[TowerDistrict]

More criticism of Fargo's touchy feely fairness over reason policy. I can't really say that Thomas is taking a good approach here either - but the problem seems to be a total lack of priorities. I for one love the idea of Township 9, but it's not even on the same spectrum as the Railyards. Without the Railyards, TS9 is an island unto itself.


From the Bee...

Sacramento railyard owner signals impatience with city priorities
By Marcos Bretón - mbreton@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PDT Sunday, March 16, 2008
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B1 (http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/789225.html)

With a mudslinging mayoral election making a lot of noise around town, it's easy to lose sight of what it means to be a leader.

Imagine managing this: The city of Sacramento is $55 million in the red and frustrated by lawsuits stalling downtown development. As it faces a de facto federal building moratorium that could decimate future city revenue, it is looking for any silver lining.

And now? Sacramento's most crucial landowner is angry. Stan Thomas controls the 240 acres of land adjacent to downtown that once was home to the Union Pacific railyard and now sits empty. It's the largest empty lot adjacent to any downtown in the United States and could remake Sacramento's little downtown into a big downtown over the next 20 years.

Thomas had chosen to remain behind the curtain, pulling strings at City Hall and the state Capitol, until now. By telephone from his Atlanta office, in a courtly voice as thick and sweet as molasses, Thomas didn't cuss, raise his voice or say anything impolite about anyone. But he raised the specter that his investment in Sacramento could have a limit.

"If we can't start a project and get a return, are we better off putting our money in other places?" Thomas said Friday. Would he pull out of Sacramento? "I can't state that right now. But we sure would have to look at it very, very seriously."

OK. Back to leadership and what it means when you're making the decisions. Imagine being Mayor Heather Fargo on Friday night, returning home at nearly 11 from a dinner and hearing from me that Thomas is angry.

If you're Fargo, you realize that Thomas called me but didn't call her. You also know why he is mad:

The city is applying for millions of dollars in state funds to help pay for big civic projects. For two big pots of money, Sacramento is competing against Bay Area cities in a process rigged in back rooms at the state Capitol. Thomas wants to be first in line for both and wants the city to honor the essence of its commitment to him – that the railyard is the most important project in Sacramento.

As far as the city is concerned, Thomas is first in line for one pot of money. But for the other, the city wants to push a local housing project that could be done a lot faster than the railyard.

"We're trying to be fair," Fargo said Friday night. "But we also want (Thomas) to feel the love."

What the city is trying to do is not unreasonable. It has a chance to get 65 acres of housing built between the American River and Richards Boulevard. The state money would put this project over the top, get it out of the way. In future years, Thomas could get the Proposition 1C money alone.

"That's a Band-Aid," Thomas said on Friday. "Time kills deals. We have some other deals we could do right now. … If the city votes (to help the other project) we're going to have to decide what we're going to do. (The railyard is) a sled that has to be pulled by a team. If you don't, how can you get it done?"

It's a developer's lament: Whatever money he can't get from other sources, he has to pay. Thomas says he's paid $200 million already. Some developers around town say they would never risk what he has.

This issue hits the fan Tuesday, and Thomas hasn't ruled out coming to town. Which leader is going to step up? Fargo? City Manager Ray Kerridge? Could mayoral candidate Kevin Johnson handle this? We'll see. Mudslinging and campaigning are one thing, governing is another. Good intentions sometimes get crushed by reality.

[Web]

typical I want private enterprise.....but the attitude of you cant help my competition or I am leaving gets old fast......Sounds very exclusive.

What is wrong with subsidizing both????

[wburg]

typical I want private enterprise.....but the attitude of you cant help my competition or I am leaving gets old fast......Sounds very exclusive.

What is wrong with subsidizing both????
There isn't enough money to subsidize both. Township 9 isn't really competition other than for these pots of state funds.

[TowerDistrict]

typical I want private enterprise.....but the attitude of you cant help my competition or I am leaving gets old fast......Sounds very exclusive.

What is wrong with subsidizing both????

Hmmm.. I didn't read it that way, though I guess you could see it that way too. The way I see it, is that the City and Thomas have been working very openly and closely on the Railyards plan, and Thomas has basically put everything Sacramento wants into it. Now when it comes time for the City to go to bat for them, they sorta balk and try to play fair to another project.

I love TS9 and i think they did a great job on their plans. But their current investment is minimal as is their risk. They already own the land, don't have to clean anything up, and really didn't do anything in the way of involving the public in their plans - that's not a bad thing considering it looks great - but they just haven't put in the time and effort that Thomas has. Township 9 kinda flew in under the radar and showed up with this huge project.

But yeah.... I'm not sure why they can't both benefit from these two pots of money. It's not like one is deserving and the other undeserving. They're both good.

[sugit]

I for one love the idea of Township 9, but it's not even on the same spectrum as the Railyards. Without the Railyards, TS9 is an island unto itself.

My feelings on it being on an island unto itself are exactly the same. If the Railyards qualify for both pots of gold, it should be the priority on both fronts.

[urban_encounter]

Urban's prediction...

The railyard plan goes nowhere, due to lack of state, local and federal dollars to build the infrastructure.

Thomas loses patience after a few years and sells off his land holdings piece by piece..

The Intermodal station will not happen, (mostly because it is cost prohibitive)

Sorry to be cyncial but there's just too many barriers to overcome for Thomas.


Just to refresh my earlier prediction from November of 2007 (which I'm sticking with...)

[jsf8278]

Just to refresh my earlier prediction from November of 2007 (which I'm sticking with...)

There's a good editorial in today's Bee. I'm not sure if it's accessible from their website. It basically says that T9 is only seeking funding this go around, and that the Railyards is in line to receive over $100 million over the long run. It actually makes a pretty good case for T9.

[TowerDistrict]

Thank for the heads up on the article. This is really a revealing piece of info about the City's plan for Light Rail. It makes sense now, why RT would step up plans for the DNA line and their timeline would move up by several years. It looks like the City is using Township 9 to gain Prop 1C funding to build the 7th Street and Richards Blvd Light Rail stations.

I still somewhat side with Thomas here. They put a lot of effort and compromised a great deal on the street, pedestrian and transit orientation of the Railyards plan. More, narrow streets, alleys, bike lanes and wide sidewalks cost a great deal of money and have little means of funding.

------------------------

City should stick to its plan for Prop. 1C money
Published 12:00 am PDT Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Story appeared in EDITORIALS section, Page B6 (http://www.sacbee.com/editorials/story/793009.html)

Sacramento has a lot riding on a City Council decision today. The decision involves millions of dollars from Proposition 1C, the state's affordable housing bond.

The city has two strong proposals with great potential for creating whole new neighborhoods in aging industrial areas. One is The Railyards, on a 244-acre site in Sacramento's old downtown railyard. The other is Township 9, on a 65-acre site between the American River and Richards Boulevard. In the first phase, each is promising to build 850 units of housing around transit – with 15 percent for lower-income households.

For the first round of Proposition 1C funding, the council should stick with its Feb. 19 decision to make The Railyards its top priority for one pot of money and Township 9 its top priority for a second pot of money.


Unfortunately, The Railyards folks are panicking unnecessarily over the city's priorities in this first round of funding. Stan Thomas of Thomas Enterprises, developer of The Railyards, has sent a letter to Mayor Heather Fargo and the City Council falsely accusing the city of weakening its commitment to The Railyards. He demands that The Railyards be the city's top priority for both pots of Proposition 1C funds. Get a grip.

The fact is, Sacramento already has made The Railyards its top priority for the first pot of money (known as the Transit Oriented Development Program). That application was submitted March 15. The state will select one signature project per region, with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments region guaranteed one project.

The city applied for the maximum award of $17 million in the first round (with the potential for a total award of $50 million over multiple rounds of funding). The Railyards has a good shot at getting this money, which would go toward street improvements, including an overpass at Fifth Street.

