At A Glance
• 1.4 million Latino residents in the Bay Area represent 21 percent of the total local population, this home buying segment is expected to generate more than 30,000 property transactions in 2005.
• The U.S. Latino community is expected to account for 31 percent of the nation's household growth between 2000 and 2010, making it the fastest growing minority group, according to the Tom's Rivera Policy Institute of Southern California.
• With an estimated total buying power of $992 billion in 2009 - a 45 percent increase over 2004 - Latinos are likely to impact residential real estate in the U.S. more than any other single demographic group during the next decade.
Source: First American Title Company
Article Launched: 03/12/2005 08:32:41 AM
Finding their dream
Numbers of Latino homebuyers on the rise
By Barbara Smith/Business Writer
A succulent supper of lamb shared last week between the Navarro and Chamblee families of Dixon was more than a celebration.
It was a tradition - the Navarro's way of saying "gracias" to real estate agent Melvin Chamblee for representing them in their recent homebuying transaction. The event, complete with an ethnic meal, is part of the Latino culture - a culture that a nationwide title company is now focusing on with real estate professionals to help them work more effectively with the growing Latino homebuying population.
A burgeoning number of homebuyers who speak little or no English - like the Navarros - is just one reason First American Title Insurance Co. has launched its Diversity Marketing Program in Solano County. First American recognizes the cultural, language, real estate challenges and barriers that often arise when members of the Latino community enter the home-buying process, company officials said.
It's not all about language, said Pablo Wong, director of First American's diversity program, Bay Area region.
"The color of money is green, but this is more than about money," Wong said. "Equally important to speaking the language is also understanding their culture. They don't want to feel just welcome, they want to feel embraced."
That was the experience of the Navarro family, who ventured into Century 21 Distinctive Properties in Dixon to buy their home. Because their sales agent Chamblee is bilingual, the Navarros went through the signing of their loan documents, purchase agreement and more without the confusion most first-time homebuyers or buyers who speak limited English have.
Miguel Navarro, who is in the construction business, understands more English than he can speak, Chamblee said.
"We built up a rapport and a relationship during the transaction process. ... We had talked about his family in Mexico," Chamblee said.
Once the transaction was complete, Navarro offered to slaughter a lamb of Chamblee's choice and cook a traditional meal for Chamblee and his family.
Chamblee, 37, said he grew up speaking Spanish. A native of New York, his mother hailed from Puerto Rico.
"Spanish was spoken in my home, then I took it a little in school as well so I could read it and write it," he said. "Most people are very shocked when they find out I speak Spanish, because I basically have more African-American features than anything else."
He said it's made a difference in his success as a real estate agent. Right now, he's the only Spanish speaking agent in the Dixon office.
"Occasionally some of the other agents have clients they can't communicate with, so they allow me to handle that end of the business and I pay them a referral," he said. "I'll take on the clients, and that leads to other clients."
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latino homeownership in the Bay Area is growing at nearly twice the rate of non-Latinos. The 1.4 million Latino residents in the Bay Area represent 21 percent of the total local population. This home buying segment is expected to generate more than 30,000 property transactions in 2005.
Chamblee's Broker Linda Green, who owns six Century 21 branches, said First American's new program will complement what she already has on hand - one or two bilingual agents in each of her offices.
"We couldn't work without them," Green said.
Also, the California Association of Realtors has available a purchase agreement written in Spanish for her agents if needed.
In the past, Spanish speaking clients would bring a family member into her office to interpret for them.
"Which is fine to an extent, but it's that you're talking to their family and you're hoping it's getting across correctly. Otherwise, you're worried about it, you want to represent them right," Green said. "I think with First American, it's going to go hand in hand together, which will help."
A couple of Green's agents sat in with other agents and mortgage lenders at a recent "Understanding the Latino Homebuyer" seminar presented by First American's Fairfield office.
The event was held to kick off the expansion of its Bay Area Diversity Marketing Program in Solano County. The program has already taken root in the Northern California communities of San Francisco, San Jose, San Mateo, Santa Rosa, Brentwood, Castro Valley, Salinas, Watsonville and Campbell.
At the same time, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) announced the formation of its new local chapter for Solano County.
Launched in late 2003, the Bay Area Diversity Marketing Program is comprised of consumer-focused outreach and educational events, specialized programs for real estate professionals, and the hiring and training of key First American staff to better service ethnically diverse communities. The first of its kind in the title insurance industry, the program was initially implemented to address the Latino market and later expanded to reach out to Asian-American homebuyers.
"It's very important because what we're doing is creating a partnership between the title company, the real estate professionals, and the consumer, so that we can close the homeownership gap for the non-Anglo homebuyers," Wong said.
Changing demographics are forcing many companies to think about how to better serve the new consumer, he said.
"According to the Census, six of 10 first-time homebuyers in the next decade will be either Latinos, Asians or African Americans," he said.
And that's just in the U.S., he noted.
"In California, that number is probably more powerful," Wong said.
The homeownership rate for Latinos and African Americans is about 45 percent, and about 55 percent for Asian Americans, Wong said. Anglo households are roughly 75 percent, he said.
"So we're trying to help close the homeownership gap in a way that we develop a win-win homeownership," he said.
Not only will the program help First American recruit and groom its own multi cultural staff, but they will work with real estate professionals to service the targeted market, he said.
"Diversity training is culture competency training," he said. "Language is one of the many component of culture," he said.
Barbara Smith can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
Monday, March 14, 2005
More than 5,000 residences on horizon in Vacaville
Metropolis in making
More than 5,000 residences on horizon
By Tom Hall/Staff Writer
If Vacaville isn't already considered a metropolis, the day when it is may be coming soon.
Projections show that by 2025, Vacaville could have more than 120,000 residents - not counting inmates at the two state correctional institutions in town. More than 5,000 homes are in the city's approval pipeline.
Some major projects, like North Village in northeastern Vacaville, are already under way. North Village is expected to bring up to 2,400 homes to the city.
Other projects, like development in Lagoon Valley, are still moving through final approvals. Lagoon Valley won't break ground until late 2006 at the earliest, and it will bring in a little more than 1,000 homes.
There are also mostly speculative projects to consider including possible apartment units at the redeveloped Nut Tree site. Developer Roger Snell has tentative plans in place for as many as 200 apartments in the remake of the once-popular highway stop.
Some projects will build small, affordable units for niche groups, like the Vanden Road Townhomes development, which will be targeted at personnel at Travis Air Force Base.
Other projects are focusing on a different group of homebuyers with larger offerings, such as the Reynolds Ranch, which boasts lot sizes of up to an acre.
Regardless of the size, shape or cost of the housing units, they all have one thing in common: They're bringing more residents to Vacaville.
Chris Gustin, the city's assistant director of community development, said each new housing unit is estimated to bring an average of 2.83 new residents to Vacaville.
Using that figure, 5,000 new homes would bring more than 14,000 new residents to the city.
The actual tally of new homes may be closer to 6,000, Gustin said, because of the various infill projects in the works. That would mean just less than 17,000 new residents for Vacaville.
Ken Campo, the city's finance manager, said an influx of new homes means an immediate boost to the local economy.
"The new residents help in the short-term," Campo said. "There's more property taxes being paid, more sales tax is being paid."
Property tax revenue for the city could increase as much as $21 million, depending on the value of the homes eventually built. Campo said the impact on the long-term health of the local economy more heavily relies on the creation of local jobs.
"If you've got jobs, that means you have employers here," Campo said. "Then you have people going out to lunch, stopping at the store here and keeping people off the freeway."
Gustin said the city should be at full build-out in the year 2025. As a result of negotiations involved in the Lagoon Valley development, the city is looking at creating an urban limit line that would restrict how far out Vacaville could spread.
Most land that falls within the general guidelines of that limit line either is developed or has development plans under way. Gustin said population increases would be very modest once full build-out is accomplished.
But an influx of residents comes with some costs. Along with new residents comes an increase in demand for city services.
As such, three new fire stations are in the works - at Lagoon Valley, the Southtown area on Vanden Road, and near North Village. New schools are also planned, including an elementary school in the Reynolds Ranch area and a high school off Leisure Town Road.
Campo said to offset a lot of costs, nearly all new homes will be part of community development districts. Fees will be assessed on property owners in those areas to pay for infrastructure, park improvements and, in some cases, private roads.
Tom Hall can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com
More than 5,000 residences on horizon
By Tom Hall/Staff Writer
If Vacaville isn't already considered a metropolis, the day when it is may be coming soon.
Projections show that by 2025, Vacaville could have more than 120,000 residents - not counting inmates at the two state correctional institutions in town. More than 5,000 homes are in the city's approval pipeline.
Some major projects, like North Village in northeastern Vacaville, are already under way. North Village is expected to bring up to 2,400 homes to the city.
Other projects, like development in Lagoon Valley, are still moving through final approvals. Lagoon Valley won't break ground until late 2006 at the earliest, and it will bring in a little more than 1,000 homes.
There are also mostly speculative projects to consider including possible apartment units at the redeveloped Nut Tree site. Developer Roger Snell has tentative plans in place for as many as 200 apartments in the remake of the once-popular highway stop.
Some projects will build small, affordable units for niche groups, like the Vanden Road Townhomes development, which will be targeted at personnel at Travis Air Force Base.
Other projects are focusing on a different group of homebuyers with larger offerings, such as the Reynolds Ranch, which boasts lot sizes of up to an acre.
Regardless of the size, shape or cost of the housing units, they all have one thing in common: They're bringing more residents to Vacaville.
Chris Gustin, the city's assistant director of community development, said each new housing unit is estimated to bring an average of 2.83 new residents to Vacaville.
Using that figure, 5,000 new homes would bring more than 14,000 new residents to the city.
The actual tally of new homes may be closer to 6,000, Gustin said, because of the various infill projects in the works. That would mean just less than 17,000 new residents for Vacaville.
Ken Campo, the city's finance manager, said an influx of new homes means an immediate boost to the local economy.
"The new residents help in the short-term," Campo said. "There's more property taxes being paid, more sales tax is being paid."
Property tax revenue for the city could increase as much as $21 million, depending on the value of the homes eventually built. Campo said the impact on the long-term health of the local economy more heavily relies on the creation of local jobs.
"If you've got jobs, that means you have employers here," Campo said. "Then you have people going out to lunch, stopping at the store here and keeping people off the freeway."
Gustin said the city should be at full build-out in the year 2025. As a result of negotiations involved in the Lagoon Valley development, the city is looking at creating an urban limit line that would restrict how far out Vacaville could spread.
Most land that falls within the general guidelines of that limit line either is developed or has development plans under way. Gustin said population increases would be very modest once full build-out is accomplished.
But an influx of residents comes with some costs. Along with new residents comes an increase in demand for city services.
As such, three new fire stations are in the works - at Lagoon Valley, the Southtown area on Vanden Road, and near North Village. New schools are also planned, including an elementary school in the Reynolds Ranch area and a high school off Leisure Town Road.
Campo said to offset a lot of costs, nearly all new homes will be part of community development districts. Fees will be assessed on property owners in those areas to pay for infrastructure, park improvements and, in some cases, private roads.
Tom Hall can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com
Friday, March 11, 2005
Orchard Supply Hardware planning 43,000-square-foot facility on a 6-acre parcel at the northwest corner of Hume Way and Peabody Road in Vacaville, CA
Article Launched: 03/11/2005 07:48:07 AM
Orchard hardware seeking approval
By Barbara Smith/Business Writer
Consumers' choices of home improvement supplies in Vacaville may broaden considerably if officials approve a new Orchard Supply Hardware store proposed near Costco.
Orchard Supply Hardware, originally located in the Alamo Plaza shopping center, closed years ago. The Vacaville Planning Commission on Tuesday will consider approval with conditions on a 43,000-square-foot facility on a 6-acre parcel at the northwest corner of Hume Way and Peabody Road.
Peyman Behvan, associate planner, said while the staff report is not completed, he is recommending approval of the store.
"It's a pretty visibly location," Behvan said. "It's a permitted use, and we think it's going to be a nice building."
Behvan added that the plans show a customer pick up area, nursery and other support areas.
The proposal is actually for a 60,000-square-foot retail center, so there will be two building pads for future development, likely retail, on the site, Behvan said.
The Vacaville Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 650 Merchant St.
Barbara Smith can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
Orchard hardware seeking approval
By Barbara Smith/Business Writer
Consumers' choices of home improvement supplies in Vacaville may broaden considerably if officials approve a new Orchard Supply Hardware store proposed near Costco.
Orchard Supply Hardware, originally located in the Alamo Plaza shopping center, closed years ago. The Vacaville Planning Commission on Tuesday will consider approval with conditions on a 43,000-square-foot facility on a 6-acre parcel at the northwest corner of Hume Way and Peabody Road.
Peyman Behvan, associate planner, said while the staff report is not completed, he is recommending approval of the store.
"It's a pretty visibly location," Behvan said. "It's a permitted use, and we think it's going to be a nice building."
Behvan added that the plans show a customer pick up area, nursery and other support areas.
The proposal is actually for a 60,000-square-foot retail center, so there will be two building pads for future development, likely retail, on the site, Behvan said.
The Vacaville Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 650 Merchant St.
Barbara Smith can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
Mills Corp is crafting a plan to redevelop the fairgrounds into a Main Street-styled pedestrian center sets preliminary master plan for Sept 15
Article Published: Friday, March 11, 2005
Officials agree to push back fairgrounds master plan deadline
By GREG MOBERLY, Times-Herald staff writer
A major mall developer crafting a plan to redevelop the fairgrounds into a Main Street-styled pedestrian center needs more time and Solano County fair officials say the added time will only help.
The Solano County Fair Board agreed Wednesday night to push back Mills Corp.'s April 15 deadline for a preliminary master plan. Mills officials said they need more time to conduct preliminary environmental and traffic studies. The deadline was pushed back to Sept. 15 and several other reporting update sessions were added to the process.
County officials have worked toward redeveloping the fairgrounds into a year-round destination retail development for the past several years.
The plan changed slightly in October after Mills officials said the public favored more of a city center-look, with shops and restaurants.
The county hopes the development will reinvigorate its annual county fair.
This is the second time in the past year that Mills has asked for its deadlines to be pushed back. Mills Corp. Development Consultant Brian Clark said it isn't uncommon for such large projects to take longer than originally thought.
"It's better to do it right than to push forward with something that might be flawed," said Supervisor Barbara Kondylis, District 1-Vallejo. The fair has been there for years and it's going to continue to be there for years, she added.
The Solano County Board of Supervisors has to vote on the delay. It is expected to take up the matter at its April 5 meeting.
Fair board President Bill Luiz and other fair officials said Mills has a lot of money invested in the project and the company needs more time to do the project right.
Some environmental issues take longer to address, Luiz said.
Other deadlines include May 16 for specific fairgrounds concepts and April 15 for preliminary traffic and infrastructure studies.
- E-mail Greg Moberly at GMoberly@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6833.
Officials agree to push back fairgrounds master plan deadline
By GREG MOBERLY, Times-Herald staff writer
A major mall developer crafting a plan to redevelop the fairgrounds into a Main Street-styled pedestrian center needs more time and Solano County fair officials say the added time will only help.
The Solano County Fair Board agreed Wednesday night to push back Mills Corp.'s April 15 deadline for a preliminary master plan. Mills officials said they need more time to conduct preliminary environmental and traffic studies. The deadline was pushed back to Sept. 15 and several other reporting update sessions were added to the process.
County officials have worked toward redeveloping the fairgrounds into a year-round destination retail development for the past several years.
The plan changed slightly in October after Mills officials said the public favored more of a city center-look, with shops and restaurants.
The county hopes the development will reinvigorate its annual county fair.
This is the second time in the past year that Mills has asked for its deadlines to be pushed back. Mills Corp. Development Consultant Brian Clark said it isn't uncommon for such large projects to take longer than originally thought.
"It's better to do it right than to push forward with something that might be flawed," said Supervisor Barbara Kondylis, District 1-Vallejo. The fair has been there for years and it's going to continue to be there for years, she added.
The Solano County Board of Supervisors has to vote on the delay. It is expected to take up the matter at its April 5 meeting.
Fair board President Bill Luiz and other fair officials said Mills has a lot of money invested in the project and the company needs more time to do the project right.
Some environmental issues take longer to address, Luiz said.
Other deadlines include May 16 for specific fairgrounds concepts and April 15 for preliminary traffic and infrastructure studies.
- E-mail Greg Moberly at GMoberly@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6833.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Genentech touts company's growth
03/10/2005 07:14:34 AM
Genentech touts company's growth
Report to investors provides overview of past achievements and future plans.
By Reporter Staff
Genentech Inc. officials recently presented an overview of the company's strategy and financial goals for 2005 and beyond at its investment community meeting in New York.
In addition, the company provided investors with an overview of recent developments, including highlights from its research, product development, commercial and manufacturing efforts.
Genentech, which has a manufacturing facility in Vacaville, is a leading biotechnology company based in South San Francisco that develops and manufactures biotherapeutics for significant unmet medical needs.
Drugs manufactured in Vacaville include Xolair, which treats acute asthma; Rituxan for non-Hodgkin's lymphomas; and Herceptin for breast cancer. Genentech's star product is Avistan, which targets cancerous tumors.
Genentech Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Arthur D. Levinson, Ph.D., reported the completion of an outstanding year of growth in 2004, and said the company is well positioned for 2005 and beyond.
