential, McGrew said.
"It's more personal," she said, adding downtown is close to where she lives. "It has a friendlier feel to it. I like it down here. It's comfortable."
Mrs. Moon's Caf/ is just one of several businesses opening, expanding or relocating downtown, filling a wealth of vacancies.
Building owners are trying to attract upscale tenants downtown, said Karl Dumas, economic development project manager for the city.
"Instead of just allowing any type of tenant into that space, they're trying to get a tenant in there that will benefit everything that's going on downtown," Dumas said. "That's why you'll see some vacancies. They want to wait for a tenant that fits the image of what they see downtown. You could fill all those spaces tomorrow, but you wouldn't have the quality of tenant they're desiring down there."
Getting businesses to come downtown has been challenging because it isn't visible from the freeway, said Emily Low, Main Street program coordinator and director of the Fairfield Downtown Association. She said visitors tend to think of the Westfield Shoppingtown Solano mall as the center of activity.
Rents downtown are less than in the mall area because properties are older and there's less foot traffic, said Sue Violette, special event planner for the Fairfield Downtown Association.
Mrs. Moon's Caf/, a Mediterranean restaurant at 720 Texas St., Suite 101 B, opened in mid-October. McGrew brews Starbucks coffee and has a cyber cafe hooked up for wireless and DSL.
The goal is to cater to the crowd at Pepper Belly's, a comedy and variety club down the street, McGrew said.
"After 9 p.m. nothing else is open for people who want to get dinner, or go out for coffee or dessert" she said. "Have you ever tried to go out and get a meal at 9:30? It's virtually impossible. (Pepper Belly's has) been really supportive of us and we want to be supportive of them, also."
It took McGrew, who has been the restaurant business 25 years, a year to get Mrs. Moon's up and running. She had to learn about all the channels a new business owner had to go through, buy all new equipment, and put some TLC into the old building before opening her doors.
Her new restaurant will be joined by another new eatery opening in January - J.T. Gumbo's Cajun, Creole and Fine Southern Cuisine owned by Jim and Teri Green.
J.T. Gumbo's, at 622 Jackson St. behind Pepper Belly's, will feature live blues and jazz on weekends and evenings. The restaurant's motto will be: "Food for the soul."
Jim Green, who has been in the restaurant industry more than 20 years, said he likes that he'll be able to catch those who work downtown during their lunch hour.
"I think that downtown is emerging as a new people destination location," he said. "I believe that over the next couple of years downtown is going to emerge as a more lucrative business environment with an increased entertainment appeal for the Solano County area."
He added that he also plans to stay open late to help bring people downtown after business hours.
But there is more than just new places to eat coming downtown. There are also retail businesses expanding.
K&A Home Furnishing, 935 Texas St., opened a second location downtown a couple of months ago. And Second Time Around, 948 Texas St., recently ventured into a second business next door called Baby Comfort, which will sell new baby furniture to complement the children's consignment shop.
Danc-Sing Stars Studio, which offers tap, acrobatics, jazz and vocal instruction, has moved to 1125 Missouri St., said owner Carole Warren.
The new location is offering "Mommy & I" classes for moms with 2- to 5-year-olds.
"I think the downtown area is a little safer, more conducive to a family dance environment," Warren said.
Julie Gordon can be reached at jgordon@dailyrepublic.net
Thursday, November 06, 2003
Work has started on 10 single family homes Tourtelot site
Thursday November 6, 2003
Benicia mayor Steve Messina speaks at ceremonies marking the remediation and reuse of the Tourtelot Property along Rose Drive on Wednesday afternoon. Construction of homes has already begun on the former defense site, known to contain ordnance and
Ordnance cleared from Tourtelot site.
Ordnance cleared from Tourtelot site
By GREG MOBERLY, Times-Herald staff writer
BENICIA - In three to five years, developers hope to have the entire Tourtelot property built out but on Wednesday local community members and dignitaries were celebrating the simple fact that home development has begun.
Unexploded ordnance from the former Arsenal site has been successfully cleared so work has started on 10 single family homes, said Pacific Bay Homes senior vice president Scott Goldie. Pacific Bay Homes is the developer of the site.
The state Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have signed off on the private cleanup effort for the first 81 lots off McAllister Drive, Goldie said.
When the DTSC and the Army Corps sign off, the entire cleanup the Water's End neighborhood is expected to include 417 homes on 225 acres.
Several officials spoke Wednesday while perched atop a cleared area just north of Rose Drive. Home construction could be seen below the plateau.
"This large and difficult journey broke new ground (in intergovernmental cooperation)," Goldie said. The project shows what can be accomplished with community members and state and federal officials working together to clear the site, he said.
Speakers mentioned the work of several committees that worked to get the cleanup done since unexploded ordnance was discovered in 1996.
The development that would complete the Southampton neighborhood was first proposed in 1989.