Then there's a second pot of money: the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program, which has an April 4 application deadline. The guidelines say that the state "will fund only one application for each Capital Improvement Project." The city has to choose. That's why city staff is recommending that the council "authorize the city manager to submit an area application for Township 9 recognizing it as the city's first priority" for this pot of money. The city would apply for the maximum of $30 million, to build 7th Street and the Richards Boulevard light-rail station.

The developers of The Railyards could maximize good will and public dollars with a little patience. The fact is, Township 9 is seeking funding only in the first round of infill money – and will not seek any Proposition 1C funding in future rounds. Over time, The Railyards could apply for a total of $50 million from the infill pot. Add in the $50 million maximum for the transit-oriented pot and The Railyards potentially could get $100 million from the two Proposition 1C pots of money.

This is no time for the mayor, City Council or city staff to succumb to divisiveness. The city gains if both The Railyards and Township 9 succeed – creating jobs and leveraging private financing to bring housing and other amenities to Sacramento.

The mayor and City Council should show strong support for both The Railyards and Township 9 by following the city staff recommendation.

[What is a Rivercat?]

Geez, poor people sure cause a lot of problems

[TowerDistrict]

yeah... especially when they vote.

[JVissle]

Jackasses!

[TowerDistrict]

Nothing too exciting... but i was poking around the City's SacSites (http://www.sacsites.com/) website and discovered that the new public spaces for the Railyards and Township 9 have been added. It was interesting to see it overlayed with the nothingness that is there now. Also worth mentioning that the City has the area to be used as the Intermodal Station addressed as 0 Camellia Place... weird?

Township 9 is circled in pink - the Railyards is obvious, with the chain of "Boxcar Parks". The big space at the north-west end of the Boxcar Parks, is "Vista Park".

http://www.sacfrg.org/images/newpublicspace.jpg

[otnemarcaS]

Contractors: Lawsuit May Derail Project

Lawyer Who Filed Lawsuit Has Agenda, Contractors Say

POSTED: 5:07 pm PDT April 15, 2008
UPDATED: 6:52 pm PDT April 15, 2008

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A lawsuit threatens to derail a downtown Sacramento railyard project, a group of construction contractors said Tuesday.

Contractors accused the lawyer who filed the environmental lawsuit –former Davis Mayor William Kopper – of working for local labor unions to horde jobs.

“We’re trying to expose this for what it is. And that’s environmental extortion,” said Paul Cunha, a construction contractor.

The lawsuit, filed earlier this year, states that the city's environmental review of the construction project was rushed and inadequate.

Contractors said that Kopper has a history of using environmental lawsuits as a way to pressure developers in hiring only union workers by making them sign project labor agreements.

Railyards developer Thomas Enterprises declined to comment. Kopper also declined to comment.

Both sides of the lawsuit are waiting for their first appearance in court.

Article: http://www.kcra.com/news/15892900/detail.html (http://www.kcra.com/news/15892900/detail.html)

[wburg]

Contractors: Lawsuit May Derail Project

Sh|t Not The Same As Shinola, Contractors Say

POSTED: 5:07 pm PDT April 15, 2008
UPDATED: 6:52 pm PDT April 15, 2008

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A lawsuit threatens to derail a downtown Sacramento railyard project, a group of construction contractors said Tuesday.
(snip)
Article: http://www.kcra.com/news/15892900/detail.html (http://www.kcra.com/news/15892900/detail.html)

Fixed.

[goldcntry]

:gaah: So do we have the office pool set up yet for when Thomas finally gets fed up and walks away?

[innov8]

Looks like Urban Encounter's right again. Labor unions are the best :rolleyes:

There's going to be long drawn out court battles before anything is ever constructed in the raiyards. That's just how this city works (or doesn't work).

CEQA, Brown Act, endagered American River Basin Cyanobacteria.. You name it and some nut will probably file a lawsuit in the next year or so before construction is set to begin..

[TowerDistrict]

(Edited because i totally misread the article)

For some reason, the Railyards project is dragged into it. Why not attack the source and sue Kopper?

Truthfully, I want Kopper to be exposed for the corrupt and extortionate douche he is - if you want a true villain to blame for the lack of progress on infill projects in Sacramento - Kopper is the man.

[Cynikal]

Kopper has done this on every major project in the region. I think at this point every developer has some space allocated for this in thier timeline. If they don't, they aren't planning ahead. It's sad really. I think he and those he represents should be sued for legal fees and applicable cost over runs.

Tower, You need to after those he represents not just Kopper. There are lots of wannabe Koppers out there just waiting. I would love to see a solution that stops greenmailing and still keeps the integrety of CEQA.

[TowerDistrict]

Right, I agree. Although, I'd love to see the battle done without dragging the Railyards through the mud.

It really does damage to unions in general to operate like this.

[Majin]

Why isnt this kind of shit illegal yet? How many times does it have to be exploited until something is done about it?

[Majin]

Oh well, I'm going to use this same technique to derail HSR

[neuhickman79]

Oh well, I'm going to use this same technique to derail HSR
If you do, you're just as much of an idiot as he is!

[Majin]

If you do, you're just as much of an idiot as he is!

I agree, but what choice do I have?

1. Let Sacramento get the shaft alone
2. Both Sacramento and the rest of CA get the shaft together.

I choose option 2.

[neuhickman79]

I agree, but what choice do I have?

1. Let Sacramento get the shaft alone
2. Both Sacramento and the rest of CA get the shaft together.

I choose option 2.
Have you heard that the latest option is to build the whole system all at once?

[innov8]

^ Where have you heard that? The current bond measure isn't enough money to build the whole thing at once.

[neuhickman79]

^ Where have you heard that? The current bond measure isn't enough money to build the whole thing at once.

Post# 803 CA HSR Thread:

Bill seeks to modify high-speed rail bond on California ballot
By STEVE LAWRENCE, The Associated Press
2008-02-29 02:10:24.0
Current rank: # 1,826 of 8,889

SACRAMENTO -
Two Democrats have introduced legislation sought by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that could broaden voter support for a twice-delayed, $9.9 billion high-speed-rail bond on the November ballot.

The bill by Assemblywomen Cathleen Galgiani of Tracy and Fiona Ma of San Francisco would allow the bonds to be used for all segments of the proposed 700-mile rail system. The bond's current language dedicates the money only for the proposed segment between the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas.

Their bill also would put a 10 percent cap on the amount of state bond money that could be spent on studies, planning and engineering work instead of construction. In addition, it would require the state's high-speed rail board to have a detailed funding plan in place for each segment of the system before awarding a construction contract for that segment.

The board has recommended that California link its major cities with trains running at top speeds of more than 200 mph as a way to ease increasing congestion on freeways and at airports.

In addition to Los Angeles and San Francisco, the trains would reach Sacramento, Fresno, San Jose, Oakland, Irvine, Riverside and San Diego. The $40 billion rail network would be built over a 20-year period.

Schwarzenegger has been hot and cold on it. He twice supported legislation that postponed the bond measure from going to the ballot, but last May wrote an op-ed piece saying high-speed rail would be a "tremendous benefit" for California.

In January, when he released his state budget proposals, Schwarzenegger dropped a request that lawmakers delay a vote on the bonds a third time. But he said he wanted legislation requiring the rail board to identify federal and private funding to help finance the project before moving ahead with construction.

A spokeswoman for Schwarzenegger, Sabrina Lockhart, said Thursday that the administration worked with the rail board to draft the Galgiani and Ma bill.

"As it stands today, it addresses the concerns the governor outlined in his budget proposals," she said. "We are happy that this legislation has been introduced and will be monitoring the bill as it makes its way through the Legislature."

Ma and Mehdi Morshed, the rail board's executive director, said the bill could broaden public support for the bonds by allowing all areas served by the project to compete for money.

The bill would require the board to give top priority for bond funding to segments of the project that could attract the most federal, local government or private financing and that also could be used by other passenger trains.

But those commuter train systems would have to use the same equipment as high-speed rail to mesh with the faster train service once it began, Morshed said.