The company expects to have substantive revenue progress, but achieving the goal of $500 million in new revenues from strategic alliances or acquisitions is uncertain since the company has changed its strategic focus to pursue earlier-stage opportunities.
Due to its focus on earlier-stage opportunities, Genentech has entered into more than 50 significant agreements and in-licensing agreements since 1999, which positions it well for future growth prospects. "Scientific research is our foundation and our future," Levinson said in a prepared statement. "We continue to build upon our strength in biology to find novel approaches to some of the most difficult medical challenges."
Genentech touts company's growth
Report to investors provides overview of past achievements and future plans.
By Reporter Staff
Genentech Inc. officials recently presented an overview of the company's strategy and financial goals for 2005 and beyond at its investment community meeting in New York.
In addition, the company provided investors with an overview of recent developments, including highlights from its research, product development, commercial and manufacturing efforts.
Genentech, which has a manufacturing facility in Vacaville, is a leading biotechnology company based in South San Francisco that develops and manufactures biotherapeutics for significant unmet medical needs.
Drugs manufactured in Vacaville include Xolair, which treats acute asthma; Rituxan for non-Hodgkin's lymphomas; and Herceptin for breast cancer. Genentech's star product is Avistan, which targets cancerous tumors.
Genentech Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Arthur D. Levinson, Ph.D., reported the completion of an outstanding year of growth in 2004, and said the company is well positioned for 2005 and beyond.
The company expects to have substantive revenue progress, but achieving the goal of $500 million in new revenues from strategic alliances or acquisitions is uncertain since the company has changed its strategic focus to pursue earlier-stage opportunities.
Due to its focus on earlier-stage opportunities, Genentech has entered into more than 50 significant agreements and in-licensing agreements since 1999, which positions it well for future growth prospects. "Scientific research is our foundation and our future," Levinson said in a prepared statement. "We continue to build upon our strength in biology to find novel approaches to some of the most difficult medical challenges."
Solano County debates future of newly acquired 905 hilly green acres Vallejo Swett Ranch open space
Posted on Thu, Feb. 17, 2005
Solano County debates future of newly acquired open space
By Liz Tascio
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
SOUTHERN SOLANO COUNTY - As a nonprofit group celebrates the final phase of a nearly 4,000-acre open space acquisition, the county is still wondering what to do with the property.
In January, the Solano Land Trust purchased Vallejo Swett Ranch, 905 hilly green acres that form the western boundary of the Sky Valley-Cordelia Hills area. It was the last of three parcels that have been purchased from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. since 2002, completing a thick, 3,900-acre swath bordered by interstates 680 and 80.
The county supports developing a regional park system, but wants more information about what it would cost and how it could be funded. The land trust itself does not have the funds or the mission to operate a park, just to secure land from future development.
Residents may not know that much of the open space in Solano County is privately owned, said Bob Berman of the Solano Land Trust.
"They don't understand that for most of these lands, there's not permanent protection," he said.
The county Board of Supervisors decided in January to explore options other than creating a regional park district, which would require legislative approval from the state and a local vote.
The county could bring the land under its own parks and recreation division, which currently operates about 225 acres. Solano County's general plan lists 14 properties, including Sky Valley-Cordelia Hills, that it is interested in managing as park sites, possibly in partnership with other jurisdictions.
For now, cattle graze the gated Sky Valley area, and docents lead scheduled tours on weekends. Several rare and endangered species make their home on Vallejo Swett: the California red-legged frog, Swainson's hawk, the valley elderberry longhorn beetle and a native lily called dwarf soaproot.
The Coastal Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Board contributed about $4.5 million of the $5.2 million it took to buy the first two pieces of the PG&E land, Eastern Swett Ranch and King Ranch. The properties are watersheds for Suisun Marsh.
Vallejo Swett did not qualify for the same grants, but the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation of San Francisco approached the land trust, eventually contributing $2.15 million of the $2.75 million the land trust needed to buy the property.
The Solano Land Trust, formed in 1986, aims to protect open space for public access and farming, either by buying the land outright or by acquiring conservation easements. The Vallejo Swett purchase brought its holdings to nearly 9,000 acres.
The county's economy depends on farming, and residents depend on open space for a good quality of life, Berman said.
Just look at brochures for housing developments, he said.
"They never show pictures of traffic backed up on the bridge," Berman said. "They show open space and wildflowers."
Vallejo, Fairfield, Benicia and the county make up a joint powers authority dedicated to maintaining Sky Valley-Cordelia Hills as open space. In part, the cities like a natural buffer that keeps them distinct from one another.
Some members of the agricultural community worry that opening all of Sky Valley as a public park would bring in contagious diseases that could infect herds, and that hikers would ignore the private property lines of adjacent ranchers.
Russ Lester, a walnut farmer who sits on the land trust board of directors, wants the county to be very cautious in choosing what to do with the land he helped acquire.
For one thing, the county would lose out on property taxes if all the land became a public park, he said. He also worries that cattle farmers would suffer if contagions got trekked in on the soles of hiking boots.
"The problem is that all it takes is someone to bring in just a little bit of dirt contaminated with hoof-and-mouth disease," he said. "Once it's established in that area, its very difficult to get rid of."
At the request of the Board of Supervisors, county employees are researching costs of operating a regional park system, said Veronica Ferguson, county director of general services.
No matter what, Sky Valley-Cordelia Hills will remain protected open space indefinitely. The land trust is looking into buying one more connecting parcel, about 2,000 acres owned by Santa Clara. Berman supposes that will cost about $5 million.
"It really is what you would call legacy work," Berman said. "Whatever we pay for it today is going to seem like a great deal 50 or 100 years from now."
Solano County debates future of newly acquired open space
By Liz Tascio
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
SOUTHERN SOLANO COUNTY - As a nonprofit group celebrates the final phase of a nearly 4,000-acre open space acquisition, the county is still wondering what to do with the property.
In January, the Solano Land Trust purchased Vallejo Swett Ranch, 905 hilly green acres that form the western boundary of the Sky Valley-Cordelia Hills area. It was the last of three parcels that have been purchased from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. since 2002, completing a thick, 3,900-acre swath bordered by interstates 680 and 80.
The county supports developing a regional park system, but wants more information about what it would cost and how it could be funded. The land trust itself does not have the funds or the mission to operate a park, just to secure land from future development.
Residents may not know that much of the open space in Solano County is privately owned, said Bob Berman of the Solano Land Trust.
"They don't understand that for most of these lands, there's not permanent protection," he said.
The county Board of Supervisors decided in January to explore options other than creating a regional park district, which would require legislative approval from the state and a local vote.
The county could bring the land under its own parks and recreation division, which currently operates about 225 acres. Solano County's general plan lists 14 properties, including Sky Valley-Cordelia Hills, that it is interested in managing as park sites, possibly in partnership with other jurisdictions.
For now, cattle graze the gated Sky Valley area, and docents lead scheduled tours on weekends. Several rare and endangered species make their home on Vallejo Swett: the California red-legged frog, Swainson's hawk, the valley elderberry longhorn beetle and a native lily called dwarf soaproot.
The Coastal Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Board contributed about $4.5 million of the $5.2 million it took to buy the first two pieces of the PG&E land, Eastern Swett Ranch and King Ranch. The properties are watersheds for Suisun Marsh.
Vallejo Swett did not qualify for the same grants, but the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation of San Francisco approached the land trust, eventually contributing $2.15 million of the $2.75 million the land trust needed to buy the property.
The Solano Land Trust, formed in 1986, aims to protect open space for public access and farming, either by buying the land outright or by acquiring conservation easements. The Vallejo Swett purchase brought its holdings to nearly 9,000 acres.
The county's economy depends on farming, and residents depend on open space for a good quality of life, Berman said.
Just look at brochures for housing developments, he said.
"They never show pictures of traffic backed up on the bridge," Berman said. "They show open space and wildflowers."
Vallejo, Fairfield, Benicia and the county make up a joint powers authority dedicated to maintaining Sky Valley-Cordelia Hills as open space. In part, the cities like a natural buffer that keeps them distinct from one another.
Some members of the agricultural community worry that opening all of Sky Valley as a public park would bring in contagious diseases that could infect herds, and that hikers would ignore the private property lines of adjacent ranchers.
Russ Lester, a walnut farmer who sits on the land trust board of directors, wants the county to be very cautious in choosing what to do with the land he helped acquire.
For one thing, the county would lose out on property taxes if all the land became a public park, he said. He also worries that cattle farmers would suffer if contagions got trekked in on the soles of hiking boots.
"The problem is that all it takes is someone to bring in just a little bit of dirt contaminated with hoof-and-mouth disease," he said. "Once it's established in that area, its very difficult to get rid of."
At the request of the Board of Supervisors, county employees are researching costs of operating a regional park system, said Veronica Ferguson, county director of general services.
No matter what, Sky Valley-Cordelia Hills will remain protected open space indefinitely. The land trust is looking into buying one more connecting parcel, about 2,000 acres owned by Santa Clara. Berman supposes that will cost about $5 million.
"It really is what you would call legacy work," Berman said. "Whatever we pay for it today is going to seem like a great deal 50 or 100 years from now."
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
U.S. wine exports, 95 percent of them from California, surged to nearly $800 million last year
February 18, 2005
Wine exports surge to $800M
U.S. wine exports, 95 percent of them from California, surged to nearly $800 million last year, according to preliminary U.S. Department of Commerce data.
The San Francisco-based Wine Institute announced Friday that overall U.S. wine exports rose to $794 million based on 2004 revenue to wineries, a 28 percent jump over the comparable 2003 figure of $621 million. The value of the increased export volume -- $173 million -- was by far the largest yearly increase ever, according to Wine Institute officials. By volume, exports increased 29 percent to 119 million gallons (or 450 million liters).
The report did not break down the source of exported wines by geography, but winegrapes are a major agricultural product in parts of Greater Sacramento and Lodi, El Dorado County and Amador County are among the local areas with wineries.
"More than 60 percent of California wine exports are to the EU (European Union), despite the fact that our vintners face significant trade barriers, including high tariffs and a heavily subsidized EU wine industry," Robert Koch, the Wine Institute's president and CEO, said in a statement. "We are hopeful that the ongoing bilateral wine trade negotiations with the EU and the next round of World Trade Organization negotiations will lower those barriers."
Officials said the weaker U.S. dollar has made California wines more competitive in the world export market, but wine industry leaders said that's not the only factor.
"Wineries are now reaping the benefits of their hard work and marketing efforts of the last few years and establishing brands in major markets," said Joseph Rollo, the Wine Institute's international director.
The top market for California wine is the United Kingdom, where wines from the Golden State made a 20 percent leap in volume last year, to 38 million gallons, and a 41 percent jump in sales revenue, to $299.1 million. Nearly 1 in every 7 bottles of wine sold in the United Kingdom comes from California, the Wine Institute reported.
Other leading export markets for California wine include:
Canada, $123.8 million
Netherlands, $85.6 million
Japan, $82.1 million
Germany, $26.8 million
Mexico, $14.5 million
Switzerland and Denmark, $14 million each
Ireland, $13.9 million
Belgium/Luxembourg, $13.4 million.
The Wine Institute has managed the California wine export program since 1985, and runs promotional efforts in more than 20 countries. U.S. wine exports have shot up from $37 million in 1986 to $794 million last year.
Wine exports surge to $800M
U.S. wine exports, 95 percent of them from California, surged to nearly $800 million last year, according to preliminary U.S. Department of Commerce data.
The San Francisco-based Wine Institute announced Friday that overall U.S. wine exports rose to $794 million based on 2004 revenue to wineries, a 28 percent jump over the comparable 2003 figure of $621 million. The value of the increased export volume -- $173 million -- was by far the largest yearly increase ever, according to Wine Institute officials. By volume, exports increased 29 percent to 119 million gallons (or 450 million liters).
The report did not break down the source of exported wines by geography, but winegrapes are a major agricultural product in parts of Greater Sacramento and Lodi, El Dorado County and Amador County are among the local areas with wineries.
"More than 60 percent of California wine exports are to the EU (European Union), despite the fact that our vintners face significant trade barriers, including high tariffs and a heavily subsidized EU wine industry," Robert Koch, the Wine Institute's president and CEO, said in a statement. "We are hopeful that the ongoing bilateral wine trade negotiations with the EU and the next round of World Trade Organization negotiations will lower those barriers."
Officials said the weaker U.S. dollar has made California wines more competitive in the world export market, but wine industry leaders said that's not the only factor.
"Wineries are now reaping the benefits of their hard work and marketing efforts of the last few years and establishing brands in major markets," said Joseph Rollo, the Wine Institute's international director.
The top market for California wine is the United Kingdom, where wines from the Golden State made a 20 percent leap in volume last year, to 38 million gallons, and a 41 percent jump in sales revenue, to $299.1 million. Nearly 1 in every 7 bottles of wine sold in the United Kingdom comes from California, the Wine Institute reported.
Other leading export markets for California wine include:
Canada, $123.8 million
Netherlands, $85.6 million
Japan, $82.1 million
Germany, $26.8 million
Mexico, $14.5 million
Switzerland and Denmark, $14 million each
Ireland, $13.9 million
Belgium/Luxembourg, $13.4 million.
The Wine Institute has managed the California wine export program since 1985, and runs promotional efforts in more than 20 countries. U.S. wine exports have shot up from $37 million in 1986 to $794 million last year.
Mare Island cleanup to convert many old buildings on the former military base into offices
03/08/2005 07:48:09 AM
Mare Island cleanup
Another phase in getting rid of what Navy left
By Chris G. Denina/Times-Herald, Vallejo
Vallejo's master developer for Mare Island plans to convert many old buildings on the former military base into offices.
The developer wants to transform some empty sites into new neighborhoods, and it aims to convert some spots into tourist attractions.
First, however, the company needs to clean up sites contaminated with toxic chemicals left behind by the U.S. Navy.
Starting in April, Lennar Mare Island LLC plans its next round of cleanup work, this time removing PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, from dozens of industrial buildings.
"Environmental cleanup drives everything on the island," said Lennar spokesman Jason Keadjian, noting that once sites are cleaned, the company can develop the land.
Lennar's latest cleanup project is among a handful of similar jobs being performed around Mare Island, including work on a contaminated landfill and a contaminated rifle range. But the 650-acre Lennar reuse project is the first to redevelop property for civilian use. Lennar has completed cleanup of some areas and has made progress reusing the naval shipyard.
The company recently began construction on its batch of some 1,400 planned homes. Lennar so far has sold a handful of properties to businesses. And the company has plans to renovate older buildings for commercial use.
Before any sites are reused, agencies including the state Department of Toxic Substances Control must sign off on the cleanup.
In the case of the PCBs, much of the contamination was from such electrical equipment as transformers, said Myrna Hayes, community co-chair of Mare Island Restoration Advisory Board. The group helps oversee the reuse of the old base.
The Navy used oil containing PCBs in equipment in many buildings, Hayes said. While some lubricants were replaced with non-PCB oils, some of the toxic chemicals have seeped into the ground and contaminated the soil, she said. The danger is that the chemicals may leak into water systems, she said.
Yet some sites may be left untreated - at least for now, she said. Some transformers still are in use and may sit atop soil contaminated with PCBs. Those units will be fenced off, and the contamination will be noted in the property deed, she said.
Mare Island cleanup
Another phase in getting rid of what Navy left
By Chris G. Denina/Times-Herald, Vallejo
Vallejo's master developer for Mare Island plans to convert many old buildings on the former military base into offices.
The developer wants to transform some empty sites into new neighborhoods, and it aims to convert some spots into tourist attractions.
First, however, the company needs to clean up sites contaminated with toxic chemicals left behind by the U.S. Navy.
Starting in April, Lennar Mare Island LLC plans its next round of cleanup work, this time removing PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, from dozens of industrial buildings.
"Environmental cleanup drives everything on the island," said Lennar spokesman Jason Keadjian, noting that once sites are cleaned, the company can develop the land.
Lennar's latest cleanup project is among a handful of similar jobs being performed around Mare Island, including work on a contaminated landfill and a contaminated rifle range. But the 650-acre Lennar reuse project is the first to redevelop property for civilian use. Lennar has completed cleanup of some areas and has made progress reusing the naval shipyard.
The company recently began construction on its batch of some 1,400 planned homes. Lennar so far has sold a handful of properties to businesses. And the company has plans to renovate older buildings for commercial use.
Before any sites are reused, agencies including the state Department of Toxic Substances Control must sign off on the cleanup.
In the case of the PCBs, much of the contamination was from such electrical equipment as transformers, said Myrna Hayes, community co-chair of Mare Island Restoration Advisory Board. The group helps oversee the reuse of the old base.
The Navy used oil containing PCBs in equipment in many buildings, Hayes said. While some lubricants were replaced with non-PCB oils, some of the toxic chemicals have seeped into the ground and contaminated the soil, she said. The danger is that the chemicals may leak into water systems, she said.
Yet some sites may be left untreated - at least for now, she said. Some transformers still are in use and may sit atop soil contaminated with PCBs. Those units will be fenced off, and the contamination will be noted in the property deed, she said.
Solano loses jobs but fewer than last year with most of the jobs lost from December to January were due to seasonality
Monday, Mar 07, 2005 - 11:09:39 pm PST
Solano loses jobs but fewer than last year
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD - Retailers trimmed their payrolls after the holiday season, which pushed unemployment higher and led to a loss of 3,400 jobs in Solano County, according to a recent state jobs report.
