Monday, February 27, 2006
Roseville Automall Expansion
In an area full of automalls, the Folsom Automall is a powerhouse in the Sacramento area. If the Automall and neighboring rocket producer Aerojet get there way, the mall soon could see expansion.
An automall, or a large area of land designated to be used solely by auto dealerships, has become a very popular development choice for politicians in the Valley. The products, expensive automobiles, make a huge contribution to the local area's sales tax. Cities and counties have embraced these developments as darlings of their budgets, bringing in millions of dollars of tax revenue. In Sacramento county, Roseville Automall became one of the first in the world, and now claims to be the world's largest automall. The relatively new city of Elk Grove also boasts an automall, and recently allowed for growth. The Elk Grove Automall has not yet reached full build-out. It has added dealerships, some from the Florin Road corridor in Sacramento city, resulting in a significant loss of revenue by the city.
The Folsom Automall is now seeking expansion. Still a remote location along the Highway 50 corridor, the mall has worked with real estate development-minded Aerojet to expand across the road onto its property. Aerojet has recently decided to sell-off and develop some of its acreage near the highway. It has one high accolades from the community in trying to build dense housing in the near vicinity of one Sacramento's new light rail station.
However, the automall expansion would also be near the station. It is thought that the automall would add very little riders to a fledging regional transit system. Sacramento Regional Transit costs billions, with costs being shared by area communities and state and federal grants. There are grave worries that the federal government would be less inclined to support RT if Sacramento "wastes" planning opportunities near stations.
Sadly, Aerojet has decided to play hardball, trying to force the project through with threat of lawsuit and the modification of proposals the community feels are beneficial near the station. These stations are set, and may remain so for decades, or possibly centuries. The land use choices made today will affect the success of the transportation system in the future. Besides, for the possibility of future RT expansion, federal funding is a necessity. To become more viable, RT must expand to the airport and to Sacramento's arena and stadium venues. It must grow to more successfully connect Sacramento State to the rails. RT must expand into Elk Grove, riding past Cosumnes River College on the way to providing congestion relief to highway 99.
Will RT fail in Sacramento if Folsom Automall expands? Probably not. The fact remains that Sacramento must decide carefully to support projects near its very expensive investment into the region's future.
An automall, or a large area of land designated to be used solely by auto dealerships, has become a very popular development choice for politicians in the Valley. The products, expensive automobiles, make a huge contribution to the local area's sales tax. Cities and counties have embraced these developments as darlings of their budgets, bringing in millions of dollars of tax revenue. In Sacramento county, Roseville Automall became one of the first in the world, and now claims to be the world's largest automall. The relatively new city of Elk Grove also boasts an automall, and recently allowed for growth. The Elk Grove Automall has not yet reached full build-out. It has added dealerships, some from the Florin Road corridor in Sacramento city, resulting in a significant loss of revenue by the city.
The Folsom Automall is now seeking expansion. Still a remote location along the Highway 50 corridor, the mall has worked with real estate development-minded Aerojet to expand across the road onto its property. Aerojet has recently decided to sell-off and develop some of its acreage near the highway. It has one high accolades from the community in trying to build dense housing in the near vicinity of one Sacramento's new light rail station.
However, the automall expansion would also be near the station. It is thought that the automall would add very little riders to a fledging regional transit system. Sacramento Regional Transit costs billions, with costs being shared by area communities and state and federal grants. There are grave worries that the federal government would be less inclined to support RT if Sacramento "wastes" planning opportunities near stations.
Sadly, Aerojet has decided to play hardball, trying to force the project through with threat of lawsuit and the modification of proposals the community feels are beneficial near the station. These stations are set, and may remain so for decades, or possibly centuries. The land use choices made today will affect the success of the transportation system in the future. Besides, for the possibility of future RT expansion, federal funding is a necessity. To become more viable, RT must expand to the airport and to Sacramento's arena and stadium venues. It must grow to more successfully connect Sacramento State to the rails. RT must expand into Elk Grove, riding past Cosumnes River College on the way to providing congestion relief to highway 99.
Will RT fail in Sacramento if Folsom Automall expands? Probably not. The fact remains that Sacramento must decide carefully to support projects near its very expensive investment into the region's future.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
New Sutter Hospital Facilities Questioned
Part 2 of 3: This is a continuation of ValleyVue's special report on the fractured state of planning in California's Capital.
