Parking, building heights and rezoning top concerns about Bottoms Quarry project

   POINT RICHMOND - The vehicle traffic that would be generated by the proposed Bottoms Quarry project off Seacliff Drive dominated an hour and a half discussion Wednesday night at a special meeting of the Point Richmond Neighborhood Council.
    An audience of 30 PRNC members and other concerned residents peppered representatives of New West Development Corporation of Las Vegas with questions about how much traffic would be generated and alternatives to having ingress and egress for the 270-unit project off Seacliff Drive.
    Similar concerns were raised at an earlier PRNC meeting, prompting the special session.
 
     New West's Terry Manley declined to speculate on exactly how many daily vehicle trips would be generated by the project, indicating that a traffic study would be part of the environmental impact report preparation and would provide that number.

Residents view project plans before the meeting

    But he said his firm multiplies the number of units times 1.75 to determine the number of vehicles at any housing project. Using that rubric, Bottoms Quarry would have about 472 vehicles at the development.
    Several residents said the traffic generated - when added to nearly 3,000 projected vehicle trips estimated per day from the yet-to-be-constructed Shea Homes project and the Terminal One project - would add greatly to the traffic woes already experienced on Canal Boulevard and downtown, particularly when trains are being shuttled.

    The impact on the already existing problems with parking in the Point Richmond business district were also raised, as were the cumulative impacts on city water supplies and sewer capacity.
    Ken Ryan of the architecture and planning company KTGY Group said his firm is still working on various scenarios for the six acres proposed for development. New West owns 18.4 acres and said Wednesday it will be keep the balance of the property as open space and has no plans for further development at the site.

Ken Ryan, architect with KTGY

    That open space is largely steep hillside, Ryan said, which is why the proposal shows the condominium complex building having a height of 68 to 70 feet.
    The steep hill ensures that no views would be blocked, provided the city approves the exception to Richmond's 35-foot height limitation.
 
    The entire site is currently zoned for parks and recreation.
    But New West's Manley said that his company has had conversations with East Bay Regional Parks and the City of Richmond, both of which indicated no interest in developing the project as parks.
    Manley also said city officials indicated that Richmond would look favorably on a rezoning to allow a housing project.
    "The city said 'yes' it could be changed," Manley said.
    New West also unveiled the idea of having a Bay Trail "staging area" at the corner of Canal and Seacliff, where there would be parking for vehicles and bicycles, picnic tables and restrooms.

Story by Michael J. Fitzgerald

Special PRNC meeting tonight on a proposed 270-unit housing development

   POINT RICHMOND - Traffic, density of housing and the city's height limitation are all expected to be part of tonight's Point Richmond Neighborhood Council discussions about the proposed 270-unit Bottoms Quarry project off Seacliff Drive.
     The project will be the only agenda item on the special meeting, scheduled to run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Point Richmond Community Center.
     The meeting is open to the public.
     The project - proposed by the New West Development Corporation of Las Vegas - is to be built on six of the 18.4 acres of land the company purchased at the end of 2016. No other development is currently planned (or has been announced) for the balance of the property.
     At an earlier PRNC meeting, New West officials said the new Richmond-to-San Francisco ferry - slated to start service in January of 2018 - was a major part of the reason they decided to propose the new project.
     At that same PRNC meeting, several residents questioned the project's density and having ingress and egress off Seacliff Drive. There were also concerns voiced about potential increases in vehicle traffic.
     If approved by the City of Richmond, whatever vehicle traffic generated will be added to an estimated 3,000 vehicles trips per day predicted from the yet-to-be constructed Shea Homes project and the Terminal One project on Ferry Point.
     New West officials promised that as part of an environmental impact report, a full traffic study would be conducted to gauge impacts of their project.
     Richmond officials said both a general plan amendment and a rezoning will be required for the project to be built.
    The land is currently zoned for parks and recreation use.

Carnival at Temple Beth Hillel Sunday

   RICHMOND - Temple Beth Hillel announced this week that it will be having a Purim Carnival this coming Sunday from noon to 3 p.m.
     Temple Beth Hillel is located at 801 Park Central in the Hilltop area of Richmond.
     Activities, crafts and games for children of all ages are planned.
     There will also be plenty of food, organizers say, including the traditional hamentaschen (a three-cornered, fruit filled pastry) along with many other foods.
     As part of the event, a raffle will be held with a prize of a 7-night family vacation at a resort on the Mexican coast.
    The Purim Carnival is open to the public and admission is free.
    For more information about the carnival call 510-223-2560.

PRNC meeting set for March 15 to discuss impacts of proposed 270-unit condo project

   POINT RICHMOND - A special Point Richmond Neighborhood Council meeting to discuss the proposed Bottoms Quarry project - a 270-unit condo/town house project on Seacliff Drive will be Weds., March 15, PRNC president David Schoenthal announced Friday.
     The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Point Richmond Community Center and is open to the public. The meeting is scheduled to run from 7 to 9 p.m.