"Everyone has a fair shot at it," Morshed said. "If they can come up with more money or a better proposal, then they get to the head of the line."

Quentin Kopp, a former state senator who chairs the rail board, said he had been told by Schwarzenegger's chief of staff, Susan Kennedy, that the Republican governor supports the bond proposal.

But Kopp said Schwarzenegger had not agreed to a request that he serve as a co-chair of the campaign to pass the bonds. He hopes to line up a "dream team" of current and former public officials to persuade voters to approve sale of the bonds.

Lockhart said she had no comment about whether the governor would eventually agree to help lead the campaign.

[innov8]

For it to pass it will need a 2/3 vote from the legislature.

Will see because it still has a long way to go.

AB 3034 (Galgiani) High-Speed Train Bond Act: http://info.sen.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_3034&sess=CUR&house=B&site=sen

[Cynikal]

Why isnt this kind of shit illegal yet? How many times does it have to be exploited until something is done about it?


Do you know how Kopper works? Do you have a solution? Besides doing away with CEQA :shrug:

[urban_encounter]

Have you heard that the latest option is to build the whole system all at once?


That's not what Assembly Bill 3034 would do. It doesn't mean the whole system will be built at once; it would only tweak the current proposal so that communities could "compete" for funding; (so as to attract statewide support.)

I doubt it will have any impact on the actual proposal (as it stands now) to build the north south segment between L.A. and Merced/Stockton and then from the Valley terminus to the bay.



When it comes to competing for statewide transportation dollars, Sacramento has never traditionally done well and I'm not willing to roll the dice in order to bet that its about to change anytime soon.

[urban_encounter]

(Edited because i totally misread the article)

For some reason, the Railyards project is dragged into it. Why not attack the source and sue Kopper?

Truthfully, I want Kopper to be exposed for the corrupt and extortionate douche he is - if you want a true villain to blame for the lack of progress on infill projects in Sacramento - Kopper is the man.



Yeah it was Kopper who challenged the Metropolitan because they didn't factor in a possible hotel into the origional proposal..

Or his anonymous 'clients" shall i say..

[Sacdelicious]

For it to pass it will need a 2/3 vote from the legislature.

Will see because it still has a long way to go.

AB 3034 (Galgiani) High-Speed Train Bond Act: http://info.sen.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_3034&sess=CUR&house=B&site=sen

It has passed out of Asm Trans Cmte 10 - 0, which is usually a good sign. It does need a 2/3 vote, due to its urgency clause. I could see measure being yanked from the Nov. ballot, if need be, dropping the urgency clause so it needs just a 50% vote, and then having it next year, if it looks like the 2/3 vote wouldn't happen. Just a thought.

[wburg]

Do you know how Kopper works? Do you have a solution? Besides doing away with CEQA :shrug:

In the interest of exploring this, one potential solution might be a means of CEQA enforcement other than lawsuits. Right now, CEQA is citizen enforced: the whole intent of the law is that CEQA challenges are lawsuits. Why? Because it's probably cheaper and easier than having a "CEQA officer" who has to check CEQA compliance and cite those that don't pass. In some ways, this makes CEQA more of a citizen-interest law, and makes it more resistant to certain types of abuses (like building lobbies paying off CEQA officers) but open to other kinds of abuses--the unnecessary CEQA lawsuits that give legitimate CEQA challenges a bad name, and get environmentalists and preservationists rolled up into a package with folks like Kopper.

I imagine that a State Department of CEQA Enforcement would generate more ill-will than the current lawsuit-enforced means--what do others think?

[Majin]

How about we just get rid of the CEQA?

[Cynikal]

I see you are staying with your typical style of critical thinking Majin. At least you are consistent.

WBurg, I agree with your line of thought. I can't think of a mechanism that would keep the intent of CEQA in place and remove the opportunity to take advantage of the system. I sticking with opening up the ability to counter sue for unreasonable lawsuits that impede the process (I'm sure this currently exists but I'm not an environmental planner or a lawyer). Although, this also get into uncomfortable territory of penalizing parties for being part of the process.

[Majin]

Actually, my suggestion is the smartest thing to do.

It stops frivolous lawsuits and saves the state money at the same time.

Two birds with one stone.

[Cynikal]

Fitting analogy, killing birds and all. :haha:

[econgrad]

How about we just get rid of the CEQA?

That would be the one of the greatest steps California could ever take to improve its economic climate..Unfortunately very few in the Gov understand anything about capitalism or economics.

[wburg]

Majin: Actually, no, because most of what CEQA is about is simply disclosure: developers limit liability by disclosing the effects, including the potential effects, of what they plan to do. They can't cover every possible contingency, but they aren't expected to. It also means that potential problems can be identified BEFORE the building gets built, instead of afterward.

As nice as the ideal of "it's my property, I can do whatever I want with it" is, it doesn't acknowledge that buildings in a city are part of the city system. They tie in to city utilities, they change how traffic flows on city streets, they can have effects on other buildings and places in ways that aren't always immediately obvious.

[neuhickman79]

That would be the one of the greatest steps California could ever take to improve its economic climate..Unfortunately very few in the Gov understand anything about capitalism or economics.
Because money is the most important thing in the world!:rolleyes: Give me a break! Quality of life trumps capitalism and GREED any day! Making sure CEQA is not misused is the best idea...NOT getting rid of it!

[TowerDistrict]

They tie in to city utilities, they change how traffic flows on city streets, they can have effects on other buildings and places in ways that aren't always immediately obvious.

Yeah, I remember thinking about that when the people in the Ziggurat were complaining about the harsh solar reflection they were receiving from the new CalSTRS building. The funny thing is that I know shadows cast by highrises are covered in the reports, but I don't remember seeing anything about reflections.

[econgrad]

Because money is the most important thing in the world!:rolleyes: Give me a break! Quality of life trumps capitalism and GREED any day! Making sure CEQA is not misused is the best idea...NOT getting rid of it!

There they go again..... :rolleyes:

5/29/2007 (back)

Attorney General's Lawsuit An Attack On Taxpayers

By Sen. Bob Dutton

Note: In case you missed it, this piece was published exclusively in the San Bernardino Sun and Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. I thought those of you who subscribe to The Dutton Report might also find this interesting and alarming.

California ’s Attorney General Jerry Brown has always had a penchant for the outrageous and probably always will. You may remember him from when he ran this great state as governor from 1975 to 1983.

His outrageousness as governor ran the gambit from the ridiculous to the regrettable and unfortunately we are still paying the price for some of his decisions three decades ago.

He was the governor who appointed the infamous Supreme Court Justice Rose Bird who single-handedly stopped the death penalty and executions in California until she was removed by the voters in 1986.

He was also the anti-growth governor who turned his back on California’s infrastructure system, which his late father Gov. Edmund Brown helped build while he was governor in the 1960s. That inaction has led to the crumbling of our highways and interstates and is part of the reason why the voters recently supported nearly $20 billion in spending on transportation improvements throughout the state.

Well, anti-growth Governor Brown is back, now as Attorney General. He has filed a lawsuit against the County of San Bernardino and charges that its General Plan violates the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Anyone who has witnessed the CEQA process knows that its complex and restrictive mandates pile hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions, of dollars onto the cost of projects. Environmental reports themselves can run thousands of pages long and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to prepare, and once completed are often tied up for years in the courts.

CEQA’s subjective nature lends itself to constant abuse and frivolous litigation, and allows anti-growth advocates to stall critical infrastructure projects. For a couple hundred dollars - the cost of a municipal court filing fee - any individual or environmental group can single-handedly delay or bring to a halt a multi-million dollar project, such as a freeway expansion.

For an Attorney General who is opposed to growth along with his environmental friends, abuse of the CEQA process is about stopping development in California. They are attempting to subvert the will of the California voters who desperately want to see road improvements and traffic congestion relief that have been ignored for decades. Having lost at the ballot box they believe they can win in the courts.

