Solano Group Opposes Prop. 90
Board Says the Nov. 7 Ballot Measure, if Approved, Will Stifle Private and Public Development Projects.
By Reporter Staff
Some top business leaders in Solano County on Thursday offered staunch opposition to Proposition 90 on the Nov. 7 state ballot, arguing it could cripple, or even halt, local economic development initiatives.
The board of directors of Solano Economic Development Corporation, a public-private partnership of businesses and local governments devoted to luring new employers to local cities, unanimously voted to oppose the measure that aims to significantly increase requirements to compensate property owners for economic losses resulting from new laws or rules.
Mike Ammann, president of the organization, said it would not only stifle business development and public works projects, but also make it difficult to protect the environment or enact new consumer protection laws.
He noted the main benefactor of the Prop. 90 campaign comes from New York.
Representatives of the local transit agency, cities and developers characterized the measure as a trap to stifle California's development, making it less competitive with other states, all under the guise of protection from eminent domain.
They insist homeowners already are protected from such government intervention, noting that local redevelopment agencies are prohibited from using eminent domain to take private homes.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Fate of Dixon Downs Likely in Council's Hands
Fate of Dixon Downs Likely in Council's Hands
By Ben Antonius
DIXON - The Dixon Downs project looks to be entering the home stretch.
The City Planning Commission gave the go-ahead to the racetrack project on most of the major counts on Wednesday night.
Canada-based Magna Entertainment Corporation has been seeking to build a horse racing track and amphitheater on 250 acres along Interstate 80 in northeast Dixon.
Late Wednesday, the commissioners had approved four of the five items necessary to send the issue to the City Council and discussion was under way on the fifth item.
Commissioners unanimously approved a study of the impacts the project would have on the surrounding area. Commissioner Doug Uhlik departed from his colleagues on the other three votes, casting the lone dissenting vote.
Most of the time Wednesday was spent as commissioners discussed a litany of topics, including the height of signs along the freeway, how the project would affect the small-town atmosphere and whether traffic would affect tomato trucks going to the nearby Campbell's plant.
"I think there's no doubt there will be impacts but I put a lot of stock in the (police) chief saying they will be manageable impacts," said commissioner Wayne Williams.
Proponents have said the racetrack would be a state-of-the-art project with good restaurants, shopping and hotel components. They have said it would bring jobs and economic development, as well as boost the city's finances.
Detractors - many of whom wore shirts and buttons with critical slogans on Wednesday - have said the project would choke intersections in the area with traffic and that the gambling aspect of the racetrack could attract crime.
At one point, commissioners discussed whether the benefits of the project would outweigh the negative impacts. They discussed the consequences of a "worst-case scenario" in which the track is built but fails before reaching its second phase of construction.
Even in that case, they agreed, the city would come out favorably because it would have received much-needed infrastructure improvements to the area around the track.
"There are people out there waiting (to move to Dixon) for this to happen," said commissioner Dave Cornejo. "There's some infrastructure out there that are really needed."
If commissioners do approve all five conditions, as they were expected to, the Dixon City Council could start its deliberations as early as tonight.
The council discussion is expected to take several days, possibly running into mid-October.
Staff writer Ian Thompson contributed to this report. Reach Ben Antonius at bantonius@dailyrepublic.net or 427-6977.
By Ben Antonius
DIXON - The Dixon Downs project looks to be entering the home stretch.
The City Planning Commission gave the go-ahead to the racetrack project on most of the major counts on Wednesday night.
Canada-based Magna Entertainment Corporation has been seeking to build a horse racing track and amphitheater on 250 acres along Interstate 80 in northeast Dixon.
Late Wednesday, the commissioners had approved four of the five items necessary to send the issue to the City Council and discussion was under way on the fifth item.
Commissioners unanimously approved a study of the impacts the project would have on the surrounding area. Commissioner Doug Uhlik departed from his colleagues on the other three votes, casting the lone dissenting vote.
Most of the time Wednesday was spent as commissioners discussed a litany of topics, including the height of signs along the freeway, how the project would affect the small-town atmosphere and whether traffic would affect tomato trucks going to the nearby Campbell's plant.
"I think there's no doubt there will be impacts but I put a lot of stock in the (police) chief saying they will be manageable impacts," said commissioner Wayne Williams.
Proponents have said the racetrack would be a state-of-the-art project with good restaurants, shopping and hotel components. They have said it would bring jobs and economic development, as well as boost the city's finances.
Detractors - many of whom wore shirts and buttons with critical slogans on Wednesday - have said the project would choke intersections in the area with traffic and that the gambling aspect of the racetrack could attract crime.
At one point, commissioners discussed whether the benefits of the project would outweigh the negative impacts. They discussed the consequences of a "worst-case scenario" in which the track is built but fails before reaching its second phase of construction.
Even in that case, they agreed, the city would come out favorably because it would have received much-needed infrastructure improvements to the area around the track.
"There are people out there waiting (to move to Dixon) for this to happen," said commissioner Dave Cornejo. "There's some infrastructure out there that are really needed."
If commissioners do approve all five conditions, as they were expected to, the Dixon City Council could start its deliberations as early as tonight.
The council discussion is expected to take several days, possibly running into mid-October.
Staff writer Ian Thompson contributed to this report. Reach Ben Antonius at bantonius@dailyrepublic.net or 427-6977.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Vallejo Planning University Village
Vallejo Planning University Village
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen/Times-Herald, Vallejo
Plans for a university village on Mare Island's north end will be unveiled next week. Touro University and a consortium of "private, well-known developers" will present the project to the Vallejo City Council, officials said Monday.
Touro Vice President Richard Hassel said the project includes student housing and more, but declined to give specifics. "It's what was promised 10 years ago - jobs and sales tax related to the resources we have," he said. "It's a huge turning point in the economic recovery of the area."
Already, Touro generates $27.5 million for Solano County's economy and supports 229 jobs, according to an economic impact study released Tuesday. The osteopathic medical school - which expects to triple in size in the next few years - had 761 students enrolled this year.
Lennar Mare Island, Mare Island's main developer, and Touro, its anchor tenant, had been working together since June on development possibilities, said Craig Whittom, Vallejo's community development director.
Though Lennar's exclusive rights to negotiate north end development expired in April and Touro recently partnered with others, Whittom said city staff still thinks the university should work with Lennar.
Hassel said he couldn't yet disclose why Touro ceased working with Lennar.
Lennar Spokesman Jason Keadjian said Lennar officials question the wherewithal and expertise of other developers in dealing with the Navy parcels.
"We also believe having a single developer and master plan for the whole island is more efficient," Keadjian said. "And we continue to believe the best course is cooperation between the entities."
Lennar has already developed much of the island's 650 acres, mostly with homes and businesses on the island's east side. It wants to transform 191 more acres on the north end.
Some city officials, however, are frustrated with the pace of the island's business development, and hope a new developer might shake things up.
"I like the idea of mixing it up with developers out there," said City Councilwoman Stephanie Gomes.
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen/Times-Herald, Vallejo
Plans for a university village on Mare Island's north end will be unveiled next week. Touro University and a consortium of "private, well-known developers" will present the project to the Vallejo City Council, officials said Monday.
Touro Vice President Richard Hassel said the project includes student housing and more, but declined to give specifics. "It's what was promised 10 years ago - jobs and sales tax related to the resources we have," he said. "It's a huge turning point in the economic recovery of the area."
Already, Touro generates $27.5 million for Solano County's economy and supports 229 jobs, according to an economic impact study released Tuesday. The osteopathic medical school - which expects to triple in size in the next few years - had 761 students enrolled this year.
Lennar Mare Island, Mare Island's main developer, and Touro, its anchor tenant, had been working together since June on development possibilities, said Craig Whittom, Vallejo's community development director.
Though Lennar's exclusive rights to negotiate north end development expired in April and Touro recently partnered with others, Whittom said city staff still thinks the university should work with Lennar.
Hassel said he couldn't yet disclose why Touro ceased working with Lennar.
Lennar Spokesman Jason Keadjian said Lennar officials question the wherewithal and expertise of other developers in dealing with the Navy parcels.
"We also believe having a single developer and master plan for the whole island is more efficient," Keadjian said. "And we continue to believe the best course is cooperation between the entities."
Lennar has already developed much of the island's 650 acres, mostly with homes and businesses on the island's east side. It wants to transform 191 more acres on the north end.
Some city officials, however, are frustrated with the pace of the island's business development, and hope a new developer might shake things up.
"I like the idea of mixing it up with developers out there," said City Councilwoman Stephanie Gomes.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Touro to Develop Mare Island North End
Touro to Develop Mare Island North End
By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN/Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo Times Herald
A university village on Mare Island's north end.
That's what Touro University and a consortium of developers plan to propose to the Vallejo City Council in about a week, city and university officials said Monday. Little can be revealed about the group or its plans until the proposal is official, they said.
Vallejo's community development director Craig Whittom said Lennar Mare Island, the island's main developer and Touro, its anchor tenant, have been working since June on ways to develop the island's north end. He said that though Touro has recently partnered with outside developers; city staff still thinks the university should work with Lennar. Lennar's exclusive right to negotiate the island's north end development expired in April, he said.
Several weeks ago, Touro officials said they were putting together their own team to develop the area independently, Whittom said.
Touro vice president Richard Hassel said he couldn't yet disclose the reason Touro turned to other partners.
Lennar has already developed much of 650 acres, mostly with homes and businesses on the island's east side. It wants to transform 191 more in the north between Hwy. 37 and G Street to the north and south, and the Napa River and Azuar Drive to the east and west.
Lennar spokesman Jason Keadjian said Lennar officials question the wherewithal and expertise of any other developers and the wisdom of selecting anyone new.
"The north island is one of 10 parcels needing to go through early transfer process from the Navy and Lennar is one of very few developers in the country that has successfully negotiated this process," Keadjian said. A snag in that process could delay the transfer of other parcels, he added. Plus, the development of Mare Island's north end is so complicated and expensive that it's best to leave it to the experts, he said.
"Lennar is in the best position to implement the reuse of Mare Island," Keadjian said. "We also believe having a single developer and master plan for the whole island is more efficient. And we continue to believe the best course is cooperation between the entities."
Hassel said the group's plan includes student housing and more, but declined to give specifics. An economic impact study to be released today shows Touro generates millions of dollars and hundreds of jobs annually. Its officials hope to increase both, he said. (See related story on A1.)
"It's what was promised 10 years ago - jobs and sales tax related to the resources we have," he said.
With some city officials reportedly frustrated with the pace of business development on Mare Island, there is hope a new developer might shake things up. Vallejo City Councilman Tom Bartee said several businesses have tried and failed to locate or relocate on Mare Island without success. A small container ship-building enterprise, for instance, has been trying for several years to find a home there, as has a multi-million dollar bio-tech firm. Touro wants to partner with the biotech company, Coeur Scientific, Inc., Hassel said.
"This is exactly the kind of business we're looking at possibly for the north end," Bartee said, though he declined to provide further details.
Hassel described the Touro entity as "a group of private, well-known developers" with "very exciting ideas" for the island.
"It's a huge turning point in the economic recovery of the area," Hassel said. "The idea is to create a university village. This is neat stuff. Just what our community needs to take it to the next level."
City Council member Stephanie Gomes said she is aware of a new entity vying for the right to develop Mare Island's north end, though she said she couldn't disclose details.
"I like the idea of mixing it up with developers out there," she said.
If approved, the Touro group will be the fourth developer to take on revamping Mare Island's north end. Lincoln Property Company signed a deal to do it in 1998, but withdrew in 2002. A team of Weston Solutions and Harvest Properties in 2003 began negotiations for the project but backed out about a year and a half later.
-- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN/Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo Times Herald
A university village on Mare Island's north end.
That's what Touro University and a consortium of developers plan to propose to the Vallejo City Council in about a week, city and university officials said Monday. Little can be revealed about the group or its plans until the proposal is official, they said.
Vallejo's community development director Craig Whittom said Lennar Mare Island, the island's main developer and Touro, its anchor tenant, have been working since June on ways to develop the island's north end. He said that though Touro has recently partnered with outside developers; city staff still thinks the university should work with Lennar. Lennar's exclusive right to negotiate the island's north end development expired in April, he said.
Several weeks ago, Touro officials said they were putting together their own team to develop the area independently, Whittom said.
Touro vice president Richard Hassel said he couldn't yet disclose the reason Touro turned to other partners.
Lennar has already developed much of 650 acres, mostly with homes and businesses on the island's east side. It wants to transform 191 more in the north between Hwy. 37 and G Street to the north and south, and the Napa River and Azuar Drive to the east and west.
Lennar spokesman Jason Keadjian said Lennar officials question the wherewithal and expertise of any other developers and the wisdom of selecting anyone new.
"The north island is one of 10 parcels needing to go through early transfer process from the Navy and Lennar is one of very few developers in the country that has successfully negotiated this process," Keadjian said. A snag in that process could delay the transfer of other parcels, he added. Plus, the development of Mare Island's north end is so complicated and expensive that it's best to leave it to the experts, he said.
"Lennar is in the best position to implement the reuse of Mare Island," Keadjian said. "We also believe having a single developer and master plan for the whole island is more efficient. And we continue to believe the best course is cooperation between the entities."
Hassel said the group's plan includes student housing and more, but declined to give specifics. An economic impact study to be released today shows Touro generates millions of dollars and hundreds of jobs annually. Its officials hope to increase both, he said. (See related story on A1.)
"It's what was promised 10 years ago - jobs and sales tax related to the resources we have," he said.
With some city officials reportedly frustrated with the pace of business development on Mare Island, there is hope a new developer might shake things up. Vallejo City Councilman Tom Bartee said several businesses have tried and failed to locate or relocate on Mare Island without success. A small container ship-building enterprise, for instance, has been trying for several years to find a home there, as has a multi-million dollar bio-tech firm. Touro wants to partner with the biotech company, Coeur Scientific, Inc., Hassel said.
"This is exactly the kind of business we're looking at possibly for the north end," Bartee said, though he declined to provide further details.
Hassel described the Touro entity as "a group of private, well-known developers" with "very exciting ideas" for the island.
"It's a huge turning point in the economic recovery of the area," Hassel said. "The idea is to create a university village. This is neat stuff. Just what our community needs to take it to the next level."
City Council member Stephanie Gomes said she is aware of a new entity vying for the right to develop Mare Island's north end, though she said she couldn't disclose details.
"I like the idea of mixing it up with developers out there," she said.
If approved, the Touro group will be the fourth developer to take on revamping Mare Island's north end. Lincoln Property Company signed a deal to do it in 1998, but withdrew in 2002. A team of Weston Solutions and Harvest Properties in 2003 began negotiations for the project but backed out about a year and a half later.
-- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
Touro Boosts Revival Effort at Shipyard
Touro Boosts Revival Effort at Shipyard
By Sarah Rohrs/Times-Herald, Vallejo
Generating jobs and pumping millions into the local economy, Touro University is a powerful hand in the effort to transform Mare Island Naval Shipyard, according to an economic impact report scheduled to be released today.
Touro's students and staff, and the school itself, have roles in creating valuable dollars into housing and transportation in the Vallejo area, as well as restaurants, services and local businesses, the study determined.
An impact study conducted by Bay Area Economics estimates that Touro University generates $16.9 million and 143 jobs annually.
The 'trickle down" impact of Touro's income in the local economy is even more - a total of $27.5 million and 229 jobs annually, the study concluded.
'Touro University-California on Mare Island is a key economic generator for Vallejo and Solano County, and helps regenerate the jobs lost by the closure of the U.S. Naval Shipyard," the report concludes.
The Touro-commissioned economic impact report comes out as the university and a consortium of developers plan to go to City Hall with a proposal to convert Mare Island's north end into a university village.
Vallejo Mayor Tony Intintoli said he is not surprised to hear about the school's economic benefits for Vallejo and the surrounding area.
'It enhances the community in many ways to have places of higher education here," Intintoli said. Touro University employs 143 staff with a total annual payroll of $11.3 million.
Fifty-eight live in Vallejo and another 21 live elsewhere in Solano County, the report said.
One surprising point from the report is that Touro last year issued more medical degrees than Stanford University, Touro's vice president for administration Richard Hassel said. The two schools are the only two private, nonprofit medical schools in Northern California, he said. Touro conferred 109 medical degrees last year while Stanford conferred 90.
Above all else, the school is a success story in Mare Island's changing landscape, Hassel said.
'There's been a lot of setbacks in the reuse of Mare Island. There's not been the jobs and sales tax revenues we had hoped. Touro is an exception," said Hassel, also the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce president-elect.
A pioneer of sorts, Touro opened its doors in 1999, one of the first businesses to occupy naval shipyard buildings after the base closed in 1996. Touro was founded in New York in 1970, and also has a campus in Nevada.
Touro's Vallejo campus enrollment has grown yearly. In 2002-03, some 432 students were enrolled. Last year 761 students attended, and this year nearly 900 are enrolled, Hassel said.
Some 2,500 students are expected in the future. Touro intends to invest more than $92 million as it expands its undergraduate health sciences curriculum, and adds nursing and business programs, the report said. A master plan calls for adding 518,000 square feet to campus facilities.
Within its 44-acre campus, Touro offers professional graduate degrees through College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences and College of Education.
By Sarah Rohrs/Times-Herald, Vallejo
Generating jobs and pumping millions into the local economy, Touro University is a powerful hand in the effort to transform Mare Island Naval Shipyard, according to an economic impact report scheduled to be released today.
Touro's students and staff, and the school itself, have roles in creating valuable dollars into housing and transportation in the Vallejo area, as well as restaurants, services and local businesses, the study determined.
An impact study conducted by Bay Area Economics estimates that Touro University generates $16.9 million and 143 jobs annually.
The 'trickle down" impact of Touro's income in the local economy is even more - a total of $27.5 million and 229 jobs annually, the study concluded.
