When the Planning Commission made their recommendation on the design of the train station on October 5, 2009, the commissioners asked the design team how the modern design of Alternative 1 would work with the planned development that would surround it. The design team deferred to the developer (Jim Anderson of AndersonPacific) to answer the [...]
EIR scoping comments are due… “Deadlines will fall the next two weeks for public comments on potential environmental impacts of two high-profile Hercules projects: an Intermodal Transit Center and the adjacent Hercules Bayfront mixed-use development. [...] The deadline for comments for Hercules Bayfront is Monday; for the Intermodal Transit Center, Dec. 30.” I had discussed [...]
A scoping meeting for the Intermodal Station’s EIR will be held today at 5:30pm at the Hercules Library. The Intermodal Station is part of the Hercules Bayfront mixed-use New Urbanism project. Bayfront is a pedestrian-oriented development, and one big aspect has been the reduced number of lanes on John Muir Parkway, which was originally slated [...]
The City will pay for an assistant principal at the Middle/High school for the current school year ($101k), as well as pay for a music teacher to rotate through all three elementary schools each week ($42.6k), as a result of the current financial woes of the school district (WCCUSD) and the State. The City Council [...]
The Times’ Eye on the East Bay column poked fun at Councilmember Ed Balico for oddly requesting that Bayfront Boulevard be renamed something more waterfront-sounding… The Hercules development called Bayfront, in the estimation of Hercules Councilman Ed Balico, lacks a certain je ne sais quoi, a catchy ring that could vault it to the status [...]
Councilmember Ed Balico demanded that Bayfront Boulevard be renamed in order to increase property values at the last City Council meeting (in a discussion on the design of the intermodal station). Balico offered Waterfront Drive as being “more appealing.” (At ~0:25, Balico says that “it has to be changed.”) The argument that “waterfront” property is [...]
As expected, the City Council unanimously recommended Alternative 1 as the preferred intermodal station design last night. The process has come to an end. More surprising was Councilmember Ed Balico’s odd request that Bayfront Boulevard be renamed Waterfront Boulevard (or similar) so people will know that it is on the water. I’m confused too. First, [...]
A workshop is scheduled for Wednesday evening — 7pm at the library — to discuss the public plazas planned for the Waterfront. Punch and pie.
At this Monday’s Community Services Commission meeting — 7pm at City Hall — Assistant City Manager Lisa Hammon will be presenting an informational update on the parks, plazas, and open spaces that are a part of the Hercules Bayfront/Intermodal Transit Center project. This will include the plans for Hercules Point. (I believe the Bay Trail [...]
Below is the illustrative master plan of the revised Hercules Bayfront project. Changes include the termini at Sycamore Avenue and Bayfront Boulevard, a revised street grid for the Transit Village (northeast of Refugio Creek), and a reconfigured corporate campus centered around the historic Clubhouse (lower left). Click image for large version.
Another big addition to AndersonPacific’s revised Hercules Bayfront plan is the signature building placed at the western end of Bayfront Boulevard. The building may become a boutique hotel, which would compete with draft plans for a boutique hotel in the Sycamore Crossing development, but a hotel closer to the ferry and rail station (and within [...]
One of the big (positive) changes to come out of the revised plans for the waterfront is the introduction of a formal terminus for Sycamore Avenue, adjacent to the Powder Keg and historic Administration Building… The current configuration has left an unseemly large and nearly impassable intersection. (I typically readjust my watch each time I [...]
An informative update on the progress for development plans for the Waterfront and the long-awaited intermodal transit station is scheduled for Monday, June 1, from 6 to 8:30pm at City Hall. The “latest and greatest” plans for the intermodal station will be presented to a joint meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission. Additionally, [...]
Hercules is breaking new ground when it eventually breaks ground… Open space group holds up Hercules plan as model development By Tom Lochner Two projects at the core of Hercules’ next wave of development have received accolades from a venerable Bay Area environmental organization as models of walkable, cyclable, mass transit-accessible communities with jobs and [...]
If someone would have asked me how much I had thought that AndersonPacific spent on the initiative, I’d have guessed $175k. The cumulative costs of drafting the initiative and printing materials, the retention of lawyers and political consultants, and paying “volunteers” to gather signatures is no small thing… Hercules developer spent nearly $200,000 on waterfront [...]
After canceling the last meeting in honor of Veteran’s Day, the bulk of action at tomorrow evening’s City Council meeting — 7pm at City Hall — comes within the Redevelopment Agency portion, which immediately follows the City Council meeting. The RDA consent calendar includes… Signing a contract with an EIR consultant for the waterfront. Cost: [...]
The Contra Costa Times has (safely) endorsed the two incumbents and Council-endorsed Don Kuehne for City Council this November. Oddly, the editorial cites Walmart as a reason to stay the course — and not elect the lone true challenger, John Delgado — despite the fact that Walmart was welcomed into the City with open arms [...]
After a break for the summer, the City Council will return to the people’s business this Tuesday — 7pm at City Hall — with an expanded agenda. The Council will approve a contract with an engineering firm to observe and test the earthwork construction of Sycamore Downtown, evidence that that project is moving forward. Eight [...]
The change of zoning for the Civic Arts Building became known before the City Council adopted the Waterfront Now initiative, however, the City Attorney assured the public at the July 22, 2008, City Council meeting that the community will be “assured further input of use issues for the Civic Arts Building.” (That is not a [...]