DTSC and Army Corps officials said the Tourtelot property is the first former U.S. Department of Defense site that has been cleared for unrestricted residential use.
Without community help the project would have never happened, said Mayor Steve Messina. "This project represents everything that is great about Benicia."
Assemblymember Lois Wolk, D-Davis, said the project is an example of what needs to be done to meet California's housing needs.
"The big picture is more of us in California need to tread carefully," Wolk said. "There's not a drop of earth to waste."
- E-mail Greg Moberly at GMoberly@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6833.
Benicia mayor Steve Messina speaks at ceremonies marking the remediation and reuse of the Tourtelot Property along Rose Drive on Wednesday afternoon. Construction of homes has already begun on the former defense site, known to contain ordnance and
Ordnance cleared from Tourtelot site.
Ordnance cleared from Tourtelot site
By GREG MOBERLY, Times-Herald staff writer
BENICIA - In three to five years, developers hope to have the entire Tourtelot property built out but on Wednesday local community members and dignitaries were celebrating the simple fact that home development has begun.
Unexploded ordnance from the former Arsenal site has been successfully cleared so work has started on 10 single family homes, said Pacific Bay Homes senior vice president Scott Goldie. Pacific Bay Homes is the developer of the site.
The state Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have signed off on the private cleanup effort for the first 81 lots off McAllister Drive, Goldie said.
When the DTSC and the Army Corps sign off, the entire cleanup the Water's End neighborhood is expected to include 417 homes on 225 acres.
Several officials spoke Wednesday while perched atop a cleared area just north of Rose Drive. Home construction could be seen below the plateau.
"This large and difficult journey broke new ground (in intergovernmental cooperation)," Goldie said. The project shows what can be accomplished with community members and state and federal officials working together to clear the site, he said.
Speakers mentioned the work of several committees that worked to get the cleanup done since unexploded ordnance was discovered in 1996.
The development that would complete the Southampton neighborhood was first proposed in 1989.
DTSC and Army Corps officials said the Tourtelot property is the first former U.S. Department of Defense site that has been cleared for unrestricted residential use.
Without community help the project would have never happened, said Mayor Steve Messina. "This project represents everything that is great about Benicia."
Assemblymember Lois Wolk, D-Davis, said the project is an example of what needs to be done to meet California's housing needs.
"The big picture is more of us in California need to tread carefully," Wolk said. "There's not a drop of earth to waste."
- E-mail Greg Moberly at GMoberly@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6833.
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
Restaurant deal for downtown Vallejo comes through
Wednesday November 5, 2003
OnTheMoney: Restaurant deal for downtown comes through
By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN, Times-Herald staff writer
A deal signed Monday afternoon will bring a new kind of restaurant to downtown Vallejo.
Mel Gomez and Robert Litwin, owners of Virginia Street's Mel's Roast and the soon-to-be-renovated Empress Theatre, said they hope the deal struck between them and the year-old, San Ramon-based HERO Corp., will ratchet up the rebirth of downtown.
HERO owner and Chief Executive Officer Javier Bujanda said the design and even the name of the new restaurant haven't been decided yet, but he expects the new business will open by mid-2004.
"It's a pilot concept of a flexible restaurant concept," Bujanda said. "There will be meeting rooms in the back to accommodate up to 100. There will be a lounge area where you can sit on sofas and eat, and the front will be a Tappas-style restaurant."
Bujanda said Tappas restaurants, a Spanish import, are all the rage in San Francisco.
"Basically, it's a small plate restaurant, where groups order and share small plates of stylish California cuisine," Bujanda said.
Litwin called the restaurant "a good addition to downtown."
"They did their homework, and they really came in here and got involved in the community, and I like that," he said.
HERO (Hotel Entertainment Renovation and Operation) Management Corp. beat out several other enterprises vying for the Virginia Street space, Litwin said.
"We had to turn down nightclubs that wanted to do loud music," Litwin said. "We didn't want to go backwards, we wanted to go forward. We turned down a Chinese restaurant, also. It had to be a spontaneous, fun place for people to go after an evening of theater, and that's what this will be. This is a goal for downtown, and shows things are happening. This is really good, really positive."
Rob Saunders, who has been hired to design the new establishment from the concept up, said the ideas haven't gelled yet.
"The original version is Tappas, a sort of cafe lounge with an extended bar menu," Saunders said. "They've evolved so that now it's more of a restaurant where there is enough variety that you can get a full meal. It's really a California thing, and it's becoming quite popular."
The end result in Vallejo, he said, will depend on several factors.
"The creative process is a combination of getting to know the area and the people, finding out what they like to do now and what they might be interested in seeing new," Saunders said.
Saunders, Bujanda and Litwin agree that whatever they finally decide, the place won't be like anything else in town, they said.
"We want to make it a really fun place, not thought of solely as a restaurant, but also a great place to hang out," Saunders said.