'Touro University-California on Mare Island is a key economic generator for Vallejo and Solano County, and helps regenerate the jobs lost by the closure of the U.S. Naval Shipyard," the report concludes.
The Touro-commissioned economic impact report comes out as the university and a consortium of developers plan to go to City Hall with a proposal to convert Mare Island's north end into a university village.
Vallejo Mayor Tony Intintoli said he is not surprised to hear about the school's economic benefits for Vallejo and the surrounding area.
'It enhances the community in many ways to have places of higher education here," Intintoli said. Touro University employs 143 staff with a total annual payroll of $11.3 million.
Fifty-eight live in Vallejo and another 21 live elsewhere in Solano County, the report said.
One surprising point from the report is that Touro last year issued more medical degrees than Stanford University, Touro's vice president for administration Richard Hassel said. The two schools are the only two private, nonprofit medical schools in Northern California, he said. Touro conferred 109 medical degrees last year while Stanford conferred 90.
Above all else, the school is a success story in Mare Island's changing landscape, Hassel said.
'There's been a lot of setbacks in the reuse of Mare Island. There's not been the jobs and sales tax revenues we had hoped. Touro is an exception," said Hassel, also the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce president-elect.
A pioneer of sorts, Touro opened its doors in 1999, one of the first businesses to occupy naval shipyard buildings after the base closed in 1996. Touro was founded in New York in 1970, and also has a campus in Nevada.
Touro's Vallejo campus enrollment has grown yearly. In 2002-03, some 432 students were enrolled. Last year 761 students attended, and this year nearly 900 are enrolled, Hassel said.
Some 2,500 students are expected in the future. Touro intends to invest more than $92 million as it expands its undergraduate health sciences curriculum, and adds nursing and business programs, the report said. A master plan calls for adding 518,000 square feet to campus facilities.
Within its 44-acre campus, Touro offers professional graduate degrees through College of Osteopathic Medicine, College of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences and College of Education.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Solar Energy Permit Process Eased
Solar Energy Permit Process Eased
By Erin Pursell/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
County officials just made it easier for local contractors to promote solar energy.
By altering its permit fee structure, Solano's building department will be able to issue permits for rooftop photovoltaic systems - an alternative energy source increasing in demand as energy costs climb - cheaper and faster.
The revisions were welcome news to Jerry Huff, president of CJ Solar Inc. in Vacaville.
"I think it's great if the county is going to restructure how they do their permit process," he said, noting that Solano's
permits have long been more costly and inaccessible than neighboring jurisdictions. "That has been one of the biggest problems with doing these projects in the county."
The revised plans bring costs in line with what they should be, according to county building official David Cliche, who was one of the driving forces behind the changes.
For example, he said, the permit fee for a project valued at $40,000 has been reduced from $1,400 to about $270.
The efforts have already been praised by the Sierra Club, which urged Solano to change its fee structure after conducting a region survey that indicated the county's unusually high prices.
"I'd like to congratulate them on making those changes," said Kurt Newick, chair of the club's Loma Prieta Chapter Global Warming and Energy Committee. Newick led efforts to urge Northern California counties to ease the cost of permits. "To support solar we really need affordable permit fees."
Historically, the county has required multiple building and electrical reviews and plan checks for solar projects, all of which came with additional costs.
"(Solano was) way higher than any other county in the greater Bay Area," Newick said.
As photovoltaic technology has advanced, the arrays have become lighter and less cumbersome, requiring less review of the structural integrity of the building they will be mounted on. Because of this it was easy to simplify the process, according to Cliche.
"We're reclassifying it (the permit) from building and electric to strictly electric," he said. "We've eliminated all the other divisions' plan checks."
This means that contractors now only need electric permits for their projects, which significantly speeds up timelines that often stall during reviews.
"We've expedited it from a four- to five-day plan check to right over the counter," Cliche said.
Contractors like Huff said that county permits have generally taken much longer to obtain than city permits.
"My last permit for an add-on solar system was more than $1,217 when I applied for it on June 12 and it wasn't issued until July 10," Huff said.
However, the reclassification only applies to residential projects, and does not affect the ground-mounted solar arrays that Cliche said are more common in Solano.
Ground or hillside systems, which many people choose to install due to lack of available roof space, require construction of a platform to be mounted on, whereas rooftop arrays are placed on existing structures.
"Someone has to review this to make sure they're designing these things accordingly," Cliche said, adding that engineers check to make sure ground projects aren't constructed over septic tanks or leech fields.
Ground and hillside projects also require more trenching and concrete work than rooftop projects, which bring additional reviews that come with additional costs.
"I understand them not doing an over the counter (review) on a hillside (system) because that would need to be checked out by an engineer," Huff said.
While the revisions don't apply to all types of solar projects, building officials and contractors seem to agree that the move is a step forward at a time when finding alternative energy sources is becoming more critical.
"The benefits are undeniable," Huff said.
Erin Pursell can be reached at county@thereporter.com.
By Erin Pursell/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
County officials just made it easier for local contractors to promote solar energy.
By altering its permit fee structure, Solano's building department will be able to issue permits for rooftop photovoltaic systems - an alternative energy source increasing in demand as energy costs climb - cheaper and faster.
The revisions were welcome news to Jerry Huff, president of CJ Solar Inc. in Vacaville.
"I think it's great if the county is going to restructure how they do their permit process," he said, noting that Solano's
permits have long been more costly and inaccessible than neighboring jurisdictions. "That has been one of the biggest problems with doing these projects in the county."
The revised plans bring costs in line with what they should be, according to county building official David Cliche, who was one of the driving forces behind the changes.
For example, he said, the permit fee for a project valued at $40,000 has been reduced from $1,400 to about $270.
The efforts have already been praised by the Sierra Club, which urged Solano to change its fee structure after conducting a region survey that indicated the county's unusually high prices.
"I'd like to congratulate them on making those changes," said Kurt Newick, chair of the club's Loma Prieta Chapter Global Warming and Energy Committee. Newick led efforts to urge Northern California counties to ease the cost of permits. "To support solar we really need affordable permit fees."
Historically, the county has required multiple building and electrical reviews and plan checks for solar projects, all of which came with additional costs.
"(Solano was) way higher than any other county in the greater Bay Area," Newick said.
As photovoltaic technology has advanced, the arrays have become lighter and less cumbersome, requiring less review of the structural integrity of the building they will be mounted on. Because of this it was easy to simplify the process, according to Cliche.
"We're reclassifying it (the permit) from building and electric to strictly electric," he said. "We've eliminated all the other divisions' plan checks."
This means that contractors now only need electric permits for their projects, which significantly speeds up timelines that often stall during reviews.
"We've expedited it from a four- to five-day plan check to right over the counter," Cliche said.
Contractors like Huff said that county permits have generally taken much longer to obtain than city permits.
"My last permit for an add-on solar system was more than $1,217 when I applied for it on June 12 and it wasn't issued until July 10," Huff said.
However, the reclassification only applies to residential projects, and does not affect the ground-mounted solar arrays that Cliche said are more common in Solano.
Ground or hillside systems, which many people choose to install due to lack of available roof space, require construction of a platform to be mounted on, whereas rooftop arrays are placed on existing structures.
"Someone has to review this to make sure they're designing these things accordingly," Cliche said, adding that engineers check to make sure ground projects aren't constructed over septic tanks or leech fields.
Ground and hillside projects also require more trenching and concrete work than rooftop projects, which bring additional reviews that come with additional costs.
"I understand them not doing an over the counter (review) on a hillside (system) because that would need to be checked out by an engineer," Huff said.
While the revisions don't apply to all types of solar projects, building officials and contractors seem to agree that the move is a step forward at a time when finding alternative energy sources is becoming more critical.
"The benefits are undeniable," Huff said.
Erin Pursell can be reached at county@thereporter.com.
Rockville -- The hamlet That Hangs In There
Rockville -- The hamlet That Hangs In There
By Barry Eberling
Tamer Totah, owner of Rockville Inn since 1989, looks out at the intersection of Rockville and Suisun Valley roads. (Gary Goldsmith/Daily Republic)
Editor's note: Solano County in the late 1800s had a half-dozen additional towns trying to become the next Big Thing, only to disappear or enter long twilights.
But these towns are more than colorful stories from the county's Wild West past. Some linger today as peaceful places threatened by subdivisions creeping from nearby cities. Others are remote and all-but-forgotten, yet are still candidates to play in important role in the county's future.
This series is about Solano County towns that disappeared or faded. Today's installment looks at Rockville.
ROCKVILLE - Rockville has kept hanging in there for 150 years.
It's never been more than a hamlet amid the farmlands of Suisun Valley, about 2 miles west of Fairfield. But it has never completely faded away either.
There are efforts under way to turn Suisun Valley into an agricultural tourist area, a kind of mom-and-pop Napa with wineries, produce stands and bed-and-breakfasts. Rockville is a small island of commercial activity there, with its restaurants, bike shop, gas station, salons and other small businesses.
Rockville can fit in with a revitalized Suisun Valley, Fairfield Councilman Jack Batson said. Batson is chairman of the Suisun Valley Fund Advisory Committee, which is promoting the tourist idea.
"I think a couple of small, commercial areas that have grown up organically over time, like Mankas Corner and Rockville - as long as they are kept small - are of good use for people out there," Batson said.
But some people think farming is foundering in Suisun Valley and the future is rural-residential development, with homes on 5-acre to 10-acre lots. That, too, could boost Rockville because the newcomers could patronize the hamlet's shops.
Whatever happens, Rockville is likely to keep hanging on.
The hamlet owes much of its success today to its location at the intersections of Rockville and Suisun Valley roads. Traffic is plentiful here, as people drive to such destinations as Solano Community College, Lake Berryessa and Rockville Hills Park or take the back roads to avoid crowded freeways.
Teresa Messina and Lydia DiPiramo of Vallejo recently stopped by mid-morning during the week in. They sat on the porch of La Barista Espresso drinking coffee.
"We just like to come here," Messina said. "It's a relaxing area."
The real attraction to them is Larry's Produce stand a few miles further up Suisun Valley Road. Larry's is one of a kind, Messina said. And owner Larry Balestra has a million-dollar smile, DiPiramo said.
"We come for Larry's, but we enjoy the rest (of the area)," Messina said.
Casey Engell makes coffee and sandwiches at La Barista. The 18-year-old has lived her life in the Rockville area and is quick to describe it.
"Friendly. It's quiet. You see the same people. We get the usuals. We get to know everybody," Engell said.
Tamer Totah started working at the Rockville Inn in 1989 and became the owner in 1996. Rockville is off the beaten path, he said. He sees that as a plus.
"It still has that quaint feel," he said.
All types of people come to the Rockville Inn, from farmers to people negotiating multimillion dollar deals, Totah said. People hold receptions there after burials at the nearby Rockville Cemetery. Groups such as veterinarians have regional gatherings there.
The Rockville Inn carries on a tradition in the area. People in pioneer days came to Rockville for a meal, a drink and some hospitality. The hamlet was a gathering spot.
Rockville got its start in the early 1850s. It flourished along the stage coach road, which gave it a strategic location in that era. Plus, John Perry built the first blacksmith shop in Solano County there.
"To this establishment had the farmers from miles around to come to get their plows repaired, their harrows mended and horses shod, consuming, in many instances, two entire days," historian J.P. Munro Fraser wrote in his 1879 book "History of Solano County."
The new town became an important, thriving place in what was then a sparsely populated county. It had a hotel, saloon and post office. xxxxxx The Pony Express passed through it. But the railroad in 1868 was built several miles east through Suisun City and other blacksmith shops sprung up. When Munro Fraser wrote in 1879, Rockville consisted mainly of a church and school house.
"Rockville is a veritable 'deserted village,' " Munro Fraser wrote.
Things hadn't changed when historian Tom Gregory wrote about Solano County in 1912.
"Rockville, by the way, is a has-been village," Gregory wrote. "Only its old church exists and that is as silent as the small graveyard around it. Even its only historical claim - Chief Solano had a royal rancheria there - has largely lost interest; and the fact that it is, or was, a pioneer settlement of the valley is forgotten."
As always, the hamlet hung in there. The state highway passed through Rockville in about 1915 and stayed along this route until 1932. In time, businesses sprang up again at the intersection of Suisun Valley and Rockville roads. Rockville remained alive, though it never regained the regional prominence of its early days.
Totah has seen changes at Rockville in recent years. For example, the intersection of Rockville and Suisun Valley roads got a traffic signal to replace a stop sign. That's another sign that, although Rockville remains amid a farming area, there are fast-growing cities a few miles away.
Neither Engell nor her 13-year-old sister Jessie want to see Rockville change, not if change means the nearby farmlands develop.
"It's a place in the area that has trees and not houses everywhere," Engell said.
Paul Bearden thought about the future of Rockville as he grabbed a cup of mocha coffee at La Barista. He's lived in Fairfield since 1976 and was on his way to Solano Community College, where is he learning a new career.
"I like it the way it is, but it's inevitable that things are going to change," Bearden said.
What the future holds for Rockville remains to be seen. The county is revising its General Plan over the next few years and will do a special section on Suisun Valley.
If the past is any indication, there is one certainty amid the uncertainty: Rockville will keep hanging on.
Next Monday: Cordelia
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
By Barry Eberling
Tamer Totah, owner of Rockville Inn since 1989, looks out at the intersection of Rockville and Suisun Valley roads. (Gary Goldsmith/Daily Republic)
Editor's note: Solano County in the late 1800s had a half-dozen additional towns trying to become the next Big Thing, only to disappear or enter long twilights.
But these towns are more than colorful stories from the county's Wild West past. Some linger today as peaceful places threatened by subdivisions creeping from nearby cities. Others are remote and all-but-forgotten, yet are still candidates to play in important role in the county's future.
This series is about Solano County towns that disappeared or faded. Today's installment looks at Rockville.
ROCKVILLE - Rockville has kept hanging in there for 150 years.
It's never been more than a hamlet amid the farmlands of Suisun Valley, about 2 miles west of Fairfield. But it has never completely faded away either.
There are efforts under way to turn Suisun Valley into an agricultural tourist area, a kind of mom-and-pop Napa with wineries, produce stands and bed-and-breakfasts. Rockville is a small island of commercial activity there, with its restaurants, bike shop, gas station, salons and other small businesses.
Rockville can fit in with a revitalized Suisun Valley, Fairfield Councilman Jack Batson said. Batson is chairman of the Suisun Valley Fund Advisory Committee, which is promoting the tourist idea.
"I think a couple of small, commercial areas that have grown up organically over time, like Mankas Corner and Rockville - as long as they are kept small - are of good use for people out there," Batson said.
But some people think farming is foundering in Suisun Valley and the future is rural-residential development, with homes on 5-acre to 10-acre lots. That, too, could boost Rockville because the newcomers could patronize the hamlet's shops.
Whatever happens, Rockville is likely to keep hanging on.
The hamlet owes much of its success today to its location at the intersections of Rockville and Suisun Valley roads. Traffic is plentiful here, as people drive to such destinations as Solano Community College, Lake Berryessa and Rockville Hills Park or take the back roads to avoid crowded freeways.
Teresa Messina and Lydia DiPiramo of Vallejo recently stopped by mid-morning during the week in. They sat on the porch of La Barista Espresso drinking coffee.
"We just like to come here," Messina said. "It's a relaxing area."
The real attraction to them is Larry's Produce stand a few miles further up Suisun Valley Road. Larry's is one of a kind, Messina said. And owner Larry Balestra has a million-dollar smile, DiPiramo said.
"We come for Larry's, but we enjoy the rest (of the area)," Messina said.
Casey Engell makes coffee and sandwiches at La Barista. The 18-year-old has lived her life in the Rockville area and is quick to describe it.
"Friendly. It's quiet. You see the same people. We get the usuals. We get to know everybody," Engell said.
Tamer Totah started working at the Rockville Inn in 1989 and became the owner in 1996. Rockville is off the beaten path, he said. He sees that as a plus.
"It still has that quaint feel," he said.
All types of people come to the Rockville Inn, from farmers to people negotiating multimillion dollar deals, Totah said. People hold receptions there after burials at the nearby Rockville Cemetery. Groups such as veterinarians have regional gatherings there.
The Rockville Inn carries on a tradition in the area. People in pioneer days came to Rockville for a meal, a drink and some hospitality. The hamlet was a gathering spot.
Rockville got its start in the early 1850s. It flourished along the stage coach road, which gave it a strategic location in that era. Plus, John Perry built the first blacksmith shop in Solano County there.
"To this establishment had the farmers from miles around to come to get their plows repaired, their harrows mended and horses shod, consuming, in many instances, two entire days," historian J.P. Munro Fraser wrote in his 1879 book "History of Solano County."
The new town became an important, thriving place in what was then a sparsely populated county. It had a hotel, saloon and post office. xxxxxx The Pony Express passed through it. But the railroad in 1868 was built several miles east through Suisun City and other blacksmith shops sprung up. When Munro Fraser wrote in 1879, Rockville consisted mainly of a church and school house.
"Rockville is a veritable 'deserted village,' " Munro Fraser wrote.
Things hadn't changed when historian Tom Gregory wrote about Solano County in 1912.
"Rockville, by the way, is a has-been village," Gregory wrote. "Only its old church exists and that is as silent as the small graveyard around it. Even its only historical claim - Chief Solano had a royal rancheria there - has largely lost interest; and the fact that it is, or was, a pioneer settlement of the valley is forgotten."
As always, the hamlet hung in there. The state highway passed through Rockville in about 1915 and stayed along this route until 1932. In time, businesses sprang up again at the intersection of Suisun Valley and Rockville roads. Rockville remained alive, though it never regained the regional prominence of its early days.
Totah has seen changes at Rockville in recent years. For example, the intersection of Rockville and Suisun Valley roads got a traffic signal to replace a stop sign. That's another sign that, although Rockville remains amid a farming area, there are fast-growing cities a few miles away.