In midtown Sacramento, a neighborhood awaits a possible renaissance. A laid-back residential community in between the bustling areas of downtown, Broadway, and Alhambra, the area is the birthplace of Sacramento, with Sutter's Fort State Historic Park. Near the fort stands Sutter Hospital. The hospital recently announced plans to expand in midtown in a big way. The plan includes new medical wings, residences, retail, a spot for the new B Street theater, a new Children's Theater of California, and a new facility to be used jointly by Trinity Cathedral and Sutter.
The Sacramento City Council voted unanimously to approve the project, and it is not hard to see why. The project was endorsed by SACOG (Sacramento Area Council of Governments), the Sacramento Metropolitan Air District, and Regional Transit. This project is rightly seen by civic leaders and environmental groups alike as being perfect for Sacramento. Sutter is located basically in the very center of the Sacramento metropolitan area, and it is blocks away from light rail. It is being built in an already urban area, and it will include amenities not just for the neighborhood but also for the theaters for the entire region. It is hard to see anything unlikeable.
Enter the SEIU United Healthcare Workers/West. The Union filed a lawsuit against the project because of what they claim to be overlooked environmental issues. The SEIU claims traffic concerns have not been studied. Critics claim the lawsuit is simply a way for the Union to hurt the hospital, which has not been unionized. As much as ValleyVue supports and believes in the labor movement, this step by SEIU is ill-advised. To use CEQA as a tool to bring about development changes which will likely shift environmental problems to other areas is abhorrent and only makes SEIU look unreasonable. Sure, all of the questions CEQA initiates were not answered in the original planning process. However, legaleze should not supersede common sense.
Of course Sutter's expansion will bring more traffic to midtown. Of course that means more pollution. Then again, try to predict the future: the inability of Sutter to build retain, new medical facilities, and new theaters in the central city does not mean the needs for those facilities goes away. They will end up going to the edge of the city--Elk Grove, Natomas, Roseville. Workers will not have the ability to commute to a central location or to ride the train to work. Hospital visitors and midtown residents will drive instead of walk to retail and restaurant facilities. Sacramento's entertainment facilities will become further decentralized, going to the suburbs. Other than to hurt Sutter, SEIU gets no closer to its noble goal of organizing workers there.
Chances are the project will get constructed. Chances also are that concessions will be made and the vision Sutter originally had will not be as grand. In a location that makes perfect sense, an illogical appeasement to CEQA will be made. That will be a sad day for midtown.
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Sources: www.suttermedicalcenter.com, Sacramento Bee, writer Dan Borlik
In midtown Sacramento, a neighborhood awaits a possible renaissance. A laid-back residential community in between the bustling areas of downtown, Broadway, and Alhambra, the area is the birthplace of Sacramento, with Sutter's Fort State Historic Park. Near the fort stands Sutter Hospital. The hospital recently announced plans to expand in midtown in a big way. The plan includes new medical wings, residences, retail, a spot for the new B Street theater, a new Children's Theater of California, and a new facility to be used jointly by Trinity Cathedral and Sutter.
The Sacramento City Council voted unanimously to approve the project, and it is not hard to see why. The project was endorsed by SACOG (Sacramento Area Council of Governments), the Sacramento Metropolitan Air District, and Regional Transit. This project is rightly seen by civic leaders and environmental groups alike as being perfect for Sacramento. Sutter is located basically in the very center of the Sacramento metropolitan area, and it is blocks away from light rail. It is being built in an already urban area, and it will include amenities not just for the neighborhood but also for the theaters for the entire region. It is hard to see anything unlikeable.
Enter the SEIU United Healthcare Workers/West. The Union filed a lawsuit against the project because of what they claim to be overlooked environmental issues. The SEIU claims traffic concerns have not been studied. Critics claim the lawsuit is simply a way for the Union to hurt the hospital, which has not been unionized. As much as ValleyVue supports and believes in the labor movement, this step by SEIU is ill-advised. To use CEQA as a tool to bring about development changes which will likely shift environmental problems to other areas is abhorrent and only makes SEIU look unreasonable. Sure, all of the questions CEQA initiates were not answered in the original planning process. However, legaleze should not supersede common sense.