In its monthly study, the state Employment Development Department found that most of the jobs lost from December to January were due to seasonality. The biggest losers during that time were retail trade, which lost 1,000 jobs, construction, which lost 900 jobs, and education, down another 900 jobs.
The region also lost 100 farm jobs.
"The big loss was in retail trade," said Cynthia Solorio, an state labor market analyst. "The reason is that we're coming off the holiday season and retailers are laying off their seasonal help."
Still, financial and professional business sectors, typically not seasonal, combined for a loss of 400 jobs during the month. So not all of the downturn could be attributed to seasonality.
But the bigger picture, and a healthier one, Solorio said, was that the county's employers added 1,900 jobs since January 2004, most of them in the construction industry. Those year-over-year figures tell a more comprehensive story than the monthly changes, she said.
"In both respects, jobs and unemployment rate, Solano County did better," she said.
Unemployment shot up in January but remained lower than the same time last year. The unadjusted jobless rate was 6.1 percent, up from 5.3 percent in December but down from 6.7 percent last year.
The unemployment rate reflects only individuals actively seeking work who have applied for financial assistance, so it's often considered a less-reliable indicator of the jobs market than other, more specific figures.
January's jobs report was several weeks late as state analysts waited for the federal government to reconcile its year-end data and other statewide changes, Solorio said.
One of the California changes that caused the holdup was that some multi-county Metropolitan Statistical Areas were split into single-county MSAs for greater precision when compiling jobs data. This was done for Solano and Napa counties, which changed from a single grouping that included Vallejo, Fairfield and Napa to two separate county areas.
So, in effect, Solano County was separated from Napa County for the first time.
"You'll be able to see trends faster," Solorio said.
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Solano loses jobs but fewer than last year
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD - Retailers trimmed their payrolls after the holiday season, which pushed unemployment higher and led to a loss of 3,400 jobs in Solano County, according to a recent state jobs report.
In its monthly study, the state Employment Development Department found that most of the jobs lost from December to January were due to seasonality. The biggest losers during that time were retail trade, which lost 1,000 jobs, construction, which lost 900 jobs, and education, down another 900 jobs.
The region also lost 100 farm jobs.
"The big loss was in retail trade," said Cynthia Solorio, an state labor market analyst. "The reason is that we're coming off the holiday season and retailers are laying off their seasonal help."
Still, financial and professional business sectors, typically not seasonal, combined for a loss of 400 jobs during the month. So not all of the downturn could be attributed to seasonality.
But the bigger picture, and a healthier one, Solorio said, was that the county's employers added 1,900 jobs since January 2004, most of them in the construction industry. Those year-over-year figures tell a more comprehensive story than the monthly changes, she said.
"In both respects, jobs and unemployment rate, Solano County did better," she said.
Unemployment shot up in January but remained lower than the same time last year. The unadjusted jobless rate was 6.1 percent, up from 5.3 percent in December but down from 6.7 percent last year.
The unemployment rate reflects only individuals actively seeking work who have applied for financial assistance, so it's often considered a less-reliable indicator of the jobs market than other, more specific figures.
January's jobs report was several weeks late as state analysts waited for the federal government to reconcile its year-end data and other statewide changes, Solorio said.
One of the California changes that caused the holdup was that some multi-county Metropolitan Statistical Areas were split into single-county MSAs for greater precision when compiling jobs data. This was done for Solano and Napa counties, which changed from a single grouping that included Vallejo, Fairfield and Napa to two separate county areas.
So, in effect, Solano County was separated from Napa County for the first time.
"You'll be able to see trends faster," Solorio said.
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Fairfield will issue something like 900 permits for detached homes this year
Article Last Updated: Wednesday, Mar 09, 2005 - 12:40:16 am PST
Construction growth 'typical' for the season
By Matthew Bunk
DAILY REPUBLIC
FAIRFIELD - It's been a slow year so far for commercial construction, although a rise in single-family homes seem to be filling the building gap, according to a monthly report from Fairfield's building division.
On the commercial front, there's no need to worry, said Fairfield building official Tom Garcia. The slowdown is typical for the early part of the year and not unusual considering recent rainy weather, he said.
As for home construction, Fairfield is a little ways ahead of normal stride, judging from the number of building permits issued in previous years.
"Since the late 1990s, the number of permits for single-family homes has steadily increased," he said. "And this is probably going to be a typical year."
If that's the case, Fairfield will issue something like 900 permits for detached homes this year. Through the end of February, the city issued 128.
No apartment permits were issued in the first two months of the year.
Only one commercial building permit was issued in the first two months of the year, compared to eight permits handed out during the same period last year. Even permits for categories such as commercial alterations, additions and repairs were down to about half of last year's totals.
The rainy season hampers commercial construction more than residential construction, Garcia said. Wet ground makes it harder to prepare for a commercial project because of additional permit requirements, he said.
On average, Fairfield issues about 30 permits a year for new commercial buildings. Though behind at this point, Garcia expects to hit that mark again this year.
"There are several commercial projects in the plan-check stage right now, so it will probably balance out over the year," he said.
Residential construction, despite the abundance of rain this year, is up. Because slowing down hurts profits, many home builders are trying to keep up production levels through the adverse weather, Garcia said.
"If it rains for five days straight or something like that, then they have to wait for the ground to dry," he said. "But unless it's really soft, they're trying to build right through it."
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Construction growth 'typical' for the season
By Matthew Bunk
DAILY REPUBLIC
FAIRFIELD - It's been a slow year so far for commercial construction, although a rise in single-family homes seem to be filling the building gap, according to a monthly report from Fairfield's building division.
On the commercial front, there's no need to worry, said Fairfield building official Tom Garcia. The slowdown is typical for the early part of the year and not unusual considering recent rainy weather, he said.
As for home construction, Fairfield is a little ways ahead of normal stride, judging from the number of building permits issued in previous years.
"Since the late 1990s, the number of permits for single-family homes has steadily increased," he said. "And this is probably going to be a typical year."
If that's the case, Fairfield will issue something like 900 permits for detached homes this year. Through the end of February, the city issued 128.
No apartment permits were issued in the first two months of the year.
Only one commercial building permit was issued in the first two months of the year, compared to eight permits handed out during the same period last year. Even permits for categories such as commercial alterations, additions and repairs were down to about half of last year's totals.
The rainy season hampers commercial construction more than residential construction, Garcia said. Wet ground makes it harder to prepare for a commercial project because of additional permit requirements, he said.
On average, Fairfield issues about 30 permits a year for new commercial buildings. Though behind at this point, Garcia expects to hit that mark again this year.
"There are several commercial projects in the plan-check stage right now, so it will probably balance out over the year," he said.
Residential construction, despite the abundance of rain this year, is up. Because slowing down hurts profits, many home builders are trying to keep up production levels through the adverse weather, Garcia said.
"If it rains for five days straight or something like that, then they have to wait for the ground to dry," he said. "But unless it's really soft, they're trying to build right through it."
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Vacaville council approves Kaiser plans year for a 508,000-square-foot hospital adding 1,000 jobs to the 450 existing jobs at the medical offices
Vacaville council approves Kaiser hospital
By Matthew BunkVACAVILLE - The City Council gave the go-ahead Tuesday night to build a large hospital campus just north of Interstate 80, and Kaiser Permanente couldn't be more pleased.
All that's left now is to start building.
"We look forward to breaking ground," said Deborah Romer, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser, which submitted plans to the city late last year for a 508,000-square-foot hospital.
The campus will surround Kaiser's existing medical office buildings on Vaca Valley Parkway. When complete, it will include 150 beds, eight rooms specifically for delivering babies and a 24-hour emergency room.
Kaiser expects to start construction in May, although the facility probably won't open until 2009, according to a detailed timeline that accompanied blueprints for the campus. Construction costs should fall between $200 million and $400 million.
The hospital, the second in Vacaville, will add 1,000 jobs to the 450 already offered at the existing medical offices, according to a statement from Kaiser. It will join biotechs Alza and Genentech, both also undergoing expansions, as one of Vacaville's top employers.
More than just jobs, the medical center will improve the quality of health care in the city, Mayor Len Augustine said.
"Many residents in Vacaville and the surrounding communities will benefit greatly from Kaiser's decision," he said.
The City Council unanimously approved Kaiser's master plan, which was fast-tracked as an item on the consent agenda.
"We are delighted with the City Council's decision," Romer said, noting the facility will have room for future expansion if necessary.
Kaiser, which operates in nine states, has more than 240,000 members in Napa and Solano counties. It was founded in 1945 and began operating in Solano County in 1947.
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Copyright Daily Republic. All rights reserved.
By Matthew BunkVACAVILLE - The City Council gave the go-ahead Tuesday night to build a large hospital campus just north of Interstate 80, and Kaiser Permanente couldn't be more pleased.
All that's left now is to start building.
"We look forward to breaking ground," said Deborah Romer, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser, which submitted plans to the city late last year for a 508,000-square-foot hospital.
The campus will surround Kaiser's existing medical office buildings on Vaca Valley Parkway. When complete, it will include 150 beds, eight rooms specifically for delivering babies and a 24-hour emergency room.
Kaiser expects to start construction in May, although the facility probably won't open until 2009, according to a detailed timeline that accompanied blueprints for the campus. Construction costs should fall between $200 million and $400 million.
The hospital, the second in Vacaville, will add 1,000 jobs to the 450 already offered at the existing medical offices, according to a statement from Kaiser. It will join biotechs Alza and Genentech, both also undergoing expansions, as one of Vacaville's top employers.
More than just jobs, the medical center will improve the quality of health care in the city, Mayor Len Augustine said.
"Many residents in Vacaville and the surrounding communities will benefit greatly from Kaiser's decision," he said.
The City Council unanimously approved Kaiser's master plan, which was fast-tracked as an item on the consent agenda.
"We are delighted with the City Council's decision," Romer said, noting the facility will have room for future expansion if necessary.
Kaiser, which operates in nine states, has more than 240,000 members in Napa and Solano counties. It was founded in 1945 and began operating in Solano County in 1947.
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Copyright Daily Republic. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
County adds 2,000 jobs!
By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN, Times-Herald staff writer
The number of jobs in Solano County has grown over the past year, though you might not know it from how many jobs the same area lost in the past month.
Cynthia Solario, this area's labor market consultant for the state's Employment Development Department, said Monday that Solano County lost 3,400 jobs between December and January, but still gained nearly 2,000 jobs over the year.
"The jobs lost between December 2004 and January 2005 are primarily due to seasonal factors and is typical for this time of year," Solario said. "There was a decline in retail jobs coming out of the holiday season and in construction, due to the weather. There was also a drop in local education jobs, mostly due to winter break.
"The good news," Solario added, "is the year-to-year changes between January 2004 and this past January, when Solano County gained almost 2,000 jobs. That's an excellent sign."
Solario said the construction industry alone gained about 1,700 jobs in that period, "a good sign that building is going on." Another industry that gained jobs was professional and business services, which includes employment agencies. Health care and social services also gained jobs, as did leisure and hospitality, "a positive sign the economy is turning around," Solario said.
Sandy Person, vice president of the Solano County Economic Development Corp., said the job gains are spread throughout the county.
In Vallejo, office, retail and construction jobs saw the largest increases, due mostly to the city's new State Farm Insurance Co. office, the new Kohl's Department Store and the recent building boom, Person said.
Benicia reported the largest gains in manufacturing and construction jobs, mainly because of the Valero refinery and the new Al Zampa (Carquinez) bridge, she said.
Fairfield has seen gains mostly in manufacturing and office jobs, and Vacaville, mostly construction, manufacturing and retail jobs, Person said. Dixon's growth has been primarily in the retail and services sector, she added.
"Solano County has a higher commute shed than many other counties, with a relatively large number of our talented labor force leaving the county for work.
"Having some success bringing more and diverse industries to the area, we're tapping into that talented labor pool, and at the same time, reducing their commute times," Person said.
"We get to put the labor force that lives here to work here, and that's a win-win for everybody."
Solario said this is the first time the employment figures have been developed for Solano County separate from Napa County, with which it's been grouped for years in a Metropolitan Statistical Area for research purposes. The newly configured statistical areas helps local economists get a more accurate reading of each area, she said.
The number of jobs in Solano County hit a peak in 2002, after reporting the lowest number in the region the previous year, Solario said. The numbers dropped some in 2003, but not to the 2001 lows, she said.
"The 2004 levels look like they're running at a healthy increase. They haven't reached 2002 levels again, but they're close," Solario said. "Construction, in particular, really took off beginning in April, 2004. Employment services are also seeing healthy growth, which usually indicates employers are experiencing expanded needs."
Solario said her agency doesn't predict the future, but offers an analysis. "The job picture is stabilizing and looking healthy for Solano County," she said. "Only time can tell how that projects into the future."
- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnews-net.com or call 553-6824.
The number of jobs in Solano County has grown over the past year, though you might not know it from how many jobs the same area lost in the past month.
Cynthia Solario, this area's labor market consultant for the state's Employment Development Department, said Monday that Solano County lost 3,400 jobs between December and January, but still gained nearly 2,000 jobs over the year.
"The jobs lost between December 2004 and January 2005 are primarily due to seasonal factors and is typical for this time of year," Solario said. "There was a decline in retail jobs coming out of the holiday season and in construction, due to the weather. There was also a drop in local education jobs, mostly due to winter break.
"The good news," Solario added, "is the year-to-year changes between January 2004 and this past January, when Solano County gained almost 2,000 jobs. That's an excellent sign."
Solario said the construction industry alone gained about 1,700 jobs in that period, "a good sign that building is going on." Another industry that gained jobs was professional and business services, which includes employment agencies. Health care and social services also gained jobs, as did leisure and hospitality, "a positive sign the economy is turning around," Solario said.
Sandy Person, vice president of the Solano County Economic Development Corp., said the job gains are spread throughout the county.
In Vallejo, office, retail and construction jobs saw the largest increases, due mostly to the city's new State Farm Insurance Co. office, the new Kohl's Department Store and the recent building boom, Person said.
Benicia reported the largest gains in manufacturing and construction jobs, mainly because of the Valero refinery and the new Al Zampa (Carquinez) bridge, she said.
Fairfield has seen gains mostly in manufacturing and office jobs, and Vacaville, mostly construction, manufacturing and retail jobs, Person said. Dixon's growth has been primarily in the retail and services sector, she added.
"Solano County has a higher commute shed than many other counties, with a relatively large number of our talented labor force leaving the county for work.
"Having some success bringing more and diverse industries to the area, we're tapping into that talented labor pool, and at the same time, reducing their commute times," Person said.
"We get to put the labor force that lives here to work here, and that's a win-win for everybody."
Solario said this is the first time the employment figures have been developed for Solano County separate from Napa County, with which it's been grouped for years in a Metropolitan Statistical Area for research purposes. The newly configured statistical areas helps local economists get a more accurate reading of each area, she said.
The number of jobs in Solano County hit a peak in 2002, after reporting the lowest number in the region the previous year, Solario said. The numbers dropped some in 2003, but not to the 2001 lows, she said.
"The 2004 levels look like they're running at a healthy increase. They haven't reached 2002 levels again, but they're close," Solario said. "Construction, in particular, really took off beginning in April, 2004. Employment services are also seeing healthy growth, which usually indicates employers are experiencing expanded needs."
Solario said her agency doesn't predict the future, but offers an analysis. "The job picture is stabilizing and looking healthy for Solano County," she said. "Only time can tell how that projects into the future."
- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnews-net.com or call 553-6824.
Monday, March 07, 2005
UC Davis brings area big bucks - revenue of $2.15 billion during the 2003-04 fiscal year
Article Last Updated: Monday, Mar 07, 2005 - 11:09:53 pm PST
UC Davis brings area big bucks
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD - The university campus at Davis was a big part of the central California economy last year, according to a university financial report.
After state government, the University of California, Davis, was the second-largest employer in the seven-county capital region. Its 28,230 employees took home nearly $1.1 billion during the 2003-04 fiscal year.
The campus budget during the year was $1.97 billion, during which time it generated revenue of $2.15 billion, according to the campus' revenue and expenditure figures and a consultant's analyses.
Beyond the direct impact of salaries and jobs, the university contributes to the state economy by infusing into the jobs market roughly 6,000 graduates every year, the university estimated.
For every two jobs at UC Davis, another job is created in the state, according to estimates.
"This latest round of financial figures shows that UC Davis continues to have a profound impact on the long-term economic health of California and the Sacramento region," Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef said. "But perhaps more important is the impact of our 30,000-plus students, our more than 6,000 graduates each year and our faculty and staff's commitment to our mission."
mpugh@dailyrepublic.net
UC Davis brings area big bucks
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD - The university campus at Davis was a big part of the central California economy last year, according to a university financial report.
After state government, the University of California, Davis, was the second-largest employer in the seven-county capital region. Its 28,230 employees took home nearly $1.1 billion during the 2003-04 fiscal year.
The campus budget during the year was $1.97 billion, during which time it generated revenue of $2.15 billion, according to the campus' revenue and expenditure figures and a consultant's analyses.
Beyond the direct impact of salaries and jobs, the university contributes to the state economy by infusing into the jobs market roughly 6,000 graduates every year, the university estimated.
For every two jobs at UC Davis, another job is created in the state, according to estimates.
"This latest round of financial figures shows that UC Davis continues to have a profound impact on the long-term economic health of California and the Sacramento region," Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef said. "But perhaps more important is the impact of our 30,000-plus students, our more than 6,000 graduates each year and our faculty and staff's commitment to our mission."
mpugh@dailyrepublic.net
The Western Railway Museum was selected for a $311,000 grant to support the Jenson Memorial Car House, a 38,000-square-foot building that will display
Article Published: Saturday, March 05, 2005
Rail museum shares in state endowment
The Reporter, Vacaville
The Western Railway Museum near Suisun is moving full steam ahead in its effort to preserve railroad history.