Neither Engell nor her 13-year-old sister Jessie want to see Rockville change, not if change means the nearby farmlands develop.
"It's a place in the area that has trees and not houses everywhere," Engell said.
Paul Bearden thought about the future of Rockville as he grabbed a cup of mocha coffee at La Barista. He's lived in Fairfield since 1976 and was on his way to Solano Community College, where is he learning a new career.
"I like it the way it is, but it's inevitable that things are going to change," Bearden said.
What the future holds for Rockville remains to be seen. The county is revising its General Plan over the next few years and will do a special section on Suisun Valley.
If the past is any indication, there is one certainty amid the uncertainty: Rockville will keep hanging on.
Next Monday: Cordelia
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Boost in Internet Sales Leads Dixon's Gymboree to Expand
Boost in Internet Sales Leads Dixon's Gymboree to Expand
More Workers Will be Hired Gradually
Sacramento Business Journal - September 22, 2006
by Melanie Turner
Staff Writer
The Gymboree Corp. is expanding its Dixon distribution center by 145,000 square feet and call center by 18,800 square feet in large part because of increased Internet sales.
"Little old Dixon, and the Internet has an impact. Who would have thought?" said Mike Ammann, president of the Solano County Economic Development Corp. "It's not unique, but the Internet does have an effect on small communities."
The Burlingame-based designer, manufacturer and retailer of children's clothing moved its 270,000-square-foot distribution center to Dixon from Hayward in 1997.
The center is in the Dixon Commerce Center on Kids Way, just off Highway 113 and south of Interstate 80.
The center handles distribution for the United States and Canada and had 100 employees when it opened. Today, it employs about 250.
The company has 180 distribution workers and up to 300 during the holiday season from mid-October to mid-January. The customer service center employs 70 people, and as many as 100 during the peak season.
Additional employees won't immediately be hired as a result of the expansion, but people are expected to be hired gradually. The company expects about 180 employees in the call center and another 100 distribution workers.
"We'll ramp up as the business requires," said Jeff Harris, vice president of finance for Gymboree.
Officials said it was premature to disclose how much the company will pay for the expansion, citing Securities and Exchange Commission regulations.
Mark Heckey, economic development director for the city of Dixon, said the company is "moving forward on a fast track."
On Tuesday, the Dixon Planning Commission voted 7-0 to give environmental clearance allowing Gymboree to submit a building permit. The company plans to start construction Oct. 1 and be finished by July 15, said Dan Allison, vice president for logistics.
Gymboree (Nasdaq: GYMB) has three retail outlets in Sacramento. As of January, the company had 9,600 full- and part-time workers. The company operates 688 retail stores and has 533 franchised centers offering parent-child programs.
Gymboree also operates two online stores.
The company reported sales from retail operations for the four-week period ended Aug. 26 of $55.1 million, a 25 percent increase compared to $44.1 million for the same four-week period last year.
melanieturner@bizjournals.com | 916-558-7859
More Workers Will be Hired Gradually
Sacramento Business Journal - September 22, 2006
by Melanie Turner
Staff Writer
The Gymboree Corp. is expanding its Dixon distribution center by 145,000 square feet and call center by 18,800 square feet in large part because of increased Internet sales.
"Little old Dixon, and the Internet has an impact. Who would have thought?" said Mike Ammann, president of the Solano County Economic Development Corp. "It's not unique, but the Internet does have an effect on small communities."
The Burlingame-based designer, manufacturer and retailer of children's clothing moved its 270,000-square-foot distribution center to Dixon from Hayward in 1997.
The center is in the Dixon Commerce Center on Kids Way, just off Highway 113 and south of Interstate 80.
The center handles distribution for the United States and Canada and had 100 employees when it opened. Today, it employs about 250.
The company has 180 distribution workers and up to 300 during the holiday season from mid-October to mid-January. The customer service center employs 70 people, and as many as 100 during the peak season.
Additional employees won't immediately be hired as a result of the expansion, but people are expected to be hired gradually. The company expects about 180 employees in the call center and another 100 distribution workers.
"We'll ramp up as the business requires," said Jeff Harris, vice president of finance for Gymboree.
Officials said it was premature to disclose how much the company will pay for the expansion, citing Securities and Exchange Commission regulations.
Mark Heckey, economic development director for the city of Dixon, said the company is "moving forward on a fast track."
On Tuesday, the Dixon Planning Commission voted 7-0 to give environmental clearance allowing Gymboree to submit a building permit. The company plans to start construction Oct. 1 and be finished by July 15, said Dan Allison, vice president for logistics.
Gymboree (Nasdaq: GYMB) has three retail outlets in Sacramento. As of January, the company had 9,600 full- and part-time workers. The company operates 688 retail stores and has 533 franchised centers offering parent-child programs.
Gymboree also operates two online stores.
The company reported sales from retail operations for the four-week period ended Aug. 26 of $55.1 million, a 25 percent increase compared to $44.1 million for the same four-week period last year.
melanieturner@bizjournals.com | 916-558-7859
Dixon Racetrack Issue has Council Saddling Up
Dixon Racetrack Issue has Council Saddling Up
By Debbie Arrington - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday, September 23, 2006
In a sport known for long shots and improbable outcomes, Dixon Downs could be in the right place at the right moment.
Magna Entertainment Corp., the No. 1 racetrack company in North America, wants to plunge $250 million into this farm town of 17,500 in the Sacramento Valley to build a state-of-the-art facility -- the first new major racetrack in California in six decades.
Wednesday, its Dixon Downs proposal finally will reach the City Council as the elected officials hear testimony on the track's copious final environmental impact report and development agreement. A council vote is expected next month.
Magna is gambling on a horse-racing renaissance. At stake is the sport's future, say company officials and industry experts.
"It's not just one racetrack in this state, but the whole country," said Lorne Kumer, Magna's vice president for development who has worked on the project almost six years. "We want to reinvigorate the sport. Everything we've done, we've done for horse racing. We've been saying that since Day One."
But opposition has targeted casino gambling as the major issue. Last year, a citizens group gathered about 2,000 form protest letters, citing the potential for slot machines.
Called Dixon Citizens for Quality Growth, the group sees the track as "Las Vegas-style gambling and entertainment." Its Web site (www.dumpthe- downs.org) is filled with anti-casino messages and portrays Dixon Downs as a Trojan horse for slot machines.
"The only way to be sure there won't be slot machines in Dixon is to not have the racetrack," opposition leader Gail Preston said.
Responded Kumer, "We are not building a casino. This is not about slots. If we wanted slot machines in Dixon we would have to go through this whole approval process again, and we don't want to do that."
Even if the Legislature were to legalize slot machines at non-Indian casinos in California, Kumer said, a provision in the development agreement prohibits slots at Dixon Downs without voter approval.
With aging facilities and a graying fan base, horse racing has battled an image as a dying sport. But the centuries-old pastime could be poised to become the new poker -- an old game with a new audience and hip status.
Nationally, wagering on horse racing is up 3.5 percent from a year ago to $15 billion annually, according to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. Purse money tops $1 billion. TV ratings for major races have increased steadily.
The breeding market also reports growth. This month's 10-day Keeneland auction of yearlings brought in a record $385 million in sales.
The Dixon Downs plan features a one-mile main oval, one-mile inner-turf course and a grandstand pavilion that doubles as an entertainment center. The barn area could hold 1,440 horses. Forming a gateway to the track would be a nearly 1 million-square-foot upscale commercial complex anchored by a hotel/conference center.
Magna founder Frank Stronach shocked city officials when he pinpointed Dixon as the site for a dream track six years ago. But its primary asset hasn't changed: Great location at an affordable price.
Pancake-flat and wide open, the 260-acre site adjacent to Interstate 80 at Pedrick Road is 20 minutes from Sacramento's growing population center and a half-hour from the Bay Area. Albany's Golden Gate Fields, which Magna owns, is 45 minutes away. A track here could tap into two markets while serving as a training hub for Northern California racehorses and spurring the local breeding industry.
Another plus: the University of California, Davis, with the best equine health program this side of Kentucky, is just a few miles away.
"Obviously, it would be an asset to our research to have a racetrack and training facility so close," said Dr. Gregory Ferraro, director of UCD's Center for Equine Health.
If approved by the council, Dixon Downs would face more hurdles, including a possible voter referendum. The facility must be licensed by the California Horse Racing Board and have dates approved. Optimistically, the track could hold its inaugural meet in 2010.
The Austrian-born Stronach refused to walk away from the bargaining table despite repeated and expensive delays. Three years after its first forays in Dixon, Magna filed its city application for development 3 1/2 years ago and picked up a seven-figure tab for consultants hired by the city. In the proposed agreement, Stronach's company made several unusual and costly concessions such as freeway improvements and building $25 million in infrastructure while asking for no public money.
In return, the city of Dixon would receive a guaranteed annual revenue stream of at least $3 million -- and potentially much more -- once the complex is completed.
Timing is ripe for a new track. The $6 billion California thoroughbred industry faces the loss of two major race tracks -- Bay Meadows and Hollywood Park -- to redevelopment in the next three years.
"It would be a tremendous blow to California for the racing industry to disappear," racing board chairman Richard Shapiro said. "Many, many people are dependent on it for jobs. We need to do something."
Someone will fill that gap. But who and where?
Stronach's interest is personal. Owner of more than 1,000 thoroughbreds, Stronach ranks as North America's largest racehorse owner and breeder. Magna bought its first racetrack (Santa Anita) in 1998 and now owns 11 tracks nationwide plus a cable network, Horse Racing TV. Its XpressBet wagering service allows fans to bet from home.
But new fans are made on a track, Stronach said.
Just as other big-league sports have used new arenas and stadiums to reinvigorate interest and attendance, California racing needs a new track for its future health, industry experts say.
Compared with NBA arenas or baseball parks with similar price tags, the difference with Dixon Downs is its developer is willing to build the facility without public funding.
Reimbursing the city of Dixon for consultants and other study costs, Magna has spent more on the entitlement process ($7 million-plus) than it did on the property ($6.3 million).
"To their credit, they've been incredibly patient," said former Dixon Mayor Don Erickson, now a local Magna consultant. "They've really tried to do everything right."
Following the Las Vegas model, Stronach pictures Dixon Downs as a family-friendly package of diversions with a shopping-entertainment complex complementing a racetrack/training center that can double as a concert venue with upscale restaurants. The gateway commercial complex acts as a carrot to draw new fans to the ponies.
Using that same concept, Magna spent $130 million to renovate its Gulfstream Park near Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
It's a revamped packaging approach that worked for one Vegas staple -- poker.
"Poker really took off and it's been around almost as long as racing," said state racing board commissioner John Harris, a leading California horse owner and breeder. "Our sport could get this sudden resurgence, too. It provides some hope for racing."
Slot machines have spurred racing's growth in other states. "Racinos" -- racetracks with slots, video lottery terminals or similar gaming -- have pumped millions into purse money. They have lured horses away from California.
Magna introduced slot machines at Oklahoma's Remington Park and plans to add them to its racetracks in Maryland and Florida, where such gambling has been legalized.
Racino competition brought an ultimatum from Bay Meadows Land Company, which owns Bay Meadows in San Mateo and recently purchased Hollywood Park from Churchill Downs Inc. for $260 million. BMLC officials vowed they would close Hollywood Park after the 2008 season if not granted slot machines.
Despite local protests, the San Mateo City Council recently approved the remaining 80 acres at 62-year-old Bay Meadows for redevelopment. The property, worth an estimated $2 million an acre, has been deemed too valuable to remain a semi-agricultural use such as horse racing.
In some ways, the new Downs would restore a sporting tradition to Dixon, which had its own racetrack until shortly after World War II. Horse racing dates back to the 1870s in the town and many horse farms still dot the area.
"In a lot of ways, we're coming full circle," Kumer said. "We're bringing horse racing back to Dixon."
About the writer:
The Bee's Debbie Arrington can be reached at (916) 326-5514 or darrington@sacbee.com.
By Debbie Arrington - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday, September 23, 2006
In a sport known for long shots and improbable outcomes, Dixon Downs could be in the right place at the right moment.
Magna Entertainment Corp., the No. 1 racetrack company in North America, wants to plunge $250 million into this farm town of 17,500 in the Sacramento Valley to build a state-of-the-art facility -- the first new major racetrack in California in six decades.
Wednesday, its Dixon Downs proposal finally will reach the City Council as the elected officials hear testimony on the track's copious final environmental impact report and development agreement. A council vote is expected next month.
Magna is gambling on a horse-racing renaissance. At stake is the sport's future, say company officials and industry experts.
"It's not just one racetrack in this state, but the whole country," said Lorne Kumer, Magna's vice president for development who has worked on the project almost six years. "We want to reinvigorate the sport. Everything we've done, we've done for horse racing. We've been saying that since Day One."
But opposition has targeted casino gambling as the major issue. Last year, a citizens group gathered about 2,000 form protest letters, citing the potential for slot machines.
Called Dixon Citizens for Quality Growth, the group sees the track as "Las Vegas-style gambling and entertainment." Its Web site (www.dumpthe- downs.org) is filled with anti-casino messages and portrays Dixon Downs as a Trojan horse for slot machines.
"The only way to be sure there won't be slot machines in Dixon is to not have the racetrack," opposition leader Gail Preston said.
Responded Kumer, "We are not building a casino. This is not about slots. If we wanted slot machines in Dixon we would have to go through this whole approval process again, and we don't want to do that."
Even if the Legislature were to legalize slot machines at non-Indian casinos in California, Kumer said, a provision in the development agreement prohibits slots at Dixon Downs without voter approval.
With aging facilities and a graying fan base, horse racing has battled an image as a dying sport. But the centuries-old pastime could be poised to become the new poker -- an old game with a new audience and hip status.
Nationally, wagering on horse racing is up 3.5 percent from a year ago to $15 billion annually, according to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. Purse money tops $1 billion. TV ratings for major races have increased steadily.
The breeding market also reports growth. This month's 10-day Keeneland auction of yearlings brought in a record $385 million in sales.
The Dixon Downs plan features a one-mile main oval, one-mile inner-turf course and a grandstand pavilion that doubles as an entertainment center. The barn area could hold 1,440 horses. Forming a gateway to the track would be a nearly 1 million-square-foot upscale commercial complex anchored by a hotel/conference center.
Magna founder Frank Stronach shocked city officials when he pinpointed Dixon as the site for a dream track six years ago. But its primary asset hasn't changed: Great location at an affordable price.
Pancake-flat and wide open, the 260-acre site adjacent to Interstate 80 at Pedrick Road is 20 minutes from Sacramento's growing population center and a half-hour from the Bay Area. Albany's Golden Gate Fields, which Magna owns, is 45 minutes away. A track here could tap into two markets while serving as a training hub for Northern California racehorses and spurring the local breeding industry.
Another plus: the University of California, Davis, with the best equine health program this side of Kentucky, is just a few miles away.
"Obviously, it would be an asset to our research to have a racetrack and training facility so close," said Dr. Gregory Ferraro, director of UCD's Center for Equine Health.
If approved by the council, Dixon Downs would face more hurdles, including a possible voter referendum. The facility must be licensed by the California Horse Racing Board and have dates approved. Optimistically, the track could hold its inaugural meet in 2010.
The Austrian-born Stronach refused to walk away from the bargaining table despite repeated and expensive delays. Three years after its first forays in Dixon, Magna filed its city application for development 3 1/2 years ago and picked up a seven-figure tab for consultants hired by the city. In the proposed agreement, Stronach's company made several unusual and costly concessions such as freeway improvements and building $25 million in infrastructure while asking for no public money.
In return, the city of Dixon would receive a guaranteed annual revenue stream of at least $3 million -- and potentially much more -- once the complex is completed.
Timing is ripe for a new track. The $6 billion California thoroughbred industry faces the loss of two major race tracks -- Bay Meadows and Hollywood Park -- to redevelopment in the next three years.
"It would be a tremendous blow to California for the racing industry to disappear," racing board chairman Richard Shapiro said. "Many, many people are dependent on it for jobs. We need to do something."
Someone will fill that gap. But who and where?
Stronach's interest is personal. Owner of more than 1,000 thoroughbreds, Stronach ranks as North America's largest racehorse owner and breeder. Magna bought its first racetrack (Santa Anita) in 1998 and now owns 11 tracks nationwide plus a cable network, Horse Racing TV. Its XpressBet wagering service allows fans to bet from home.
But new fans are made on a track, Stronach said.
Just as other big-league sports have used new arenas and stadiums to reinvigorate interest and attendance, California racing needs a new track for its future health, industry experts say.
Compared with NBA arenas or baseball parks with similar price tags, the difference with Dixon Downs is its developer is willing to build the facility without public funding.
Reimbursing the city of Dixon for consultants and other study costs, Magna has spent more on the entitlement process ($7 million-plus) than it did on the property ($6.3 million).
"To their credit, they've been incredibly patient," said former Dixon Mayor Don Erickson, now a local Magna consultant. "They've really tried to do everything right."
Following the Las Vegas model, Stronach pictures Dixon Downs as a family-friendly package of diversions with a shopping-entertainment complex complementing a racetrack/training center that can double as a concert venue with upscale restaurants. The gateway commercial complex acts as a carrot to draw new fans to the ponies.
Using that same concept, Magna spent $130 million to renovate its Gulfstream Park near Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
It's a revamped packaging approach that worked for one Vegas staple -- poker.
"Poker really took off and it's been around almost as long as racing," said state racing board commissioner John Harris, a leading California horse owner and breeder. "Our sport could get this sudden resurgence, too. It provides some hope for racing."
Slot machines have spurred racing's growth in other states. "Racinos" -- racetracks with slots, video lottery terminals or similar gaming -- have pumped millions into purse money. They have lured horses away from California.
Magna introduced slot machines at Oklahoma's Remington Park and plans to add them to its racetracks in Maryland and Florida, where such gambling has been legalized.
