Sacramento Proposal/Approval/Construction Thread - III

[urban_encounter]

Originally Posted by ltsmotorsport

The thing she doesn't mention is that as currently proposed, the tower is well within the view corridors height restrictions. They are only more strict on 11th street which the dome is actually lined up with.

Visual proof from the city itself.



These three are obviously trying to put they're spin on it, saying they are protecting everyone's view, but city hall is the only building that would be blocked. I hate politicians.

Notice how she said "you just don't get it"

What she's really saying is that you're too stupid and you should listen to her, because she intends to stay there a long time..

In my letter i pointed out to her that they're arogant and selfish..

(i'm not expecting a response)

[econgrad]

Austin Texas also has a Capital View Corridor with height and size regulations, so buildings do not obstruct the views of the capital there as well.

[innov8]

I also shot off an email to our height restricted challenged Council Members
and the Mayor. It's hard to believe this fuss is all about preserving "their view"
of the Capitol... things need to be shaken up at City Hall, these people are clueless.

[Majin]

Hopefully we can shake them out of a job.

[urban_encounter]

Originally Posted by innov8

I also shot off an email to our height restricted challenged Council Members and the Mayor. It's hard to believe this fuss is all about preserving "their view"
of the Capitol... things need to be shaken up at City Hall, these people are clueless.

Might I suggest you mail her a link to or a copy of the Capitol View Protection Corridor?


Evidently she hasn't read it..

<update> Never mind I sent her the above capitol view protection corridor above..

[JeffZurn]

Is that pink building on the left suppose to be Epic?

[ltsmotorsport]

Yeah. That woulda been its profile in the skyline with Cal EPA and the Metro flanking it.

[innov8]

Dear Mr. innov8:

Lisa Heyamoto completely misstated my concerns about the Metropolitan
project. Since I did not attend the meeting in question and have never
spoken to her or anyone else publicly about this project, she should not
have included me in her article in the first place. I told City staff
and the developer from the beginning that I want the building stepped
back from the corner to maintain the view of the Cathedral from Plaza
Park. I don't care how high the building is, just that it step back from
the corner. I might add that the property is the City's, so we have a
right to make demands on how the building is designed that are different
from what we would expect in a pure regulatory capacity.


Steve Cohn

_____

This sounds pretty rich to me... now its the Cathedral Cohn wants to see
from the park. I'm not buying it, sounds like their tring to get the focus off the Capitol.

[ltsmotorsport]

Wasn't there a view somewhere showing that it wouldn't block the view of the Cathedral from the park anyway? And if it would, it wouldn't be more than what the current buildings do now. The only place I could think would be the corner near Cal EPA, which would be blocked by that monstrous parking garage already.

[Dakotasteve66]

I went back to listen to the January 8th city council meeting where the Metropolitan design was being discussed. And it is true that Councilman Cohn was not present at that meeting. However, Mayor Fargo said that Councilman Cohn had spoke to her about his several concerns regarding the design, one of which was that the "view from city hall to the capitol" would be blocked. And Mayor Fargo agreed with that concern.

So, although it was the Mayor that spoke publicly on behalf of Councilman Cohn, I don't believe that Lisa Heyamoto misstated his opinions. The only argument that Councilman Cohn might have is that Mayor Fargo misstated his opinions, or too heavily weighted his several design concerns towards the view from city hall to the capitol being blocked.

The Mayor also stated that the "city still owns a portion of the site which they haven't yet agreed to sell". I'm not sure how that plays into Councilman Cohn's statements. If the city sells their portion, it seems like Saca would be on the same ground as everyone else when it comes to design. If the city doesn't sell, then the city might want to have some say in the design but it should be from a taxpayer stand point (make the project something that benefits taxpayers instead of benefiting councilmembers' views).

I will say that Mayor Fargo did expand on some of her concerns, specifically that the project didn't fit well with other buildings in the area, that it wasn't pedestrian friendly and that it didn't fit well next to Ceasar Chavez park. On those type of comments, I have no problem.

But Lauren Hammond's comment, which was the one that originally caught my ire the night of the council meeting, was: "and I wouldn't be happy to have my view blocked from my office south". How could a councilmember be more self centered on this topic than that statement?

[friedpez]

Originally Posted by urban_encounter

Notice how she said "you just don't get it"

What she's really saying is that you're too stupid and you should listen to her, because she intends to stay there a long time..

In my letter i pointed out to her that they're arogant and selfish..

(i'm not expecting a response)

Someone should send these back-and-forths between the forumers and Council to the Sacramento Bee. Maybe they'll get published, everyone can see how short-sighted and arrogant the council is, and vote in new people. I think it's pretty unprofessional for an elected official to tell the people who were supposedly smart enough to vote them in that they "just don't get it." Well, there's one thing we do get, and that's that we need new people running the city.

[Majin]

VERY good idea. We should get these correspondances to the Bee ASAP.