The museum was selected for a $311,000 grant in the competitive grab for funds from the newly created California Cultural and Historical Endowment, officials said.
The state's funds will go to support the Jenson Memorial Car House, a 38,000-square-foot building that will display the railroad artifacts in the museum's collection.
The car house will protect the items from the elements of wind and rain, said Phil Kohlmetz, the museum's executive director.
"The museum has been serving Solano County since 1960. Although we're well regarded, we've never really gone out to the community and asked for financial support for our preservation projects,'' Kohlmetz said.
"It was time to change that, and we are delighted to see the state support our efforts to preserve and interpret this unique thread of California history.''
With the state grant, the museum is within 70 percent of its $2.1 million fund-raising goal. The museum is adding volunteers and expanding its campaign committee to make sure the fund-raising goal is reached, Kohlmetz said.
The Western Railway Museum is open 10:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. It is halfway between Suisun City and Rio Vista at 5848 Highway 12.
For more information, visit www.wrm.org or call 374-2978.
Rail museum shares in state endowment
The Reporter, Vacaville
The Western Railway Museum near Suisun is moving full steam ahead in its effort to preserve railroad history.
The museum was selected for a $311,000 grant in the competitive grab for funds from the newly created California Cultural and Historical Endowment, officials said.
The state's funds will go to support the Jenson Memorial Car House, a 38,000-square-foot building that will display the railroad artifacts in the museum's collection.
The car house will protect the items from the elements of wind and rain, said Phil Kohlmetz, the museum's executive director.
"The museum has been serving Solano County since 1960. Although we're well regarded, we've never really gone out to the community and asked for financial support for our preservation projects,'' Kohlmetz said.
"It was time to change that, and we are delighted to see the state support our efforts to preserve and interpret this unique thread of California history.''
With the state grant, the museum is within 70 percent of its $2.1 million fund-raising goal. The museum is adding volunteers and expanding its campaign committee to make sure the fund-raising goal is reached, Kohlmetz said.
The Western Railway Museum is open 10:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. It is halfway between Suisun City and Rio Vista at 5848 Highway 12.
For more information, visit www.wrm.org or call 374-2978.
Friday, March 04, 2005
UC DAVIS' ECONOMIC IMPACT TOPS $2.93 BILLION ANNUALLY
University of California, Davis
March 4, 2005
UC DAVIS' ECONOMIC IMPACT TOPS $2.93 BILLION ANNUALLY
The University of California, Davis, generated an estimated $2.93 billion in economic activity in California during the last full fiscal year, based on recently released financial information for 2003-04.
After state government, UC Davis remains the second-largest employer in the seven-county capital region, with 28,230 full-time and part-time employees. UC Davis paid out $1.086 billion in salaries and wages to those employees in the 2003-04 fiscal year, ending June 30, 2004, while collecting revenues totaling $2.15 billion -- half of which are estimated to have come from outside the area.
"This latest round of financial figures shows that UC Davis continues to have a profound impact on the long-term economic health of California and the Sacramento region," said Chancellor Larry N. Vanderhoef. "But perhaps more important is the impact of our 30,000-plus students, our more than 6,000 graduates each year, and our faculty and staff's commitment to our mission."
UC Davis' more recent estimated economic impact is based on the university's revenue and expenditure figures for the 2003-04 fiscal year, and economic multipliers generated by the Sedway Group of San Francisco for a similar analysis last year. At the time, the consultants examined all spending, employment, student, alumni, visitor and local tax impacts of the main Davis campus, its Sacramento medical center and health system for the 2001-02 fiscal year. Sedway's report estimated the direct and indirect economic effects of campus spending at the local, regional and statewide levels.
Using Sedway's original economic analysis as a guidepost for this year, UC Davis officials offered the following economic impact
analysis:
* For every two direct jobs at UC Davis, another job is created in the state of California. That translates to UC Davis' 28,230 full- and part-time positions generating an additional 14,115 jobs across the state.
* The campus budget of $1.97 billion generated about $2.67 billion in multiplied economic activity in the state for the 2001-02 fiscal year. Using similar multiplier estimates, the 2003-04 budget of $2.15 billion would have generated about $2.93 billion in statewide economic activity last year.
In addition to the state support, UC Davis collected $421 million in research funding in 2003-04, enabling it to hold its place as one of the leading research institutions in the nation -- ranked 14th, according to the National Science Foundation. The university also received $73 million in private support in 2003-04.
The discoveries that result are increasingly being transferred to the public sector, with 136 patent applications filed in 2003-04, and 32 U.S. patents were issued.
For the purposes of the economic analysis, the consultants used the Impact Analysis for Planning model developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This is the same model that California State University, Sacramento, and the University of California, Berkeley, have used for similar studies of those campuses.
For more information on UC Davis' 2003-04 budget and other key financial and academic data, please visit the UC Davis FACTS Web site, at <http://facts.ucdavis.edu/>.
Media contact(s):
* Mitchel Benson, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9844, mdbenson@ucdavis.edu
March 4, 2005
UC DAVIS' ECONOMIC IMPACT TOPS $2.93 BILLION ANNUALLY
The University of California, Davis, generated an estimated $2.93 billion in economic activity in California during the last full fiscal year, based on recently released financial information for 2003-04.
After state government, UC Davis remains the second-largest employer in the seven-county capital region, with 28,230 full-time and part-time employees. UC Davis paid out $1.086 billion in salaries and wages to those employees in the 2003-04 fiscal year, ending June 30, 2004, while collecting revenues totaling $2.15 billion -- half of which are estimated to have come from outside the area.
"This latest round of financial figures shows that UC Davis continues to have a profound impact on the long-term economic health of California and the Sacramento region," said Chancellor Larry N. Vanderhoef. "But perhaps more important is the impact of our 30,000-plus students, our more than 6,000 graduates each year, and our faculty and staff's commitment to our mission."
UC Davis' more recent estimated economic impact is based on the university's revenue and expenditure figures for the 2003-04 fiscal year, and economic multipliers generated by the Sedway Group of San Francisco for a similar analysis last year. At the time, the consultants examined all spending, employment, student, alumni, visitor and local tax impacts of the main Davis campus, its Sacramento medical center and health system for the 2001-02 fiscal year. Sedway's report estimated the direct and indirect economic effects of campus spending at the local, regional and statewide levels.
Using Sedway's original economic analysis as a guidepost for this year, UC Davis officials offered the following economic impact
analysis:
* For every two direct jobs at UC Davis, another job is created in the state of California. That translates to UC Davis' 28,230 full- and part-time positions generating an additional 14,115 jobs across the state.
* The campus budget of $1.97 billion generated about $2.67 billion in multiplied economic activity in the state for the 2001-02 fiscal year. Using similar multiplier estimates, the 2003-04 budget of $2.15 billion would have generated about $2.93 billion in statewide economic activity last year.
In addition to the state support, UC Davis collected $421 million in research funding in 2003-04, enabling it to hold its place as one of the leading research institutions in the nation -- ranked 14th, according to the National Science Foundation. The university also received $73 million in private support in 2003-04.
The discoveries that result are increasingly being transferred to the public sector, with 136 patent applications filed in 2003-04, and 32 U.S. patents were issued.
For the purposes of the economic analysis, the consultants used the Impact Analysis for Planning model developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This is the same model that California State University, Sacramento, and the University of California, Berkeley, have used for similar studies of those campuses.
For more information on UC Davis' 2003-04 budget and other key financial and academic data, please visit the UC Davis FACTS Web site, at <http://facts.ucdavis.edu/>.
Media contact(s):
* Mitchel Benson, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-9844, mdbenson@ucdavis.edu
$23 million is set aside to build Fairfield-Vacaville train station for a new a stop for Capitol Coris to be located near Peabody and Vanden roads
Thursday, Mar 03, 2005 - 11:45:32 pm PST
Train station may finally get built
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD - This may finally be the year that Union Pacific approves a boarding platform design that will ultimately allow the Fairfield-Vacaville train station to be constructed.
Negotiations between local agencies and the railroad have gone on for several years. The railroad owns the tracks and wants to be sure passenger trains run harmoniously with its freight trains.
Local agencies involved in the negotiations expect an agreement to be reached this year, a Solano Transportation Authority report said.
"We're going to remain optimistic and say, 'That's our goal,' " Fairfield Transportation Manager Kevin Daughton said. "I don't see why we can't achieve that."
Union Pacific has the latest proposed track designs for review, he said. But the railroad also has a distraction. It lately has been spending much of its time dealing with damage to its system from the Southern California storms, he said.
Once a deal is reached, a train stop could be ready in three years, the STA report said.
The Fairfield-Vacaville train station is to be located near Peabody and Vanden roads. It is to be a stop for Capitol Corridor trains.
About $23 million is set aside to build the station. But $17 million of this is to come from last year's toll increase for state-owned Bay Area bridges. There is talk at the state level of using toll money to pay for Bay Bridge cost overruns, possibly putting this funding for the train station at risk.
The proposed station would probably have two sets of tracks with a passenger boarding island in the middle. Passengers could reach the island by going under the tracks.
"That's a fairly common design," Daughton said. "Santa Clara has that design. So do some of the more major passenger stations across the country."
The other option is to build a bridge leading to the passenger platform. But this bridge would have to pass more than 23 feet above the railroads tracks, Daughton said. It would have to have an elevator.
The first phase of the railroad station is to include 200 parking spaces, platforms, pedestrian shelters, landscaping and track improvements. A station building would come at a latter date.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Train station may finally get built
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD - This may finally be the year that Union Pacific approves a boarding platform design that will ultimately allow the Fairfield-Vacaville train station to be constructed.
Negotiations between local agencies and the railroad have gone on for several years. The railroad owns the tracks and wants to be sure passenger trains run harmoniously with its freight trains.
Local agencies involved in the negotiations expect an agreement to be reached this year, a Solano Transportation Authority report said.
"We're going to remain optimistic and say, 'That's our goal,' " Fairfield Transportation Manager Kevin Daughton said. "I don't see why we can't achieve that."
Union Pacific has the latest proposed track designs for review, he said. But the railroad also has a distraction. It lately has been spending much of its time dealing with damage to its system from the Southern California storms, he said.
Once a deal is reached, a train stop could be ready in three years, the STA report said.
The Fairfield-Vacaville train station is to be located near Peabody and Vanden roads. It is to be a stop for Capitol Corridor trains.
About $23 million is set aside to build the station. But $17 million of this is to come from last year's toll increase for state-owned Bay Area bridges. There is talk at the state level of using toll money to pay for Bay Bridge cost overruns, possibly putting this funding for the train station at risk.
The proposed station would probably have two sets of tracks with a passenger boarding island in the middle. Passengers could reach the island by going under the tracks.
"That's a fairly common design," Daughton said. "Santa Clara has that design. So do some of the more major passenger stations across the country."
The other option is to build a bridge leading to the passenger platform. But this bridge would have to pass more than 23 feet above the railroads tracks, Daughton said. It would have to have an elevator.
The first phase of the railroad station is to include 200 parking spaces, platforms, pedestrian shelters, landscaping and track improvements. A station building would come at a latter date.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Westamerica completes buyout growing to the No. 7 largest employer in Solano County with nearly 700 workers
Westamerica completes buyout
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD - Westamerica Bancorp is now a bigger player in the Northern California banking industry.
Westamerica, the No. 7 largest employer in Solano County with nearly 700 workers, has completed an acquisition of Redwood Empire Bancorp, a deal that was announced last August but was approved only recently by shareholders in both bank firms and by the Federal Reserve.
The approvals also allow Westamerica to consolidate branch operations in communities where both Westamerica and Redwood Empire have a presence.
Under the terms of the merger, Redwood Empire investors would get cash and Westamerica stock in exchange for their shares of Redwood. In total, Westamerica will pay $57 million and issue 1.6 million shares of common stock for a buyout valued at $153 million.
Redwood Empire, with six bank offices in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties, reported assets of $511 million.
Westamerica, with $4.7 billion in assets, operates 87 branches and two trust offices in Northern and Central California.
Special Note: Westamerica is a member in good standing or Solano EDC.
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD - Westamerica Bancorp is now a bigger player in the Northern California banking industry.
Westamerica, the No. 7 largest employer in Solano County with nearly 700 workers, has completed an acquisition of Redwood Empire Bancorp, a deal that was announced last August but was approved only recently by shareholders in both bank firms and by the Federal Reserve.
The approvals also allow Westamerica to consolidate branch operations in communities where both Westamerica and Redwood Empire have a presence.
Under the terms of the merger, Redwood Empire investors would get cash and Westamerica stock in exchange for their shares of Redwood. In total, Westamerica will pay $57 million and issue 1.6 million shares of common stock for a buyout valued at $153 million.
Redwood Empire, with six bank offices in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties, reported assets of $511 million.
Westamerica, with $4.7 billion in assets, operates 87 branches and two trust offices in Northern and Central California.
Special Note: Westamerica is a member in good standing or Solano EDC.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Housing starts shot up 210.5 percent over the same period last year in Solano, down statewide
Solano County housing starts were up in January year-over-year, according to a report Wednesday by the California Building Industry Association.
Alameda and Contra Costa counties, however, followed a statewide trend with starts down compared to last year.
According to the Construction Industry Research Board in Burbank, new housing units in Solano County, as measured by permits issued for January, shot up 210.5 percent over the same period last year. In January 2005, 267 units were started, compared to 86 started in January 2004.
Compared to December's 522 starts, however, January construction fell 48.9 percent
In Alameda and Contra Costa counties, starts were down 61 percent from January 2004, with only 350 units started in January 2005, compared to 897 units started over the same period last year.
Construction fell 60 percent, compared to the 875 December starts.
Statewide, new units totaled 13,775 in January, compared to the year-ago figure of 14,621, a drop of 5.8 percent.
Compared to December's total of 19,334, construction statewide fell a steeper 28.8 percent in January.
Rain caused construction delays around the state in January.
Alameda and Contra Costa counties, however, followed a statewide trend with starts down compared to last year.
According to the Construction Industry Research Board in Burbank, new housing units in Solano County, as measured by permits issued for January, shot up 210.5 percent over the same period last year. In January 2005, 267 units were started, compared to 86 started in January 2004.
Compared to December's 522 starts, however, January construction fell 48.9 percent
In Alameda and Contra Costa counties, starts were down 61 percent from January 2004, with only 350 units started in January 2005, compared to 897 units started over the same period last year.
Construction fell 60 percent, compared to the 875 December starts.
Statewide, new units totaled 13,775 in January, compared to the year-ago figure of 14,621, a drop of 5.8 percent.
Compared to December's total of 19,334, construction statewide fell a steeper 28.8 percent in January.
Rain caused construction delays around the state in January.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Vacaville-based Large Scale Biology Corp. and Icon Genetics have entered into a collaborative agreement to develop a biopharmaceutical product
03/02/2005 07:26:04 AM
Biotech firms to develop product jointly
By Reporter Staff
Vacaville-based Large Scale Biology Corp. and Icon Genetics have entered into a collaborative agreement to develop a biopharmaceutical product for a major therapeutic market. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The alliance centers on the synergistic application of LSBC's and Munich-based Icon Genetics' patented gene expression and biomanufacturing resources with the goal of developing and commercializing a defined therapeutic product, the manufacture of which by conventional technologies has proven difficult and expensive.
Both companies biomanufacture their own and client-specified therapeutic proteins using non-food/fodder, non-recombinant plants in safe, contained production environments. The goal of the new collaboration is to accelerate development of a difficult-to-produce pharmaceutical by pooling the technical strengths of each company's plant-based platform.
"This collaboration will help accelerate the development of an important product, whose availability and cost have been hampered by inefficient manufacturing methods," said Kevin J. Ryan, president and chief executive officer of Large Scale Biology.
Biotech firms to develop product jointly
By Reporter Staff
Vacaville-based Large Scale Biology Corp. and Icon Genetics have entered into a collaborative agreement to develop a biopharmaceutical product for a major therapeutic market. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The alliance centers on the synergistic application of LSBC's and Munich-based Icon Genetics' patented gene expression and biomanufacturing resources with the goal of developing and commercializing a defined therapeutic product, the manufacture of which by conventional technologies has proven difficult and expensive.
Both companies biomanufacture their own and client-specified therapeutic proteins using non-food/fodder, non-recombinant plants in safe, contained production environments. The goal of the new collaboration is to accelerate development of a difficult-to-produce pharmaceutical by pooling the technical strengths of each company's plant-based platform.
"This collaboration will help accelerate the development of an important product, whose availability and cost have been hampered by inefficient manufacturing methods," said Kevin J. Ryan, president and chief executive officer of Large Scale Biology.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Alza drug technologies pep up local economy - Company invests $100 million to upgrade its 260,000-square-foot facility and now has 1,000 workers
Article Last Updated: 2/27/2005 07:50 AM
Delivering success
Alza drug technologies pep up local economy By Barbara Smith/Business Writer
TheReporter.Com
Inside a small vial of clear warm water, a delicate stream of blue fluid escapes through a tiny opening in the covering around the placebo.
Were it inside a human body, the healing process would begin as the medicine is slowly dispensed to an ailing patient.
