A message from Patrick Tang…

Dear All:

LIta and Patrick Tang here. We are Waterfront Residents concerned about a “secret” plan the City is developing for the Waterfront, without community knowledge or input. Sorry for the long email, but we feel this is a critical issue for the future of the Waterfront.

We Waterfront dwellers are all rightly concerned that the pace of development on the Waterfront has been way too slow. You provided your email address at the December 5th meeting with Oso Trabuco and Anderson Pacific (AP), asking to be contacted to receive more information, so here is what we have learned regarding the AP proposal versus the city’s “secret” alternative proposal. (We call it “secret” because the city has retained a consultant to develop this alternative without consulting us, the citizens, and are trying to force the developer, Anderson Pacific, to change the plans we have seen for something we have not had the opportunity to review and comment on).

This is our personal opinion based on the information available at the time, of course you should form your own opinion. The website with the AP plans: http://www.herculesbayfront.com/inthenews.htm

To date the city’s alternative proposal is not available on the web, but we have seen drawings for it.

If you agree with us that the city proposal will likely result in delay and will result in a project that does NOT conform with the General Plan and ignores our wishes as expressed in various town hall meetings and the charrette, please consider contacting your Councilmembers, the Planning Commission and the City Manager, and speaking your piece at upcoming City Council meetings. (next meeting is on Dec. 11, 7 pm… meetings are 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of every month)

We are providing contact information for city officials in this email. We are also attaching a draft petition statement that you can sign or send via email to various city officials… feel free to modify as you see fit and PLEASE take 10 or 20 minutes to circulate among your neighbors. Please also forward to our friends at Baywood, Bayside, Victoria By The Bay, Friends of Hercules and anyone else concerned about the Waterfront. See the attached document in WORD.

OUR OBSERVATIONS regarding the AP plan:

PROS:

+The train/ferry station will be a signature landmark building.

+The developer, AP, has a good track record and their downtown project in Livermore shows what they can do.

+The architects, OPTICOS, in Berkeley, are highly regarded and are excellent New Urban proponents.

+AP is ready to move forward with the proposal pending city approval.

+The Bay Trail will be unbroken and will be along the waterfront.

+The plans are not perfect but the architecture and layout are in keeping with New Urban concepts, any necessary changes can be made prior to acceptance of the Final PDP.

+Overall, the plan conforms with the General Plan.

CONS:

-The AP proposal does not include as much retail as originally envisioned. However, additional retail will be located at the New Town Center (Sycamore and San Pablo).

-The density is higher than with the original Bixby plan.

OUR OBSERVATIONS regarding the CITY’S ALTERNATE PLAN:

PROS:

None.

CONS:

-The consultant for the city’s alternative proposal is a southern California outfit favored by the city manager and project manager, who emphasizes parking and street access over New Urban concepts of smart growth and walkability.

-The new City Manager, Nelson Oliva, and the Project Manager, Louise Lopeman, with Council approval, have retained the consultant to secretly develop the alternative plans, without community input.

-the alternative proposal deviates significantly from the Central Hercules Plan and the Waterfront District Master Plan.

-This alternative plan would require that the AP plan be extensively modified (and hence delayed) to:

-include a 4 lane roadway to the Waterfront to serve outside commuters.

-include a “big box” transit design including a huge parking structure.

-include a CONVENTION CENTER without any underlying study showing that there is demand for such a facility and without gaining community input on the proposal.

-re-routing the Bay Trail so that a significant portion of it would be diverted from the bay shore to become part of the sidewalk for Bay Front Street, then run right past a diesel bus drop off zone where diesel buses will be idling. Isn’t THAT wonderful!

-would eliminate the grand and beautiful landmark transit station and civic building shown in the AP proposal for a small, nondescript “shed like” train station.

-would create a bizarre “war memorial” as a centerpiece to the “plaza” /bus depot.

Final thoughts: We cannot believe what the City is trying to get away with, without our input. I spoke to the Mayor on Saturday, and he seemed surprised we would question the Council’s collective wisdom. I was frankly disappointed with his attitude suggesting he knows what’s best for us. I have been involved in municipal government for 18 years, and I have NEVER seen such a blatant attempt to ignore what the voters want.

We think the city’s Alternative Plan replacing the landmark transit station for a nondescript plaza would be like recreating the abominable transit center that is currently at Sycamore and San Pablo, with the addition of a few trees and a fountain or two. Rather than a walkable New Urban environment surrounding a landmark train/ferry station, we’ll get the ambiance of the Del Norte BART Station. The fact that the Bay Trail would be diverted to run right past a row of idling diesel buses just shows how out of touch this proposed plan is. This is a terrible idea.

If you agree, or if you simply don’t want anymore delay, or if you don’t like the idea of the city developing plans in secret, then by all means PLEASE contact your council members and show up at the council meetings to express your concern. The ONLY thing stopping the City from adopting the ALTERNATIVE PROPOSAL to include a half baked “convention center” and a shopping mall type parking garage….. is our willingness to speak up. NOW IS THE TIME.

Regards,
Lita and Patrick Tang
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CONTACT INFO
Joe Eddy McDonald, City Council jemcdonald@ci.hercules.ca.us
Nelson Oliva, City Manager, noliva@ci.hercules.ca.us
Ed Balico, City Council, ebalica@ci.hercules.ca.us
Joanne Ward, City Council joanne@joanneward.com, tel: 724-5581
Kris Valstad, City Council, kvalstad@ci.hercules.ca.us, tel: 799-439
Charleen Raines, City Council, charleenr@ci.hercules.ca.us

Planning Commission can be reached at 799-8200
Richard Mitchell
Sherry McCoy
Tim Stauffer
Myrna de Vera
Jose Bibal