If the Attorney General’s lawsuit is upheld, there will not be a single county or city in California with a growth plan that complies with the new planning requirements. Millions of taxpayer dollars intended for roads, schools, parks, and clean water projects will instead be spent on studies, consultants, reports, and litigation.

For nearly three decades our deteriorating infrastructure system has been ignored to the point where the roads are literally being crushed by the vehicles that travel the system every day. Anyone who drives a major freeway or highway knows that “gridlock” has replaced the word “freeway” when traveling on our roads.

One way to reduce air pollution is to get vehicles moving from Point A to Point B quicker and more efficiently. Proposition 1B helps accomplish that goal by spending $20 billion to improve our transportation system. That goal will not be accomplished if those dollars are spent on studies instead of concrete.

Thirty years ago Governor Brown stopped preparing for a growing population. Infrastructure development was halted, but people still came. Now, thirty years later, the people spoke loudly and clearly that it is time to address our critical transportation needs. But in Attorney General Brown’s world, the more things change, the more they stay the same. California’s population continues to grow and he’s turning his back on our transportation needs.

That is nothing short of outrageous! Now is the time for common sense to prevail. The governor and legislature must defend the taxpayers from this outrageous assault.

[econgrad]

Read this if your not afraid of seeing some facts and another point of view....(For all of you)

http://www.biasandiego.org/HomePage%20-%20News/costmatterbrochure.pdf

[snfenoc]

As nice as the ideal of "it's my property, I can do whatever I want with it" is, it doesn't acknowledge that buildings in a city are part of the city system. They tie in to city utilities, they change how traffic flows on city streets, they can have effects on other buildings and places in ways that aren't always immediately obvious.

Because money is the most important thing in the world! Give me a break! Quality of life trumps capitalism and GREED any day! Making sure CEQA is not misused is the best idea...NOT getting rid of it!


They will always have excuses to steal your liberty. And they are good excuses if you smoke enough pot and really "think" about them. I got an idea, let's regulate fat people too. After all, they affect us negatively by raising our health care costs. Honestly, with the advent of nationalized health care in the US, I'm sure we are just a little time away from that happening. Heck, maybe we should euthanize people over the age of 50 – keeping them alive (which, of course, is the job of government) is too costly. Logan’s Run, anyone?

All kidding aside, my belief is there should only be government involvement if Person A does something that significantly, directly and negatively affects Person B's property. (None of the examples wburg or neuhicky come up with will probably apply here – that’s like entrusting the Bush administration to define “clear and present danger” when it comes to justifying the invasion of another country. Low standard alert!) The regulation and forced standardization caused by CEQA and government approval craps in the face of freedom. Oh, but that's right, the government's job is to maintain our "quality of life". Its job certainly has nothing to do with protecting our liberty. Who wants something like that silly little ideal? Right, wburg?


You know, I laugh when people ask questions like, "How can we keep CEQA and prevent these abuses?" It’s kinda hard to do that. Any loophole closure we come up with will have its own, new loophole(s) and probably a whole new level of regulation to traverse. Of course, these abuses would happen a lot less if government oversight/approval was not required for projects to be built. HOWEVER, We want to make sure projects fit in with the "built environment" (After all, in America one must fit in, one is not allowed to be against the mainstream). We want to make sure projects protect the natural environment (After all, maintenance of the Three-fanged, Blue-footed Ladybug Humping Spider population trumps individual liberty every day of the week and twice on Sunday). We want to make sure views are protected with setbacks and height limits (After all, one is guaranteed a right to see the Crapitol from his cushy Shitty Hall office). We want to make sure new buildings don't replace old "historically significant" buildings (After all, preservationist special interest nerds are entitled to protect buildings they define as historically significant, even if they don't technically own them. Besides, ownership means nothing in a socialist society.). I just love these problems. I love ‘em. I can’t wait for more. Why? I love that we get what we deserve. We want government to take care of everything (or maintain our "quality of life"). So, we just have to accept the extravagancies, abuses and stupidity that come from an ever-involved, authoritarian government. Our wants have consequences.

I’ll stop now. I wouldn’t want someone to call me hysterical.

[neuhickman79]

They will always have excuses to steal your liberty. And they are good excuses if you smoke enough pot and really "think" about them. I got an idea, let's regulate fat people too. After all, they affect us negatively by raising our health care costs. Honestly, with the advent of nationalized health care in the US, I'm sure we are just a little time away from that happening. Heck, maybe we should euthanize people over the age of 50 – keeping them alive (which, of course, is the job of government) is too costly. Logan’s Run, anyone?

All kidding aside, my belief is there should only be government involvement if Person A does something that significantly, directly and negatively affects Person B's property. (None of the examples wburg or neuhicky come up with will probably apply here – that’s like entrusting the Bush administration to define “clear and present danger” when it comes to justifying the invasion of another country. Low standard alert!) The regulation and forced standardization caused by CEQA and government approval craps in the face of freedom. Oh, but that's right, the government's job is to maintain our "quality of life". Its job certainly has nothing to do with protecting our liberty. Who wants something like that silly little ideal? Right, wburg?


You know, I laugh when people ask questions like, "How can we keep CEQA and prevent these abuses?" It’s kinda hard to do that. Any loophole closure we come up with will have its own, new loophole(s) and probably a whole new level of regulation to traverse. Of course, these abuses would happen a lot less if government oversight/approval was not required for projects to be built. HOWEVER, We want to make sure projects fit in with the "built environment" (After all, in America one must fit in, one is not allowed to be against the mainstream). We want to make sure projects protect the natural environment (After all, maintenance of the Three-fanged, Blue-footed Ladybug Humping Spider population trumps individual liberty every day of the week and twice on Sunday). We want to make sure views are protected with setbacks and height limits (After all, one is guaranteed a right to see the Crapitol from his cushy Shitty Hall office). We want to make sure new buildings don't replace old "historically significant" buildings (After all, preservationist special interest nerds are entitled to protect buildings they define as historically significant, even if they don't technically own them. Besides, ownership means nothing in a socialist society.). I just love these problems. I love ‘em. I can’t wait for more. Why? I love that we get what we deserve. We want government to take care of everything (or maintain our "quality of life"). So, we just have to accept the extravagancies, abuses and stupidity that come from an ever-involved, authoritarian government. Our wants have consequences.

I’ll stop now. I wouldn’t want someone to call me hysterical.
snfenoc. I totally respect your views and your eloquent (with just a touch of crass...truly the way I like things!...SERIOUSLY!) way of putting them. They are not so partisan and brainwashed as others! I can totally see your side of it. I have the freedom to believe my way and you yours! I cherish those freedoms and don't believe that government regulation (within reason) takes those freedoms away.

[Majin]

At least some people here agree with me. All of this regulation just ends up hurting everybody in the end and only lines the pockets of lawyers.

[wburg]

They will always have excuses to steal your liberty. And they are good excuses if you smoke enough pot and really "think" about them. I got an idea, let's regulate fat people too. After all, they affect us negatively by raising our health care costs. Honestly, with the advent of nationalized health care in the US, I'm sure we are just a little time away from that happening. Heck, maybe we should euthanize people over the age of 50 – keeping them alive (which, of course, is the job of government) is too costly. Logan’s Run, anyone?

I’ll stop now. I wouldn’t want someone to call me hysterical.

You went straight to government-sponsored euthanasia in your first paragraph...wow! Who's smoking the pot here, anyhow? Oh well, as Bob Black once said, "A Libertarian is just a Republican who takes drugs." (http://www.inspiracy.com/black/abolition/libertarian.html)

It isn't the government's job to defend or protect your liberty, it's yours. That's why we have a Second Amendment.

[econgrad]

Oh well, as Bob Black once said, "A Libertarian is just a Republican who takes drugs." (http://www.inspiracy.com/black/abolition/libertarian.html)

It isn't the government's job to defend or protect your liberty, it's yours. That's why we have a Second Amendment.