Bujanda said this will be "a very special place we're putting together for Vallejo."
This is the first restaurant Bujanda and his business partner, HERO's Chief Financial Officer Michael Peeler, have attempted, he said.
"We'd been looking around to start investing in a restaurant and management contracts and we read about Vallejo and saw what was happening in the city," Bujanda said. "We met Robert and Mel and it was a great partnership from the beginning."
Saunders said he plans to conduct market and demographic research to make sure the new establishment is tailored to Vallejo's needs.
"We want to make sure the Vallejo clientele is comfortable with the restaurant," Saunders said. "We'll conduct market and competitive research. So, exactly what form it will take is yet to be determined. The idea is smaller plates with a broad variety of side dishes to share family style. That's where we're headed. But it really could wind up being quite different. It's really that early in the process."
- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet .com or call 553-6824.
OnTheMoney: Restaurant deal for downtown comes through
By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN, Times-Herald staff writer
A deal signed Monday afternoon will bring a new kind of restaurant to downtown Vallejo.
Mel Gomez and Robert Litwin, owners of Virginia Street's Mel's Roast and the soon-to-be-renovated Empress Theatre, said they hope the deal struck between them and the year-old, San Ramon-based HERO Corp., will ratchet up the rebirth of downtown.
HERO owner and Chief Executive Officer Javier Bujanda said the design and even the name of the new restaurant haven't been decided yet, but he expects the new business will open by mid-2004.
"It's a pilot concept of a flexible restaurant concept," Bujanda said. "There will be meeting rooms in the back to accommodate up to 100. There will be a lounge area where you can sit on sofas and eat, and the front will be a Tappas-style restaurant."
Bujanda said Tappas restaurants, a Spanish import, are all the rage in San Francisco.
"Basically, it's a small plate restaurant, where groups order and share small plates of stylish California cuisine," Bujanda said.
Litwin called the restaurant "a good addition to downtown."
"They did their homework, and they really came in here and got involved in the community, and I like that," he said.
HERO (Hotel Entertainment Renovation and Operation) Management Corp. beat out several other enterprises vying for the Virginia Street space, Litwin said.
"We had to turn down nightclubs that wanted to do loud music," Litwin said. "We didn't want to go backwards, we wanted to go forward. We turned down a Chinese restaurant, also. It had to be a spontaneous, fun place for people to go after an evening of theater, and that's what this will be. This is a goal for downtown, and shows things are happening. This is really good, really positive."
Rob Saunders, who has been hired to design the new establishment from the concept up, said the ideas haven't gelled yet.
"The original version is Tappas, a sort of cafe lounge with an extended bar menu," Saunders said. "They've evolved so that now it's more of a restaurant where there is enough variety that you can get a full meal. It's really a California thing, and it's becoming quite popular."
The end result in Vallejo, he said, will depend on several factors.
"The creative process is a combination of getting to know the area and the people, finding out what they like to do now and what they might be interested in seeing new," Saunders said.
Saunders, Bujanda and Litwin agree that whatever they finally decide, the place won't be like anything else in town, they said.
"We want to make it a really fun place, not thought of solely as a restaurant, but also a great place to hang out," Saunders said.
Bujanda said this will be "a very special place we're putting together for Vallejo."
This is the first restaurant Bujanda and his business partner, HERO's Chief Financial Officer Michael Peeler, have attempted, he said.
"We'd been looking around to start investing in a restaurant and management contracts and we read about Vallejo and saw what was happening in the city," Bujanda said. "We met Robert and Mel and it was a great partnership from the beginning."
Saunders said he plans to conduct market and demographic research to make sure the new establishment is tailored to Vallejo's needs.
"We want to make sure the Vallejo clientele is comfortable with the restaurant," Saunders said. "We'll conduct market and competitive research. So, exactly what form it will take is yet to be determined. The idea is smaller plates with a broad variety of side dishes to share family style. That's where we're headed. But it really could wind up being quite different. It's really that early in the process."
- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet .com or call 553-6824.
Measure L changes none of the city's existing growth boundaries
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
Measure L passes--future land use issues will be put to a vote
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD -- Fairfield today begins life in the new, post-Measure L world that gives residents direct control over where the city grows.
Voters on Tuesday passed the growth control measure, 60.2 percent to 39.8 percent. They - and not future city councils - will decide through 2020 whether the city develops middle Green Valley or Suisun Valley or near Travis Air Force Base.
Measure L changes none of the city's existing growth boundaries. Rather, it changes who gets to change them.
Backers of Measure L gathered at Barbs Deli in downtown Fairfield to watch election returns and celebrate. They marked results on a white board.
The Measure L campaign successfully emphasized two issues: Protecting Travis Air Force Base from encroaching development and preventing development on nearby farmland and open space.
"Speculators own a lot of the land," City Councilman Jack Batson said. "And money never sleeps. That's why we need the extra protection."