Such is the state-of-the-art controlled delivery science enhanced over time by a company that has quietly expanded to become the No. 1 private-sector employer in Vacaville.
Alza Corp. occupies a cluster of buildings north of Vaca Valley Parkway just west of Interstate 505, across the freeway from its more celebrated biotech brother, Genentech. Alza's OROS therapeutic delivery system is helping millions of patients each year.
In the meantime, Alza has helped establish Vacaville as a leading biotech hub in Northern California. It is also feeding the city's economic resurgence.
While the company's Mountain View facility is the stage for scientific research to find new drugs, Alza's Vacaville facility is growing at a frenetic pace. It recently invested $100 million to upgrade its 260,000-square-foot facility and now has at least 1,000 workers, making it the largest employer in the private sector, said Mike Palombo, Vacaville's economic development director. The firm is now running three shifts, he said.
"Obviously they are an important player in the economic development in the community, a very important player," Palombo said. "They are certainly one of the leaders of the industrial community."
Palombo said he understands the $100 million in upgrades is partly for the sophisticated equipment that a pharmaceutical company uses, its value equating to more personal property tax dollars for the city.
Over time, equipment and buildings for companies like Alza depreciate. The city likes to see a company retool because it introduces new tax dollars, Palombo explained.
"It essentially rejuvenates the taxes," he said.
Alza has different needs and different rewards compared with Genentech, a biotechnology leader, but they're both high tech companies that Vacaville welcomes, he said.
"We're happy to have them, and we would certainly be happy to have more companies like them, and I don't necessarily mean competition," Palombo said.
Mike Ammann, president of Solano Economic Development Corporation, said Alza's presence and expansion in Vacaville demonstrates to other companies one of the many elements of the local business climate that reinforces the abilities of other companies to grow.
He credits the city of Vacaville for its ability to work with biotechnology companies.
"You could say that the city of Vacaville has made a living from biotechnology," Ammann said. "They know what they need, and they know the critical aspects of development they need for the success of the company."
Solano EDC is a public-private partnership that attracts new employers and industry to Solano County. Its mission to help local community economic development offices attract business to Solano's seven cities.
Firm's like Alza help Solano EDC and the city get commitments from major corporations, Ammann said.
"They are critical to the cluster of biotech companies that have made their home in Vacaville and given us the ability to market to others, Ammann said.
"When you bring a prospect to that area, the decision is kind of made for them by the decisions made by the other companies. There is commonality, and to leads to our credibility."
Also critical is the alignment of the biotech cluster with Solano Community College and other learning institutions to the labor force needed to fill the positions now and in the future, Ammann said.
"These decisions and expansions are based on 10, 20, 30 years ... you don't make these huge investments without having a sustainable labor force and other critical local characteristics," he said. "It's very important to Alza and others that a long-term labor force is available for them to hire locally."
Meanwhile, Alza's 1,000-employee workforce, including engineers, chemists, scientists and factory workers, keep the Vacaville facility operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said Joe Nuzzolese, vice president of the Vacaville facility.
Alza is more than making pills. Its new technologies focus on a variety of oral products.
OROS was pioneered by Vacaville's Alza Corporation and prescribed to patients that receive Alza's various drugs, like Concerta. A drug manufactured at Alza in Vacaville, Concerta is one of the pharmaceutical firm's top-selling brands. It was developed for patients afflicted with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Concerta comes in a tri-layered tablet, released into a patient's system through an osmotic pump, a pump that pushes the medicine through the porous tablet, gradually releasing medicine over a 24-hour period. The tablet stays intact until the drug is completely dispensed. Few companies have such a delivery system, Nuzzolese said.
"It's not a sustained release, it's a controlled release," he said. "The difference is the profile of the release is engineered inside the tablet."
The Concerta tablet is a three-layer tablet, but is capable of comprising five layers, if necessary.
"It's really very interesting what happens in this facility," Nuzzolese said on a recent tour. "There's a lot of very smart people who work on this stuff every day, from here to Mountain View."
Nuzzolese doesn't try to conceal his excitement when he demonstrates with placebos Alza's successes in pharmaceuticals. Its an excitement shared by employees - from technicians in white coats to warehouse workers.
Among the more dynamic new drug delivery processes at the firm is Ionsys, a credit-card size skin patch that when applied to a patient relieves chronic pain, Alza officials said. Ionsys, a dosing system for acute, post-operative pain, will replace the intravenous pump-and-pull system that dispenses morphine.
"Every time you push the button, it doses you," Nuzzolese said, demonstrating with a placebo. He noted that it does have a control mechanism so people can't overdose.
Nuzzolese said Alza has received an "approvable" letter from the Food and Drug Administration for Ionsys. Final approval is anticipated within the next two years.
"It's actually a tremendous opportunity for this site, and the company," he said. "It's a very innovative product."
Alza is best known for its Nicoderm CQ patch that helps smokers quit the habit, which works much differently than Ionsys. The new product illustrates how the technology has accelerated.
An Ionsys patient can push a button on the patch, activating a tiny battery, similar to that used in a watch, sending the right dosage into the patient's system.
Alza continues to lead the development of drug delivery technology which is used by 30 commercialized products in more than 80 countries. More than 3,000 U.S. and foreign patents are active or pending.
Along with Concerta, one of Alza's big-selling brands is DitropanXL, a drug for those with an overactive bladder.
Its two main transdermal patches are Duragesic, its biggest selling product for chronic pain, and Nicoderm CQ, for smoking cessation.
After Alza was sold to Johnson & Johnson in 2001, the Vacaville facility began to focus on manufacturing. It now produces a couple of products for business partners.
The recent $100 million investment will improve the Alza plant's infrastructure, giving it the capability to grow further.
"This facility is central to a lot of new drug development work," Nuzzolese said. "We have the technology, infrastructure and the people here in Vacaville who are experts at commercializing these types of new technologies."
Nuzzolese notes that Alza is not in competition with Genentech, which is undergoing a $600 expansion. Genentech is a biologics company. But there is a competition to attract the best and brightest from the workforce in the region.
"There's a technical pool that's available in the area and community that we all pull from," Nuzzolese said.
Alza also prides itself in its community involvement, Nuzzolese said.
Beyond its support of the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce, the firm has done a lot from a charitable standpoint, Nuzzolese said, including support for public schools and civic groups. "We do all that because we are a responsible member of the community, and feel that the community can benefit from our participation."
Barbara Smith can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
At a Glance:
Alza Corp.
Pharmaceutical company
Subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson 700 Eubanks Drive, Vacaville
Headquarters: Mountain View
Founded: 1968 by Dr. Alejandro Zaffaroni
Vacaville plant: Constructed in 1986, expanded in 1993 with major upgrade in 2004
Employees: 1,000
Net income 2004: $1 billion
Top products: Duragesic, a transdermal patch and Nicoderm CQ
Delivering success
Alza drug technologies pep up local economy By Barbara Smith/Business Writer
TheReporter.Com
Inside a small vial of clear warm water, a delicate stream of blue fluid escapes through a tiny opening in the covering around the placebo.
Were it inside a human body, the healing process would begin as the medicine is slowly dispensed to an ailing patient.
Such is the state-of-the-art controlled delivery science enhanced over time by a company that has quietly expanded to become the No. 1 private-sector employer in Vacaville.
Alza Corp. occupies a cluster of buildings north of Vaca Valley Parkway just west of Interstate 505, across the freeway from its more celebrated biotech brother, Genentech. Alza's OROS therapeutic delivery system is helping millions of patients each year.
In the meantime, Alza has helped establish Vacaville as a leading biotech hub in Northern California. It is also feeding the city's economic resurgence.
While the company's Mountain View facility is the stage for scientific research to find new drugs, Alza's Vacaville facility is growing at a frenetic pace. It recently invested $100 million to upgrade its 260,000-square-foot facility and now has at least 1,000 workers, making it the largest employer in the private sector, said Mike Palombo, Vacaville's economic development director. The firm is now running three shifts, he said.
"Obviously they are an important player in the economic development in the community, a very important player," Palombo said. "They are certainly one of the leaders of the industrial community."
Palombo said he understands the $100 million in upgrades is partly for the sophisticated equipment that a pharmaceutical company uses, its value equating to more personal property tax dollars for the city.
Over time, equipment and buildings for companies like Alza depreciate. The city likes to see a company retool because it introduces new tax dollars, Palombo explained.
"It essentially rejuvenates the taxes," he said.
Alza has different needs and different rewards compared with Genentech, a biotechnology leader, but they're both high tech companies that Vacaville welcomes, he said.
"We're happy to have them, and we would certainly be happy to have more companies like them, and I don't necessarily mean competition," Palombo said.
Mike Ammann, president of Solano Economic Development Corporation, said Alza's presence and expansion in Vacaville demonstrates to other companies one of the many elements of the local business climate that reinforces the abilities of other companies to grow.
He credits the city of Vacaville for its ability to work with biotechnology companies.
"You could say that the city of Vacaville has made a living from biotechnology," Ammann said. "They know what they need, and they know the critical aspects of development they need for the success of the company."
Solano EDC is a public-private partnership that attracts new employers and industry to Solano County. Its mission to help local community economic development offices attract business to Solano's seven cities.
Firm's like Alza help Solano EDC and the city get commitments from major corporations, Ammann said.
"They are critical to the cluster of biotech companies that have made their home in Vacaville and given us the ability to market to others, Ammann said.
"When you bring a prospect to that area, the decision is kind of made for them by the decisions made by the other companies. There is commonality, and to leads to our credibility."
Also critical is the alignment of the biotech cluster with Solano Community College and other learning institutions to the labor force needed to fill the positions now and in the future, Ammann said.
"These decisions and expansions are based on 10, 20, 30 years ... you don't make these huge investments without having a sustainable labor force and other critical local characteristics," he said. "It's very important to Alza and others that a long-term labor force is available for them to hire locally."
Meanwhile, Alza's 1,000-employee workforce, including engineers, chemists, scientists and factory workers, keep the Vacaville facility operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, said Joe Nuzzolese, vice president of the Vacaville facility.
Alza is more than making pills. Its new technologies focus on a variety of oral products.
OROS was pioneered by Vacaville's Alza Corporation and prescribed to patients that receive Alza's various drugs, like Concerta. A drug manufactured at Alza in Vacaville, Concerta is one of the pharmaceutical firm's top-selling brands. It was developed for patients afflicted with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Concerta comes in a tri-layered tablet, released into a patient's system through an osmotic pump, a pump that pushes the medicine through the porous tablet, gradually releasing medicine over a 24-hour period. The tablet stays intact until the drug is completely dispensed. Few companies have such a delivery system, Nuzzolese said.
"It's not a sustained release, it's a controlled release," he said. "The difference is the profile of the release is engineered inside the tablet."
The Concerta tablet is a three-layer tablet, but is capable of comprising five layers, if necessary.
"It's really very interesting what happens in this facility," Nuzzolese said on a recent tour. "There's a lot of very smart people who work on this stuff every day, from here to Mountain View."
Nuzzolese doesn't try to conceal his excitement when he demonstrates with placebos Alza's successes in pharmaceuticals. Its an excitement shared by employees - from technicians in white coats to warehouse workers.
Among the more dynamic new drug delivery processes at the firm is Ionsys, a credit-card size skin patch that when applied to a patient relieves chronic pain, Alza officials said. Ionsys, a dosing system for acute, post-operative pain, will replace the intravenous pump-and-pull system that dispenses morphine.
"Every time you push the button, it doses you," Nuzzolese said, demonstrating with a placebo. He noted that it does have a control mechanism so people can't overdose.
Nuzzolese said Alza has received an "approvable" letter from the Food and Drug Administration for Ionsys. Final approval is anticipated within the next two years.
"It's actually a tremendous opportunity for this site, and the company," he said. "It's a very innovative product."
Alza is best known for its Nicoderm CQ patch that helps smokers quit the habit, which works much differently than Ionsys. The new product illustrates how the technology has accelerated.
An Ionsys patient can push a button on the patch, activating a tiny battery, similar to that used in a watch, sending the right dosage into the patient's system.
Alza continues to lead the development of drug delivery technology which is used by 30 commercialized products in more than 80 countries. More than 3,000 U.S. and foreign patents are active or pending.
Along with Concerta, one of Alza's big-selling brands is DitropanXL, a drug for those with an overactive bladder.
Its two main transdermal patches are Duragesic, its biggest selling product for chronic pain, and Nicoderm CQ, for smoking cessation.
After Alza was sold to Johnson & Johnson in 2001, the Vacaville facility began to focus on manufacturing. It now produces a couple of products for business partners.
The recent $100 million investment will improve the Alza plant's infrastructure, giving it the capability to grow further.
"This facility is central to a lot of new drug development work," Nuzzolese said. "We have the technology, infrastructure and the people here in Vacaville who are experts at commercializing these types of new technologies."
Nuzzolese notes that Alza is not in competition with Genentech, which is undergoing a $600 expansion. Genentech is a biologics company. But there is a competition to attract the best and brightest from the workforce in the region.
"There's a technical pool that's available in the area and community that we all pull from," Nuzzolese said.
Alza also prides itself in its community involvement, Nuzzolese said.
Beyond its support of the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce, the firm has done a lot from a charitable standpoint, Nuzzolese said, including support for public schools and civic groups. "We do all that because we are a responsible member of the community, and feel that the community can benefit from our participation."
Barbara Smith can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
At a Glance:
Alza Corp.
Pharmaceutical company
Subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson 700 Eubanks Drive, Vacaville
Headquarters: Mountain View
Founded: 1968 by Dr. Alejandro Zaffaroni
Vacaville plant: Constructed in 1986, expanded in 1993 with major upgrade in 2004
Employees: 1,000
Net income 2004: $1 billion
Top products: Duragesic, a transdermal patch and Nicoderm CQ
Monday, February 28, 2005
Booming Vacaville plans for more growth
Booming Vacaville plans for more
By Claire St. John
VACAVILLE - Under a deluge of new projects, the City Council and department heads rolled up their sleeves and sank their teeth into plans for even more.
Some of the major goals talked about at a strategic plan meeting Friday were a fire and police training facility, beginning work on the Nut Tree development, a streamlined approach to preventing and reducing crime and various methods of maintaining and revitalizing the city.
Participants frequently paused during the four-hour meeting to praise staff, compliment council members and give congratulations for work completed, but Mayor Len Augustine said everyone deserved it.
"We have placed great demands on you through (the previous two-year) strategic plan and somehow you've always rallied," he said. "We're sometimes embarrassed about always bragging about you at council meetings, but we really feel that way."
Since the last strategic plan two years ago, Vacaville has undergone major changes. A new police department is being built and downtown's storefronts are almost all open for business. Executive housing is on the way now that the Lagoon Valley project, with 1,025 homes, was approved last week and an affordable housing study has been completed.
"I think we can be proud of the last two years," City Manager David Van Kirk said.
Potential problems lay ahead in the next two years, and to ensure they'd be just as proud in 2007, the council made goals to keep abreast of increasing health care and retirement costs, to find methods of funding 220 miles of slumping storm drainage and make sure the police and fire training center gets built.
Councilwoman Pauline Clancy said she wanted land ready if an industry's eye lands on Vacaville, as it did when Mercedes briefly considered the city.
"In 10, 12 years we're going to be close to buildout," Clancy said. "We have to start looking for land for industry. I would like to keep enough land set aside instead of building homes all the way to Dixon."
But Clancy and others said they didn't want Vacaville's booming growth to get in the way of its "hamburger and milkshake" feel, as Don Schatzel, director of community services, said of Vacaville's small-town character.
"These sessions are so important because they really allow us to plan for a future," Councilman Steve Hardy said.
Reach Claire St. John at 427-6955 or cstjohn@dailyrepublic.net.
By Claire St. John
VACAVILLE - Under a deluge of new projects, the City Council and department heads rolled up their sleeves and sank their teeth into plans for even more.
Some of the major goals talked about at a strategic plan meeting Friday were a fire and police training facility, beginning work on the Nut Tree development, a streamlined approach to preventing and reducing crime and various methods of maintaining and revitalizing the city.
Participants frequently paused during the four-hour meeting to praise staff, compliment council members and give congratulations for work completed, but Mayor Len Augustine said everyone deserved it.
"We have placed great demands on you through (the previous two-year) strategic plan and somehow you've always rallied," he said. "We're sometimes embarrassed about always bragging about you at council meetings, but we really feel that way."
Since the last strategic plan two years ago, Vacaville has undergone major changes. A new police department is being built and downtown's storefronts are almost all open for business. Executive housing is on the way now that the Lagoon Valley project, with 1,025 homes, was approved last week and an affordable housing study has been completed.
"I think we can be proud of the last two years," City Manager David Van Kirk said.
Potential problems lay ahead in the next two years, and to ensure they'd be just as proud in 2007, the council made goals to keep abreast of increasing health care and retirement costs, to find methods of funding 220 miles of slumping storm drainage and make sure the police and fire training center gets built.
Councilwoman Pauline Clancy said she wanted land ready if an industry's eye lands on Vacaville, as it did when Mercedes briefly considered the city.
"In 10, 12 years we're going to be close to buildout," Clancy said. "We have to start looking for land for industry. I would like to keep enough land set aside instead of building homes all the way to Dixon."
But Clancy and others said they didn't want Vacaville's booming growth to get in the way of its "hamburger and milkshake" feel, as Don Schatzel, director of community services, said of Vacaville's small-town character.
"These sessions are so important because they really allow us to plan for a future," Councilman Steve Hardy said.