Racino competition brought an ultimatum from Bay Meadows Land Company, which owns Bay Meadows in San Mateo and recently purchased Hollywood Park from Churchill Downs Inc. for $260 million. BMLC officials vowed they would close Hollywood Park after the 2008 season if not granted slot machines.
Despite local protests, the San Mateo City Council recently approved the remaining 80 acres at 62-year-old Bay Meadows for redevelopment. The property, worth an estimated $2 million an acre, has been deemed too valuable to remain a semi-agricultural use such as horse racing.
In some ways, the new Downs would restore a sporting tradition to Dixon, which had its own racetrack until shortly after World War II. Horse racing dates back to the 1870s in the town and many horse farms still dot the area.
"In a lot of ways, we're coming full circle," Kumer said. "We're bringing horse racing back to Dixon."
About the writer:
The Bee's Debbie Arrington can be reached at (916) 326-5514 or darrington@sacbee.com.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Congressional funding keeps C-17 in production - may mean more C-17's for Travis
Congressional funding keeps C-17 in production
Travis is slated to receive 13 of the new cargo aircraft from Boeing in Long Beach.
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Congress will fund 10 new Boeing C-17 cargo aircraft, lawmakers said Thursday, keeping production lines open longer at the company's Long Beach plant.
The $2.1 billion in new money was being included in the annual defense spending bill. Negotiations on the bill were being completed Thursday evening.
The C-17 program had been in jeopardy after the Defense Department recommended buying no more aircraft beyond the 180 planned.
Travis Air Force Base is slated to receive 13 of the new cargo aircraft. Two have already arrived at the local base amid much fanfare.
The last of the C-17 planes from Long Beach were set for delivery in 2008. Boeing Co. told its C-17 work force in Long Beach last month that it would start shutting down production of the plane in 2009 unless the company received new orders.
The new funding is expected to keep the plant open through the end of 2009.
More than 5,500 workers are employed at the C-17 assembly plant in Long Beach, and more workers build components at other facilities in Missouri, Arizona and Georgia.
"The C-17 has been essential to our nation's combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as our global fight
against terror and our international human relief efforts," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
"This funding is critical for continuing its production and it means that the thousands of Californians and others nationwide who are employed in its production will remain secure in their positions," she said.
Meanwhile, a new Government Accountability Office report criticized a Pentagon study that said the military doesn't need any more of the cargo planes.
The GAO said the Pentagon's study relied on inadequate data and questionable scenarios, yielding some results that were "incomplete, unclear, or contingent on further study."
The Pentagon has refused to release details of the study that concluded the 180 cargo planes already ordered or produced could meet military transport needs.
Reporter Staff contributed to this report.
Travis is slated to receive 13 of the new cargo aircraft from Boeing in Long Beach.
By The Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Congress will fund 10 new Boeing C-17 cargo aircraft, lawmakers said Thursday, keeping production lines open longer at the company's Long Beach plant.
The $2.1 billion in new money was being included in the annual defense spending bill. Negotiations on the bill were being completed Thursday evening.
The C-17 program had been in jeopardy after the Defense Department recommended buying no more aircraft beyond the 180 planned.
Travis Air Force Base is slated to receive 13 of the new cargo aircraft. Two have already arrived at the local base amid much fanfare.
The last of the C-17 planes from Long Beach were set for delivery in 2008. Boeing Co. told its C-17 work force in Long Beach last month that it would start shutting down production of the plane in 2009 unless the company received new orders.
The new funding is expected to keep the plant open through the end of 2009.
More than 5,500 workers are employed at the C-17 assembly plant in Long Beach, and more workers build components at other facilities in Missouri, Arizona and Georgia.
"The C-17 has been essential to our nation's combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as our global fight
against terror and our international human relief efforts," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
"This funding is critical for continuing its production and it means that the thousands of Californians and others nationwide who are employed in its production will remain secure in their positions," she said.
Meanwhile, a new Government Accountability Office report criticized a Pentagon study that said the military doesn't need any more of the cargo planes.
The GAO said the Pentagon's study relied on inadequate data and questionable scenarios, yielding some results that were "incomplete, unclear, or contingent on further study."
The Pentagon has refused to release details of the study that concluded the 180 cargo planes already ordered or produced could meet military transport needs.
Reporter Staff contributed to this report.
Wind provides winning source for Solano County
Article Launched: 9/22/2006 06:41 AM
Spinning Energy
Wind provides winning source
By Erin Pursell/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
Solano County has everything it needs to harness the power of wind.
The gusts that skim the rolling Montezuma Hills near Rio Vista provide ample breeze to spin the 90 massive wind turbines that comprise one of the largest wind farms in California.
But that is just one of many key elements needed for a successful operation.
"You need available land, access to and availability on the high-voltage transmission system and you need a customer," said Steve Stengel, corporate communications manager for FPL Energy, the largest alternative energy producer of its kind in the United States. "What you have in Solano is all of those elements that come together."
That, coupled with California's need for additional and more diverse energy resources, makes the county an ideal place for developing this kind of energy, he added.
The size of FPL Energy's 6,000-acre farm, which is leased from eight different landowners, may sound daunting. But if you were to take all the roads and machinery that are scattered across the land and condense them into the actual amount of space they occupy, the farm would encompass only 60 acres, according to Stengel.
"The actual footprint we make is very small," he said.
The farm may leave little mark on the agricultural hills, but its 1.8-megawatt machines collectively produce enough electricity to power more than 40,000 California homes.
And keeping in step with statewide survey results it released earlier this week that indicate Californian's overwhelmingly positive attitude toward wind energy, FPL has its sights on growth.
"If things go well, we could begin an expansion in late 2007," Stengel said.
The project, which is now in the permitting stage, would increase the farm's capacity by 37 megawatts, creating enough power to supply an additional 10,000 homes.
The lengthy process calls for extensive environmental review including everything from avian monitoring to plant and animal surveys to analysis of the visual impacts of the equipment.
"There are a lot of environmental concerns," said Joan Stewart, who handles permits and environmental issues for FPL.
Rio Vista, however, has been able to skirt concerns over land use because agricultural areas are very compat-ible with these types of projects, she said.
The herds of cattle and sheep that share their grazing land don't seem to mind the methodical spinning of the windmill-like machines.
"It's not uncommon for cattle to graze up to the base of the turbine," Stengel laughed.
The turbines, which are about 350 feet tall from the ground to the tip of a fully extended blade, begin their revolutions when gusts reach 9 mph, and shut down at 54 mph.
FPL is just one of several wind energy producers that are utilizing the 43,000 acres zoned specifically for that use in the Montezuma Hills wind resource area alone. And only half of the reserved acreage has been developed.
"This is going to be a huge hub for wind energy," said Roger Young, production lead for FPL's Rio Vista farm.
County leaders are committed to remaining a part of one of the fastest growing regions in the country as far as wind farms go, and will enjoy the economic benefits with each additional wind turbine.
"It's a major part of our economic development strategy," Supervisor Mike Reagan said. "We're a major player now."
Erin Pursell can be reached at county@thereporter.com.
Spinning Energy
Wind provides winning source
By Erin Pursell/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
Solano County has everything it needs to harness the power of wind.
The gusts that skim the rolling Montezuma Hills near Rio Vista provide ample breeze to spin the 90 massive wind turbines that comprise one of the largest wind farms in California.
But that is just one of many key elements needed for a successful operation.
"You need available land, access to and availability on the high-voltage transmission system and you need a customer," said Steve Stengel, corporate communications manager for FPL Energy, the largest alternative energy producer of its kind in the United States. "What you have in Solano is all of those elements that come together."
That, coupled with California's need for additional and more diverse energy resources, makes the county an ideal place for developing this kind of energy, he added.
The size of FPL Energy's 6,000-acre farm, which is leased from eight different landowners, may sound daunting. But if you were to take all the roads and machinery that are scattered across the land and condense them into the actual amount of space they occupy, the farm would encompass only 60 acres, according to Stengel.
"The actual footprint we make is very small," he said.
The farm may leave little mark on the agricultural hills, but its 1.8-megawatt machines collectively produce enough electricity to power more than 40,000 California homes.
And keeping in step with statewide survey results it released earlier this week that indicate Californian's overwhelmingly positive attitude toward wind energy, FPL has its sights on growth.
"If things go well, we could begin an expansion in late 2007," Stengel said.
The project, which is now in the permitting stage, would increase the farm's capacity by 37 megawatts, creating enough power to supply an additional 10,000 homes.
The lengthy process calls for extensive environmental review including everything from avian monitoring to plant and animal surveys to analysis of the visual impacts of the equipment.
"There are a lot of environmental concerns," said Joan Stewart, who handles permits and environmental issues for FPL.
Rio Vista, however, has been able to skirt concerns over land use because agricultural areas are very compat-ible with these types of projects, she said.
The herds of cattle and sheep that share their grazing land don't seem to mind the methodical spinning of the windmill-like machines.
"It's not uncommon for cattle to graze up to the base of the turbine," Stengel laughed.
The turbines, which are about 350 feet tall from the ground to the tip of a fully extended blade, begin their revolutions when gusts reach 9 mph, and shut down at 54 mph.
FPL is just one of several wind energy producers that are utilizing the 43,000 acres zoned specifically for that use in the Montezuma Hills wind resource area alone. And only half of the reserved acreage has been developed.
"This is going to be a huge hub for wind energy," said Roger Young, production lead for FPL's Rio Vista farm.
County leaders are committed to remaining a part of one of the fastest growing regions in the country as far as wind farms go, and will enjoy the economic benefits with each additional wind turbine.
"It's a major part of our economic development strategy," Supervisor Mike Reagan said. "We're a major player now."
Erin Pursell can be reached at county@thereporter.com.
Chevron grant fuels alternative energy research @ UC Davis
Printed on: Sun, Sep 24, 2006
Grant fuels alternative energy research
By Sharon Stello
DAVIS - Vehicles may one day run on fuel made from wine-grape skins and seeds, leftover rice straw, orchard tree prunings, nutshells, fruit pits and other farming biomass.
High-energy crops such as switchgrass, canola, sunflower, beets or fast-maturing trees such as cottonwood and eucalyptus also could be turned into fuel.
Exploring these ideas, University of California, Davis, researchers will spend the next five years developing clean and affordable, renewable transportation fuels from farm and forest residues, urban wastes and crops grown specifically for energy with up to $25 million in funding from Chevron Corp., the university announced Tuesday.
Alternative fuels are needed to reduce the United States' dependence on foreign oil supplies and to reduce air pollution linked to global warming.
The most familiar kinds of biofuels are ethanol made from corn and biodiesel made with vegetable oils or animal fats. But UC Davis researchers want to examine the potential for making fuel from "lignocellulosic material" that makes up plant stems, leaves, trunks and branches. Cellulose, one of three major structural components of plant cell walls, has been called the world's most abundant biological material.
This work is a good fit for the university, which already has top research and teaching programs focused on hydrogen and biofuels as well as electric and gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles and power generation from biomass, said Barry Klein, vice chancellor for research at the university. UC Davis also has strong programs in converting food-processing wastes and agricultural residues to energy.
The Chevron funding is "a great opportunity for us" to move forward in this field, he added.
"It helps us further our vision in biofuels and bioenergy," Klein said.
Chevron's latest investment in advanced biofuels research is the logical next step in its pursuit of commercially viable technologies across the energy spectrum, company officials said in a press release. Since 2000, Chevron has spent more than $1.5 billion on renewable energy projects and on delivering energy efficiency solutions.
In June, Chevron pledged up to $12 million over the next five years to another university, Georgia Institute of Technology, for research into alternative fuels.
"We think it's important to pursue research that could accelerate the use of biofuels since we believe they may play an integral role in diversifying the world's energy sources. Developing next-generation processing technology will help broaden the choice of feedstocks, including cellulosic materials," said Don Paul, vice president and chief technology officer for Chevron Corp., in a statement.
This grant adds to more than $7 million in funding and funding commitments received by UC Davis since 2005 for studies by the more than 100 scientists and administrators in seven major campus units that comprise the UC Davis Bioenergy Research Group.
"Everybody's starting to focus now on alternative energy," Klein said.
Energy use in the United States has increased considerably and developing countries are starting to use significant amounts of energy, straining the world's conventional fuel sources. Meanwhile, concern about global warming has come to the forefront.
"There really wasn't as intense a conversation about these things in the 1990s," Klein said. "Now, I think the whole world has woken up to realize energy is on the front page."
Reach Sharon Stello at sstello@davisenterprise.net or (530) 747-8043.
Copyright © 2005. Daily Republic. All rights reserved.
The Daily Republic is part of the McNaughton Corporation including the Davis Enterprise, the Mountain Democrat, Village Life, and Winters Express newspapers. All content is property of the Daily Republic and may not be reprinted or published in any form with out written premission from the Daily Republic.
Grant fuels alternative energy research
By Sharon Stello
DAVIS - Vehicles may one day run on fuel made from wine-grape skins and seeds, leftover rice straw, orchard tree prunings, nutshells, fruit pits and other farming biomass.
High-energy crops such as switchgrass, canola, sunflower, beets or fast-maturing trees such as cottonwood and eucalyptus also could be turned into fuel.
Exploring these ideas, University of California, Davis, researchers will spend the next five years developing clean and affordable, renewable transportation fuels from farm and forest residues, urban wastes and crops grown specifically for energy with up to $25 million in funding from Chevron Corp., the university announced Tuesday.
Alternative fuels are needed to reduce the United States' dependence on foreign oil supplies and to reduce air pollution linked to global warming.
The most familiar kinds of biofuels are ethanol made from corn and biodiesel made with vegetable oils or animal fats. But UC Davis researchers want to examine the potential for making fuel from "lignocellulosic material" that makes up plant stems, leaves, trunks and branches. Cellulose, one of three major structural components of plant cell walls, has been called the world's most abundant biological material.
This work is a good fit for the university, which already has top research and teaching programs focused on hydrogen and biofuels as well as electric and gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles and power generation from biomass, said Barry Klein, vice chancellor for research at the university. UC Davis also has strong programs in converting food-processing wastes and agricultural residues to energy.
The Chevron funding is "a great opportunity for us" to move forward in this field, he added.
"It helps us further our vision in biofuels and bioenergy," Klein said.
Chevron's latest investment in advanced biofuels research is the logical next step in its pursuit of commercially viable technologies across the energy spectrum, company officials said in a press release. Since 2000, Chevron has spent more than $1.5 billion on renewable energy projects and on delivering energy efficiency solutions.
In June, Chevron pledged up to $12 million over the next five years to another university, Georgia Institute of Technology, for research into alternative fuels.
"We think it's important to pursue research that could accelerate the use of biofuels since we believe they may play an integral role in diversifying the world's energy sources. Developing next-generation processing technology will help broaden the choice of feedstocks, including cellulosic materials," said Don Paul, vice president and chief technology officer for Chevron Corp., in a statement.
This grant adds to more than $7 million in funding and funding commitments received by UC Davis since 2005 for studies by the more than 100 scientists and administrators in seven major campus units that comprise the UC Davis Bioenergy Research Group.
"Everybody's starting to focus now on alternative energy," Klein said.
Energy use in the United States has increased considerably and developing countries are starting to use significant amounts of energy, straining the world's conventional fuel sources. Meanwhile, concern about global warming has come to the forefront.
"There really wasn't as intense a conversation about these things in the 1990s," Klein said. "Now, I think the whole world has woken up to realize energy is on the front page."
Reach Sharon Stello at sstello@davisenterprise.net or (530) 747-8043.
Copyright © 2005. Daily Republic. All rights reserved.
The Daily Republic is part of the McNaughton Corporation including the Davis Enterprise, the Mountain Democrat, Village Life, and Winters Express newspapers. All content is property of the Daily Republic and may not be reprinted or published in any form with out written premission from the Daily Republic.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Two More California nsurers Will Offer Rate Cuts
Two More Insurers Will Offer Rate Cuts
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060915/news_1b15insure.html
Add 21st Century and Safeco to the growing list of insurance companies that are reducing their rates for California consumers. Yesterday, 21st Century said it would reduce rates for drivers across the state by 5 percent on average. The company has about 740,000 policy holders and estimated that the rate reductions would amount to savings of more than $60 million..
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060915/news_1b15insure.html
Add 21st Century and Safeco to the growing list of insurance companies that are reducing their rates for California consumers. Yesterday, 21st Century said it would reduce rates for drivers across the state by 5 percent on average. The company has about 740,000 policy holders and estimated that the rate reductions would amount to savings of more than $60 million..
New California rate cut urged for workers' comp
New rate cut urged for workers' comp
http://www.sacbee.com/103/story/24205.html
Continuing a dramatic turnaround, a key industry group is proposing California employers get another price break on their workers' compensation insurance. The Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California recommended late Thursday that Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi urge insurers to cut rates by 6.3 percent. The decrease would extend a three-year cost-cutting trend in California, which once boasted the nation's highest costs to treat job-related injuries. If adopted by Garamendi later this year, the recommended rate cuts would add up to 58 percent since July 2003. The bureau cautioned, though, that a workers' compensation measure before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger could wipe out the proposed 6.3 percent rate cut and boost rates by 1.8 percent starting Jan. 1. Senate Bill 815, by Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, calls for doubling the number of weeks a permanently disabled worker would receive benefits over the next three years, starting in 2007..
http://www.sacbee.com/103/story/24205.html
Continuing a dramatic turnaround, a key industry group is proposing California employers get another price break on their workers' compensation insurance. The Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California recommended late Thursday that Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi urge insurers to cut rates by 6.3 percent. The decrease would extend a three-year cost-cutting trend in California, which once boasted the nation's highest costs to treat job-related injuries. If adopted by Garamendi later this year, the recommended rate cuts would add up to 58 percent since July 2003. The bureau cautioned, though, that a workers' compensation measure before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger could wipe out the proposed 6.3 percent rate cut and boost rates by 1.8 percent starting Jan. 1. Senate Bill 815, by Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, calls for doubling the number of weeks a permanently disabled worker would receive benefits over the next three years, starting in 2007..