Measure L opponents watched computerized election returns projected on a screen at the Hilton Garden. They contended that the initiative takes flexibility away from future councils and runs counter to representative government.
"We'll be back," said Juanita Schiel, who wore an "L No" button. "I can't let my city be tied up for 17 years."
Under existing growth boundaries Fairfield can grow from 100,000 to 136,000 people. The city will emphasize high-density infill growth and develop a few remaining large tracts of vacant land with subdivisions, such as near Cement Hill Road. The City Council can still vote on annexations within the growth boundaries.
Beyond that, key growth decisions must go to the ballot box and voters.
The only debate remaining is what Measure L will mean to Fairfield in coming years.
If Autumn Bernstein is right, Measure L will help settle the area's long-running growth disputes. She is with the Greenbelt Alliance, the Bay Area group that helped with the Measure L campaign.
She pointed to San Jose as an example. Voters there approved the "Green Line" growth boundary in 1999.
"That put to rest 10 years of disputes about the hillsides around San Jose," Bernstein said.
Nor does she think Fairfield voters will go to the polls every year to decide whether to expand the city's growth boundaries for a project.
"Things tend to settle down after these things pass," Bernstein said. "Voters are sending a clear message of what they want to see happen. These messages are generally heard."
Plus, she thinks Measure L can promote the infill development called for in the city General Plan.
"It's a classic case that the market responds to conditions," Bernstein said. "Developers are smart people."
Former Fairfield City Councilman Steve Lessler was in the thick of 1990 disputes over building in middle Green Valley and near Travis Air Force Base. He doubts Measure L will end the debates.
Some landowners have too much money invested to just let things go, Lessler said. Other people want to keep things as they are, he said.
"I think it's going to continue to be a conflict, as long as I can see it," Lessler said.
Crisand Giles of the Home Builders Association of Northern California said growth will continue to come to central Solano County, even with Measure L.
"You're not really voting for no growth," Giles said. "You're just changing the type of growth that will happen in your community."
To avoid building out, communities have to build up, Giles said. Fairfield could see higher densities and four-story buildings, she said. But the City Council must be prepared to face neighborhood opposition to such projects, she said.
Measure L might drive up home prices, Giles said. Then prospective major businesses might pass Fairfield by and locate in Vacaville or other communities, she said.
Jack Martin of the North Texas Street Business Association doesn't expect Measure L to help or hinder the shops and businesses in this part of town. The association took no position on the measure.
There's very little room for infill growth on North Texas Street, he said.
Fairfield City Councilman John English opposed Measure L. Some citizens mistakenly linked opposing Measure L with favoring a proposed Indian casino in Suisun Valley, he said.
These are different issues and he hopes the casino didn't sway the vote, English said.
The tribe could bypass local growth laws - including Measure L - by getting the land put in trust by the Department of the Interior. But Bernstein thinks Measure L can indirectly help stop a casino.
The federal government considers local opinion, Bernstein said. Measure L sends a message Fairfield doesn't want development in Suisun Valley, she said.
Barry Eberling can be contacted at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Measure L passes--future land use issues will be put to a vote
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD -- Fairfield today begins life in the new, post-Measure L world that gives residents direct control over where the city grows.
Voters on Tuesday passed the growth control measure, 60.2 percent to 39.8 percent. They - and not future city councils - will decide through 2020 whether the city develops middle Green Valley or Suisun Valley or near Travis Air Force Base.
Measure L changes none of the city's existing growth boundaries. Rather, it changes who gets to change them.
Backers of Measure L gathered at Barbs Deli in downtown Fairfield to watch election returns and celebrate. They marked results on a white board.
The Measure L campaign successfully emphasized two issues: Protecting Travis Air Force Base from encroaching development and preventing development on nearby farmland and open space.
"Speculators own a lot of the land," City Councilman Jack Batson said. "And money never sleeps. That's why we need the extra protection."
Measure L opponents watched computerized election returns projected on a screen at the Hilton Garden. They contended that the initiative takes flexibility away from future councils and runs counter to representative government.
"We'll be back," said Juanita Schiel, who wore an "L No" button. "I can't let my city be tied up for 17 years."
Under existing growth boundaries Fairfield can grow from 100,000 to 136,000 people. The city will emphasize high-density infill growth and develop a few remaining large tracts of vacant land with subdivisions, such as near Cement Hill Road. The City Council can still vote on annexations within the growth boundaries.
Beyond that, key growth decisions must go to the ballot box and voters.
The only debate remaining is what Measure L will mean to Fairfield in coming years.
If Autumn Bernstein is right, Measure L will help settle the area's long-running growth disputes. She is with the Greenbelt Alliance, the Bay Area group that helped with the Measure L campaign.
She pointed to San Jose as an example. Voters there approved the "Green Line" growth boundary in 1999.