Reach Claire St. John at 427-6955 or cstjohn@dailyrepublic.net.
Construction begins on new buildings in Vacaville Corporate Center
02/26/2005 09:01:22 AM
The Latest Buzz...
Construction begins on new buildings in Vacaville Corporate Center
By Barbara Smith/Business Writer
Work continues on the framing for the foundation of new office warehouse buildings off Vaca Valley Parkway and Interstate 505 in Vacaville. (Joel Rosenbaum/The Reporter)
The scarcity of large office space in Vacaville should be somewhat relieved following the planned summer opening of a two-level professional center in north Vacaville.
Sacramento-based Buzz Oates Enterprises is building the Vacaville Corporate Center in the Vacaville Business Park - a 105,307-square-foot 'Class A' building on 8.27 acres at the northwest corner of Vaca Valley Parkway and Cessna Drive - just off Interstate 505.
Kevin Ramos, president of Buzz Oates Real Estate, a division of Buzz Oates Enterprises, said the firm has been building in the park for years and has owned the land for some time. The explosion of growth in the northeast sector had much to do with the firm's decision to build now, he said.
"We felt it was the right time for an office building on that land," Ramos said. "It's a higher profile location, and we wanted to put some nicer buildings up in that area."
And Vacaville doesn't have much office space available, he added.
"It's a building that can be office space, it can accommodate very large users that want cost effective space, it can also accommodate smaller users," Ramos said. "And it can accommodate the biotech industry, which Vacaville has its fair share of."
The $15 million project should be completed in July, Ramos said.
Mike Palombo, Vacaville's economic development manager, said while there is smaller office space scattered around the city, what is lacking is the larger space. In a sense, the Buzz Oates building will be the largest "spec" building in Vacaville, he said.
"There is a demand, but very limited supply to fill it, and much of that demand is currently local," Palombo said. "There have been over the past year and a half about five different inquiries made about office availability. and since we didn't have any space that was sufficient size available, those inquires went on to other locations."
Vacaville has seen some large buildings open up including two on Mason Street - one the recently opened Gateway office building. But most of the spaces in those buildings were leased before the buildings were even competed, Palombo said.
"We have very limited amount of office space, and even those we have are limited because of the way they are developed," he said.
Other companies simply build their own large space, such as the Travis Credit Union building overlooking the city.
"When a company comes in and wants a significant amount of space, they have to build it," Polombo said. "So this (the Buzz Oates development) is a welcome development because it will give us something that we have not had which is available office space of quality and quantity."
Square footage offered in the Buzz Oates buildings can run from as small as 3,000 square feet to more than 25,000 square feet, according to the plans.
"Government or private sector, big users or smaller users, we try to keep in it pretty flexible," Ramos said.
This is the 10th time the firm has built the same rectangular building in the region, Ramos said. There are four in Sacramento, one in Rancho Cordova, one in Folsom, in Cypress, Stockton and one in Davis, which can be seen from Interstate 80 and is home to two labs.
Lease rates are $1.85 to $2 a square foot, Ramos said.
Additionally, Buzz Oates has plans to break ground in July and August on five other buildings between Cessna Drive and Beechcraft Street in the same business park.
Barbara Smith can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
The Latest Buzz...
Construction begins on new buildings in Vacaville Corporate Center
By Barbara Smith/Business Writer
Work continues on the framing for the foundation of new office warehouse buildings off Vaca Valley Parkway and Interstate 505 in Vacaville. (Joel Rosenbaum/The Reporter)
The scarcity of large office space in Vacaville should be somewhat relieved following the planned summer opening of a two-level professional center in north Vacaville.
Sacramento-based Buzz Oates Enterprises is building the Vacaville Corporate Center in the Vacaville Business Park - a 105,307-square-foot 'Class A' building on 8.27 acres at the northwest corner of Vaca Valley Parkway and Cessna Drive - just off Interstate 505.
Kevin Ramos, president of Buzz Oates Real Estate, a division of Buzz Oates Enterprises, said the firm has been building in the park for years and has owned the land for some time. The explosion of growth in the northeast sector had much to do with the firm's decision to build now, he said.
"We felt it was the right time for an office building on that land," Ramos said. "It's a higher profile location, and we wanted to put some nicer buildings up in that area."
And Vacaville doesn't have much office space available, he added.
"It's a building that can be office space, it can accommodate very large users that want cost effective space, it can also accommodate smaller users," Ramos said. "And it can accommodate the biotech industry, which Vacaville has its fair share of."
The $15 million project should be completed in July, Ramos said.
Mike Palombo, Vacaville's economic development manager, said while there is smaller office space scattered around the city, what is lacking is the larger space. In a sense, the Buzz Oates building will be the largest "spec" building in Vacaville, he said.
"There is a demand, but very limited supply to fill it, and much of that demand is currently local," Palombo said. "There have been over the past year and a half about five different inquiries made about office availability. and since we didn't have any space that was sufficient size available, those inquires went on to other locations."
Vacaville has seen some large buildings open up including two on Mason Street - one the recently opened Gateway office building. But most of the spaces in those buildings were leased before the buildings were even competed, Palombo said.
"We have very limited amount of office space, and even those we have are limited because of the way they are developed," he said.
Other companies simply build their own large space, such as the Travis Credit Union building overlooking the city.
"When a company comes in and wants a significant amount of space, they have to build it," Polombo said. "So this (the Buzz Oates development) is a welcome development because it will give us something that we have not had which is available office space of quality and quantity."
Square footage offered in the Buzz Oates buildings can run from as small as 3,000 square feet to more than 25,000 square feet, according to the plans.
"Government or private sector, big users or smaller users, we try to keep in it pretty flexible," Ramos said.
This is the 10th time the firm has built the same rectangular building in the region, Ramos said. There are four in Sacramento, one in Rancho Cordova, one in Folsom, in Cypress, Stockton and one in Davis, which can be seen from Interstate 80 and is home to two labs.
Lease rates are $1.85 to $2 a square foot, Ramos said.
Additionally, Buzz Oates has plans to break ground in July and August on five other buildings between Cessna Drive and Beechcraft Street in the same business park.
Barbara Smith can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
Friday, February 25, 2005
Lagoon Valley Plan benefits Vacaville by bring thousands of much-needed, good-paying jobs and long-term business activity
Lagoon Valley Plan benefits Vacaville
Reporter Editor:
The new development plan for lower Lagoon Valley includes substantial benefits for the city of Vacaville and its residents, today and in the future.
The development plan will restore Lagoon Valley Lake, which was once a community asset, but has unfortunately degraded. The development plan will preserve 80 percent of lower Lagoon Valley as open space and dedicate more than 70 acres of new open space between the lake and the freeway.
Development in the area will bring thousands of much-needed, good-paying jobs and long-term business activity. The plan also will generate millions of dollars to the city's general fund that can be used to enhance public services for residents throughout the city.
This is a development plan Vacaville can be proud of. One would be hard-pressed to identify any other development project in the city's history that came with so many benefits without costing taxpayers a dime.
Steve Dawson, Vacaville
Reporter Editor:
The new development plan for lower Lagoon Valley includes substantial benefits for the city of Vacaville and its residents, today and in the future.
The development plan will restore Lagoon Valley Lake, which was once a community asset, but has unfortunately degraded. The development plan will preserve 80 percent of lower Lagoon Valley as open space and dedicate more than 70 acres of new open space between the lake and the freeway.
Development in the area will bring thousands of much-needed, good-paying jobs and long-term business activity. The plan also will generate millions of dollars to the city's general fund that can be used to enhance public services for residents throughout the city.
This is a development plan Vacaville can be proud of. One would be hard-pressed to identify any other development project in the city's history that came with so many benefits without costing taxpayers a dime.
Steve Dawson, Vacaville
Report: Fairfield winning war on potholes
Thursday, Feb 24, 2005 - 11:57:37 pm PST
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD - Take a drive around Fairfield and you'll be on some of the Bay Area's smoothest roads.
That's the verdict of the latest "Bay Area Transportation State of the System" report. Fairfield's war on potholes met with a fair amount of success in comparison with the region's other communities.
Fairfield ranked ninth among 106 Bay Area counties and cities in pavement quality, with the top spot being the best. The data is for the year 2003.
"We're just trying to keep up with the areas that are old and deteriorating," Fairfield Street Manager Bill Norvas said.
City inspectors look at the roads each year. The information is fed into a computer, which calculates condition on a scale of one to 100, with 100 the best. This is the same scale the "State of the System" report uses.
Fairfield's score for 2003 is 80. The city with the best roads in the Bay Area, Oakley, had a score of 87.
Among the street maintenance projects Fairfield wants to do this year is Second Street from Texas Street to Utah Street, Norvas said. The road is bumpy because of trenches dug for water and sewer line replacements, he said.
Another is Neitzel Road going to Costco, Norvas said. This road gets a lot of truck traffic, he said. Heavy trucks cause wear and tear on pavement.
Fairfield's goal is to spend $4 million annually on street maintenance and resurfacing. The latest city budget, completed two years ago, shows Fairfield spending an average of $2.8 million annually through the decade.
Even this might be a hard goal to meet. As in other cities, Fairfield officials have talked about possible budget cuts in coming years. The city is looking at putting a local sales tax measure on the November ballot.
"I don't know what's going to happen when we hit 2005-06," Norvas said. "We just have to wait and see."
MTC estimates a $2.9 billion backlog in the Bay Area for street repairs. That's how much it would cost to improve streets to the point where they are cost-effective to maintain.
Vacaville also ranked high in the pavement ratings. Its score of 73 placed it 25th among Bay Area cities and counties.
Vallejo ranked lowest in Solano County and among the lowest in the Bay Area. Its score of 54 ranked 100th among Bay Area cities and counties. The lowest-ranked community is rural Sonoma County, with a score of 47.
MTC described scores of 75 to 100 as pavement that has no distress and requires preventive maintenance. Scores of 45 to 74 show pavement that offers acceptable rides, but the roads are worn to the point where work is needed to prevent rapid deterioration.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD - Take a drive around Fairfield and you'll be on some of the Bay Area's smoothest roads.
That's the verdict of the latest "Bay Area Transportation State of the System" report. Fairfield's war on potholes met with a fair amount of success in comparison with the region's other communities.
Fairfield ranked ninth among 106 Bay Area counties and cities in pavement quality, with the top spot being the best. The data is for the year 2003.
"We're just trying to keep up with the areas that are old and deteriorating," Fairfield Street Manager Bill Norvas said.
City inspectors look at the roads each year. The information is fed into a computer, which calculates condition on a scale of one to 100, with 100 the best. This is the same scale the "State of the System" report uses.
Fairfield's score for 2003 is 80. The city with the best roads in the Bay Area, Oakley, had a score of 87.
Among the street maintenance projects Fairfield wants to do this year is Second Street from Texas Street to Utah Street, Norvas said. The road is bumpy because of trenches dug for water and sewer line replacements, he said.
Another is Neitzel Road going to Costco, Norvas said. This road gets a lot of truck traffic, he said. Heavy trucks cause wear and tear on pavement.
Fairfield's goal is to spend $4 million annually on street maintenance and resurfacing. The latest city budget, completed two years ago, shows Fairfield spending an average of $2.8 million annually through the decade.
Even this might be a hard goal to meet. As in other cities, Fairfield officials have talked about possible budget cuts in coming years. The city is looking at putting a local sales tax measure on the November ballot.
"I don't know what's going to happen when we hit 2005-06," Norvas said. "We just have to wait and see."
MTC estimates a $2.9 billion backlog in the Bay Area for street repairs. That's how much it would cost to improve streets to the point where they are cost-effective to maintain.
Vacaville also ranked high in the pavement ratings. Its score of 73 placed it 25th among Bay Area cities and counties.
Vallejo ranked lowest in Solano County and among the lowest in the Bay Area. Its score of 54 ranked 100th among Bay Area cities and counties. The lowest-ranked community is rural Sonoma County, with a score of 47.
MTC described scores of 75 to 100 as pavement that has no distress and requires preventive maintenance. Scores of 45 to 74 show pavement that offers acceptable rides, but the roads are worn to the point where work is needed to prevent rapid deterioration.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Fairfield eyes changes for downtown
Don Friedman looks over mail at the Fairfield post office. Fairfield wants to build a parking lot on that piece of property. (Photo by Mike McCoy)
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD - A government land swap is in the works that could transform the post office into a garage, the county courthouse annex into a parking lot and the county Hall of Records into a three-story building for apartments, offices and shops.
None of the changes, currently under negotiation at the staff level, have been approved by Solano County or the city of Fairfield. But pending those approvals, the downtown area is in for another round of redevelopment and identity makeover, city and county staffers told the Daily Republic.
The plan to move most county offices into fresh digs at the six-story Solano County government center will leave surplus space in other county-owned buildings. So county and Fairfield officials began looking at ways to best use the soon-to-be vacant space.
"It's a joint city-county project in some ways," said Darby Hayes, assistant county administrator. "We've been working on this with the city for a long time.
"If it happens, it would give the entrance to downtown a much different look."
Meanwhile, Fairfield planners decided they would like to see a three-story mixed-use project where the Hall of Records now stands on the corner of Texas and Jefferson streets. And it just so happens they found a developer who shared their vision and who already owned the empty bank building next door.
So here's what downtown would look like if the deal happens:
n The county's fleet vehicles, now stored at a former service station on Texas Street, would be stored at the post office on Kentucky Street. That would also leave vacant the current fleet station, which city planners said could then be redeveloped for retail use.
n The county courthouse annex, home to the tax collector, auditor-controller, assessor-recorder and other county offices, would be torn down to make room for a parking lot. The parking lot in the back of the building would remain, as would the lawn facing Texas Street and most of the trees.
n The Hall of Records and the vacant bank building next door would be demolished to make room for a three-story commercial and residential building. The existing alleyway behind the Hall of Records would be covered by part of the building if the city can figure out what to do with the underground utilities beneath the alley.
The result of these desires is a loosely organized deal that would put the post office in the hands of the county, the Hall of Records building in the palm of a downtown developer and the courthouse annex in the grasp of the city.
So far, all parties involved seem to like the arrangement, but some pretty big questions remain. For example, where would the post office go?
"We've been working to get the post office into a larger facility," said Curt Johnston, Fairfield's assistant director of planning and development. "Right now they're looking at several different sites."
One place the post office could go is the vacant building on North Texas Street that once was home to a bowling alley. That's where it was set to go a few years ago until the agency pulled the plug on any new building for budget reasons. Another idea would be to expand the size of the Suisun City post office and then move the Fairfield post office to a smaller building.
But none of that is likely to happen until 2011, when the post office's lease with the city would expire. The current lease runs through 2006, but the federal government has an option to extend it for another five years, which the city expects it to do.
The other components of the project could get moving a little sooner, however, as the city and downtown developer John Costanzo are anxious to redevelop the block of buildings across from another ongoing Costanzo project, MacInnis Corner, which will soon include new business tenants such as Starbucks Coffee.
Although Costanzo said he didn't want to talk about the project until it gets final approval from the city, planning documents reveal the name of the project would be Stonefield Corner.
A residential-on-top-and-retail-on-bottom building would take shape on the corner, according to city planning documents. The middle level would have space for professional offices.
But that development faces a few problems as well that could hold up progress. Not only would the city have to work with Pacific Gas and Electricity to find an alternate place for the underground utilities that would be disturbed, it also would have to remove soil contaminated when the property was used as an auto lot for storage and repairs.
The city already received a state grant to investigate the contamination, but the alley and utilities may present a bigger problem.
"Closing the alley would be one major issue," Johnston said. "The redevelopment agency wants to close the alley so the proposed three-story building would front the plaza next door, but we're still working with PG&E."
Costanzo, in buying the Hall of Records building from the city, would likely be on the hook for costs of putting a parking lot where the county courthouse annex now stands, Johnston said. The added parking would complement Costanzo's nearby commercial holdings by providing parking for downtown shoppers.
As for the courthouse annex, it's too old to be of much use anyway, Hayes said.
"It would take a lot more money than it's worth to bring it up to modern standards," he said. "It was built in the 1950s and doesn't meet a lot of code requirements, and the roof leaks."
The county would lease the parking lot to the city for 10 or 15 years and then possibly reclaim it to construct a new county building if the need arises, Hayes said. Right now the 300,000-square-foot government center across the street fills all of the county's needs, but it might need to expand in the future.
"The plan is to put future county buildings there," Hayes said.
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD - A government land swap is in the works that could transform the post office into a garage, the county courthouse annex into a parking lot and the county Hall of Records into a three-story building for apartments, offices and shops.
None of the changes, currently under negotiation at the staff level, have been approved by Solano County or the city of Fairfield. But pending those approvals, the downtown area is in for another round of redevelopment and identity makeover, city and county staffers told the Daily Republic.
The plan to move most county offices into fresh digs at the six-story Solano County government center will leave surplus space in other county-owned buildings. So county and Fairfield officials began looking at ways to best use the soon-to-be vacant space.
"It's a joint city-county project in some ways," said Darby Hayes, assistant county administrator. "We've been working on this with the city for a long time.
"If it happens, it would give the entrance to downtown a much different look."
Meanwhile, Fairfield planners decided they would like to see a three-story mixed-use project where the Hall of Records now stands on the corner of Texas and Jefferson streets. And it just so happens they found a developer who shared their vision and who already owned the empty bank building next door.