I can't even respond to such nescient statements. :haha:

[urban_encounter]

I’ll stop now. I wouldn’t want someone to call me hysterical.



Republitarian, hysterical.... Aren't the two synonymous?



;)

[urban_encounter]

Yeah, I remember thinking about that when the people in the Ziggurat were complaining about the harsh solar reflection they were receiving from the new CalSTRS building. The funny thing is that I know shadows cast by highrises are covered in the reports, but I don't remember seeing anything about reflections.



Councilwoman Lauren Hammond had a big problem with the origional proposal for 621. She wanted the glare toned down.

I think it is over emphasized in the rendering, but she had some concerns with it..

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b147/urban_encounter/621CapitalMall.jpg

[wburg]

I can't even respond to such nescient statements. :haha:

Someone learned a new vocabulary word!

[Web]

certain times of the day 621's glare is insane......

if you get rid of ceqa there is still nepa which applies when fed funds are involved.....which is a lot in this area.

Also without ceqa you may get a "houston" effect......a plastics manufacturer next to an apartment next to a nursery next to a nursery school next to a bar next to a strip joint next to the capitol!!!

hey hmmmm that sounds good(all of course owned by the maloof bros)

[snfenoc]

Someone learned a new vocabulary word!


I have a vocabulary word for you, wburg......Elitist


By the way, if the best you can do is respond to me with a horribly dismissive statement from a commie anarchist, then you've done nothing to convince me your freedom hating ways are correct.

[econgrad]

Someone learned a new vocabulary word!

:bowtie: :lmao:

[ltsmotorsport]

certain times of the day 621's glare is insane......

if you get rid of ceqa there is still nepa which applies when fed funds are involved.....which is a lot in this area.

Also without ceqa you may get a "houston" effect......a plastics manufacturer next to an apartment next to a nursery next to a nursery school next to a bar next to a strip joint next to the capitol!!!

hey hmmmm that sounds good(all of course owned by the maloof bros)

Loose zoning laws are actually Houston's deal. No need to worry about that happening here even if CEQA were gone.

[wburg]

I have a vocabulary word for you, wburg......Elitist


By the way, if the best you can do is respond to me with a horribly dismissive statement from a commie anarchist, then you've done nothing to convince me your freedom hating ways are correct.

Well, yo have done nothing to convince me your freedom hating ways are correct either, so I guess that makes us even. *shrug*

By the way, you're a hippie!

[kryptos]

Well, yo have done nothing to convince me your freedom hating ways are correct either, so I guess that makes us even. *shrug*

By the way, you're a hippie!

hippies cling to old trees..

you cling to old buildings..

so does that make you a Bippie?

[wburg]

hippies cling to old trees..

you cling to old buildings..

so does that make you a Bippie?
Only if it makes you a Skippie!

[wburg]

It's not a big update, but apparently the city is moving forward on the track relocation project--they secured the $20 million from the state to pay for the relocation, and are doing a Mitigated Negative Declaration. That's a lot simpler, faster process than a full EIR/EIS process, and considering there are at least three state agencies involved the process should be comparatively fast. With the track relocation there will be room for more bus access/parking and the Light Rail station will probably be reoriented north. There are funds to do seismic retrofitting on the historic depot (needed if it moves or not) but so far no funds are available for the (depot move/depot expansion.)

The Master Certificate of Appropriateness for the historic depot, a detailed assessment of the depot's current condition, historic features, and recommended approaches to restore and rehabilitate the building, will go before the Preservation Commission tomorrow.

[Majin]

When is the site scheduled to be done with cleanup? It seems to be taking forever.

[wburg]

Mid-2009. It's proceeding on schedule.

[TowerDistrict]

it's taken me longer than that to clean my garage.

[otnemarcaS]

Fox 40 had a news story this evening on how the dirt extracted from the fix I-5 project is being transported to the Railyards in a co-operative effort amongst the city, state and Thomas enterprises. The dirt, of course, replaces some the contaminated dirt that has been extracted and removed from the railyards site and transported away. A win, win, win for all.

[urban_encounter]

It's not a big update, but apparently the city is moving forward on the track relocation project--they secured the $20 million from the state to pay for the relocation, and are doing a Mitigated Negative Declaration. That's a lot simpler, faster process than a full EIR/EIS process, and considering there are at least three state agencies involved the process should be comparatively fast. With the track relocation there will be room for more bus access/parking and the Light Rail station will probably be reoriented north. There are funds to do seismic retrofitting on the historic depot (needed if it moves or not) but so far no funds are available for the (depot move/depot expansion.)

The Master Certificate of Appropriateness for the historic depot, a detailed assessment of the depot's current condition, historic features, and recommended approaches to restore and rehabilitate the building, will go before the Preservation Commission tomorrow.



All positive steps in the right direction as far as making progress towards the eventual goal of constructing a (true) intermodal facility. I just wish they could identify some funding to move the project beyond track relocation. You would think having Nacy Pelosi as House Speaker, that we could bring home a few extra Federal transportation $$$. For crying out loud former Speaker Tip O'Neil helped secure billions for Boston's big dig. Throw us some crumbs here..

[NewToCA]

Don't know how important this is, but the Dept of Housing and Community Development recommended that 1C grant money be awarded to The Railyards , over the city recommended Township 9:


State agency favors The Railyards for $30M in Proposition 1C funds
Sacramento Business Journal - by Michael Shaw Staff writer


The state Department of Housing and Community Development on Friday released its recommendation for the first round of funding under the $850 million Proposition 1C grant program that targets funds for infill projects.

Although the city of Sacramento placed another project as its first priority for these funds, the department is recommending that The Railyards receive the full $30 million it has requested under this program.

Thomas Enterprises Inc., which is trying to redevelop the downtown railyard, applied for the funds on its own behalf.

The competing project, Township 9, a mixed-use project that sits between Richards Bouelvard and the River, is recommended to receive $19.1 million funding only if the Legislature increases the amount of money awarded under this program. A bill to that effect goes before the state Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday.

Also recommended for funding: West Sacramento's Triangle development area, which staff is suggesting should receive $16.7 million under the current funding level and $23 million if the programs is augmented by legislative action.

Three other area projects that applied have not been recommended for funding, but Broadway Lofts, a multi-story condo plan at Broadway and 19th Street, could receive funding under the augmentation scenario.

Those not recommended for funding are:

The Butterfield Station transit-oriented development, which would replace an existing light rail park-and-ride lot in Rancho Cordova with 90 housing units built over a parking structure with 15,000 square feet of retail and 30,000 square feet of commercial.
City Center Lofts in Woodland, a mixed-use development.
An affordable housing project in Davis called New Harmony.
In all, 117 projects were in contention for the funds after staff weeded out those projects that did not qualify. Micha

[urban_encounter]

:previous:


Interesting..

Can't say I blame Thomas for going for the whole pot of cash..

Really makes the city council look silly.

[ltsmotorsport]

The council made themselves look silly. The Railyards is the catalyst project. T9 is a community development.

[NewToCA]

Does this recommendation from the state agency carry a lot of weight? I'm not familiar with who has the power in the California system.

[TWAK]

You would think having Nacy Pelosi as House Speaker, that we could bring home a few extra Federal transportation $$$.
yeah a few billion for a new subway line in frisco. nobody gives a shit about sactown :(

[urban_encounter]

The council made themselves look silly. The Railyards is the catalyst project. T9 is a community development.


I agree 100%. That's what I meant to convey is that once again they botched the decision making process.


The city needs to get behind the Railyards project if it is going to move forward. Saying that they (the council) support the Railyards and then going with Township 9 made the council look like silly. Now they really have egg on their faces and kudos for Thomas for applying without the city.

[NewToCA]

So, what is the next step in this process? What else can delay the work on the Railyards?

[wburg]

My guess is probably the three silly lawsuits. The toxic remediation work is going along swimmingly, but it will take another year or so to finish--then it's infrastructure time. Once there are roads and utilities, then it's time for the buildings.