"That put to rest 10 years of disputes about the hillsides around San Jose," Bernstein said.
Nor does she think Fairfield voters will go to the polls every year to decide whether to expand the city's growth boundaries for a project.
"Things tend to settle down after these things pass," Bernstein said. "Voters are sending a clear message of what they want to see happen. These messages are generally heard."
Plus, she thinks Measure L can promote the infill development called for in the city General Plan.
"It's a classic case that the market responds to conditions," Bernstein said. "Developers are smart people."
Former Fairfield City Councilman Steve Lessler was in the thick of 1990 disputes over building in middle Green Valley and near Travis Air Force Base. He doubts Measure L will end the debates.
Some landowners have too much money invested to just let things go, Lessler said. Other people want to keep things as they are, he said.
"I think it's going to continue to be a conflict, as long as I can see it," Lessler said.
Crisand Giles of the Home Builders Association of Northern California said growth will continue to come to central Solano County, even with Measure L.
"You're not really voting for no growth," Giles said. "You're just changing the type of growth that will happen in your community."
To avoid building out, communities have to build up, Giles said. Fairfield could see higher densities and four-story buildings, she said. But the City Council must be prepared to face neighborhood opposition to such projects, she said.
Measure L might drive up home prices, Giles said. Then prospective major businesses might pass Fairfield by and locate in Vacaville or other communities, she said.
Jack Martin of the North Texas Street Business Association doesn't expect Measure L to help or hinder the shops and businesses in this part of town. The association took no position on the measure.
There's very little room for infill growth on North Texas Street, he said.
Fairfield City Councilman John English opposed Measure L. Some citizens mistakenly linked opposing Measure L with favoring a proposed Indian casino in Suisun Valley, he said.
These are different issues and he hopes the casino didn't sway the vote, English said.
The tribe could bypass local growth laws - including Measure L - by getting the land put in trust by the Department of the Interior. But Bernstein thinks Measure L can indirectly help stop a casino.
The federal government considers local opinion, Bernstein said. Measure L sends a message Fairfield doesn't want development in Suisun Valley, she said.
Barry Eberling can be contacted at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Tuesday, November 04, 2003
The efforts of the Travis Community Consortium to keep Travis Air Force Base open and viable
October 26, 2003
Ex-pilot becomes liaison for TAFB
By Ian Thompson
FAIRFIELD -- Hanging up the Air Force blue he wore for two decades, James Curtis will now spearhead the efforts of the Travis Community Consortium to keep Travis Air Force Base open and viable.
Curtis is the liaison between the alliance of local governments, college and business groups, and the lobbying group it hired, Madison Government Affairs.
Madison had been Fairfield's Washington-based lobbyist for military affairs for several years before the consortium hired the firm.
Curtis will be the conduit between the consortium, Madison and Travis AFB. The former pilot of both C-141s and
C-17s was hired Oct. 13.
Local officials formed the consortium earlier this year following the recommendation of an analysis of what local communities needed to do to protect Travis Air Force Base from possible closure.
The report's top recommendation was to "create a regional agenda with one set of goals and objectives," it stated.
Those in the consortium are Solano County, it's seven cities, Solano Community College, the Solano Economic Development Corp. and the Travis Regional Armed Forces Committee.
Curtis served 21 years in the Air Force, including 17 at Travis Air Force Base. His last assignment was with the 15th Air Force. He is on leave until his retirement Dec. 31.
He has served as the 15th AF chief of Strategic Airlift Standardization and Evaluation and at the Air Force Personnel Center as chief of Special Flying Programs and chief of Strategic Airlift Assignments.
Married with three children, Curtis decided "it was time to pursue a new career" and planned to stay in the region because his wife's family is from the San Francisco Bay Area.
While much of the attention is focused on the upcoming round of base closures in 2005, Curtis stressed the region's support of the base and its missions has to extend beyond 2005.
"We need to be thinking in the long term," Curtis said, lauding the area's record to date of supporting the base.
Ex-pilot becomes liaison for TAFB
By Ian Thompson
FAIRFIELD -- Hanging up the Air Force blue he wore for two decades, James Curtis will now spearhead the efforts of the Travis Community Consortium to keep Travis Air Force Base open and viable.
Curtis is the liaison between the alliance of local governments, college and business groups, and the lobbying group it hired, Madison Government Affairs.
Madison had been Fairfield's Washington-based lobbyist for military affairs for several years before the consortium hired the firm.
Curtis will be the conduit between the consortium, Madison and Travis AFB. The former pilot of both C-141s and
C-17s was hired Oct. 13.
Local officials formed the consortium earlier this year following the recommendation of an analysis of what local communities needed to do to protect Travis Air Force Base from possible closure.
The report's top recommendation was to "create a regional agenda with one set of goals and objectives," it stated.