Of course Sutter's expansion will bring more traffic to midtown. Of course that means more pollution. Then again, try to predict the future: the inability of Sutter to build retain, new medical facilities, and new theaters in the central city does not mean the needs for those facilities goes away. They will end up going to the edge of the city--Elk Grove, Natomas, Roseville. Workers will not have the ability to commute to a central location or to ride the train to work. Hospital visitors and midtown residents will drive instead of walk to retail and restaurant facilities. Sacramento's entertainment facilities will become further decentralized, going to the suburbs. Other than to hurt Sutter, SEIU gets no closer to its noble goal of organizing workers there.
Chances are the project will get constructed. Chances also are that concessions will be made and the vision Sutter originally had will not be as grand. In a location that makes perfect sense, an illogical appeasement to CEQA will be made. That will be a sad day for midtown.
_____________________
Sources: www.suttermedicalcenter.com, Sacramento Bee, writer Dan Borlik
Smart Growth--Misplaced Opposition
Editor's note: Over the past couple weeks, the ValleyVue news room has been restructuring and adding technology that will better serve our readers. We thank you for your patience. Today we present the beginning of a three part series on the planning troubles of the largest city in the Valley--Sacramento.
It was the best of plans; it was the worst of plans. This is a tale of two cities, or more accurately a city as it is and what it could be. In the politically super-charged environment that is Sacramento, locals often differ in their vision of the future. While most seem approving of the idea of making Sacramento "world-class", many disregard this bold vision in order to continue the practices of poor planning of the past.
One example is the Pocket neighborhood's opposition to a plan for densely packed housing on a vacant lot. This is why infill developments are so special--there are so many roadblocks on the way to completing the project. In this case, a local action group called the "Pocket Protectors" (only named in ValleyVue because of the cleverness of the name) blocked the project's first iteration to require an environmental review. While an environmental review sounds like a positive thing, the way the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has evolved is into a way for individuals to challenge city or county approved projects in court.
While sometimes warranted to stop a government from approving projects that did not consider environmental impacts, the Pocket opposition in this case said the project would result in too much of a traffic impact. Therefore developers have come back with a scaled-back project, building fewer units per acre. This is a result that will not address the need for housing as well as the earlier plan did, which will no doubt result in more housing units being built on the urban fringe. There would be less traffic in the Pocket, but eventually more coming on freeways from the suburbs. Not even the current plans may result in construction though, as some Pocket residents are now trying to tell developers the only acceptable project will be one they espouse--single family homes.
______________________
Sources: ceres.ca.gov/ceqa, sacbee.com, writer Dan Borlik
It was the best of plans; it was the worst of plans. This is a tale of two cities, or more accurately a city as it is and what it could be. In the politically super-charged environment that is Sacramento, locals often differ in their vision of the future. While most seem approving of the idea of making Sacramento "world-class", many disregard this bold vision in order to continue the practices of poor planning of the past.
One example is the Pocket neighborhood's opposition to a plan for densely packed housing on a vacant lot. This is why infill developments are so special--there are so many roadblocks on the way to completing the project. In this case, a local action group called the "Pocket Protectors" (only named in ValleyVue because of the cleverness of the name) blocked the project's first iteration to require an environmental review. While an environmental review sounds like a positive thing, the way the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has evolved is into a way for individuals to challenge city or county approved projects in court.
While sometimes warranted to stop a government from approving projects that did not consider environmental impacts, the Pocket opposition in this case said the project would result in too much of a traffic impact. Therefore developers have come back with a scaled-back project, building fewer units per acre. This is a result that will not address the need for housing as well as the earlier plan did, which will no doubt result in more housing units being built on the urban fringe. There would be less traffic in the Pocket, but eventually more coming on freeways from the suburbs. Not even the current plans may result in construction though, as some Pocket residents are now trying to tell developers the only acceptable project will be one they espouse--single family homes.
______________________
Sources: ceres.ca.gov/ceqa, sacbee.com, writer Dan Borlik
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Sacramento A's?
The prospects for pro sports in the ValleyFrom the Bakersfield Blaze to the Sacramento Kings, the Valley loves sports. Long a territory divided up by coastal professional teams, the Valley is increasing searching for its own identity in the sports industry.
Fresno Mayor Alan Autry some years back talked bout the possibility of a pro franchise coming to Fresno. Citing the million plus residents of the metropolitan area and the popularity of Fresno State football and basketball games, Autry argued for professional sports to take a closer look at the San Joaquin Valley. Fresno is an area of California that seems to be too far away form the Bay Area and L.A. teams to be particularly affiliated with any of them.