37 percent of Solano/Napa employers plan to take on new employees in the next quarter
Study predicts strong local job market
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_4353670
More Solano/Napa area employers are planning layoffs than the average statewide. The good news, however, is a higher percentage also plan to hire permanent staff, a new Manpower survey reveals.. while only 9 percent of California's employers polled plan layoffs in the fourth quarter, 17 percent of those in the Solano/Napa area plan to let people go. On the other hand, 37 percent of Solano/Napa employers plan to take on new employees in the next quarter, while only 31 percent of employers statewide do.. Almost 40 percent of this area's employers expect to maintain their current staff levels, creating a 20 percent overall job increase, the study shows. It means a slightly stronger hiring trend next quarter than in the third quarter.. The trend is similar nationally, with United States employers expecting to close out 2006 with strong, steady hiring plans..
http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_4353670
More Solano/Napa area employers are planning layoffs than the average statewide. The good news, however, is a higher percentage also plan to hire permanent staff, a new Manpower survey reveals.. while only 9 percent of California's employers polled plan layoffs in the fourth quarter, 17 percent of those in the Solano/Napa area plan to let people go. On the other hand, 37 percent of Solano/Napa employers plan to take on new employees in the next quarter, while only 31 percent of employers statewide do.. Almost 40 percent of this area's employers expect to maintain their current staff levels, creating a 20 percent overall job increase, the study shows. It means a slightly stronger hiring trend next quarter than in the third quarter.. The trend is similar nationally, with United States employers expecting to close out 2006 with strong, steady hiring plans..
Friday, September 22, 2006
Bridge Project Spanning Much Time, Money
Bridge Project Spanning Much Time, Money
By Matthias Gafni/Times-Herald, Vallejo
TheReporter.Com
Construction continues on the Benicia-Martinez Bridge with plans calling for its completion in October 2007. (Times-Herald, Vallejo photo/J.L. Sousa)
When you're building a bridge and unexpectedly encounter exploding salmon, fracturing rock and feverish concrete, you can expect delays and cost overruns.
So goes the Benicia-Martinez Bridge project more than three years after its first targeted completion date - and about $1 billion over budget.
It's been a tough ride for Caltrans engineers and bridge builder Kiewit Pacific's workers, who have had to endure one problem after another.
'In our business, there are no problems, only challenges,' smiles Richard Foley, Caltrans senior bridge engineer, as he stands hundreds of feet above the Carquinez Strait atop the new concrete skyway.
The new bridge, just southeast of the current span, is now scheduled to open to motorists in October 2007, with a $1.26 billion price tag.
'We feel very comfortable with the cost we have and the schedule is looking very positive,' said Mo Pazooki, Caltrans project manager for the bridge.
Carpenter Jose Rodriquez works Thursday morning on the Benicia-Martinez Bridge. (Times-Herald, Vallejo photo/J.L. Sousa)
About 30 government officials toured the bridge and its toll plaza Thursday, getting an up-close look at the large concrete skyway bridge and an update on progress. Interested parties discussed traffic concerns, economic impacts, project obstacles and the science behind bridge building.
As the group stood on the deck of the new span, with all its sections nearly attached, they could spy the Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge to the northwest. That new Carquinez Bridge was a Caltrans tour de force. It marked the first suspension bridge built in the United States since 1973, and more importantly to many, it came in on budget and on time.
Construction on the Alfred Zampa bridge began after work started on the Benicia-Martinez Bridge. Yet, at $480 million in cost, it was finished in 2003.
Pazooki says the two bridge projects are apples and oranges.
Besides the strait being significantly wider near the Benicia-Martinez site, numerous other issues surfaced during construction.
Pazooki pointed to three major problems:
• pile driving that threatened salmon
• a softer-than-expected rock beneath the strait, and
• a heat-and-hydration issue with the lightweight concrete.
The first issue arose when officials realized sound waves from pile driving were causing protected salmon to explode.
Bridge officials created an air bubble system that reduced the driving noise , solving the issue and pioneering a new bridge building technique, Pazooki said. But delays consumed 18 months and costs soared $250 million.
As crews drove steel piles into the murky strait, they quickly realized the rock wasn't nearly as sturdy as expected. That necessitated another steel sleeve to slip inside the pile, while the concrete was poured, and then removed.
Finally, the Benicia bridge, because of distance between piers, needed a lightweight concrete mixture. Crews quickly found it, and it weighs about one-fifth less than normal concrete, but rose to extremely hot temperatures during the hardening process, causing minor cracks.
A cooling system was implemented. As the concrete is mixed, it's cooled with ice, then crews insert liquid nitrogen into the concoction. Once the concrete is laid and curing, water is pumped through pipes embedded in the concrete to cool it.
Solano Transportation Authority Executive Director Daryl Halls said on major projects unexpected problems cause serious delays 'and with more time, materials and labor costs only can go up.
'$1.2 billion - that's a lot,' Halls said. 'The longer you wait to build it, the more costly it gets."
Despite previous delays, Pazooki said he expects smooth sailing until the finish.
A year ago, Caltrans estimated the bridge would open in December 2007, but he now anticipates an opening that October.
To help, Caltrans has dangled a carrot to bridge builder Kiewet Pacific, offering a $1 million incentive for each month it finishes before December 2007, up to three months. The builder has workers averaging 20-hour work days, six days a week, officials said.
Once open, the new span will handle only northbound traffic, with five lanes. The current span will get a facelift and then handle all southbound traffic, with four lanes. It's expected to take two years to refurbish the old bridge.
By Matthias Gafni/Times-Herald, Vallejo
TheReporter.Com
Construction continues on the Benicia-Martinez Bridge with plans calling for its completion in October 2007. (Times-Herald, Vallejo photo/J.L. Sousa)
When you're building a bridge and unexpectedly encounter exploding salmon, fracturing rock and feverish concrete, you can expect delays and cost overruns.
So goes the Benicia-Martinez Bridge project more than three years after its first targeted completion date - and about $1 billion over budget.
It's been a tough ride for Caltrans engineers and bridge builder Kiewit Pacific's workers, who have had to endure one problem after another.
'In our business, there are no problems, only challenges,' smiles Richard Foley, Caltrans senior bridge engineer, as he stands hundreds of feet above the Carquinez Strait atop the new concrete skyway.
The new bridge, just southeast of the current span, is now scheduled to open to motorists in October 2007, with a $1.26 billion price tag.
'We feel very comfortable with the cost we have and the schedule is looking very positive,' said Mo Pazooki, Caltrans project manager for the bridge.
Carpenter Jose Rodriquez works Thursday morning on the Benicia-Martinez Bridge. (Times-Herald, Vallejo photo/J.L. Sousa)
About 30 government officials toured the bridge and its toll plaza Thursday, getting an up-close look at the large concrete skyway bridge and an update on progress. Interested parties discussed traffic concerns, economic impacts, project obstacles and the science behind bridge building.
As the group stood on the deck of the new span, with all its sections nearly attached, they could spy the Alfred Zampa Memorial Bridge to the northwest. That new Carquinez Bridge was a Caltrans tour de force. It marked the first suspension bridge built in the United States since 1973, and more importantly to many, it came in on budget and on time.
Construction on the Alfred Zampa bridge began after work started on the Benicia-Martinez Bridge. Yet, at $480 million in cost, it was finished in 2003.
Pazooki says the two bridge projects are apples and oranges.
Besides the strait being significantly wider near the Benicia-Martinez site, numerous other issues surfaced during construction.
Pazooki pointed to three major problems:
• pile driving that threatened salmon
• a softer-than-expected rock beneath the strait, and
• a heat-and-hydration issue with the lightweight concrete.
The first issue arose when officials realized sound waves from pile driving were causing protected salmon to explode.
Bridge officials created an air bubble system that reduced the driving noise , solving the issue and pioneering a new bridge building technique, Pazooki said. But delays consumed 18 months and costs soared $250 million.
As crews drove steel piles into the murky strait, they quickly realized the rock wasn't nearly as sturdy as expected. That necessitated another steel sleeve to slip inside the pile, while the concrete was poured, and then removed.
Finally, the Benicia bridge, because of distance between piers, needed a lightweight concrete mixture. Crews quickly found it, and it weighs about one-fifth less than normal concrete, but rose to extremely hot temperatures during the hardening process, causing minor cracks.
A cooling system was implemented. As the concrete is mixed, it's cooled with ice, then crews insert liquid nitrogen into the concoction. Once the concrete is laid and curing, water is pumped through pipes embedded in the concrete to cool it.
Solano Transportation Authority Executive Director Daryl Halls said on major projects unexpected problems cause serious delays 'and with more time, materials and labor costs only can go up.
'$1.2 billion - that's a lot,' Halls said. 'The longer you wait to build it, the more costly it gets."
Despite previous delays, Pazooki said he expects smooth sailing until the finish.
A year ago, Caltrans estimated the bridge would open in December 2007, but he now anticipates an opening that October.
To help, Caltrans has dangled a carrot to bridge builder Kiewet Pacific, offering a $1 million incentive for each month it finishes before December 2007, up to three months. The builder has workers averaging 20-hour work days, six days a week, officials said.
Once open, the new span will handle only northbound traffic, with five lanes. The current span will get a facelift and then handle all southbound traffic, with four lanes. It's expected to take two years to refurbish the old bridge.
Spinning Energy
Spinning Energy
Wind Provides Winning Source
By Erin Pursell/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
Wind turbines (above) reach 350-feet into the sky from the Montezuma Hills, west of Rio Vista. (Rick Roach/The Reporter)
Solano County has everything it needs to harness the power of wind.
The gusts that skim the rolling Montezuma Hills near Rio Vista provide ample breeze to spin the 90 massive wind turbines that comprise one of the largest wind farms in California.
But that is just one of many key elements needed for a successful operation.
"You need available land, access to and availability on the high-voltage transmission system and you need a customer," said Steve Stengel, corporate communications manager for FPL Energy, the largest alternative energy producer of its kind in the United States. "What you have in Solano is all of those elements that come together."
That, coupled with California's need for additional and more diverse energy resources, makes the county an ideal place for developing this kind of energy, he added.
FPL Energy corporate communications manager Steve Stengel (far left) and production lead Roger Young talk about the company's wind farm. (Rick Roach/The Reporter)
The size of FPL Energy's 6,000-acre farm, which is leased from eight different landowners, may sound daunting. But if you were to take all the roads and machinery that are scattered across the land and condense them into the actual amount of space they occupy, the farm would encompass only 60 acres, according to Stengel.
"The actual footprint we make is very small," he said.
The farm may leave little mark on the agricultural hills, but its 1.8-megawatt machines collectively produce enough electricity to power more than 40,000 California homes.
And keeping in step with statewide survey results it released earlier this week that indicate Californian's overwhelmingly positive attitude toward wind energy, FPL has its sights on growth.
"If things go well, we could begin an expansion in late 2007," Stengel said.
The project, which is now in the permitting stage, would increase the farm's capacity by 37 megawatts, creating enough power to supply an additional 10,000 homes.
The lengthy process calls for extensive environmental review including everything from avian monitoring to plant and animal surveys to analysis of the visual impacts of the equipment.
"There are a lot of environmental concerns," said Joan Stewart, who handles permits and environmental issues for FPL.
Rio Vista, however, has been able to skirt concerns over land use because agricultural areas are very compat-ible with these types of projects, she said.
The herds of cattle and sheep that share their grazing land don't seem to mind the methodical spinning of the windmill-like machines.
"It's not uncommon for cattle to graze up to the base of the turbine," Stengel laughed.
The turbines, which are about 350 feet tall from the ground to the tip of a fully extended blade, begin their revolutions when gusts reach 9 mph, and shut down at 54 mph.
FPL is just one of several wind energy producers that are utilizing the 43,000 acres zoned specifically for that use in the Montezuma Hills wind resource area alone. And only half of the reserved acreage has been developed.
"This is going to be a huge hub for wind energy," said Roger Young, production lead for FPL's Rio Vista farm.
County leaders are committed to remaining a part of one of the fastest growing regions in the country as far as wind farms go, and will enjoy the economic benefits with each additional wind turbine.
"It's a major part of our economic development strategy," Supervisor Mike Reagan said. "We're a major player now."
Erin Pursell can be reached at county@thereporter.com.
Wind Provides Winning Source
By Erin Pursell/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
Wind turbines (above) reach 350-feet into the sky from the Montezuma Hills, west of Rio Vista. (Rick Roach/The Reporter)
Solano County has everything it needs to harness the power of wind.
The gusts that skim the rolling Montezuma Hills near Rio Vista provide ample breeze to spin the 90 massive wind turbines that comprise one of the largest wind farms in California.
But that is just one of many key elements needed for a successful operation.
"You need available land, access to and availability on the high-voltage transmission system and you need a customer," said Steve Stengel, corporate communications manager for FPL Energy, the largest alternative energy producer of its kind in the United States. "What you have in Solano is all of those elements that come together."
That, coupled with California's need for additional and more diverse energy resources, makes the county an ideal place for developing this kind of energy, he added.
FPL Energy corporate communications manager Steve Stengel (far left) and production lead Roger Young talk about the company's wind farm. (Rick Roach/The Reporter)
The size of FPL Energy's 6,000-acre farm, which is leased from eight different landowners, may sound daunting. But if you were to take all the roads and machinery that are scattered across the land and condense them into the actual amount of space they occupy, the farm would encompass only 60 acres, according to Stengel.
"The actual footprint we make is very small," he said.
The farm may leave little mark on the agricultural hills, but its 1.8-megawatt machines collectively produce enough electricity to power more than 40,000 California homes.
And keeping in step with statewide survey results it released earlier this week that indicate Californian's overwhelmingly positive attitude toward wind energy, FPL has its sights on growth.
"If things go well, we could begin an expansion in late 2007," Stengel said.
The project, which is now in the permitting stage, would increase the farm's capacity by 37 megawatts, creating enough power to supply an additional 10,000 homes.
The lengthy process calls for extensive environmental review including everything from avian monitoring to plant and animal surveys to analysis of the visual impacts of the equipment.
"There are a lot of environmental concerns," said Joan Stewart, who handles permits and environmental issues for FPL.
Rio Vista, however, has been able to skirt concerns over land use because agricultural areas are very compat-ible with these types of projects, she said.
The herds of cattle and sheep that share their grazing land don't seem to mind the methodical spinning of the windmill-like machines.
"It's not uncommon for cattle to graze up to the base of the turbine," Stengel laughed.
The turbines, which are about 350 feet tall from the ground to the tip of a fully extended blade, begin their revolutions when gusts reach 9 mph, and shut down at 54 mph.
FPL is just one of several wind energy producers that are utilizing the 43,000 acres zoned specifically for that use in the Montezuma Hills wind resource area alone. And only half of the reserved acreage has been developed.
"This is going to be a huge hub for wind energy," said Roger Young, production lead for FPL's Rio Vista farm.
County leaders are committed to remaining a part of one of the fastest growing regions in the country as far as wind farms go, and will enjoy the economic benefits with each additional wind turbine.
"It's a major part of our economic development strategy," Supervisor Mike Reagan said. "We're a major player now."
Erin Pursell can be reached at county@thereporter.com.
Grant Fuels Alternative Energy Research
Grant Fuels Alternative Energy Research
By Sharon Stello
DAVIS - Vehicles may one day run on fuel made from wine-grape skins and seeds, leftover rice straw, orchard tree prunings, nutshells, fruit pits and other farming biomass.
High-energy crops such as switchgrass, canola, sunflower, beets or fast-maturing trees such as cottonwood and eucalyptus also could be turned into fuel.
Exploring these ideas, University of California, Davis, researchers will spend the next five years developing clean and affordable, renewable transportation fuels from farm and forest residues, urban wastes and crops grown specifically for energy with up to $25 million in funding from Chevron Corp., the university announced Tuesday.
Alternative fuels are needed to reduce the United States' dependence on foreign oil supplies and to reduce air pollution linked to global warming.
The most familiar kinds of biofuels are ethanol made from corn and biodiesel made with vegetable oils or animal fats. But UC Davis researchers want to examine the potential for making fuel from "lignocellulosic material" that makes up plant stems, leaves, trunks and branches. Cellulose, one of three major structural components of plant cell walls, has been called the world's most abundant biological material.
This work is a good fit for the university, which already has top research and teaching programs focused on hydrogen and biofuels as well as electric and gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles and power generation from biomass, said Barry Klein, vice chancellor for research at the university. UC Davis also has strong programs in converting food-processing wastes and agricultural residues to energy.
The Chevron funding is "a great opportunity for us" to move forward in this field, he added.
"It helps us further our vision in biofuels and bioenergy," Klein said.
Chevron's latest investment in advanced biofuels research is the logical next step in its pursuit of commercially viable technologies across the energy spectrum, company officials said in a press release. Since 2000, Chevron has spent more than $1.5 billion on renewable energy projects and on delivering energy efficiency solutions.
In June, Chevron pledged up to $12 million over the next five years to another university, Georgia Institute of Technology, for research into alternative fuels.
"We think it's important to pursue research that could accelerate the use of biofuels since we believe they may play an integral role in diversifying the world's energy sources. Developing next-generation processing technology will help broaden the choice of feedstocks, including cellulosic materials," said Don Paul, vice president and chief technology officer for Chevron Corp., in a statement.
This grant adds to more than $7 million in funding and funding commitments received by UC Davis since 2005 for studies by the more than 100 scientists and administrators in seven major campus units that comprise the UC Davis Bioenergy Research Group.
"Everybody's starting to focus now on alternative energy," Klein said.
Energy use in the United States has increased considerably and developing countries are starting to use significant amounts of energy, straining the world's conventional fuel sources. Meanwhile, concern about global warming has come to the forefront.