Those in the consortium are Solano County, it's seven cities, Solano Community College, the Solano Economic Development Corp. and the Travis Regional Armed Forces Committee.
Curtis served 21 years in the Air Force, including 17 at Travis Air Force Base. His last assignment was with the 15th Air Force. He is on leave until his retirement Dec. 31.
He has served as the 15th AF chief of Strategic Airlift Standardization and Evaluation and at the Air Force Personnel Center as chief of Special Flying Programs and chief of Strategic Airlift Assignments.
Married with three children, Curtis decided "it was time to pursue a new career" and planned to stay in the region because his wife's family is from the San Francisco Bay Area.
While much of the attention is focused on the upcoming round of base closures in 2005, Curtis stressed the region's support of the base and its missions has to extend beyond 2005.
"We need to be thinking in the long term," Curtis said, lauding the area's record to date of supporting the base.
Monday, November 03, 2003
Dixon firehouse proposed redevelopment
November 3, 2003
Rick Roach/The Reporter
Dixon city officials will have to decide if the cost of restoring the old firehouse is worth preserving the historic building constructed in 1929.
Dixon firehouse dilemma
Cost to renovate is cause for alarm
By Barbara Smith/Reporter Staff
Dixon's old firehouse - for sale or for rent?
The answer won't come easy for city officials, who face alarming costs connected with restoring 74 years of Dixon history woven by generations of firemen.
"There's a lot of history in all these walls," said Paul Siegel, a city building official, during a tour of the empty, cavernous building on North Jackson Street.
The Dixon Fire Department moved to a new station five years ago, leaving the 1929 building in the midst of the city's Redevelopment District, and permeated with asbestos, lead and structural deficiencies yet to be resolved.
The removal of asbestos and layer upon layer of lead-based paint - the biggest problem in the building - was finished last week, and materials were hauled to a Southern California hazardous waste site, Siegel said. The cost was about $90,000, he said.
The next steps would include demolishing part of the firehouse and building a "core" that would house an elevator, restrooms and mechanical systems essentially to prepare the structure for tenant improvements. The estimate for the work is $1.2 million, Siegel said.
"That's the big picture where we're headed - slowly," Siegel said. "Maybe we can keep its heritage but keep it functional. We're still in the ballpark of something reasonable."
One can only imagine the ballyhoo surrounding the 1929 completion of the fire station. It was built on the same site where the original firehouse stood in the days of horse-drawn apparatus, Siegel said.
Remnants of the next seven decades can be found around the firehouse. A rusted rooster is perched atop the original weather vane, looking westward. A circa 1940s icebox is built into an upstairs wall where firemen had barbecues.
In 1930, a Dixon firefighter named Ernie engraved his name and pressed his shield into the drying cement of a sidewalk alongside the building. So did Watsie Kilkenny, H.G. Jansen and others whose names today are barely distinguishable.
But the mood today is more somber as officials wrestle with the sentimental and financial dilemma of the firehouse, said Mayor Mary Ann Courville.
"We have to be very careful that we don't invest so much money in the building that we would never be able to recoup our costs, whether we keep it or sell it," Courville said.
The Dixon Redevelopment Agency's 2003-04 fiscal year budget has about $4.2 million. The rehabilitation of the old firehouse is among many projects planned through the year 2009.
City Manager Warren Salmons has called for a special meeting of the Dixon Redevelopment Agency Nov. 10, when the agency will try to set some funding priorities for at least the next couple years, including a focus on the firehouse.
"Does the agency want to target this building for investment of several hundred thousand dollars more to bring it to a point where it can be reused?" Salmons said.
A reuse study commissioned in 1999 by the Dixon City Council sitting as the Dixon Redevelopment Agency provided a cursory evaluation of design and reuse possibilities, which highlight offices and a restaurant. The agency recently looked at three drawings of floor plans and elevations of what the firehouse would look like with storefront entry doors, windows and awnings.
"Even if we sold the building, we'd still want a design for the new owner to follow," Siegel said.
The building is actually four buildings that firemen mended together through the years. They used the building to the very limit that was possible, Siegel said.
Scheduled to be saved is the original, 1929 three-bay building done by a craftsman of the era who used handbuilt trusses. That's what the city is truly interested in saving, Siegel said. And its structural integrity is sound, he said. Also to be saved is a 1968 addition of masonry block.
In 1969, a rear portion was added. Set to be demolished is a narrow section built in 1948 or 1949 by volunteers who used lumber from an old barn.
"They did stuff all through the years, adding things," Siegel said. "It's like Winchester Mystery House."
The finished project would bring the firehouse to 12,000 square feet, Siegel said. The most exciting part about the building is the view from an upstairs balcony. One can look out at the historical United Methodist Church, the multimodal station and a dirt lot where a park is planned.
"The connection here is going to be real nice," Siegel said.
But there's no simple answer, he added.