So here's what downtown would look like if the deal happens:
n The county's fleet vehicles, now stored at a former service station on Texas Street, would be stored at the post office on Kentucky Street. That would also leave vacant the current fleet station, which city planners said could then be redeveloped for retail use.
n The county courthouse annex, home to the tax collector, auditor-controller, assessor-recorder and other county offices, would be torn down to make room for a parking lot. The parking lot in the back of the building would remain, as would the lawn facing Texas Street and most of the trees.
n The Hall of Records and the vacant bank building next door would be demolished to make room for a three-story commercial and residential building. The existing alleyway behind the Hall of Records would be covered by part of the building if the city can figure out what to do with the underground utilities beneath the alley.
The result of these desires is a loosely organized deal that would put the post office in the hands of the county, the Hall of Records building in the palm of a downtown developer and the courthouse annex in the grasp of the city.
So far, all parties involved seem to like the arrangement, but some pretty big questions remain. For example, where would the post office go?
"We've been working to get the post office into a larger facility," said Curt Johnston, Fairfield's assistant director of planning and development. "Right now they're looking at several different sites."
One place the post office could go is the vacant building on North Texas Street that once was home to a bowling alley. That's where it was set to go a few years ago until the agency pulled the plug on any new building for budget reasons. Another idea would be to expand the size of the Suisun City post office and then move the Fairfield post office to a smaller building.
But none of that is likely to happen until 2011, when the post office's lease with the city would expire. The current lease runs through 2006, but the federal government has an option to extend it for another five years, which the city expects it to do.
The other components of the project could get moving a little sooner, however, as the city and downtown developer John Costanzo are anxious to redevelop the block of buildings across from another ongoing Costanzo project, MacInnis Corner, which will soon include new business tenants such as Starbucks Coffee.
Although Costanzo said he didn't want to talk about the project until it gets final approval from the city, planning documents reveal the name of the project would be Stonefield Corner.
A residential-on-top-and-retail-on-bottom building would take shape on the corner, according to city planning documents. The middle level would have space for professional offices.
But that development faces a few problems as well that could hold up progress. Not only would the city have to work with Pacific Gas and Electricity to find an alternate place for the underground utilities that would be disturbed, it also would have to remove soil contaminated when the property was used as an auto lot for storage and repairs.
The city already received a state grant to investigate the contamination, but the alley and utilities may present a bigger problem.
"Closing the alley would be one major issue," Johnston said. "The redevelopment agency wants to close the alley so the proposed three-story building would front the plaza next door, but we're still working with PG&E."
Costanzo, in buying the Hall of Records building from the city, would likely be on the hook for costs of putting a parking lot where the county courthouse annex now stands, Johnston said. The added parking would complement Costanzo's nearby commercial holdings by providing parking for downtown shoppers.
As for the courthouse annex, it's too old to be of much use anyway, Hayes said.
"It would take a lot more money than it's worth to bring it up to modern standards," he said. "It was built in the 1950s and doesn't meet a lot of code requirements, and the roof leaks."
The county would lease the parking lot to the city for 10 or 15 years and then possibly reclaim it to construct a new county building if the need arises, Hayes said. Right now the 300,000-square-foot government center across the street fills all of the county's needs, but it might need to expand in the future.
"The plan is to put future county buildings there," Hayes said.
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Vacaville City Council approves four items regarding Triad Communities' plan for Lagoon Valley; final map OK awaits.
02/23/2005 07:51:21 AM
Project at lagoon given 'go'City Council approves four items regarding Triad Communities' plan for Lagoon Valley; final map OK awaits.
By Tom Hall/Staff Writer
"It was almost eerily quiet," said Councilman Steve Hardy.
His dais-mates agreed: The night wasn't supposed to go this smoothly.
The meeting of the Vacaville City Council ended just two hours after it began Tuesday night, much to the surprise of many.
Expecting another marathon debate on the merits and faults of a planned development in Lagoon Valley, the council got exactly the opposite: a half-hour lovefest for the project.
Of the dozen residents and officials who spoke during the relatively short public hearing, only one - a Lagoon Valley resident - said he opposed the project. That's a striking difference from prior hearings held during the past 15 years on the same issue, when the opposition has been the vocal majority.
With one vote, the council unanimously approved all four items up for consideration regarding the project. That vote was followed by a raucous round of applause from supporters in the audience. Following the meeting, the council seemed shocked at the meeting's brevity.
"I can't believe it's three after 9 and we're out of here," Mayor Len Augustine said.
Marian Conning, an outspoken critic of the project and the spokeswoman for Friends of Lagoon Valley, said that the surprising silence wasn't planned.
"Our group is very grass-roots and it's very difficult to orchestrate anything - even cleanup after a picnic," she said. "People know where we stand."
Along with a subdivision map and a planned development permit, the council approved an obligations agreement that specifically outlines everything Seattle-based developer Triad Communities will give to the city in exchange for final approval.
Among those obligations are 71 acres of open space adjacent to Lagoon Valley Lake, a fully equipped fire station and roughly $4.5 million for the restoration of Lagoon Valley Park.
The development still awaits a final map approval from the city, which should come in 16 to 18 months, said city planner Scott Sexton. Leading up to that, the developer and city staff will work together to map out the project's infrastructure, including the water system.
In its current form, the development would create 1,025 homes on 860 acres in Lower Lagoon Valley just south of Interstate 80, along with a 240-acre golf course and a business village. The project would be markedly smaller than previous plans for the area had allowed for.
Tom Hall can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.
Project at lagoon given 'go'City Council approves four items regarding Triad Communities' plan for Lagoon Valley; final map OK awaits.
By Tom Hall/Staff Writer
"It was almost eerily quiet," said Councilman Steve Hardy.
His dais-mates agreed: The night wasn't supposed to go this smoothly.
The meeting of the Vacaville City Council ended just two hours after it began Tuesday night, much to the surprise of many.
Expecting another marathon debate on the merits and faults of a planned development in Lagoon Valley, the council got exactly the opposite: a half-hour lovefest for the project.
Of the dozen residents and officials who spoke during the relatively short public hearing, only one - a Lagoon Valley resident - said he opposed the project. That's a striking difference from prior hearings held during the past 15 years on the same issue, when the opposition has been the vocal majority.
With one vote, the council unanimously approved all four items up for consideration regarding the project. That vote was followed by a raucous round of applause from supporters in the audience. Following the meeting, the council seemed shocked at the meeting's brevity.
"I can't believe it's three after 9 and we're out of here," Mayor Len Augustine said.
Marian Conning, an outspoken critic of the project and the spokeswoman for Friends of Lagoon Valley, said that the surprising silence wasn't planned.
"Our group is very grass-roots and it's very difficult to orchestrate anything - even cleanup after a picnic," she said. "People know where we stand."
Along with a subdivision map and a planned development permit, the council approved an obligations agreement that specifically outlines everything Seattle-based developer Triad Communities will give to the city in exchange for final approval.
Among those obligations are 71 acres of open space adjacent to Lagoon Valley Lake, a fully equipped fire station and roughly $4.5 million for the restoration of Lagoon Valley Park.
The development still awaits a final map approval from the city, which should come in 16 to 18 months, said city planner Scott Sexton. Leading up to that, the developer and city staff will work together to map out the project's infrastructure, including the water system.
In its current form, the development would create 1,025 homes on 860 acres in Lower Lagoon Valley just south of Interstate 80, along with a 240-acre golf course and a business village. The project would be markedly smaller than previous plans for the area had allowed for.
Tom Hall can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.
Hearn Construction joins prominent Napa company in a move to take advantage of regional growth.
Article Launched: 02/23/2005 12:23:21 PM
Vacaville construction firm on cusp of merger
Hearn Construction joins prominent Napa company in a move to take advantage of regional growth.
By Reporter Staff
One of Vacaville's largest commercial construction firms will become even bigger in a merger with a prominent Napa company.
Hearn Construction of Vacaville and James Nolan Construction of St. Helena said Friday they will "combine resources as part of a combined growth strategy, and to build an even stronger construction organization designed to serve the rapidly growing Napa and Solano counties and beyond."
Combined revenues of the two companies is projected to be $65 million for 2005, according to Fred Hearn, CEO of Hearn Construction.
The construction companies will retain their own names, culture and identity, while sharing resources, talent, equipment and capital, Hearn explained.
The Vacaville firm's most prominent projects include the two-story office complex that sits atop the hill overlooking Brenden Theatres, the Vacaville Skating Center and the rest of the former site of Basic Vegetable Products at Davis Street at Interstate 80.
In addition to renovating and occupying the former Basic Vegetable office building at 411 Davis St., Hearn Construction renovated the old Opera House on Main Street.
Under terms of the soon-to-be-finalized agreement, a holding company will be established to provide administrative services to both firms.
Gordon Stankowski will continue to serve as president of Hearn Construction, and James Nolan will continue as president of James Nolan Construction Inc.
Hearn Construction, a general contracting and full-service construction management firm, was established more than 25 years ago. It provides design-build and construction management services for a variety of commercial, hotel, multifamily residential and medical projects, as well as tenant improvement services.
Some recent projects include work for Six Flags Marine World, Holiday Inn Express El Dorado and the Lincoln Theatre in Yountville. The company currently has 10 projects valued at more than $42.5 million under way in several Northern California communities.
James Nolan Construction was established in 1986. Over the years, the organization specialized in commercial projects and high-end residential estates. Commercial work has been performed for a number of high-profile projects, including Cardinale, Cuvaison, Nickel & Nickel, Harlan Estate, Franciscan Estate, Darioush, Laird Family Estate and Pine Ridge. Projects currently under way include Groth and Kapscandy Wineries. The company currently has eight projects under way valued at more than $22.5 million.
The two firms share similar ethics and a commitment to quality, Nolan explained. "We serve two different geographical areas, have a diverse client base and a wide range of skills and talents between us. This merger allows us to fill gaps within our existing organizations. We may have different strengths, but a common goal."
Hearn added, "As a part of our growth strategy for the combined organizations, it becomes critical that we branch out into new markets to include the greater Sacramento Valley, and the north and the south Bay Area."
The timing couldn't be better, Hearn insisted. "Solano County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state, and the high-end residential market is also experiencing substantial growth. We see the residential opportunities in Solano County."
Hearn said combining organizational resources will prove especially beneficial, as the companies "have grown substantially over the past few years, and internal growth is difficult. This move will create additional opportunities for both of our organizations."
Vacaville construction firm on cusp of merger
Hearn Construction joins prominent Napa company in a move to take advantage of regional growth.
By Reporter Staff
One of Vacaville's largest commercial construction firms will become even bigger in a merger with a prominent Napa company.
Hearn Construction of Vacaville and James Nolan Construction of St. Helena said Friday they will "combine resources as part of a combined growth strategy, and to build an even stronger construction organization designed to serve the rapidly growing Napa and Solano counties and beyond."
Combined revenues of the two companies is projected to be $65 million for 2005, according to Fred Hearn, CEO of Hearn Construction.
The construction companies will retain their own names, culture and identity, while sharing resources, talent, equipment and capital, Hearn explained.
The Vacaville firm's most prominent projects include the two-story office complex that sits atop the hill overlooking Brenden Theatres, the Vacaville Skating Center and the rest of the former site of Basic Vegetable Products at Davis Street at Interstate 80.
In addition to renovating and occupying the former Basic Vegetable office building at 411 Davis St., Hearn Construction renovated the old Opera House on Main Street.
Under terms of the soon-to-be-finalized agreement, a holding company will be established to provide administrative services to both firms.
Gordon Stankowski will continue to serve as president of Hearn Construction, and James Nolan will continue as president of James Nolan Construction Inc.
Hearn Construction, a general contracting and full-service construction management firm, was established more than 25 years ago. It provides design-build and construction management services for a variety of commercial, hotel, multifamily residential and medical projects, as well as tenant improvement services.
Some recent projects include work for Six Flags Marine World, Holiday Inn Express El Dorado and the Lincoln Theatre in Yountville. The company currently has 10 projects valued at more than $42.5 million under way in several Northern California communities.
James Nolan Construction was established in 1986. Over the years, the organization specialized in commercial projects and high-end residential estates. Commercial work has been performed for a number of high-profile projects, including Cardinale, Cuvaison, Nickel & Nickel, Harlan Estate, Franciscan Estate, Darioush, Laird Family Estate and Pine Ridge. Projects currently under way include Groth and Kapscandy Wineries. The company currently has eight projects under way valued at more than $22.5 million.
The two firms share similar ethics and a commitment to quality, Nolan explained. "We serve two different geographical areas, have a diverse client base and a wide range of skills and talents between us. This merger allows us to fill gaps within our existing organizations. We may have different strengths, but a common goal."
Hearn added, "As a part of our growth strategy for the combined organizations, it becomes critical that we branch out into new markets to include the greater Sacramento Valley, and the north and the south Bay Area."
The timing couldn't be better, Hearn insisted. "Solano County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state, and the high-end residential market is also experiencing substantial growth. We see the residential opportunities in Solano County."
Hearn said combining organizational resources will prove especially beneficial, as the companies "have grown substantially over the past few years, and internal growth is difficult. This move will create additional opportunities for both of our organizations."
Kaiser moves ahead - Council approves map changes for hospital
02/24/2005 07:53:21 AM
By Tom Hall/Staff Writer
It's been a long time coming, but a Kaiser hospital officially is on the way to reality in Vacaville.
The City Council approved map changes Tuesday night that will allow Kaiser Foundation Hospitals to build a 380,000-square-foot hospital next to its existing medical clinic in the Vaca Valley Business Park.
The council lauded the project. Mayor Len Augustine said the positive ramifications don't end at the city limits.
"This hospital will also benefit Dixon, Davis, Fairfield and even Vallejo as they get their new facility," Augustine said. Kaiser is planning on building a new hospital tower in Vallejo, which is where the only Kaiser hospital in Solano County currently exists.
The council approved a 60,000-square-foot expansion of the medical center build-out, which will allow increased medical office space and a central utility plant.
Kaiser currently has developed 23.5 acres of the 50-acre site. After the 200-bed hospital is complete, the majority of the site Kaiser owns will be developed.
Currently, the medical offices are situated in the middle of the development area. The expansion will push the campus north toward Vaca Valley Parkway and west toward Ackerly Drive. Parking also will be expanded.
While the health insurance provider currently has campuses in Vacaville and Fairfield, the nearest Kaiser hospital is in Vallejo. Kaiser also has two Sacramento hospitals and one in Roseville.
When the existing Vacaville medical center was opened in the mid-1990s, a hospital was planned. Because of several issues, Kaiser hasn't moved forward with that plan until recently.
Kaiser representative Hollis Harris said the hospital should open by early 2009. She added that the goal is for groundwork to begin in May and construction to start in December.
Dr. John Hills, who oversees Kaiser's Vacaville medical center, said the city has more than 30,000 Kaiser members within its borders. He said the staff is excited about that project because of the expanded level of care the company will be able to give its local customers.
Councilman Steve Wilkins said the new hospital will increase the efficiency of local paramedics, who won't have to deal with Interstate 80 traffic.
Tom Hall can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.
By Tom Hall/Staff Writer
It's been a long time coming, but a Kaiser hospital officially is on the way to reality in Vacaville.
The City Council approved map changes Tuesday night that will allow Kaiser Foundation Hospitals to build a 380,000-square-foot hospital next to its existing medical clinic in the Vaca Valley Business Park.
The council lauded the project. Mayor Len Augustine said the positive ramifications don't end at the city limits.
"This hospital will also benefit Dixon, Davis, Fairfield and even Vallejo as they get their new facility," Augustine said. Kaiser is planning on building a new hospital tower in Vallejo, which is where the only Kaiser hospital in Solano County currently exists.
The council approved a 60,000-square-foot expansion of the medical center build-out, which will allow increased medical office space and a central utility plant.
Kaiser currently has developed 23.5 acres of the 50-acre site. After the 200-bed hospital is complete, the majority of the site Kaiser owns will be developed.
Currently, the medical offices are situated in the middle of the development area. The expansion will push the campus north toward Vaca Valley Parkway and west toward Ackerly Drive. Parking also will be expanded.
While the health insurance provider currently has campuses in Vacaville and Fairfield, the nearest Kaiser hospital is in Vallejo. Kaiser also has two Sacramento hospitals and one in Roseville.
When the existing Vacaville medical center was opened in the mid-1990s, a hospital was planned. Because of several issues, Kaiser hasn't moved forward with that plan until recently.
Kaiser representative Hollis Harris said the hospital should open by early 2009. She added that the goal is for groundwork to begin in May and construction to start in December.
Dr. John Hills, who oversees Kaiser's Vacaville medical center, said the city has more than 30,000 Kaiser members within its borders. He said the staff is excited about that project because of the expanded level of care the company will be able to give its local customers.
Councilman Steve Wilkins said the new hospital will increase the efficiency of local paramedics, who won't have to deal with Interstate 80 traffic.
Tom Hall can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Dixon officials say the best is yet to come
Article Launched: 02/19/2005 09:01:49 AM
By Michael Joyce/Staff Writer
Eat, drink, and be merry was the mood in Madden Hall at the Dixon May Fair grounds on Friday at the annual "State of the City" address by Dixon Mayor Mary Ann Courville.
While community members and business leaders ate breakfast and drank coffee, city officials told those gathered in the dim-lit dining room that Dixon was in strong standing and has a bright future.
"It's such a good place to live, work, play, and raise a family," Courville told the crowd. "We are always working to better this community."
Following a brief overview of 2004, Courville turned the podium over to Police Chief Don Mort, who outlined crime statistics from the past year and talked about plans for the future.