I know it might not seem like it from the perspective of someone driving along I-5, but there is actually a whole lot of work and activity going on in the Railyards these days.

[NewToCA]

My guess is probably the three silly lawsuits. The toxic remediation work is going along swimmingly, but it will take another year or so to finish--then it's infrastructure time. Once there are roads and utilities, then it's time for the buildings.

I know it might not seem like it from the perspective of someone driving along I-5, but there is actually a whole lot of work and activity going on in the Railyards these days.

I've been down there about a half dozen times over the past year, trying to look around and see what was going on. It didn't seem like much, but I guess the cleanup process isn't very obvious.

[wburg]

Soil remediation is basically the process of moving around piles of dirt. There has also been a flurry of activity around the Shops buildings, where the Railroad Museum has busily been relocating its collection of rolling stock--in some cases, giving pieces away to other railroad museums because they don't have the room to store them outside of the Shops area tracks. Work is also going on inside the buildings.

[otnemarcaS]

Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 3:43 PM PDT
State OKs $47M in grants for downtown railyard developer
Sacramento Business Journal - by Michael Shaw Staff writer

A committee of the California Department of Housing and Community Development on Thursday recommended approval for $47 million in state grants from Proposition 1C for the Railyards project in downtown Sacramento.

The money -- $30 million in funds set for infill projects and another $17 million for transit-oriented developments -- will go toward building the first phase of infrastructure, such as roads and utility lines. Official approval is expected Friday.

Thomas Enterprises Inc., the developer that purchased the 244-acre downtown railyard in late 2006, plans to build thousands of homes, in addition to shops and office buildings.

Thomas' local representative Suheil Totah attended the hearing in Los Angeles Thursday.

"Today's action will create a public-private partnership that will have a transformative impact on the Sacramento region," he said. "We're very pleased with the committee vote."

Other Sacramento-area projects are still being considered by the committee.

[goldcntry]

Soil remediation is basically the process of moving around piles of dirt. There has also been a flurry of activity around the Shops buildings, where the Railroad Museum has busily been relocating its collection of rolling stock--in some cases, giving pieces away to other railroad museums because they don't have the room to store them outside of the Shops area tracks. Work is also going on inside the buildings.

Yessiree.. I watched them move two of their old steam engine/coal car combos out of town the other day. Those were so sweet to see up close. Yes, I'm a train buff, right along with being a weather geek and a skyscraper/architecture nerd! :yes:

Now if we could only do something with the big hole in front of my office (301 CM)...

http://www.sacfrg.org/images/sleepytomato.gif

[wburg]

I'm sorry I missed that--those two big steam locomotives (the "coal cars" are called tenders, they're the fuel/water tank for the locomotive) are among my favorites! In order to get the equipment out of the way of remediation crews, they're going to park it in Old Sacramento and along the Sacramento Southern right-of-way--it means more security concerns but people will be able to get a closer look at a lot of the equipment! Once the RTM gets off the ground and remediation is done, a lot of it will return to the Shops area.

[goldcntry]

Yah... I knew they're called tenders, I'm just caffiene defficiant at the moment. ;) I think I need to bring my son down to see the locomotives while they're parked away from the Railyards.

[wburg]

I think they will be parked out on the Clunie spur (about a mile south of Embassy Suites.) There will be a whole row of freight cars, the idea is to make these lemons into lemonade by providing something besides Interstate 5 for Sac Southern passengers to look at--an "interpretive freight train." They should be accessible via the bike trail.

[BrianSac]

With bond funds approved, Sacramento railyard design to begin
By Mary Lynne Vellinga - mlvellinga@sacbee.com

Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday, June 21, 2008
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B4

Print | E-Mail | Comments (0) |

After a decade of talk, building at Sacramento's downtown railyard is finally poised to begin.

The state Department of Housing and Community Development on Friday approved $47 million in bond funding for the railyard – money that will be used to construct streets connecting the site to the rest of downtown. Design will begin right away, and construction on key roads likely will start next year, said Suheil Totah, vice president for developer Thomas Enterprises.

"I'm very excited, and I'm about to go to Disneyland," said Totah, who was in Los Angeles on Friday for the meeting of the housing department committee that approved the awards.

Paying for the enormous cost of laying streets and utilities across the railyard's dusty expanse has been one of the major obstacles to transforming it into a neighborhood with thousands of housing units, shop-lined streets, and an arts and entertainment district. While the grant will fall well short of covering the entire cost, it will allow construction to begin on the first phase.

The state also awarded $16.6 million to West Sacramento for redevelopment of the Triangle neighborhood just south of the Tower Bridge.

Combined, the awards will allow two long-dormant industrial sites on either side of the Sacramento River to be made ready for housing, offices and shops. Proponents hope that when the streets and other improvements are made, the real estate market will have turned around, and developers will flock to build on prime pieces of land close to the Sacramento River and downtown.

"It's fantastic for the riverfront," said West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon.

Friday afternoon, the awards were still awaiting final signoff by Lynn Jacobs, director of the state Department of Housing and Community Development. But officials said they didn't anticipate any surprises.

"Needless to say, we're very excited and pleased, and feel Sacramento has done very well," said Patti Bisharat, Sacramento's director of governmental affairs.

Even more Sacramento projects could receive immediate funding if the state Legislature passes Assembly Bill 1252, to speed up distribution of money from the $2.9 billion state housing bond passed by voters in 2006.

As of Friday, the bill was in the Senate Appropriations Committee. It was expected to reach the Senate floor by Monday.

If the bill passes, the state Department of Housing and Community Development plans to grant another $6.4 million to the Triangle, as well as $19.1 million to Township 9, a 65-acre development between Richards Boulevard and the American River, envisioned to eventually include 3,000 housing units.

An additional $4.4 million would go the Broadway Lofts, a housing, retail and office project planned for 19th Street and Broadway, in the Land Park neighborhood.

"It would be nice if we got everything funded," said Sacramento City Councilman Rob Fong, who traveled to Los Angeles for a two-day meeting this week of the committee approving the awards.

The awards announced Friday left the developers of the downtown railyard gleeful. But the news disappointed the developers behind Township 9. They had asked for $30 million, and now stand to get $19.1 million – and then only if AB 1252 passes.

Township 9 lost out despite being the city's top choice to receive this year's round of funding from the pot of money for "infill" projects. It designated the railyard as the favored project for a smaller pot of money geared toward transit-friendly projects.

The rationale: Township 9 was ready to start construction sooner.

In the end, railyard developer Thomas Enterprises emerged on top with its application for $30 million in infill funds and $17 million in transit money – the maximum amount available.

The company lobbied the Legislature and the Governor's Office heavily, spending $224,314 in the past two years, according to state records.

"Clearly, on a political level, the railyards is much better connected; I think that's obvious," said Ron Vrilakas, a local architect working on the Township 9 project.

Totah said the railyard is a signature project that deserves funding. He noted that its $47 million award was the largest in the state. "We knew we had a project that was of national significance," Totah said.

He said the $47 million would pay to extend Fifth Street over the Union Pacific tracks to the railyard development, and to build Railyards Boulevard, which will serve as the neighborhood's east-west artery.

Cabaldon said the money for West Sacramento will pay to build a street grid in the Triangle area and to extend the city's riverfront promenade south of the Tower Bridge.

"We're thrilled; we're absolutely thrilled," said Les Bowman, West Sacramento's redevelopment manager. "The Triangle has a plan, it has a great vision. What the Triangle doesn't have today is infrastructure."

About the writer:

* Call The Bee's Mary Lynne Vellinga, (916) 321-1094.

[NewToCA]

Thanks for the update, I was out of town and missed the paper yesterday.

I'm not familar with the West Sac proposal, does it help strengthen the general downtown area?