"It is a lot of money, so the community has to think about it, for sure," he said. "We're just starting, really. It's a matter of introducing it and letting the public join in."
In the meantime, the future of the old firehouse is "iffy" Siegel said.
"We're just slowly proceeding until we can find a solution or a goal."
Barbara Smith can be reached at Dixon@thereporter.com.
Rick Roach/The Reporter
Dixon city officials will have to decide if the cost of restoring the old firehouse is worth preserving the historic building constructed in 1929.
Dixon firehouse dilemma
Cost to renovate is cause for alarm
By Barbara Smith/Reporter Staff
Dixon's old firehouse - for sale or for rent?
The answer won't come easy for city officials, who face alarming costs connected with restoring 74 years of Dixon history woven by generations of firemen.
"There's a lot of history in all these walls," said Paul Siegel, a city building official, during a tour of the empty, cavernous building on North Jackson Street.
The Dixon Fire Department moved to a new station five years ago, leaving the 1929 building in the midst of the city's Redevelopment District, and permeated with asbestos, lead and structural deficiencies yet to be resolved.
The removal of asbestos and layer upon layer of lead-based paint - the biggest problem in the building - was finished last week, and materials were hauled to a Southern California hazardous waste site, Siegel said. The cost was about $90,000, he said.
The next steps would include demolishing part of the firehouse and building a "core" that would house an elevator, restrooms and mechanical systems essentially to prepare the structure for tenant improvements. The estimate for the work is $1.2 million, Siegel said.
"That's the big picture where we're headed - slowly," Siegel said. "Maybe we can keep its heritage but keep it functional. We're still in the ballpark of something reasonable."
One can only imagine the ballyhoo surrounding the 1929 completion of the fire station. It was built on the same site where the original firehouse stood in the days of horse-drawn apparatus, Siegel said.
Remnants of the next seven decades can be found around the firehouse. A rusted rooster is perched atop the original weather vane, looking westward. A circa 1940s icebox is built into an upstairs wall where firemen had barbecues.
In 1930, a Dixon firefighter named Ernie engraved his name and pressed his shield into the drying cement of a sidewalk alongside the building. So did Watsie Kilkenny, H.G. Jansen and others whose names today are barely distinguishable.
But the mood today is more somber as officials wrestle with the sentimental and financial dilemma of the firehouse, said Mayor Mary Ann Courville.
"We have to be very careful that we don't invest so much money in the building that we would never be able to recoup our costs, whether we keep it or sell it," Courville said.
The Dixon Redevelopment Agency's 2003-04 fiscal year budget has about $4.2 million. The rehabilitation of the old firehouse is among many projects planned through the year 2009.
City Manager Warren Salmons has called for a special meeting of the Dixon Redevelopment Agency Nov. 10, when the agency will try to set some funding priorities for at least the next couple years, including a focus on the firehouse.
"Does the agency want to target this building for investment of several hundred thousand dollars more to bring it to a point where it can be reused?" Salmons said.
A reuse study commissioned in 1999 by the Dixon City Council sitting as the Dixon Redevelopment Agency provided a cursory evaluation of design and reuse possibilities, which highlight offices and a restaurant. The agency recently looked at three drawings of floor plans and elevations of what the firehouse would look like with storefront entry doors, windows and awnings.
"Even if we sold the building, we'd still want a design for the new owner to follow," Siegel said.
The building is actually four buildings that firemen mended together through the years. They used the building to the very limit that was possible, Siegel said.
Scheduled to be saved is the original, 1929 three-bay building done by a craftsman of the era who used handbuilt trusses. That's what the city is truly interested in saving, Siegel said. And its structural integrity is sound, he said. Also to be saved is a 1968 addition of masonry block.
In 1969, a rear portion was added. Set to be demolished is a narrow section built in 1948 or 1949 by volunteers who used lumber from an old barn.
"They did stuff all through the years, adding things," Siegel said. "It's like Winchester Mystery House."
The finished project would bring the firehouse to 12,000 square feet, Siegel said. The most exciting part about the building is the view from an upstairs balcony. One can look out at the historical United Methodist Church, the multimodal station and a dirt lot where a park is planned.
"The connection here is going to be real nice," Siegel said.
But there's no simple answer, he added.
"It is a lot of money, so the community has to think about it, for sure," he said. "We're just starting, really. It's a matter of introducing it and letting the public join in."
In the meantime, the future of the old firehouse is "iffy" Siegel said.
"We're just slowly proceeding until we can find a solution or a goal."
Barbara Smith can be reached at Dixon@thereporter.com.
Sunday, November 02, 2003
Travis Air Force Base 350-room hotel in two years
November 2, 2003
Hotel allows airmen to stay on base
By Ian Thompson
TRAVIS AFB -- Fewer Travis Air Force Base visitors will have to make the trip to Vacaville or Fairfield to get lodging once the base completes its 350-room hotel in two years.