"There really wasn't as intense a conversation about these things in the 1990s," Klein said. "Now, I think the whole world has woken up to realize energy is on the front page."
Reach Sharon Stello at sstello@davisenterprise.net or (530) 747-8043.
By Sharon Stello
DAVIS - Vehicles may one day run on fuel made from wine-grape skins and seeds, leftover rice straw, orchard tree prunings, nutshells, fruit pits and other farming biomass.
High-energy crops such as switchgrass, canola, sunflower, beets or fast-maturing trees such as cottonwood and eucalyptus also could be turned into fuel.
Exploring these ideas, University of California, Davis, researchers will spend the next five years developing clean and affordable, renewable transportation fuels from farm and forest residues, urban wastes and crops grown specifically for energy with up to $25 million in funding from Chevron Corp., the university announced Tuesday.
Alternative fuels are needed to reduce the United States' dependence on foreign oil supplies and to reduce air pollution linked to global warming.
The most familiar kinds of biofuels are ethanol made from corn and biodiesel made with vegetable oils or animal fats. But UC Davis researchers want to examine the potential for making fuel from "lignocellulosic material" that makes up plant stems, leaves, trunks and branches. Cellulose, one of three major structural components of plant cell walls, has been called the world's most abundant biological material.
This work is a good fit for the university, which already has top research and teaching programs focused on hydrogen and biofuels as well as electric and gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles and power generation from biomass, said Barry Klein, vice chancellor for research at the university. UC Davis also has strong programs in converting food-processing wastes and agricultural residues to energy.
The Chevron funding is "a great opportunity for us" to move forward in this field, he added.
"It helps us further our vision in biofuels and bioenergy," Klein said.
Chevron's latest investment in advanced biofuels research is the logical next step in its pursuit of commercially viable technologies across the energy spectrum, company officials said in a press release. Since 2000, Chevron has spent more than $1.5 billion on renewable energy projects and on delivering energy efficiency solutions.
In June, Chevron pledged up to $12 million over the next five years to another university, Georgia Institute of Technology, for research into alternative fuels.
"We think it's important to pursue research that could accelerate the use of biofuels since we believe they may play an integral role in diversifying the world's energy sources. Developing next-generation processing technology will help broaden the choice of feedstocks, including cellulosic materials," said Don Paul, vice president and chief technology officer for Chevron Corp., in a statement.
This grant adds to more than $7 million in funding and funding commitments received by UC Davis since 2005 for studies by the more than 100 scientists and administrators in seven major campus units that comprise the UC Davis Bioenergy Research Group.
"Everybody's starting to focus now on alternative energy," Klein said.
Energy use in the United States has increased considerably and developing countries are starting to use significant amounts of energy, straining the world's conventional fuel sources. Meanwhile, concern about global warming has come to the forefront.
"There really wasn't as intense a conversation about these things in the 1990s," Klein said. "Now, I think the whole world has woken up to realize energy is on the front page."
Reach Sharon Stello at sstello@davisenterprise.net or (530) 747-8043.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Gymboree in Dixon Lineup
Gymboree in Dixon Lineup
By Melissa Murphy/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
An expansion of Gymboree Corporation in Dixon, will be the topic of one of three public hearings scheduled for the Dixon Planning Commission meeting tonight.
Gymboree would like to construct a 145,152-square-foot addition to the existing 269,965-square-foot warehouse on Kids Way.
The business has experienced a lot of success in its Internet sales department, said Economic Development Director Mark Heckey.
"This is going to a very positive thing for the city," Heckey said.
He also said that the addition will give the city 100 more jobs.
In other action, the developer of the Panattoni Commercial Center will ask to delete a condition from its original building application that requires it to widen North First Street as part of improvements at Vaughn Road and North First Street, where the commercial center is located. City staff is recommending approval of the request.
Also on tonight's agenda is a request by Land Bank Development to subdivide its Jackson Square property located between C and D streets.
The Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, 600 East A. St.
Melissa Murphy can be reached at dixon@thereporter.com.
By Melissa Murphy/Staff Writer
TheReporter.Com
An expansion of Gymboree Corporation in Dixon, will be the topic of one of three public hearings scheduled for the Dixon Planning Commission meeting tonight.
Gymboree would like to construct a 145,152-square-foot addition to the existing 269,965-square-foot warehouse on Kids Way.
The business has experienced a lot of success in its Internet sales department, said Economic Development Director Mark Heckey.
"This is going to a very positive thing for the city," Heckey said.
He also said that the addition will give the city 100 more jobs.
In other action, the developer of the Panattoni Commercial Center will ask to delete a condition from its original building application that requires it to widen North First Street as part of improvements at Vaughn Road and North First Street, where the commercial center is located. City staff is recommending approval of the request.
Also on tonight's agenda is a request by Land Bank Development to subdivide its Jackson Square property located between C and D streets.
The Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, 600 East A. St.
Melissa Murphy can be reached at dixon@thereporter.com.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Frontage Buildings Probable
Frontage Buildings Probable
By Amanda Janis/Business Editor
TheReporter.Com
Construction commenced on the first of what will likely be multiple commercial developments along Crocker Drive and East Monte Vista Avenue.
Taking shape is a building for Vacaville Trailer Sales, a cargo trailer sales lot approved last year. So far, that's the only approved development, but preliminary plans have been submitted to develop many of the vacant, grassy parcels parallel to Interstate 505.
Retail centers, fast food, a gas station, convenience mart, and an indoor go-cart facility are among preliminary plans that have been submitted to the city, said Eric Luchini, associate planner.
"When there's a preliminary application, basically what (the developers are) fishing for is feasibility from the city standpoint," Luchini explained. "Once we give them comments, they have to decide if they're going to move forward, then submit a formal application to city."
In February, the city sent its comments to Massie & Co., the developer that proposed a go-cart facility. But the company canceled the go-cart plans, The Reporter learned, due to rising construction costs. "I think (the land) is available for sale," said Jeremy Bangs, a project manager for the firm.
Planners have yet to address two additional development plans that would border Vaca Valley Parkway. Following receipt of the city's comments, "We would move forward immediately with the planning process and construction," said Gary Simning, one of the owners of a four acre-lot on Crocker Drive.
Amanda Janis can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
By Amanda Janis/Business Editor
TheReporter.Com
Construction commenced on the first of what will likely be multiple commercial developments along Crocker Drive and East Monte Vista Avenue.
Taking shape is a building for Vacaville Trailer Sales, a cargo trailer sales lot approved last year. So far, that's the only approved development, but preliminary plans have been submitted to develop many of the vacant, grassy parcels parallel to Interstate 505.
Retail centers, fast food, a gas station, convenience mart, and an indoor go-cart facility are among preliminary plans that have been submitted to the city, said Eric Luchini, associate planner.
"When there's a preliminary application, basically what (the developers are) fishing for is feasibility from the city standpoint," Luchini explained. "Once we give them comments, they have to decide if they're going to move forward, then submit a formal application to city."
In February, the city sent its comments to Massie & Co., the developer that proposed a go-cart facility. But the company canceled the go-cart plans, The Reporter learned, due to rising construction costs. "I think (the land) is available for sale," said Jeremy Bangs, a project manager for the firm.
Planners have yet to address two additional development plans that would border Vaca Valley Parkway. Following receipt of the city's comments, "We would move forward immediately with the planning process and construction," said Gary Simning, one of the owners of a four acre-lot on Crocker Drive.
Amanda Janis can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
NorthBay Project Gets Provisional Approval
NorthBay Project Gets Provisional Approval
By Ben Antonius
FAIRFIELD - NorthBay Healthcare got the go-ahead Wednesday for a 69,000 square-foot project on Mangels Boulevard, the precursor to an eventual hospital at the site.
The Fairfield City Council has the final say on the project, but the city planning commissioners were generally enthusiastic Wednesday about the building, which will include a conference center and house administration workers from hospitals and clinics in the region.
"We need more space at our hospitals and we are planning to move non-medical staff out," said Elnora Cameron, president of NorthBay Health Advantage, which is overseeing the project for the parent company. "We eventually expect to add clinical space to this 20-acre site."
Cameron said NorthBay has an agreement with the city of Fairfield to "have clinical facilities out there by the year 2010."
Commissioners expressed some concern about the traffic effects on Mangels and Business Center Drive, discussed adding public art in the landscaped land outside the facility and suggested moving trash bins that would have been visible to drivers.
Before the final vote of approval, commissioner George Curry asked about the 300-seat conference center. It will only be accessible through a security checkpoint in the main lobby, but Cameron said it will be made available to community groups.
"Our intention is to allow community groups to use the conference center; we certainly won't keep it busy full time," she said.
Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.
By Ben Antonius
FAIRFIELD - NorthBay Healthcare got the go-ahead Wednesday for a 69,000 square-foot project on Mangels Boulevard, the precursor to an eventual hospital at the site.
The Fairfield City Council has the final say on the project, but the city planning commissioners were generally enthusiastic Wednesday about the building, which will include a conference center and house administration workers from hospitals and clinics in the region.
"We need more space at our hospitals and we are planning to move non-medical staff out," said Elnora Cameron, president of NorthBay Health Advantage, which is overseeing the project for the parent company. "We eventually expect to add clinical space to this 20-acre site."
Cameron said NorthBay has an agreement with the city of Fairfield to "have clinical facilities out there by the year 2010."
Commissioners expressed some concern about the traffic effects on Mangels and Business Center Drive, discussed adding public art in the landscaped land outside the facility and suggested moving trash bins that would have been visible to drivers.
Before the final vote of approval, commissioner George Curry asked about the 300-seat conference center. It will only be accessible through a security checkpoint in the main lobby, but Cameron said it will be made available to community groups.
"Our intention is to allow community groups to use the conference center; we certainly won't keep it busy full time," she said.
Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.
Job Growth in the Central Valley Fares Better than the Bay Area Economies
Job Growth in the Central Valley Fares Better than the Bay Area Economies
According to the 2nd quarter California Forecast just released by the Business Forecasting Center, the California economy is expected to finish strong in 2006, registering 1.7% job growth. The economy, however, will slow a little with 1.3% growth through 2008. A similar pattern of strong 2006 and then some slowing in the years after will take place in the Central Valley and the Bay Area economies. The Central Valley economies will outpace the state, experiencing annual job growth ranging from 1.8% in the Modesto MSA and to 2.1% in the Sacramento MSA from 2006 to 2008. On the other hand, during the same period Bay Area MSAs including San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland will see slower job growth of 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.5%, respectively. Finally, leading the other 10 MSAs covered in the forecast is the Vallejo-Fairfield MSA. Fueled by strong showing in the Construction and Services sectors, the region will grow 2.3% per year during the same period.
According to the 2nd quarter California Forecast just released by the Business Forecasting Center, the California economy is expected to finish strong in 2006, registering 1.7% job growth. The economy, however, will slow a little with 1.3% growth through 2008. A similar pattern of strong 2006 and then some slowing in the years after will take place in the Central Valley and the Bay Area economies. The Central Valley economies will outpace the state, experiencing annual job growth ranging from 1.8% in the Modesto MSA and to 2.1% in the Sacramento MSA from 2006 to 2008. On the other hand, during the same period Bay Area MSAs including San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland will see slower job growth of 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.5%, respectively. Finally, leading the other 10 MSAs covered in the forecast is the Vallejo-Fairfield MSA. Fueled by strong showing in the Construction and Services sectors, the region will grow 2.3% per year during the same period.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Planning Commission to Consider NorthBay Office, Center
Planning Commission to Consider NorthBay Office, Center
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD - Fairfield Planning Commissioners tonight will consider approving the initial buildings for a NorthBay Healthcare development in Green Valley.
NorthBay Healthcare wants to build a 68,952-square-foot corporate office and conference center on 6.6 acres. The site is located at the southwest corner of Business Center Drive and Mangels Boulevard.
The commission meets at 7 p.m. in the City Council chamber, 1000 Webster St.
This 6.6 acres is part of a larger, 20-acre site. Ultimately, NorthBay wants to also build a hospital there. But the commission tonight is looking only at the corporate office and conference center.
The corporate office is to be two stories tall and the conference center one story tall. A Fairfield staff report describes the architecture as having a "modern theme," with concrete panels varying in color and texture.
Under the Green Valley settlement agreement resulting from growth battles in the area, building designs must be reviewed by other architects. One reviewer, the Odermatt Group, said the proposed buildings didn't meet the city's "superior design" standard. The applicant has since modified the design in light of the suggestions.
City staff recommends the commission approve the project.
Also tonight, the commission will consider:
- A zoning change on .45 acres owned by the city at the northeast corner of Dickson Hill Road and Dover Avenue. The city once intended to put a fire station there. It now wants the land to be zoned for certain types of businesses and offices.
- A zoning change for a proposed 64-unit subdivision called Ivy Wreath at the southeast corner of East Tabor Avenue and Walters Road. The City Council will have the final word on the project.
- A General Plan housing section amendment to take 1,480 homes assigned under state housing laws to the unicorporated county. This would reflect a deal reached by the city and county in 2004.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
At a glance
Who: Fairfield Planning Commission
What: NorthBay Healthcare office and conference center
When: 7 p.m. tonight
Where: Fairfield City Council chamber, 1000 Webster St.
Info: 428-7461
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD - Fairfield Planning Commissioners tonight will consider approving the initial buildings for a NorthBay Healthcare development in Green Valley.
NorthBay Healthcare wants to build a 68,952-square-foot corporate office and conference center on 6.6 acres. The site is located at the southwest corner of Business Center Drive and Mangels Boulevard.
The commission meets at 7 p.m. in the City Council chamber, 1000 Webster St.
This 6.6 acres is part of a larger, 20-acre site. Ultimately, NorthBay wants to also build a hospital there. But the commission tonight is looking only at the corporate office and conference center.
The corporate office is to be two stories tall and the conference center one story tall. A Fairfield staff report describes the architecture as having a "modern theme," with concrete panels varying in color and texture.
Under the Green Valley settlement agreement resulting from growth battles in the area, building designs must be reviewed by other architects. One reviewer, the Odermatt Group, said the proposed buildings didn't meet the city's "superior design" standard. The applicant has since modified the design in light of the suggestions.
City staff recommends the commission approve the project.
Also tonight, the commission will consider:
- A zoning change on .45 acres owned by the city at the northeast corner of Dickson Hill Road and Dover Avenue. The city once intended to put a fire station there. It now wants the land to be zoned for certain types of businesses and offices.
- A zoning change for a proposed 64-unit subdivision called Ivy Wreath at the southeast corner of East Tabor Avenue and Walters Road. The City Council will have the final word on the project.
- A General Plan housing section amendment to take 1,480 homes assigned under state housing laws to the unicorporated county. This would reflect a deal reached by the city and county in 2004.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
At a glance
Who: Fairfield Planning Commission
What: NorthBay Healthcare office and conference center
When: 7 p.m. tonight
Where: Fairfield City Council chamber, 1000 Webster St.
Info: 428-7461
Project on Track?
Project on Track? Dixon Downs Hearings Begin Tonight
By Beth Curda
DIXON - The pitter-patter of . . . galloping horses?
Dixon, a small bedroom community on Interstate 80 with friendly businesses and a history of agriculture, soon will learn whether it will add to its identity a state-of-the-art horse racing track, pavilion and entertainment center.
Supporters of the controversial proposal point to the roads and sewer system that developer Magna Entertainment Corp. Dixon Inc. would provide in that undeveloped area of the city, and say the project would bring in business and create jobs.
Opponents cite concerns about traffic and air quality, Dixon's identity and gambling. Some are concerned that, despite Magna's comments to the contrary, the company eventually would try to put slot machines in the complex.
The City Council will decide whether to approve the 260-acre project, a racetrack and training facility, betting pavilion, hotel, offices and entertainment and retail complex.
Before that decision is made, however, two sets of public hearings have been planned before the Planning Commission and council and will begin this evening.
The Planning Commission's first hearing will begin at 7 p.m. in the council chamber at City Hall, 600 East A St., Dixon. A second hearing is scheduled for Thursday, at the same time and place. Additional hearings, if needed, would be on Monday as well as Sept. 20, Sept. 21 and Sept. 25.
The council will host similar hearings.
On Wednesday, City Manager Warren Salmons will begin the discussion with a presentation. That could last between 90 minutes and two hours, he said. Salmons has recommended the commission advise the City Council to approve the environmental impact report and the needed changes to the zoning and plans associated with the project site and the ordinance setting up a development agreement.
Following Salmons' talk will be a presentation by Magna that is expected to last at least an hour.
Overflow seating for the meeting will be in the Senior Multi-Use Center, 201 S. Fifth St. The meeting will be broadcast on cable television there.
Support for the project has come from many in the business community. The Dixon Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Business Association both are listed on Dixon Downs' endorsements page on the project's Web site.
A letter from Chamber President Gordon Hammond posted on the Dixon Downs endorsements page states the organization supports the project because it would draw other high-end projects, increase overall business in Dixon and boost land values.
The Downtown Business Association stated in a letter on the Web site that 78 percent of the 71 member businesses it surveyed supported the project, and 4 percent opposed it.
Opposition to the project primarily has come from an organization called Dixon Citizens for Quality Growth. Group member Gail Preston said about 5,000 people - 3,800 Dixon residents and 1,800 people from Davis, Vacaville and other surrounding areas - have signed letters urging the council to reject the project.
"The way we see it the traffic should be a deal killer," Preston said. "So should the wastewater treatment plant. So should the concept of changing, you might say, the fundamental goals."
A fundamental goal in the General Plan, he said, is to maintain a small-town character, something the city wouldn't be able to do with a betting parlor that seats thousands, the racetrack and "an Arden Fair Mall plus 20 percent." The retail and entertainment complex, the second phase of the project, would be 1.2 million square feet. Web sites put Arden Fair Mall at 1 million square feet or larger.