In baseball, the San Francisco Giants lay claim to the Valley, citing their “first in Northern California” presence and the operation of the AAA Fresno Giants. The Oakland Athletics have more often looked into the Valley as a growing market, especially around Sacramento, where it is affiliated to the AAA Sacramento Rivercats and the California League (A ball) Stockton Ports, not to mention a longtime past agreement with Modesto’s California League team. The Modesto A’s re-affiliated before last season, and now call themselves the Modesto Nuts. The Los Angeles teams also have an interest in the Valley.
Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings, the first big-time professional sports team in the Central Valley, have subtly expanded their influence in Fresno. Comcast Cable’s fledging network—Comcast Sports Net—started out as a vehicle for televising more Sacramento Kings games. Those games are now broadcast in Fresno, where the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers have long had a fan presence. In fact, the Kings and the Lakers have scheduled a veritable battle for Central California the last two seasons by playing preseason games at Fresno’s SaveMart Center.
What are the prospects for more professional sports teams to relocate or start in the Valley? Chances unfortunately are not good—yet. Fesno has difficulty in credibly claiming to be a "Major League" city because of its poor economy and agrarian tradition. Sacramento has had great difficulty attempting to begin the process of building a replacement for the aging Arco Arena, causing many in the Capital City to worry about the possibility of losing the Kings. While owners Joe and Gavin Maloof have repeatedly stated their commitment to Sacramento, it is no secret that the Maloofs have strong connections to their home base of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Las Vegas, Nevada.
That may be the biggest obstacle facing sports fans pining for local professional sports—the fact that many other bigger, more developed, connected, and corporate localities throughout the United States also desire teams. The growing, wealthy Las Vegas municipality seems to be a shoe-in for a sports team, as soon as one of the leagues gets over qualms about athletes and gambling. The NBA may be closest, which is not good news for Kings fans. The Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas can immediately house a basketball franchise, and any number of developers would volunteer to start construction on a new basketball palace complete with a hotel and casino. If that seems unlikely, the NBA has already begun plans to host the 1997 All Star game in southern Nevada, hosted by the Maloofs. The WNBA, sister league to the NBA, already has the Connecticut Sun playing at the Mohegan Sun casino complex.
One thing that Sacramento has going for it is a long history of fan support. The Kings currently hold the longest streak of sell-outs in the NBA. In the 21 years the Kings have been in the Valley, the buildings called Arco Arena have rarely had unsold seats. In baseball, the Sacramento Rivercats have been one of the most successful teams in the Pacific Coast League for attendance. The first few years, the Rivercats sold more seats than any other PCL team, setting records as they went. Sacramento baseball fans came to see a team that is basically playing so the players can be noticed by the Oakland A’s, as evidenced by lower attendance during playoffs than during the regular season. Imagine what it could be like if the team was playing for a spot in the Major League playoffs.The A’s have surely noticed. There have been days over the past few summers that Sacramento’s Raley Field attendance was nearly even to attendance in Oakland. The A’s, like the Kings, are also looking for a new stadium deal. While lately the team has been working on a new stadium being built near the current one, the media have in the past discussed the possibility of the A’s moving to Santa Clara, Hayward, Sacramento, or beyond. Should their latest stadium deal fall through, the A’s should look carefully at expanding the ballpark in West Sacramento to suit the needs of a Major League organization.
If the Kings do indeed move out of Sacramento some day, it seems improbable that it will be the end of professional sports in the Valley, as some skeptics claim. Sacramento has surely proven, despite its problems with providing a suitable venue, it can and will whole-heartedly support a team representing the city to the world. The persistence of Kings fans makes Sacramento a special city. The NBA should view Sacramento as a very successful location for a franchise. If the Maloofs were to move this team from the region, the NBA must surely recognize Sacramento’s importance, and immediately ensure Sacramento will be a city to get a team once a new arena is built. Much along the same lines as Charlotte to the NBA or Cleveland to the NFL, the NBA has a solid fan base in Sacramento it cannot afford to abandon. If it does, the A’s or some other team may quickly move in to Sacramento to capture the hearts of sport fans.
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Thanks to our sources: http://www.nba.com/, www.wnba.com/sun, Reporter, Illustrator and Photographer Dan Borlik