[wburg]

That's not an easy question--in some ways, having a developed West Sacramento waterfront adds to the overall profile of the Sacramento waterfront, and thus could add synergy to downtown Sacramento--or West Sacramento could become a competitor for projects and investment. Probably a little of each.

edit: I went back and found a post from a few months back explaining why the city split up its support for the two different grants (one for T9, one for Railyards):

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=3423812&postcount=408

For the tl;dr crowd: Money for the T9 project would provide funding for the Light Rail line to Richards Boulevard.

[NewToCA]

That's not an easy question--in some ways, having a developed West Sacramento waterfront adds to the overall profile of the Sacramento waterfront, and thus could add synergy to downtown Sacramento--or West Sacramento could become a competitor for projects and investment. Probably a little of each.

edit: I went back and found a post from a few months back explaining why the city split up its support for the two different grants (one for T9, one for Railyards):

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=3423812&postcount=408

For the tl;dr crowd: Money for the T9 project would provide funding for the Light Rail line to Richards Boulevard.

Appreciate the insights. My experience has been that a little competition seems to be beneficial. Once I was in favor of cooperative arrangments between co-located areas, but I found that this frequently turned into bureaucratic discussions that churned up lots of money in studies with little results. I thought that competition would lead to a sloppy process, kind of developing some things to excess if not coordinated correctly. I'm sure that there is a balance there somewhere, but I would think that in this area at this time a competitive environment may be somewhat beneficial. At some level, it is a single downtown, even if shared by multiple governmental units. It isn't as bad as a Kansas City Mo vs Kansas City KS sitution, where you have states duking it out.

If supplemental money is allocated, and T9 get 19 million vs the original objective ($30 million?), is it possible that the project will be derailed altogether?

[neuhickman79]

Appreciate the insights. If supplemental money is allocated, and T9 get 19 million vs the original objective ($30 million?), is it possible that the project will be derailed altogether?
I read an article in the Sacramento Business Journal that said that T9 would get 19 million supplemental...and, I believe some money went to The Triangle Project in W Sac.

[Sactorleans]

I came across an impressive rendering of the Railyards on the High Speed Rail website. Scroll down and click on the Sacramento Station Area video:

http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/gallery.aspx

Nice.

[BrianSac]

I came across an impressive rendering of the Railyards on the High Speed Rail website. Scroll down and click on the Sacramento Station Area video:

http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/gallery.aspx

Nice.

Thanks for that link. It is very impressive. But Sacramentans need to know that we are not included in the first phase. There is absolutely no funding earmarked for Sacramento, nor real plan yet.

The Sacramento station will not be built until well after the initial Anaheim/LA/Bakersfield/Fresno/SJ/SF line is complete. When they say the first phase could be operational by 2020; that does not include Sacramento. It could it be another 10, 20 years after the first phase before Sacramento sees such a beautiful train station linking us to the rest of California.

Sacramentans need to demand that we are included in the first phase.

Fresno, Bakersfield, and San Jose will have all the benefits of being able to reach southern cal and SF, while Sacramento waits another 10, 20 years before we are included. We may never be included.

Another flaw is that once everything is built, all phases. Sacramentans will still not be able to reach Oakland, SF, or SJ by train any faster than we can now. This project does not include high speed rail directly to the Bay Area from Sacramento.

San Deigo is not included in the first phase either, but if it comes down to a competition between San Deigo and Sacramento ten years after the first phase is built, say in 2030, what city do you think will get high speed rail next, SD or SAC?

All I can say, is that our new airport better really get built because that is Sacramento's only real guarantee of improved transportation infrastructure in the next 10 years.

edit: Also, keep in mind, the High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) does not give a damn when and if we are ever included. Not one Sacramentan is on that board. The only real focus is to get the line built from Anaheim/LA to SF. They dont care about anything after that. Those fancy videos of a future Sacramento Station and Mission Bay(San Deigo) are to guarantee votes.

[neuhickman79]

Thanks for that link. It is very impressive. But Sacramentans need to know that we are not included in the first phase. There is absolutely no funding earmarked for Sacramento, nor real plan yet.

The Sacramento station will not be built until well after the initial Anaheim/LA/Bakersfield/Fresno/SJ/SF line is complete. When they say the first phase could be operational by 2020; that does not include Sacramento. It could it be another 10, 20 years after the first phase before Sacramento sees such a beautiful train station linking us to the rest of California.

Sacramentans need to demand that we are included in the first phase.

Fresno, Bakersfield, and San Jose will have all the benefits of being able to reach southern cal and SF, while Sacramento waits another 10, 20 years before we are included. We may never be included.

Another flaw is that once everything is built, all phases. Sacramentans will still not be able to reach Oakland, SF, or SJ by train any faster than we can now. This project does not include high speed rail directly to the Bay Area from Sacramento.

San Deigo is not included in the first phase either, but if it comes down to a competition between San Deigo and Sacramento ten years after the first phase is built, say in 2030, what city do you think will get high speed rail next, SD or SAC?

All I can say, is that our new airport better really get built because that is Sacramento's only real guarantee of improved transportation infrastructure in the next 10 years.

edit: Also, keep in mind, the High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) does not give a damn when and if we are ever included. Not one Sacramentan is on that board. The only real focus is to get the line built from Anaheim/LA to SF. They dont care about anything after that. Those fancy videos of a future Sacramento Station and Mission Bay(San Deigo) are to guarantee votes.
Noone is included in the funding for the first phase last I checked! If the bond measure passes, each region will lobby to have their region included!

[BrianSac]

Noone is included in the funding for the first phase last I checked! If the bond measure passes, each region will lobby to have their region included!

Hopefully, the bond will pass. However, the way the HSRA Board has it planned Sacramento is not included in the first phase. The Bay Area and LA lobby is enormous compared to Sacramento's. When is they last time you heard any Sacramento politician stress the importance of Sacramento being in the first phase? Most of them are settling with what the HSRA is recommending which is to put Sacramento on the back burner for some unknown future expansion.

[Ryan@CU]

Has anyone seen "viewfinder" on KVIE. They did a special on the railyards...but for some reason i feel like this is old news.

http://www.kvie.org/programs/kvie/viewfinder/default.htm

[innov8]

Hopefully, the bond will pass. However, the way the HSRA Board has it planned Sacramento is not included in the first phase. The Bay Area and LA lobby is enormous compared to Sacramento's. When is they last time you heard any Sacramento politician stress the importance of Sacramento being in the first phase? Most of them are settling with what the HSRA is recommending which is to put Sacramento on the back burner for some unknown future expansion.


All true Brian. I won't be voting for the bond in Nov. because I know that
Sacramento will not be included in the first phase. Think about it, who will
the HSR board eliminate from the first phase other that San Diego and Sac?
This whole deal about each region having to lobby to be included in the first
phase is a smokescreen. It's only meant to give us hope so will vote yes in Nov.

Seriously, if anyone votes for this bond thinking Sac has a legitimate chance
of being included in phase one, your dreaming. Why don't they just say all
planned HSR lines will be built and stop this shell game if we really had a chance.

I would rather see this money spent on upgrading local and regional rail systems.

[neuhickman79]

All true Brian. I won't be voting for the bond in Nov. because I know that
Sacramento will not be included in the first phase. Think about it, who will
the HSR board eliminate from the first phase other that San Diego and Sac?
This whole deal about each region having to lobby to be included in the first
phase is a smokescreen. It's only meant to give us hope so will vote yes in Nov.

Seriously, if anyone votes for this bond thinking Sac has a legitimate chance
of being included in phase one, your dreaming. Why don't they just say all
planned HSR lines will be built and stop this shell game if we really had a chance.

I would rather see this money spent on upgrading local and regional rail systems.
I'm on the fence on this one! It's really tough to say that you are all for making the "green" choices and then vote against this. Not saying you innov8, just saying, in general! So, I probably won't know for sure how I will vote on this one. But, for now, I am leaning towards it because anything is better than nothing...especially in this economy!

[Majin]

Hey neuhickman if you really want to be one of my followers you have to vote no on HSR in Nov. You also can't vote for Newsom if he runs for governor.