The new hotel will significantly reduce the number of servicemembers who have to be bused to off-base hotels in Fairfield and Vacaville "at a greater expense to the government," said Doug Marchel, lodging general manager for Travis AFB.
Close to a third of those servicemembers who visit Travis AFB have to go to town, Marchel said.
"For the taxpayers, it will be easier (and cheaper) to have the airmen stay on base," Marchel said.
Several local hotels have contracts with Travis AFB to house visiting military people. The new base hotel will hurt them, Fairfield Economic Development Manager Karl Dumas said.
"They are all fighting for the same dollar and it will certainly impact those hotels, how much we are not sure," Dumas said.
Travis AFB's business is a significant part of the reason this area had a healthy hotel market while San Francisco Bay Area struggled in recent years.
Fairfield and its hotels created a tourist bureau recently "to change the dynamic of the hotels from being dependent on Travis" to serving as a central tourist stopover spot within reach of Napa, Sacramento and the Bay area, Dumas said.
"It will help lighten that impact," Dumas said of the new Travis hotel.
Travis AFB has considered putting up a new hotel since 1993. That hope was given a boost three years ago when the Air Force decided to make its hotels similar to mid-level accommodations found in nearby cities such as the Holiday Inn.
"A great deal of this is driven by quality-of-life issues," Marchel said.
Marchel currently oversees 19 separate remodeled buildings, mainly built in the 1940s and 1950s, to provide temporary accommodations for those just arriving at the base or passing through.
The plans call for putting up a $40 million four-story W-shaped hotel with 350 rooms, which will also be called The West Wind Inn, greatly increasing the base's capacity, Marchel said.
This will be second such hotel built in the Air Force. The first was at Osan Air Base in Korea. Nellis AFB, Nev., and Germany will be the next locations for a similar hotel.
"We will also be able to replace those rooms (in existing transient housing) that no longer meet government standards," Marchel said.
Ground was broken late in the summer and workers are presently preparing the foundations. Plans call for completing the building in April 2005 and opening it up to guests two months after that.
It is the latest in an ongoing campaign to renovate the transient housing. The military has spent $18 million since 1990 to renovate 15 buildings.
"I love it," Marchel said of the project. "It is the highlight of an Air Force lodging manager's career."
Ian Thompson can be reached at it hompson@dailyrepublic.net.
Hotel allows airmen to stay on base
By Ian Thompson
TRAVIS AFB -- Fewer Travis Air Force Base visitors will have to make the trip to Vacaville or Fairfield to get lodging once the base completes its 350-room hotel in two years.
The new hotel will significantly reduce the number of servicemembers who have to be bused to off-base hotels in Fairfield and Vacaville "at a greater expense to the government," said Doug Marchel, lodging general manager for Travis AFB.
Close to a third of those servicemembers who visit Travis AFB have to go to town, Marchel said.
"For the taxpayers, it will be easier (and cheaper) to have the airmen stay on base," Marchel said.
Several local hotels have contracts with Travis AFB to house visiting military people. The new base hotel will hurt them, Fairfield Economic Development Manager Karl Dumas said.
"They are all fighting for the same dollar and it will certainly impact those hotels, how much we are not sure," Dumas said.
Travis AFB's business is a significant part of the reason this area had a healthy hotel market while San Francisco Bay Area struggled in recent years.
Fairfield and its hotels created a tourist bureau recently "to change the dynamic of the hotels from being dependent on Travis" to serving as a central tourist stopover spot within reach of Napa, Sacramento and the Bay area, Dumas said.
"It will help lighten that impact," Dumas said of the new Travis hotel.
Travis AFB has considered putting up a new hotel since 1993. That hope was given a boost three years ago when the Air Force decided to make its hotels similar to mid-level accommodations found in nearby cities such as the Holiday Inn.
"A great deal of this is driven by quality-of-life issues," Marchel said.
Marchel currently oversees 19 separate remodeled buildings, mainly built in the 1940s and 1950s, to provide temporary accommodations for those just arriving at the base or passing through.
The plans call for putting up a $40 million four-story W-shaped hotel with 350 rooms, which will also be called The West Wind Inn, greatly increasing the base's capacity, Marchel said.
This will be second such hotel built in the Air Force. The first was at Osan Air Base in Korea. Nellis AFB, Nev., and Germany will be the next locations for a similar hotel.
"We will also be able to replace those rooms (in existing transient housing) that no longer meet government standards," Marchel said.
Ground was broken late in the summer and workers are presently preparing the foundations. Plans call for completing the building in April 2005 and opening it up to guests two months after that.
It is the latest in an ongoing campaign to renovate the transient housing. The military has spent $18 million since 1990 to renovate 15 buildings.
"I love it," Marchel said of the project. "It is the highlight of an Air Force lodging manager's career."
Ian Thompson can be reached at it hompson@dailyrepublic.net.
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