    The project was discussed Weds., Feb 22 by the PRNC, at which time members asked for full meeting to discuss the project's impacts on the community.
 
     The condo project has been proposed by the New West Development Corporation of Las Vegas, recent purchasers of 18.4 acres of land.
     Only six of those acres are proposed for development at this time.
     At the February PRNC meeting, developer Todd Floyd said the new Richmond-to-San Francisco ferry - slated to begin service in January of 2018 - prompted the company to purchase the land and move ahead with a development.
     In addition to the normal city processes for review - including a full environmental impact report - the project will also require that the general plan designation be changed along with a rezoning from parks and recreation use.
   
     At the February meeting, many resident concerns centered around traffic, particular with the proposed ingress and egress on Seacliff Drive.
     Some concern was also voiced about the cumulative effect of adding this project to two already approved developments yet to be constructed - Terminal One and the Shea Homes project.
     The combined projected increase in traffic from those two projects will be approximately 3,000 vehicle trips per day.
     A New West spokesman said that a full traffic analysis would be part of the application process for city approval.

   

Richmond Mayor's state of the city address

Mayor Tom Butt
(East Bay Times photo)

    RICHMOND - Richmond Mayor Tom Butt offered a critical assessment of the city's finances Tuesday night in his annual state of the city address, the East Bay Times reported today.

     Butt cited several issues including growing pension and health care costs.

     “If the city focused as much on collecting money as it does on spending money, we could increase revenues by millions each year, ” Butt is quoted as saying.

     For the full story from the Times, click here: 

Richmond Mayor offers 'state of the city' address.

Pt. Richmond parking issues discussed

   POINT RICHMOND - Parking in the downtown Point Richmond business district - as well as residential neighborhoods impacted by parking issues - were the focus of a presentation made Wednesday night to the Point Richmond Neighborhood Council by city staff member, Denee Evans.
     Evans, a former code enforcement officer now working with the City of Richmond Transportation & Parking Services, outlined changes - and opportunities - for improving parking, made possible by changes in laws approved in January.
     She said that those changes will be reflected on the Richmond city website in the very near future.
     "We are about to upload a lot of information that people should find very useful," Evans said.
   
     The West Contra Costa County Transit Advisory Committee met today to look at various transportation issues related to population growth and impacts on traffic and area residents.
     As an example of population and traffic growth,  Evans referenced an PRNC earlier presentation made by New West Development Corporation of Las Vegas. The company just unveiled a proposed Point Richmond development - a 270-unit housing project on six acres with access on Seacliff Drive.
     The daily vehicle trips generated by that development - if approved - would be added to the vehicle traffic expected from the approximately 330 units of the approved Terminal One project and the 60 units from an approved (and under construction) shoreline condo project by Shea Homes.
     All three would utilize Seacliff Drive, Brickyard Way and Dornan Drive.
     The New West developers promised the PRNC that a full traffic study to see what the impacts of the project could be will be part of their planning studies and/or the environmental impact review.
     A story and illustrations about the Las Vegas-based firm's project can be found here: Bottoms Quarry.
   
     Evans also outlined a new neighborhood parking permit program that can be initiated by the city council, transit staff or residents who believe they is a parking problem in a particular neighborhood or street. This program could include finding ways to improve parking in the Point Richmond business district.
     Details about how that program could work in the business district and/or neighborhoods are going to be reflected in the new website information, she said.

PRNC calls for special meeting to discuss the proposed Bottoms Quarry project

   POINT RICHMOND - The Point Richmond Neighborhood Council Wednesday night voted to hold a special meeting specifically to discuss the proposed Bottoms Quarry project, a 270-unit development on six acres off Seacliff Drive.
     The vote for a special meeting came after a presentation by representatives of the developer, New West Development Corporation of Las Vegas which owns 18.4 acres of property.
     The new Richmond to San Francisco ferry "changed the dynamic" in favor of developing housing on the site, Todd Floyd, one of the developers told the PRNC.
     That new ferry service is slated to begin in early 2018.
   
   Numerous residents voiced concerns about increased traffic on Seacliff from the development.
    The entrance and exit to the project would be onto the increasingly busy roadway.

Proposed Bottoms Quarry project

    "This presents a big problem for the community," resident Jeff Vines said.
     The developers promised that a study of traffic impacts would be part of the planning process.
     One structure is planned to be five stories tall with interior courtyard parking on each level. Because the entire project backs up to a tall hillside, no views would be blocked, Floyd said.
     Housing unit prices are expected to range from the mid-$400,000s to mid $600,000s.

    Floyd and fellow New West representative Terry Manley stressed that the project is still in the preliminary design stage, will require a full environmental impact report and approval by various City of Richmond officials including the city planning commission and the city council.
     It will also need a general plan amendment and a rezoning, according to the Richmond Planning Department.
     The property is currently zoned for parks and recreation use.
     The PRNC's special meeting to discuss the project has not been scheduled.

Story by Michael J. Fitzgerald