"This project," opponent Stephen Sikes said, "is just simply not a fit for Dixon, not a fit for the region."
Also, he predicted, a small amount of revenue would go to Dixon; most would go to Canada, where Magna is based.
The development agreement being considered by the city requires the developers to, among other things:
- Spend $25 million on infrastructure improvements ranging from sewer and water lines to roadway and intersection work. Road improvements involve building a parkway through the site from Pedrick Road to Vaughn Road, expanding Pedrick Road, extending East Dorset Road, and improving the North First Street and Pedrick Road interchanges with I-80.
- Give the city a percentage of the wagers made at Dixon Downs, which could raise about $800,000 a year for the city.
- Put 1 percent of Dixon Downs' profits in a charitable foundation that will spend the money on community projects.
The developers have said that even if state law changed and other forms of gambling were allowed at Dixon Downs, the city's voters would have the final say.
John O'Farrell, local project manager for Dixon Downs, said the project would be a signature for the city.
"It could become the spark that lights that whole area," he said.
Magna's vision is to reintroduce horse racing into mainstream entertainment and sports, O'Farrell said. The company does that by upgrading existing racetracks and incorporating other components that draw visitors.
"You make this a place where people want to go," he said.
Ian Thompson contributed to this report.
Reach Beth Curda at bcurda@davisenterprise.net or (530) 747-8045.
At a glance
Who: Dixon Planning Commission
What: Dixon Downs hearings
Where: Dixon City Council Chamber, 600 East A. St., Dixon
When: 7 p.m. today. Also, 7 p.m. Thursday, Monday, Sept. 20, Sept. 21 and Sept. 25 if needed.
What's next: City Council hearings and then a vote on whether to approve the project.
Info: 678-7000
By Beth Curda
DIXON - The pitter-patter of . . . galloping horses?
Dixon, a small bedroom community on Interstate 80 with friendly businesses and a history of agriculture, soon will learn whether it will add to its identity a state-of-the-art horse racing track, pavilion and entertainment center.
Supporters of the controversial proposal point to the roads and sewer system that developer Magna Entertainment Corp. Dixon Inc. would provide in that undeveloped area of the city, and say the project would bring in business and create jobs.
Opponents cite concerns about traffic and air quality, Dixon's identity and gambling. Some are concerned that, despite Magna's comments to the contrary, the company eventually would try to put slot machines in the complex.
The City Council will decide whether to approve the 260-acre project, a racetrack and training facility, betting pavilion, hotel, offices and entertainment and retail complex.
Before that decision is made, however, two sets of public hearings have been planned before the Planning Commission and council and will begin this evening.
The Planning Commission's first hearing will begin at 7 p.m. in the council chamber at City Hall, 600 East A St., Dixon. A second hearing is scheduled for Thursday, at the same time and place. Additional hearings, if needed, would be on Monday as well as Sept. 20, Sept. 21 and Sept. 25.
The council will host similar hearings.
On Wednesday, City Manager Warren Salmons will begin the discussion with a presentation. That could last between 90 minutes and two hours, he said. Salmons has recommended the commission advise the City Council to approve the environmental impact report and the needed changes to the zoning and plans associated with the project site and the ordinance setting up a development agreement.
Following Salmons' talk will be a presentation by Magna that is expected to last at least an hour.
Overflow seating for the meeting will be in the Senior Multi-Use Center, 201 S. Fifth St. The meeting will be broadcast on cable television there.
Support for the project has come from many in the business community. The Dixon Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Business Association both are listed on Dixon Downs' endorsements page on the project's Web site.
A letter from Chamber President Gordon Hammond posted on the Dixon Downs endorsements page states the organization supports the project because it would draw other high-end projects, increase overall business in Dixon and boost land values.
The Downtown Business Association stated in a letter on the Web site that 78 percent of the 71 member businesses it surveyed supported the project, and 4 percent opposed it.
Opposition to the project primarily has come from an organization called Dixon Citizens for Quality Growth. Group member Gail Preston said about 5,000 people - 3,800 Dixon residents and 1,800 people from Davis, Vacaville and other surrounding areas - have signed letters urging the council to reject the project.
"The way we see it the traffic should be a deal killer," Preston said. "So should the wastewater treatment plant. So should the concept of changing, you might say, the fundamental goals."
A fundamental goal in the General Plan, he said, is to maintain a small-town character, something the city wouldn't be able to do with a betting parlor that seats thousands, the racetrack and "an Arden Fair Mall plus 20 percent." The retail and entertainment complex, the second phase of the project, would be 1.2 million square feet. Web sites put Arden Fair Mall at 1 million square feet or larger.
"This project," opponent Stephen Sikes said, "is just simply not a fit for Dixon, not a fit for the region."
Also, he predicted, a small amount of revenue would go to Dixon; most would go to Canada, where Magna is based.
The development agreement being considered by the city requires the developers to, among other things:
- Spend $25 million on infrastructure improvements ranging from sewer and water lines to roadway and intersection work. Road improvements involve building a parkway through the site from Pedrick Road to Vaughn Road, expanding Pedrick Road, extending East Dorset Road, and improving the North First Street and Pedrick Road interchanges with I-80.
- Give the city a percentage of the wagers made at Dixon Downs, which could raise about $800,000 a year for the city.
- Put 1 percent of Dixon Downs' profits in a charitable foundation that will spend the money on community projects.
The developers have said that even if state law changed and other forms of gambling were allowed at Dixon Downs, the city's voters would have the final say.
John O'Farrell, local project manager for Dixon Downs, said the project would be a signature for the city.
"It could become the spark that lights that whole area," he said.
Magna's vision is to reintroduce horse racing into mainstream entertainment and sports, O'Farrell said. The company does that by upgrading existing racetracks and incorporating other components that draw visitors.
"You make this a place where people want to go," he said.
Ian Thompson contributed to this report.
Reach Beth Curda at bcurda@davisenterprise.net or (530) 747-8045.
At a glance
Who: Dixon Planning Commission
What: Dixon Downs hearings
Where: Dixon City Council Chamber, 600 East A. St., Dixon
When: 7 p.m. today. Also, 7 p.m. Thursday, Monday, Sept. 20, Sept. 21 and Sept. 25 if needed.
What's next: City Council hearings and then a vote on whether to approve the project.
Info: 678-7000
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Survey Says Employment Should Rise Slightly in County
Survey Says Employment Should Rise Slightly in County
By Ben Antonius
FAIRFIELD - Solano County should see modest job growth through the rest of the year, according to a new study.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, released today, found that 37 percent of employers in Solano and Napa counties expect to hire more employees during the fourth quarter of 2006. Seventeen percent said they expected to reduce their number of employees and 39 percent said they did not expect to change.
"Employers have slightly more modest hiring intentions than they did a year ago when 23 percent of companies surveyed thought employment increases were likely and none intended to cut back," said Sherrie Phillipi, spokeswoman for Manpower, the employment company that conducted the study.
Solano County's numbers are roughly the same as they were for the third quarter of 2006, and mirror the results of many other California counties in the study.
Of the 14,000 employers surveyed nationwide, 28 percent said they expected to add staff and 8 percent said they expected to make cuts during the fourth quarter, which runs from October to December.
Job growth has been a particularly important issue in Solano County, where much of the community commutes to work in the Bay Area. There is also likely to be an increased demand for local jobs as the county's population is expected to increase by more than 100,000 within the next 15 years.
Statewide, the study showed the best outlook in San Rafael, where 70 percent of businesses polled said they expected to increase their staffing and 20 percent said they expected cuts.
Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.
By Ben Antonius
FAIRFIELD - Solano County should see modest job growth through the rest of the year, according to a new study.
The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, released today, found that 37 percent of employers in Solano and Napa counties expect to hire more employees during the fourth quarter of 2006. Seventeen percent said they expected to reduce their number of employees and 39 percent said they did not expect to change.
"Employers have slightly more modest hiring intentions than they did a year ago when 23 percent of companies surveyed thought employment increases were likely and none intended to cut back," said Sherrie Phillipi, spokeswoman for Manpower, the employment company that conducted the study.
Solano County's numbers are roughly the same as they were for the third quarter of 2006, and mirror the results of many other California counties in the study.
Of the 14,000 employers surveyed nationwide, 28 percent said they expected to add staff and 8 percent said they expected to make cuts during the fourth quarter, which runs from October to December.
Job growth has been a particularly important issue in Solano County, where much of the community commutes to work in the Bay Area. There is also likely to be an increased demand for local jobs as the county's population is expected to increase by more than 100,000 within the next 15 years.
Statewide, the study showed the best outlook in San Rafael, where 70 percent of businesses polled said they expected to increase their staffing and 20 percent said they expected cuts.
Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.
Rio Vista Gets LAFCO Approval for Army Center Annexation
Rio Vista Gets LAFCO Approval for Army Center Annexation
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD - Rio Vista got approval Monday to grow by 28 acres - but it's a key 28 acres.
The Local Agency Formation Commission unanimously approved Rio Vista's request to annex the former U.S Army Reserve Center along the Sacramento River. The city plans to turn the abandoned property into a Delta research center and community recreation area.
A Delta research station would help the Bay-Delta Science Consortium monitor the health of the Delta. The consortium is an association of state and federal agencies, non-profit groups and universities.
Such a research center would bring 150 to 200 jobs to Rio Vista.
Rio Vista is negotiating with such agencies as the state Department of Water Resources to move the project forward. City Community Development Director Thomas Bland said the city needed regulatory authority over the land.
Rio Vista took ownership of the 28 acres from the federal government in 2003. But the land remained in the unincorporated county and subject to county regulation.
A preliminary development agreement and lease for the Delta center could be worked out in six months to eight months, Bland said.
The research center could take up about 10 acres of the 28 acres. Rio Vista could use the remainder for such things as ball fields and a city boat launch.
The land is located east of Beach Drive at the southern end of city limits.
Sitting as the LAFCO Board were Chairman John Saunderson, Suisun City Mayor Jim Spering, Benicia Mayor Steve Messina and county Supervisors Duane Kromm and Barbara Kondylis.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD - Rio Vista got approval Monday to grow by 28 acres - but it's a key 28 acres.
The Local Agency Formation Commission unanimously approved Rio Vista's request to annex the former U.S Army Reserve Center along the Sacramento River. The city plans to turn the abandoned property into a Delta research center and community recreation area.
A Delta research station would help the Bay-Delta Science Consortium monitor the health of the Delta. The consortium is an association of state and federal agencies, non-profit groups and universities.
Such a research center would bring 150 to 200 jobs to Rio Vista.
Rio Vista is negotiating with such agencies as the state Department of Water Resources to move the project forward. City Community Development Director Thomas Bland said the city needed regulatory authority over the land.
Rio Vista took ownership of the 28 acres from the federal government in 2003. But the land remained in the unincorporated county and subject to county regulation.
A preliminary development agreement and lease for the Delta center could be worked out in six months to eight months, Bland said.
The research center could take up about 10 acres of the 28 acres. Rio Vista could use the remainder for such things as ball fields and a city boat launch.
The land is located east of Beach Drive at the southern end of city limits.
Sitting as the LAFCO Board were Chairman John Saunderson, Suisun City Mayor Jim Spering, Benicia Mayor Steve Messina and county Supervisors Duane Kromm and Barbara Kondylis.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Monday, September 11, 2006
More Openings at Nut Tree Site
More Openings at Nut Tree Site
Home decor retailer HomeGoods opens its fourth store in the region Sunday at the redeveloped Nut Tree site.
The 25,014-square foot store will employ 60 full and part-time workers.
Special grand opening hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Regular store hours will be 9:30 a.m to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Borders is set to open its 20,000-square-foot store at the Nut Tree on Sept. 13. The store will offer more than 200,000 book, music and movie titles.
Clothing retailer Old Navy opens its 19,164-square-foot store Sept. 14.
Home decor retailer HomeGoods opens its fourth store in the region Sunday at the redeveloped Nut Tree site.
The 25,014-square foot store will employ 60 full and part-time workers.
Special grand opening hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Regular store hours will be 9:30 a.m to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Borders is set to open its 20,000-square-foot store at the Nut Tree on Sept. 13. The store will offer more than 200,000 book, music and movie titles.
Clothing retailer Old Navy opens its 19,164-square-foot store Sept. 14.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Rio Vista Wants to Annex Old Army Center
Rio Vista Wants to Annex Old Army Center
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD - Rio Vista wants to add the 28-acre former U.S. Army Reserve Center to its city limits to eventually become a Delta research station and possibly a recreation center.
The Local Agency Formation Commission oversees annexations. It will consider Rio Vista's request when it meets at 10 a.m. Monday at the county Government Center, 675 Texas St.
The land is located east of Beach Drive and along the Sacramento River, south of existing city limits. For several years, the Bay-Delta Science Consortium expressed interest in establishing a field station there. This association of state and federal agencies, nonprofit groups and universities monitors Delta water quality and does research.
A Delta research center would take up about 10 acres of the site, a LAFCO report said. The center could bring 150 to 200 scientific and technical jobs to Rio Vista - as well as pump millions of dollars annually into the region's economy, it said.
Plus, the center has links with such places as the University of California, Davis, and California State University, Hayward. This in turn could lead to spin-off economic development opportunities, the report said.
Rio Vista is negotiating with the state Department of Water Resources and state Department of Fish and Game over the research center, the report said.
The city has other plans for the site, as well. Possibilities include a city boat launch, park, ball fields, interpretive center and recreation center.
All of this would mean a rebirth for a once-bustling site. The old Army Reserve Center had as many as 250 workers during the 1950s, many of whom lived in the city. The Army used the base until the late 1980s. In 1995, special federal legislation said the site should go to Rio Vista for "public and recreational uses," the report said.
But Rio Vista didn't take ownership of the land until 2003. That delay happened because of toxic material cleanup issues.
LAFCO commissioners are Chairman John Saunderson, Suisun City Mayor Jim Spering, Benicia Mayor Steve Messina, and county Supervisors Duane Kromm and Barbara Kondylis. Alternates are resident Nancy Shopay, Supervisor Mike Reagan and Dixon Mayor Mary Ann Courville.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD - Rio Vista wants to add the 28-acre former U.S. Army Reserve Center to its city limits to eventually become a Delta research station and possibly a recreation center.
The Local Agency Formation Commission oversees annexations. It will consider Rio Vista's request when it meets at 10 a.m. Monday at the county Government Center, 675 Texas St.
The land is located east of Beach Drive and along the Sacramento River, south of existing city limits. For several years, the Bay-Delta Science Consortium expressed interest in establishing a field station there. This association of state and federal agencies, nonprofit groups and universities monitors Delta water quality and does research.
A Delta research center would take up about 10 acres of the site, a LAFCO report said. The center could bring 150 to 200 scientific and technical jobs to Rio Vista - as well as pump millions of dollars annually into the region's economy, it said.
Plus, the center has links with such places as the University of California, Davis, and California State University, Hayward. This in turn could lead to spin-off economic development opportunities, the report said.
Rio Vista is negotiating with the state Department of Water Resources and state Department of Fish and Game over the research center, the report said.
The city has other plans for the site, as well. Possibilities include a city boat launch, park, ball fields, interpretive center and recreation center.
All of this would mean a rebirth for a once-bustling site. The old Army Reserve Center had as many as 250 workers during the 1950s, many of whom lived in the city. The Army used the base until the late 1980s. In 1995, special federal legislation said the site should go to Rio Vista for "public and recreational uses," the report said.
But Rio Vista didn't take ownership of the land until 2003. That delay happened because of toxic material cleanup issues.
LAFCO commissioners are Chairman John Saunderson, Suisun City Mayor Jim Spering, Benicia Mayor Steve Messina, and county Supervisors Duane Kromm and Barbara Kondylis. Alternates are resident Nancy Shopay, Supervisor Mike Reagan and Dixon Mayor Mary Ann Courville.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Fairfield Wins Excellence Award
Fairfield Wins Excellence Award
By Daily Republic staff
FAIRFIELD - Fairfield won a statewide award for a charitable program created by the city's Community Services Department.
The Community Heroes program received more than $100,000 in donations from community organizations, which allowed the department to deliver services to the most underserved neighborhoods in town. Some of the money went toward the Fun on the Run program, a mobile recreation program for after-school and summer hours.
For the program, Fairfield received the League Partners Award for Excellence, which is given to "cities that deliver the highest quality and level of service in the most effective manner possible."
The award is handed out by the League of California Cities. Fairfield is one of 28 winners for 2006.
By Daily Republic staff
FAIRFIELD - Fairfield won a statewide award for a charitable program created by the city's Community Services Department.
The Community Heroes program received more than $100,000 in donations from community organizations, which allowed the department to deliver services to the most underserved neighborhoods in town. Some of the money went toward the Fun on the Run program, a mobile recreation program for after-school and summer hours.
For the program, Fairfield received the League Partners Award for Excellence, which is given to "cities that deliver the highest quality and level of service in the most effective manner possible."
The award is handed out by the League of California Cities. Fairfield is one of 28 winners for 2006.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Developers Eye Huge Mare Island Mart
Developers Eye Huge Mare Island Mart
Exhibition Center, Flower Mart, Home for USS Iowa All in Plans
By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN, Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo Times Herald
Two well-established local developers have proposed a multimillion dollar project for Mare Island aimed at bringing tourists and international entrepreneurs to Vallejo.
Dubbed the Mare Island Marketplace, the project would include a flower mart, exhibition center, two former Naval ships and other businesses, city and company officials said Wednesday.
Lennar Mare Island has had the $37 million proposal for more than a week, said developer Robert Litwin. He said the initial amount is estimated construction costs only. The project's total cost is not yet known, he said.
Lennar is studying the proposal, but the project faces several challenges, company spokesman Jason Keadjian said.
"We're evaluating the timing of our ability to deliver some of the buildings for reuse, in terms of environmental remediation and moving them through the regulatory process," Keadjian said. "We continue to be committed to pursuing a dialogue with (the developers) and exploring the concept."