He told the crowd that violent crimes were down from 2004 and that the police department would work to decrease domestic violence, and increase hours of operation in the future. These changes would help to continue to decrease crime, he said.
"One of our dreams in the city of Dixon is to have a safe community," Mort said. "I feel we're living our dream in the city of Dixon."
From safety and law enforcement, the address moved to community development and engineering. Director of Engineering Janet Koster and Community Development Director Rebecca Van Buren separately addressed projects and proposals such as Dixon Downs, the Flying J truck stop, the Milk Farm renovation, the Brookfield residential development, and the new high school.
"2004 was a job well done," Van Buren said of projects begun and finished. "But in 2005 we're going to be looking beyond our boundaries and make decisions that define the city and give it character like no other city."
Continuing with the theme of growth, Economic Development Director Marshall Drack spoke briefly about the numerous projects and proposals in Dixon.
Drack asked the crowd, "Why are all these projects here in Dixon?"
He answered, "To me, Dixon is a great place to do business."
Wrapping up the address, City Manager Warren Salmons painted an exciting future for the city.
"Just fine, thank you very much." Salmons told those gathered of the city's health. "We are in a very good state."
Salmons concluded by saying that numerous opportunities, options, and choices all make Dixon a dynamic place to be.
"This isn't a place where we wait for something to happen," he said. "It's up to us as a community to decide what we want to do with these choices."
Michael Joyce can be reached at dixon@thereporter.com.
By Michael Joyce/Staff Writer
Eat, drink, and be merry was the mood in Madden Hall at the Dixon May Fair grounds on Friday at the annual "State of the City" address by Dixon Mayor Mary Ann Courville.
While community members and business leaders ate breakfast and drank coffee, city officials told those gathered in the dim-lit dining room that Dixon was in strong standing and has a bright future.
"It's such a good place to live, work, play, and raise a family," Courville told the crowd. "We are always working to better this community."
Following a brief overview of 2004, Courville turned the podium over to Police Chief Don Mort, who outlined crime statistics from the past year and talked about plans for the future.
He told the crowd that violent crimes were down from 2004 and that the police department would work to decrease domestic violence, and increase hours of operation in the future. These changes would help to continue to decrease crime, he said.
"One of our dreams in the city of Dixon is to have a safe community," Mort said. "I feel we're living our dream in the city of Dixon."
From safety and law enforcement, the address moved to community development and engineering. Director of Engineering Janet Koster and Community Development Director Rebecca Van Buren separately addressed projects and proposals such as Dixon Downs, the Flying J truck stop, the Milk Farm renovation, the Brookfield residential development, and the new high school.
"2004 was a job well done," Van Buren said of projects begun and finished. "But in 2005 we're going to be looking beyond our boundaries and make decisions that define the city and give it character like no other city."
Continuing with the theme of growth, Economic Development Director Marshall Drack spoke briefly about the numerous projects and proposals in Dixon.
Drack asked the crowd, "Why are all these projects here in Dixon?"
He answered, "To me, Dixon is a great place to do business."
Wrapping up the address, City Manager Warren Salmons painted an exciting future for the city.
"Just fine, thank you very much." Salmons told those gathered of the city's health. "We are in a very good state."
Salmons concluded by saying that numerous opportunities, options, and choices all make Dixon a dynamic place to be.
"This isn't a place where we wait for something to happen," he said. "It's up to us as a community to decide what we want to do with these choices."
Michael Joyce can be reached at dixon@thereporter.com.
Columbus Salami Company Seeks Fairfield Approval
Salami company seeks approval
A proposed salami company in Fairfield will be the subject of a public hearing when the Fairfield Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the City Council Chamber, 1000 Webster St.
The hearing will cover a request for the commission to find that the proposed Columbus Salami meat processing facility be approved as a "Conditional Use" and allowed to operate within city zoning laws.
A proposed salami company in Fairfield will be the subject of a public hearing when the Fairfield Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the City Council Chamber, 1000 Webster St.
The hearing will cover a request for the commission to find that the proposed Columbus Salami meat processing facility be approved as a "Conditional Use" and allowed to operate within city zoning laws.
Mare Island warehouse that once sheltered ordnance, now houses wines
Article Launched: 02/20/2005 09:19:50 AM
Bombs away
Mare Island warehouse that once sheltered ordnance, now houses wines
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen/Times-Herald, Vallejo
Wines Central warehouse manager Glenn Coats rides through the Mare Island facility recently. (David Pacheco/Times-Herald, Vallejo)
In a Mare Island warehouse where once torpedoes and military ordnance were kept secure, a new precious commodity has found safe harbor.
San Rafael real estate developer and entrepreneur Jack Krystal is hoping to fill a growing need in the region by transforming the concrete building to a wine storage warehouse.
Krystal chose the 710 L St., Building 627 location on the former Navy shipyard's northwest end to house his new Wines Central, LLC because he believes the rapidly changing Mare Island is the perfect location.
"I thought this would be a much better use for it," Krystal said. "It's construction and layout is perfect for this."
Rumored to have once briefly housed atomic bombs during World War II, the building's layout does indeed offer everything a storage operation needs. It features huge, movable cranes, thick concrete walls, floors and ceilings and heavy steel doors that open to allow rail cars entry.
And Krystal is no stranger to the Vallejo area, having developed several projects there including the Fairgrounds Holiday Inn and a number of homes in south Vallejo.
"Vallejo has been dear to my heart for the past 30 years," said the 60-something father and grandfather originally from Argentina.
Krystal said his love of wines was born in his Argentinean childhood.
"In Argentina, it's like Italy and France. You drink wine with lunch, with every meal," he said. "It's like Coca Cola out here."
Krystal leaves the day-to-day operation of Wines Central to Debbie Polverino, of St. Helena, its general manager who has been with the 3-year-old firm for slightly more than a year.
Polverino said she didn't hesitate when Krystal offered her the job.
"He liked the building and he knew it would be great for storing wine. It's near the Napa Valley. Wine storage and distribution is a big business in this area," she said.
Polverino said there are several local warehouses devoted to the industry, though Wines Central is the only one in Vallejo. The city's access to all forms of shipping options from truck to rail to sea, makes the Mare Island location especially desirable, she said.
And Polverino, 42, should know. She was practically born into the wine business.
For the past 25 years, she has worked in the industry, managing warehouses and wineries. She grew up in the Napa Valley, where her family settled after her grandparents emigrated from Spain.
As familiar as she is with the various aspects of the wine business, Polverino said she immediately recognized the potential in Krystal's idea to store wine in a Mare Island building.
"Land in the Napa Valley is very expensive, so most of it is used to grow grapes. There are very few storage or distribution facilities there," she explained.
Polverino's vast knowledge of the various aspects of the wine industry permits Krystal to leave Wines Central's daily operation in her capable hands and she has been busy marketing the facility.
"I talked to people I knew about this great, safe building, the great prices. The police department and fire department are nearby. It's a great location for shipping," Polverino said.
Polverino said Wines Central now has about 80 winery clients and some 40 private collectors storing their precious bottles and barrels in its facility's various sized locked cages.
"Our clients include small collectors, marketing companies, overflow warehousing and wineries' library collections, which are the history of the winery by vintage examples," Polverino said. The Francis Ford Coppola brand of pastas and sauces, C&H Sugar, specialty olive oils and a variety of other merchandise is stored in the always chilly, Wines Central's climate-controlled environment, as well.
Wines Central employs eight local people and expansion is planned, Polverino said.
Besides storage of wines, bottled water, specialty food items and other materials on a lane address system, Wines Central processes orders, arranges shipping and distribution for clients and provides them space to do special projects like special holiday labeling.
Everything is organized on a computerized software system designed specifically for the wine storage industry, Polverino said.
Polverino and Krystal said they especially like being involved in changing Mare Island's military image into a more peaceful one.
"I like that they're taking the old military buildings and converting them to civilian use like this," Polverino said.
Krystal said he hopes his new enterprise will add to Mare Island's renaissance.
"I hope it becomes an indispensable service business for small-to medium-sized wine makers, right at the front door to Napa and Sonoma, and helps make Mare Island an oasis of productivity and jobs for Vallejo," he said.
E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
Bombs away
Mare Island warehouse that once sheltered ordnance, now houses wines
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen/Times-Herald, Vallejo
Wines Central warehouse manager Glenn Coats rides through the Mare Island facility recently. (David Pacheco/Times-Herald, Vallejo)
In a Mare Island warehouse where once torpedoes and military ordnance were kept secure, a new precious commodity has found safe harbor.
San Rafael real estate developer and entrepreneur Jack Krystal is hoping to fill a growing need in the region by transforming the concrete building to a wine storage warehouse.
Krystal chose the 710 L St., Building 627 location on the former Navy shipyard's northwest end to house his new Wines Central, LLC because he believes the rapidly changing Mare Island is the perfect location.
"I thought this would be a much better use for it," Krystal said. "It's construction and layout is perfect for this."
Rumored to have once briefly housed atomic bombs during World War II, the building's layout does indeed offer everything a storage operation needs. It features huge, movable cranes, thick concrete walls, floors and ceilings and heavy steel doors that open to allow rail cars entry.
And Krystal is no stranger to the Vallejo area, having developed several projects there including the Fairgrounds Holiday Inn and a number of homes in south Vallejo.
"Vallejo has been dear to my heart for the past 30 years," said the 60-something father and grandfather originally from Argentina.
Krystal said his love of wines was born in his Argentinean childhood.
"In Argentina, it's like Italy and France. You drink wine with lunch, with every meal," he said. "It's like Coca Cola out here."
Krystal leaves the day-to-day operation of Wines Central to Debbie Polverino, of St. Helena, its general manager who has been with the 3-year-old firm for slightly more than a year.
Polverino said she didn't hesitate when Krystal offered her the job.
"He liked the building and he knew it would be great for storing wine. It's near the Napa Valley. Wine storage and distribution is a big business in this area," she said.
Polverino said there are several local warehouses devoted to the industry, though Wines Central is the only one in Vallejo. The city's access to all forms of shipping options from truck to rail to sea, makes the Mare Island location especially desirable, she said.
And Polverino, 42, should know. She was practically born into the wine business.
For the past 25 years, she has worked in the industry, managing warehouses and wineries. She grew up in the Napa Valley, where her family settled after her grandparents emigrated from Spain.
As familiar as she is with the various aspects of the wine business, Polverino said she immediately recognized the potential in Krystal's idea to store wine in a Mare Island building.
"Land in the Napa Valley is very expensive, so most of it is used to grow grapes. There are very few storage or distribution facilities there," she explained.
Polverino's vast knowledge of the various aspects of the wine industry permits Krystal to leave Wines Central's daily operation in her capable hands and she has been busy marketing the facility.
"I talked to people I knew about this great, safe building, the great prices. The police department and fire department are nearby. It's a great location for shipping," Polverino said.
Polverino said Wines Central now has about 80 winery clients and some 40 private collectors storing their precious bottles and barrels in its facility's various sized locked cages.
"Our clients include small collectors, marketing companies, overflow warehousing and wineries' library collections, which are the history of the winery by vintage examples," Polverino said. The Francis Ford Coppola brand of pastas and sauces, C&H Sugar, specialty olive oils and a variety of other merchandise is stored in the always chilly, Wines Central's climate-controlled environment, as well.
Wines Central employs eight local people and expansion is planned, Polverino said.
Besides storage of wines, bottled water, specialty food items and other materials on a lane address system, Wines Central processes orders, arranges shipping and distribution for clients and provides them space to do special projects like special holiday labeling.
Everything is organized on a computerized software system designed specifically for the wine storage industry, Polverino said.
Polverino and Krystal said they especially like being involved in changing Mare Island's military image into a more peaceful one.
"I like that they're taking the old military buildings and converting them to civilian use like this," Polverino said.
Krystal said he hopes his new enterprise will add to Mare Island's renaissance.
"I hope it becomes an indispensable service business for small-to medium-sized wine makers, right at the front door to Napa and Sonoma, and helps make Mare Island an oasis of productivity and jobs for Vallejo," he said.
E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
Economic outlook bright in Solano
Economic outlook bright in SolanoArea growth outpaces rest of the Bay Area, a new study asserts By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHENTimes-Herald staff writer
Sunday, February 20, 2005 - Solano County is economically outpacing the rest of the Bay Area, according to a recently released study, which shows much of the region is "lagging in a slow recovery."
The Association of Bay Area Governments' (ABAG) Regional Economic Outlook report for 2005-06 shows Solano County besting other counties in nearly every area measured.
Solano County still has the region's lowest average annual income and the highest unemployment rate, but the gap is closing, the study shows.
Solano County Economic Development Corporation President Mike Ammann, said the report's results don't surprise him, but he can't adequately project the changes coming to Vallejo in particular.
"In the next three to five years, there will be a dramatic change in Vallejo. With downtown revitalization, what's going on on Mare Island - there's a medical school (Touro) with some 500 students and growing - with Triad, with the Mills Corporation's (Fairgrounds) project. I see all kinds of things happening.
"People who aren't paying attention, will look up in a few years and say, Wow, what happened to Vallejo?' " Ammann said.
Countywide, Solano's 20 percent general growth between 2002 and 2003 far exceeded any other Bay Area counties, with Napa coming in a distant second at less than five percent growth. The other counties registered declines, with Santa Clara reporting a nearly 30 percent drop.
The study shows Dixon experiencing the greatest progress, at nearly 100 percent change between 2002 and 2003. Vallejo, Fairfield and Vacaville showed about 20 percent growth, and were among only a handful of cities that hadn't lost ground. Ammann said much of this is explained by Dixon's shift from an agricultural-based economy to a more commercial one with new housing development.
Ammann attributes Solano County's relatively good ABAG showing to its diverse economic base, as opposed to the more technology-dependent areas like Silicon Valley. In fact, the charts indicate that the farther a city is from Silicon Valley - "ground zero for the IT bust," the better they're doing, Ammann said.
Even Solano County's higher-than-average unemployment rate can be seen as a positive, because even with a fast-growing population, it's remaining stable at about 5.5 percent, Ammann said.
"It means we're creating jobs," he said. "Solano is the only Bay Area county with a net overall increase in jobs in 2004."
The report shows that Bay Area incomes are expected to grow slightly more than inflation in the next two years.
"But look where we've come in the past 20 years," Ammann said. "We went from a primarily agricultural and military-dominated economy to a much more balanced one, which makes Solano County well positioned to withstand pretty much whatever happens, even if the governor blows up the box."
Karin Moss of the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce attended the recent Oakland conference at which the study's results were released. She said it made her even happier she's come to Vallejo.
"I'd gone to that summit two days before I started officially working for the chamber, and I came out of there with a thumbs-up, saying to myself this is a great time to be moving to Solano County,' " said Moss, a business recruiter for the chamber.
- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
Sunday, February 20, 2005 - Solano County is economically outpacing the rest of the Bay Area, according to a recently released study, which shows much of the region is "lagging in a slow recovery."
The Association of Bay Area Governments' (ABAG) Regional Economic Outlook report for 2005-06 shows Solano County besting other counties in nearly every area measured.
Solano County still has the region's lowest average annual income and the highest unemployment rate, but the gap is closing, the study shows.
Solano County Economic Development Corporation President Mike Ammann, said the report's results don't surprise him, but he can't adequately project the changes coming to Vallejo in particular.
"In the next three to five years, there will be a dramatic change in Vallejo. With downtown revitalization, what's going on on Mare Island - there's a medical school (Touro) with some 500 students and growing - with Triad, with the Mills Corporation's (Fairgrounds) project. I see all kinds of things happening.
"People who aren't paying attention, will look up in a few years and say, Wow, what happened to Vallejo?' " Ammann said.
Countywide, Solano's 20 percent general growth between 2002 and 2003 far exceeded any other Bay Area counties, with Napa coming in a distant second at less than five percent growth. The other counties registered declines, with Santa Clara reporting a nearly 30 percent drop.
The study shows Dixon experiencing the greatest progress, at nearly 100 percent change between 2002 and 2003. Vallejo, Fairfield and Vacaville showed about 20 percent growth, and were among only a handful of cities that hadn't lost ground. Ammann said much of this is explained by Dixon's shift from an agricultural-based economy to a more commercial one with new housing development.
Ammann attributes Solano County's relatively good ABAG showing to its diverse economic base, as opposed to the more technology-dependent areas like Silicon Valley. In fact, the charts indicate that the farther a city is from Silicon Valley - "ground zero for the IT bust," the better they're doing, Ammann said.
Even Solano County's higher-than-average unemployment rate can be seen as a positive, because even with a fast-growing population, it's remaining stable at about 5.5 percent, Ammann said.
"It means we're creating jobs," he said. "Solano is the only Bay Area county with a net overall increase in jobs in 2004."
The report shows that Bay Area incomes are expected to grow slightly more than inflation in the next two years.
"But look where we've come in the past 20 years," Ammann said. "We went from a primarily agricultural and military-dominated economy to a much more balanced one, which makes Solano County well positioned to withstand pretty much whatever happens, even if the governor blows up the box."
Karin Moss of the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce attended the recent Oakland conference at which the study's results were released. She said it made her even happier she's come to Vallejo.
"I'd gone to that summit two days before I started officially working for the chamber, and I came out of there with a thumbs-up, saying to myself this is a great time to be moving to Solano County,' " said Moss, a business recruiter for the chamber.
- E-mail Rachel Raskin-Zrihen at RachelZ@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6824.
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