[urban_encounter]

Originally Posted by innov8

Dear Mr. innov8:

Lisa Heyamoto completely misstated my concerns about the Metropolitan
project. Since I did not attend the meeting in question and have never
spoken to her or anyone else publicly about this project, she should not
have included me in her article in the first place. I told City staff
and the developer from the beginning that I want the building stepped
back from the corner to maintain the view of the Cathedral from Plaza
Park. I don't care how high the building is, just that it step back from
the corner. I might add that the property is the City's, so we have a
right to make demands on how the building is designed that are different
from what we would expect in a pure regulatory capacity.


Steve Cohn

_____

This sounds pretty rich to me... now its the Cathedral Cohn wants to see
from the park. I'm not buying it, sounds like their tring to get the focus off the Capitol.

He wrote me (and who knows how many other people) the same generic letter.



Here was my response:

Councilman Cohn

Either you are not being truthful or Mayor Fargo lied when she repeated your comments for public record.

On January 8th during the City Council meeting at 6:20 p.m. Mayor Fargo stated:

"Let me go ahead and put on the record the concerns Mr. Cohn raised to me. I'm not sure Ray if he raised different concerns to you?

"Mr Cohn has a number of different concerns about design; he would like it to go back through the design commission. One of his concerns, I think there are others is that because the building is built the way it is right up to the corner that the view that we have from city hall of the capitol will no longer exist once this building is built. He has a concern about that, which I think it's probably valid. I enjoy looking at the capitol as well."---Mayor Heather Fargo


http://sacramento.granicus.com/Media...8&clip_id=1458


So either you asked Mayor Fargo to state your comments for public record, she lied, or you're not being truthful now???

Lisa Heyamoto did not "completely" misstate your concerns about the Metropolitan
project, since (thanks to Mayor Fargo) they are a part of the public record.

Might i suggest that you take the matter up with Mayor Fargo..?

And in regards to the property at 10th and J street belonging to the city; (that means the people of Sacramento Mr. Cohn, not you personally.) I would suspect that most residents are more interested in seeing a quality high density residential project built on that site as opposed to a vacant parcel, which will continue to a negative impact on Sacramento's Civic Center.

[urban_encounter]

Oh and for good measure I cc'd Lisa Heyamoto and Mayor Fargo

[urban_encounter]

"I would probably not be happy to have my view blocked. Especially from my office south"—Lauren Hammond 6:30 p.m. 1/8/08

[innov8]

Yeah, you got some good ones there Jim.

Here's my back and forth between Hammond and myself.

Me: Dear Coucilmember Hammond,

Why are you, the Mayor and several other Council members making it difficult for John Saca to build his proposed Metropolitan Tower at 10th and J Street. From what I understand, you guys are now asking him to send his proposal back though committees requiring additional changes to the design and in it's height requiring setbacks. It's hard to believe that you and the City Council want housing downtown when you change the rules long after a project has meet the cities entitlements needs for your own personal agenda.

The Metropolitan proposal doe's not sit within any of the cities current View Corridors blocks (see attachment). Your personal agenda to prevent your view of the Capitol from being obstructed is selfish and not thinking of the cities growths as a whole.

Please reconsider your objections to John Saca's Metropolitan proposal, it currently meets all entitlements needed for the project to move forward.

Thank you,

innov8

Hammond: innov8,

This is the answer I gave C*** V*********:

There is nothing wrong with protecting the Capitol view corridor. The
view is for everyone. Mr. Saca can use a stepped back approach to his J
Street proposal.

I personally would appreciate John completing the other projects in the
city (like in my district) that he started 5 years ago.

Thank you for writing.


Lauren

Me: Thanks for getting back to me... who is C*** V*********?

The proposal is not in the Capitol view corridor... that's my point. You said on January 8th (I watched it online again) that "and I wouldn't be happy to have my view blocked from my office south" when talking about your view from your office of the Capitol Dome. It all sounds really self centered about what you want instead of what's best for the city which is more housing downtown. I hope you guys don't kill this project... changing the rules when the project is 99% though the approval process is disingenuous and a bad precedent to set for future proposals.

-innov8

Hammond: C*** wrote a similar email. I did explain my view to Saca's
representatives before they submitted their plans. They laughed.

I can only imagine how my comments sounded. My sense of humor is
sometimes misunderstood. The view is for everyone!!!

Lauren

[Web]

Reading about filcos troubles tells me that any development probably isnt gonna happen.

and the hole at 3rd and cap is still a big swimming pool.......saca has been given too many atta boys......

Who says he can even get this one going??

and for the record.....Nassi is still laughing...

[Majin]

Someone compile all of these back and forths and send them to the bee.

[innov8]

Always helpful Web

This has more to do with principle and how our current city council works or
doe's not work than anything else at this point. The point is, a few council people
and the mayor want to preserve there view more than anything else, but they
waited till the last minute to make a stand.

[ltsmotorsport]

Originally Posted by innov8

but theywaited till the last minute to make a stand.

What better way to kill a project.