Litwin, who has worked for months to bring an expansive flower mart to the island, has teamed with Marin County-based developer Gabrielsen & Co. in proposing to expand the idea. The plan would include 30 acres on the island's east side to house an international trade show exposition center, the battleship USS Iowa, the last Mare Island-built nuclear submarine, USS Drum and related museums, retail stores and restaurants. The Iowa is now in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet and the city of Stockton has been competing to be its permanent home. The Drum is in Washington State.
Litwin said Mare Island Historic Park Foundation president Ken Zadwick's effort to bring the Drum to Mare Island is not a competing one, and Zadwick said he agrees.
And in any case, the mothballed ships are a large but "not essential" element of the project, Litwin said.
The hope is to "go green" with the project, running everything on solar power, Litwin said.
"The flower mart will be more of a distribution center, operating mostly at night," Litwin said. "We hope to bring the Iowa as our anchor tenant, and then have space for local, national and international trade shows."
Litwin said San Francisco's Moscone Center, the Bay Area's premier trade show location, is very expensive and rarely available. And that's where the Mare Island Marketplace comes in, he said.
The plan calls for completely renovating several historic Mare Island buildings including the 256,000-square-foot, glass-surrounded Building 680 and the one known as "The Pink Palace," which housed submarines and submarine parts. It also calls for "re-commissioning" two ships' berths and creating 2,000 parking spaces, Litwin said.
Gabrielsen & Co. owner Donlon Gabrielsen said he and his wife have personal connections to both Mare Island and the Iowa going back to the 1940s. Gabrielsen said he's optimistic about the plan going forward for sentimental and pragmatic reasons.
"Mare Island was a wonderful Naval base and I think it can become a wonderful historic attraction for the people of Vallejo and the people of the United States," he said.
Plan proponents are awaiting word from Lennar, Litwin said. He acknowledged it "will be a long process."
In an interview Wednesday, Vallejo Mayor Tony Intintoli called the concept "exciting," and said the city should approach it with "cautious enthusiasm," pending the outcome of financial feasibility studies.
Under the Marketplace proposal, the developers would own the land and buildings in question in exchange for spending millions to renovate the properties and improve infrastructure, Litwin said. The developers would lease space to the museum ships, which would not cost the city of Vallejo a dime, he said. The developers have already spent thousands on several preliminary surveys, he said.
Besides the environmental cleanup problems, the area, now zoned for light industry, would have to be rezoned for retail, Litwin said. But whatever needs to be done, it would be worth it, since the project would bring jobs, culture and prestige to the city, he said.
No one from the Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square, which was founded in 1996 to find the Iowa a home, could be reached for comment Wednesday. However, its Web site, www.battleshipiowa.org, says the group is "passionately dedicated to preserving USS Iowa at the West Coast's first Naval installation, Mare Island, Vallejo, as a Premier Naval memorial and museum in the San Francisco Bay Area."
E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
Exhibition Center, Flower Mart, Home for USS Iowa All in Plans
By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN, Times-Herald staff writer
Vallejo Times Herald
Two well-established local developers have proposed a multimillion dollar project for Mare Island aimed at bringing tourists and international entrepreneurs to Vallejo.
Dubbed the Mare Island Marketplace, the project would include a flower mart, exhibition center, two former Naval ships and other businesses, city and company officials said Wednesday.
Lennar Mare Island has had the $37 million proposal for more than a week, said developer Robert Litwin. He said the initial amount is estimated construction costs only. The project's total cost is not yet known, he said.
Lennar is studying the proposal, but the project faces several challenges, company spokesman Jason Keadjian said.
"We're evaluating the timing of our ability to deliver some of the buildings for reuse, in terms of environmental remediation and moving them through the regulatory process," Keadjian said. "We continue to be committed to pursuing a dialogue with (the developers) and exploring the concept."
Litwin, who has worked for months to bring an expansive flower mart to the island, has teamed with Marin County-based developer Gabrielsen & Co. in proposing to expand the idea. The plan would include 30 acres on the island's east side to house an international trade show exposition center, the battleship USS Iowa, the last Mare Island-built nuclear submarine, USS Drum and related museums, retail stores and restaurants. The Iowa is now in the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet and the city of Stockton has been competing to be its permanent home. The Drum is in Washington State.
Litwin said Mare Island Historic Park Foundation president Ken Zadwick's effort to bring the Drum to Mare Island is not a competing one, and Zadwick said he agrees.
And in any case, the mothballed ships are a large but "not essential" element of the project, Litwin said.
The hope is to "go green" with the project, running everything on solar power, Litwin said.
"The flower mart will be more of a distribution center, operating mostly at night," Litwin said. "We hope to bring the Iowa as our anchor tenant, and then have space for local, national and international trade shows."
Litwin said San Francisco's Moscone Center, the Bay Area's premier trade show location, is very expensive and rarely available. And that's where the Mare Island Marketplace comes in, he said.
The plan calls for completely renovating several historic Mare Island buildings including the 256,000-square-foot, glass-surrounded Building 680 and the one known as "The Pink Palace," which housed submarines and submarine parts. It also calls for "re-commissioning" two ships' berths and creating 2,000 parking spaces, Litwin said.
Gabrielsen & Co. owner Donlon Gabrielsen said he and his wife have personal connections to both Mare Island and the Iowa going back to the 1940s. Gabrielsen said he's optimistic about the plan going forward for sentimental and pragmatic reasons.
"Mare Island was a wonderful Naval base and I think it can become a wonderful historic attraction for the people of Vallejo and the people of the United States," he said.
Plan proponents are awaiting word from Lennar, Litwin said. He acknowledged it "will be a long process."
In an interview Wednesday, Vallejo Mayor Tony Intintoli called the concept "exciting," and said the city should approach it with "cautious enthusiasm," pending the outcome of financial feasibility studies.
Under the Marketplace proposal, the developers would own the land and buildings in question in exchange for spending millions to renovate the properties and improve infrastructure, Litwin said. The developers would lease space to the museum ships, which would not cost the city of Vallejo a dime, he said. The developers have already spent thousands on several preliminary surveys, he said.
Besides the environmental cleanup problems, the area, now zoned for light industry, would have to be rezoned for retail, Litwin said. But whatever needs to be done, it would be worth it, since the project would bring jobs, culture and prestige to the city, he said.
No one from the Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square, which was founded in 1996 to find the Iowa a home, could be reached for comment Wednesday. However, its Web site, www.battleshipiowa.org, says the group is "passionately dedicated to preserving USS Iowa at the West Coast's first Naval installation, Mare Island, Vallejo, as a Premier Naval memorial and museum in the San Francisco Bay Area."
E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
More Openings at Nut Tree Site
More Openings at Nut Tree Site
Home decor retailer HomeGoods opens its fourth store in the region Sunday at the redeveloped Nut Tree site.
The 25,014-square foot store will employ 60 full and part-time workers.
Special grand opening hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Regular store hours will be 9:30 a.m to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Borders is set to open its 20,000-square-foot store at the Nut Tree on Sept. 13. The store will offer more than 200,000 book, music and movie titles.
Clothing retailer Old Navy opens its 19,164-square-foot store Sept. 14.
Home decor retailer HomeGoods opens its fourth store in the region Sunday at the redeveloped Nut Tree site.
The 25,014-square foot store will employ 60 full and part-time workers.
Special grand opening hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Regular store hours will be 9:30 a.m to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Borders is set to open its 20,000-square-foot store at the Nut Tree on Sept. 13. The store will offer more than 200,000 book, music and movie titles.
Clothing retailer Old Navy opens its 19,164-square-foot store Sept. 14.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Dixon Downs Moves to a Vote
Dixon Downs Moves to a Vote
Solano City Will Hold Public Hearings on Proposed Racetrack and Retail Center.
By Pamela Martineau -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Wednesday, September 6, 2006
The proposed $250 million Dixon Downs -- which developers say would be the first horse-racing track built in California in 70 years -- is entering the home stretch in its approval process.
The city of Dixon will open a series of final public hearings this month on the controversial 260- acre track and upscale retail center proposed along Interstate 80 at Pedrick Road.
Officials expect the City Council to vote on the project by late October, six years after Magna Entertainment Corp. first introduced the plan.
Up to 12 public hearings of Dixon's planning commission and City Council are scheduled. City officials say they want the community to weigh in on every conceivable impact the project might have on the Solano County town and whether the developers have addressed those impacts adequately.
"We want people to hear what (the project) is and is not," said Dixon Mayor Mary Ann Courville.
But ultimately, it may be Dixon voters who determine the racetrack's fate.
Opponents say they will collect enough signatures to place the issue before voters in a special election next spring if the City Council approves it in October.
The council in May voted against putting an advisory vote on the November ballot.
"We're gearing up for a referendum," said Stephen Sikes, a member of Dixon Citizens for Responsible Growth, a grass-roots group opposed to the project. Members say the project will wreck Dixon's small-town ambience and bring traffic and pollution. Many detractors oppose the gambling at the facility.
Former Dixon Mayor Marime Burton, an opponent, believes the project is "too big and too much."
"I'm very worried about the traffic, and I'm very worried about what it will do to our community," Burton said.
Proponents say the racetrack will enhance the town with a new entertainment venue, bringing more visitors and more business to local vendors. The Dixon Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Business Association support the project.
"I really think it will be beneficial to the city," said Jamie Meville, a hairstylist at Images on You, a salon in Dixon's historic downtown.
"If we don't get it, someone else will," Meville added.
Courville said she thinks the city is split 50-50 between supporters and opponents.
Last week Magna -- considered one of the world's premier horse racing companies -- released a preliminary development agreement that outlines ways Dixon may be compensated for some of the project's impacts.
The proposed agreement says developers would make up to $25 million in road and infrastructure improvements in the northeast quadrant of the city where the project is proposed. Dixon also would receive an undisclosed percentage of the wagering done at the track, as well as 1 percent of the facility's profits -- to be donated to a charitable fund.
To mitigate traffic impacts, developers have agreed to build new auxiliary highway lanes for a half-mile in each direction on Interstate 80 near Pedrick Road.
On-site housing for trainers and groomers of the thoroughbred horses would be built at the track. Magna would pay about $90,000 in transient occupancy tax annually to the city for those workers' housing.
Magna says the track and accompanying retail center and office park would be a boon for Dixon and help jump-start development in an area of the city that Dixon planners had zoned for light industrial projects. It is now agricultural land.
The developers say other communities would love to have the track and would offer incentives.
"There are communities that would absolutely love to have this project," said John O'Farrell, the lead planner on the project. O'Farrell, a former planner with Sacramento County, said Canada-based Magna has already spent $7 million on environmental documents and other costs associated with Dixon Downs.
"Any other developer would have thrown in the towel three or four years ago," O'Farrell added.
The project's grandstand would accommodate up to 6,800 people for racing and up to 15,000 patrons for special events such as concerts.
Wagering would take place on-site and by satellite for people watching the races at other venues.
The second phase of the project would include a hotel conference center, retail center, offices and restaurants in an outdoor mall dubbed The Village. Planners are hoping the project will draw visitors from throughout Northern California.
If the project is approved, Magna hopes to break ground in 2009 and complete the track by 2010.
Buildout of the entire project could take up to 15 years.
The project has garnered attention from officials and residents throughout the Sacramento region. Some fear it could place more strain on I-80 than any mitigation measures could alleviate.
Davis City Manager Bill Emlen told the Davis City Council in March that Dixon Downs has the potential to be a "regional backbreaker" for I-80, creating a logjam of traffic that could reverberate throughout the region.
Emlen said last week that he and his staff are analyzing the environmental mitigations proposed by Magna and will report to the Davis City Council later this month to recommend whether Davis should take any action in regard to the project.
Courville, Dixon's mayor, is baffled by other cities' interest.
"It's amazing to me because when other cities build a project, they don't ask us what we think of it," she said.
WHAT'S NEXT
The first public hearing on the Dixon Downs project is scheduled Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Dixon City Hall council chambers, 600 E. A St. For more information call (707) 678-7000.
Information on Dixon Downs is available at www.dixondowns.com and on the city of Dixon's Web site at www.ci.dixon.ca.us.
The opponents' Web site is at www.dumpthedowns.org.
Solano City Will Hold Public Hearings on Proposed Racetrack and Retail Center.
By Pamela Martineau -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Wednesday, September 6, 2006
The proposed $250 million Dixon Downs -- which developers say would be the first horse-racing track built in California in 70 years -- is entering the home stretch in its approval process.
The city of Dixon will open a series of final public hearings this month on the controversial 260- acre track and upscale retail center proposed along Interstate 80 at Pedrick Road.
Officials expect the City Council to vote on the project by late October, six years after Magna Entertainment Corp. first introduced the plan.
Up to 12 public hearings of Dixon's planning commission and City Council are scheduled. City officials say they want the community to weigh in on every conceivable impact the project might have on the Solano County town and whether the developers have addressed those impacts adequately.
"We want people to hear what (the project) is and is not," said Dixon Mayor Mary Ann Courville.
But ultimately, it may be Dixon voters who determine the racetrack's fate.
Opponents say they will collect enough signatures to place the issue before voters in a special election next spring if the City Council approves it in October.
The council in May voted against putting an advisory vote on the November ballot.
"We're gearing up for a referendum," said Stephen Sikes, a member of Dixon Citizens for Responsible Growth, a grass-roots group opposed to the project. Members say the project will wreck Dixon's small-town ambience and bring traffic and pollution. Many detractors oppose the gambling at the facility.
Former Dixon Mayor Marime Burton, an opponent, believes the project is "too big and too much."
"I'm very worried about the traffic, and I'm very worried about what it will do to our community," Burton said.
Proponents say the racetrack will enhance the town with a new entertainment venue, bringing more visitors and more business to local vendors. The Dixon Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Business Association support the project.
"I really think it will be beneficial to the city," said Jamie Meville, a hairstylist at Images on You, a salon in Dixon's historic downtown.
"If we don't get it, someone else will," Meville added.
Courville said she thinks the city is split 50-50 between supporters and opponents.
Last week Magna -- considered one of the world's premier horse racing companies -- released a preliminary development agreement that outlines ways Dixon may be compensated for some of the project's impacts.
The proposed agreement says developers would make up to $25 million in road and infrastructure improvements in the northeast quadrant of the city where the project is proposed. Dixon also would receive an undisclosed percentage of the wagering done at the track, as well as 1 percent of the facility's profits -- to be donated to a charitable fund.
To mitigate traffic impacts, developers have agreed to build new auxiliary highway lanes for a half-mile in each direction on Interstate 80 near Pedrick Road.
On-site housing for trainers and groomers of the thoroughbred horses would be built at the track. Magna would pay about $90,000 in transient occupancy tax annually to the city for those workers' housing.
Magna says the track and accompanying retail center and office park would be a boon for Dixon and help jump-start development in an area of the city that Dixon planners had zoned for light industrial projects. It is now agricultural land.
The developers say other communities would love to have the track and would offer incentives.
"There are communities that would absolutely love to have this project," said John O'Farrell, the lead planner on the project. O'Farrell, a former planner with Sacramento County, said Canada-based Magna has already spent $7 million on environmental documents and other costs associated with Dixon Downs.
"Any other developer would have thrown in the towel three or four years ago," O'Farrell added.
The project's grandstand would accommodate up to 6,800 people for racing and up to 15,000 patrons for special events such as concerts.
Wagering would take place on-site and by satellite for people watching the races at other venues.
The second phase of the project would include a hotel conference center, retail center, offices and restaurants in an outdoor mall dubbed The Village. Planners are hoping the project will draw visitors from throughout Northern California.
If the project is approved, Magna hopes to break ground in 2009 and complete the track by 2010.
Buildout of the entire project could take up to 15 years.
The project has garnered attention from officials and residents throughout the Sacramento region. Some fear it could place more strain on I-80 than any mitigation measures could alleviate.
Davis City Manager Bill Emlen told the Davis City Council in March that Dixon Downs has the potential to be a "regional backbreaker" for I-80, creating a logjam of traffic that could reverberate throughout the region.
Emlen said last week that he and his staff are analyzing the environmental mitigations proposed by Magna and will report to the Davis City Council later this month to recommend whether Davis should take any action in regard to the project.
Courville, Dixon's mayor, is baffled by other cities' interest.
"It's amazing to me because when other cities build a project, they don't ask us what we think of it," she said.
WHAT'S NEXT
The first public hearing on the Dixon Downs project is scheduled Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Dixon City Hall council chambers, 600 E. A St. For more information call (707) 678-7000.
Information on Dixon Downs is available at www.dixondowns.com and on the city of Dixon's Web site at www.ci.dixon.ca.us.
The opponents' Web site is at www.dumpthedowns.org.
Solano County is Presented With Certificate of Excellence
Solano County is Presented With Certificate of Excellence
TheReporter.Com
Solano County has received a certificate of achievement for excellence from the Government Finance Officer's Association.
The award honored the county for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005. It is the highest form of recognition in the area of government accounting and financial reporting.
"This achievement is reflective of the exceptional work our Auditor's Office provides in tracking and reporting every element of our County finances," said John Vasquez, chairman of the Board of Supervisors in a press release issued Monday. "Their effort in creating such a recognized financial report is reassuring that the County is receiving the best possible accounting practices."
This is the fourth consecutive year Solano County has been recognized with the financial reporting award.
TheReporter.Com
Solano County has received a certificate of achievement for excellence from the Government Finance Officer's Association.
The award honored the county for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005. It is the highest form of recognition in the area of government accounting and financial reporting.
"This achievement is reflective of the exceptional work our Auditor's Office provides in tracking and reporting every element of our County finances," said John Vasquez, chairman of the Board of Supervisors in a press release issued Monday. "Their effort in creating such a recognized financial report is reassuring that the County is receiving the best possible accounting practices."
This is the fourth consecutive year Solano County has been recognized with the financial reporting award.
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