Anderson-Pacific has posted an update to the Hercules Bayfront project (see August 14) following the adoption of the Waterfront Now initiative by the City Council (three weeks ago)… The Waterfront Now Initiative was adopted by the City Council on July 22, 2008 by way of a 5-0 vote. This was a momentous event which potentially [...]
The Waterfront Now initiative was adopted quietly last night (which is a good thing)… Hercules council OKs waterfront concept, bypassing voters By Tom Lochner The Hercules City Council has approved a “New Urbanist, Smart Growth” development concept for the waterfront, eliminating the need to place the issue on the November ballot. But the unanimous vote [...]
The Waterfront Now initiative is on tap at tomorrow evening’s City Council meeting… Plan aims to kick Hercules waterfront development into high gear To jump-start long-awaited development of the waterfront, the Hercules City Council tonight will consider putting an initiative on the November ballot to amend the General Plan and Zoning ordinance and approve a [...]
The quest for a restaurant to move-in to the restored historic Civic Arts Building hit a snag at Monday evening’s Planning Commission meeting… Restaurant proposal nixed in Hercules By Tom Lochner Siding with a determined group of opponents, the Hercules Planning Commission nixed a planned restaurant at the historic Civic Arts building, agreeing it would [...]
The Waterfront Now initiative collected over thirty-five hundred signatures (and only needed twelve hundred)… Waterfront plan could be headed to ballot in Hercules By Tom Lochner Supporters of a new community of homes, offices and shops around an intermodal transit center by the Hercules waterfront say they have gathered more than enough signatures to get [...]
It is easy to understand why many residents want to see Sala Thai move-in to the restored Civic Arts Building on Railroad Avenue. We have waited a long time for development to flourish along the Waterfront, and because of misguided actions by the City Council and City Manager, as well as market forces, we have [...]
The Waterfront Now initiative received some coverage this weekend… Hercules project may be put to voters By Tom Lochner The would-be developer of a prime chunk of Hercules’ waterfront has hired a political consultant with a track record of large suburban subdivisions to jump-start a mixed-use project around an intermodal transit center that boosters have [...]
Anderson-Pacific representatives handed out a “frequently asked questions” flier at this past weekend’s community update. The flier is available on their website, but I have included the complete FAQ below… Q: When will construction begin in the Waterfront? A: Subject to the environmental, City and agency approval process, it is anticipated that certain areas within [...]
The Szabo plan — as we knew it — is no more. That is the official word from the City coming out of this past weekend’s community update. The City is currently working with the owner and developer of Hercules Bayfront (Anderson-Pacific) on the plans, and the location of the train station is to be [...]
As the post of this title suggests, there is a Planning Commission meeting scheduled for 7pm this Monday evening at City Hall. There are two items to be discussed under the information section of the meeting… Staff Recommendation for subsequent Commission review of New Town Center project design. Staff presentation and discussion of “Hercules New [...]
AndersonPacific’s Hercules Bayfront plan includes a transit village on the north side of Refugio Creek with a warehouse-style feel. Below is a rendering of the transit village… The main parking structure is shown (in the image above) on the far right, located on the periphery of the development. Under this plan, commuters would be forced [...]
The City passed the resolution with Szabo-friendly language on Tuesday evening, and it was reported in the Contra Costa Times… Transit center language draws ire HERCULES: Some residents say city officials are being too specific too early about the design of a proposed terminal By Tom Lochner The Hercules City Council unanimously passed a resolution [...]
The Contra Costa Times continues to report on the Szabo plan… City’s growth plan in question HERCULES: Homeowners favor existing transit hub plan, say officials ignore them By Tom Lochner In a departure from the dynamics that often pit residents against out-of-town developers, a vocal group of Hercules waterfront homeowners is promoting a multimodal transit [...]
The Contra Costa Times ran the Szabo story on the front page of its West County local section today. Meeting will focus on transit center’s future HERCULES: Some fear cars, not pedestrians, will be target of urban renewal plan By Tom Lochner As Hercules prepares to move forward on a railroad station and ferry terminal, [...]
The Contra Costa Times has picked up on the story of the Szabo plan… Hercules to discuss transit center Development of a Hercules Multi-Modal Transit Center will be the subject of a community meeting at City Hall Monday night. The discussion will kick off a series of eight Hercules Redevelopment Agency-sponsored community meetings on the [...]
The Bayfront project will be presented at tonight’s Planning Commission meeting (7pm @ City Hall) and residents’ comments will be accepted beforehand. Any positive comments on the project will be beneficial. (I am in Sacramento tonight so I will not be there.) The football national championship is this evening, but no matter who loses, Ohio [...]
It seems our efforts have made at least some progress. The next Planning Commission meeting — Monday, January 7, at 7 pm — will include a presentation to the commission by the landowner/developer of the Bayfront project. A month ago, around hundred Waterfront residents were presented the plan. If you were unable to attend that [...]
Some ideas for our comments tonight at City Council… Last Wednesday, December 5, nearly 100 residents of the Waterfront attended a presentation by the LANDOWNER (Hercules Bayfront, LLC) of the Plan contained in the Initial Planned Development Plan (IPDP) in the City’s possession; We understand that the Plan presented by the Landowner is a culmination [...]
Last night, one hundred or so Waterfront residents were presented the latest submitted development plan by Oso Trabuco (the long-time landowners), Anderson-Pacific (the development firm) and their design team at the historic Clubhouse. The project is called Hercules Bayfront. The project website is www.herculesbayfront.com. (The development plan is available for download on the website.)