[urban_encounter]

I've gone back and forth lately on HSR. But i really believe as Mike does that it's highly unlikely that Sacramento will ever see HSR.


That said i now believe Sacramentans will mostly be fooled into voting for this proposal with the illusion that Sacramento will be part of the plan.


KFBK was running a poll today and overwhelmingly people were supportive of it.

That brings up another matter that irritates me. People wont support a local 1/4 cent sales tax for 8 years ot build museums, an arena or performing arts venues (measures Q & R), but they will blindly enter the voting booth and cast a vote that will costs everyone in Sacramento, but will be of no local benefit.

[BrianSac]

I don't get why not a single Sacramento politician weather he or she represents at the local, state or federal level is advocating that Sacramento be included in the first phase. Why do they all feel content in settling for 2nd phase HSR status? Our local media as done nothing to expose the reality of the situation for Sacramento except for small blurb here and there. I hope SacTown Magazine does a full story on this. They need to put their big guns on this story at least two months before the vote.

[urban_encounter]

I don't get why not a single Sacramento politician weather he or she represents at the local, state or federal level is advocating that Sacramento be included in the first phase. Why do they all feel content in settling for 2nd phase HSR status? Our local media as done nothing to expose the reality of the situation for Sacramento except for small blurb here and there. I hope SacTown Magazine does a full story on this. They need to put their big guns on this story at least two months before the vote.



Because we don't have leadership in the city or the county.

[Web]

Because this is not LA or SF area.......those areas have the population and the politicians....

especially LA area.....

Local politicians here are bush league

[wburg]

On the other hand...here's an update from the Railyards, and we got a fairly nice-sized chunk of state Prop 1B and 1C funds considering our population size (maybe it's our politicians?) in this round.


Dear Friends of The Railyards July, 2008

The Thomas Enterprises team was delighted to extend a warm welcome to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who visited the historic Paint Shop at The Railyards in early July. The governor was joined by state and local dignitaries at a press event to celebrate the award of millions of dollars of state bonds for the massive 244-acre downtown project.
Calling The Railyards "a spectacular project," Governor Schwarzenegger highlighted the regional economic impact of the redevelopment during his July 9 visit. The event marked the formal distribution of $47 million in grants from the California Department of Housing and Community Development.(HCD) stage

"After years of challenges and tremendous cooperation, The Railyards will shine brightly in the future." said the Governor. "I love when we can support projects of historic importance," Schwarzenegger added. HCD director Lynn Jacobs presided at the event and noted the award, which is the largest in the state, will be used to build infrastructure at the infill location. The funding will result in the creation of thousands of jobs and affordable housing units near transit.
Those in attendance at the press conference included State Transportation Director Will Kempton, Department of Toxic Substances Control Director Maureen Gorsen, State Parks Director Ruth Coleman, Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill, Sacramento State Senator Darrell Steinberg, Assemblymember Dave Jones, Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo, Thomas Enterprises Vice President Suheil Totah as well as building and labor representatives.

Totah remarked about the contributions of the pioneers who built the railroad, including the Chinese workers, thousands of other laborers, and former Governor Leland Stanford. "This was once the heartbeat of our City; the economic engine for the community," he said. "Today, with modern day pioneers including our company founder Stan Thomas, the City, State and the leadership of Governor Schwarzenegger,The Railyards will be reborn."

To watch a video of the event, visit
http://www.gov.ca.gov and visit the press release index.
HCD Award Will Jump-Start Infrastructure Work

The two bond awards for The Railyards came from separate funds with $30 million appropriated from the Infill Infrastructure Grant Program, and an additional $17 million from the Transit Oriented Development Program. The state grant programs were established in 2006 following passage of the $2.85 billion Proposition IC housing bond. "This will speed the opening of The Railyards so the public can enjoy access to one of the most historic locations in the country," said Totah.
check

Fron left to right, Elias Rashmawi, Director, Land Redevelopment, Thomas Enterprises, Suheil Totah, Vice President, Thomas Enterprises, Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo, Chris Westlake, Deputy Director HCD, Lynn Jacobs, HCD Director, Richard Rich, Development Director, Thomas Enterprises.

Work will begin immediately on the planning, design and building of underground water, sewer and utilities as well as roads and overpass construction. The infrastructure grants will be used to extend Fifth Street to the north to Railyards Boulevard, and to construct Railyards Boulevard from Bercut, east to 7th Street. This will allow pedestrian, bicycle and automobile access over the railroad tracks.
For more information on the HCD award program, visit www.hcd.ca.gov

California Transportation Commission Meeting

On July 24th the California Transportation Commission will conduct a hearing on the Railyards application for funding under Proposition 1B. The money is being sought to help fund the extension of 6th street and for a planned bicycle and pedestrian tunnel on 7th Street. A decision is expectd by the end of August.
Outside Magazine Discovers Sacramento check

Sacramento gets some well-deserved attention in the August edition of Outside magazine which lists the 20 best towns in America. Under the heading "Bright Idea" the editors laud the city for transforming the region by thinking big and supporting The Railyards as "one of the largest urban restoration initiatives in U.S. history." The editors also said, "These 20 stars of America's 21st century renaissance are riding the wave of civic reinvention and fresh ideas."
Also mentioned - the explosion of downtown retail and restaurants.
Pick up a copy today!

Thanks to Our Supporters
As the dream of The Railyards begins to take shape, we want to recognize the leadership and commitment of our many supporters and members of the Sacramento Regional Railyard Coalition who have never faltered from the vision of creating a renaissance at The Railyards. As infrastructure work begins on the site, new jobs and tax revenues will have a lasting impact on the region for generations to come.

[NewToCA]

Railyards should be a big boost to downtown, no doubt about it. Potentially, Sacramento has a fairly large surface area for their downtown, looks like about a total of three plus square miles to me. Many of the cities I have seen of similar size have downtown areas little over a square mile or so.

Speaking of development and impact, I have to say that the 2nd Saturday event this past weekend was nothing short of spectacular. If we can really get this as a Sacramento institution and eventually get this to spill over into the Railyards...

I can see this being a "signature" event for the city, where folks come here from fairly far away to participate.

[wburg]

Second Saturday has been a Sacramento institution for well over a decade. The effort in the early nineties was to get people onto Del Paso Boulevard (the last big focus of redevelopment attention before the Railyards) but that didn't work out so well. Although they're still trying, I think...haven't been to a Del Paso Second Saturday in a few years. Sometimes they can be pretty jumping, other months not so much.

Sacramento already has a few signature events that draw people from quite far away to participate...tho we could use a few more! Personally I'm hoping for another Railfair once the RTM opens...

[tronblue]

Has anyone seen the show "Greenville" on the green channel? Perhaps we can convince Discovery to do a show on us and expose our own local morons in control to the world.

Intro to the show spoken by leo Dicaprio could be "Green rail yards, the greenest and largest infill atop a mound of toxic dirt. Second only to Greenpoint Brooklyn, home of the largest continuous oil spillage on US soil, watch as a Northern California town inches ever so further into an image created by SoCAl. Frivolous lights and eye fatigue and more roads to drive on. Say goodby to the grid. Watch as every street corner is filled with a tattoo shop a sushi place, a wine bar and a coffee shop also soon to come maybe even a carrot cake shop to compete with muffin town and cookie bistro. Disney has also shown interest in building their new amusement park- Gold discoveries and mercury rising: a california legacy."

By the time this gets built, many of our priorities in life might change. Just something to think about.

[NewToCA]

Second Saturday has been a Sacramento institution for well over a decade. The effort in the early nineties was to get people onto Del Paso Boulevard (the last big focus of redevelopment attention before the Railyards) but that didn't work out so well. Although they're still trying, I think...haven't been to a Del Paso Second Saturday in a few years. Sometimes they can be pretty jumping, other months not so much.

Sacramento already has a few signature events that draw people from quite far away to participate...tho we could use a few more! Personally I'm hoping for another Railfair once the RTM opens...


What is Railfair?