ContraCostaTimes.com | 12/29/2005 | Bay Area paychecks highest, study says

Posted on Thu, Dec. 29, 2005

Bay Area paychecks highest, study says

By George Avalos
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

From management to the rank-and-file, for white-collar and blue-collar jobs, Bay Area workers are the best-paid in the country, according to a study released Wednesday.

Employees in the Bay Area enjoy average paychecks that are 17 percent higher than the national average, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey found. And no other region is as far ahead of the nation as the Bay Area when it comes to wages. The closest competitor to the Bay Area is Hartford, Conn., where wages are 13 percent higher than the country's average.

"All things being equal, the Bay Area pays significantly more," said Charlotte Yee, regional economist with the San Francisco office of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency adjusted the wage data to reflect the mix of jobs in metropolitan regions across the country to make it easier to compare regions with above-average wages to those with below-average wages. Yet, even accounting for the high-pay and high-skill jobs that dominate this region, the Bay Area came out on top.

There are tradeoffs. The region's sky-high cost of living has eroded the wage advantages wielded by Bay Area workers. Data compiled by ACCRA, a Virginia-based group that studies regional economic trends, found the San Francisco area had the second-highest cost of living in the nation, and the East Bay had the fifth-highest. South Bay data was not available.

"There is a wage premium in the Bay Area," said Jean Ross, executive director of the California Budget Project. "The critical question, however, is whether that premium is sufficient to offset the higher cost of living here."

That wage premium is spread throughout every major occupation. The Bay Area is well above the national average in each of nine major job categories. The bureau's study is based on 2004 data, the most current available.

One indicator could bode especially well for the East Bay, where homes have sprouted at a fevered pace in the past couple of decades. Construction and extraction jobs commanded average wages that were 27 percent higher than the national average.

"The high pay for construction reflects the hot housing market," Yee said.

The study also suggests that rank-and-file workers are keeping up with their bosses. The average pay for managers and executives in the Bay Area, the bureau found, was 17 percent higher than the national average -- exactly matching the pay premium for all Bay Area occupations.

Yet even when recruiters dangle high wages in front of candidates, the high cost of living makes it tough for recruiters to coax people to relocate to the Bay Area.

"California has one of the highest income tax rates of any state, and home prices are much higher in the Bay Area," said Ralph Henderson, senior vice president with the San Ramon office of staffing services firm Spherion. "Recruiting has definitely become tougher. Taxes are a real burden for employers and employees in California."

Companies also find it difficult to attract top-level managers, said Laura Raynak, president and founder of Palo Alto-based Raynak Search, an executive search firm.

"If they are from New York City, Boston or New Jersey, it's not as tough to recruit an executive," she said. "If they're from anywhere else, it's a shock."

Sometimes the shock factor simply boils down to the per-square-foot cost of a home. People can simply buy much larger homes for the same price elsewhere in the country.

"The sizes of the homes just don't compare," Raynak said. "In other parts of California or the country, people can pay a few hundred thousand dollars and have a pretty big home on an acre lot. In the Bay Area, that's well over a million dollars."

Still, the wage premium in the Bay Area does more than merely reflect the need to offset the higher cost of living. It also suggests that employers have begun to battle each other to hire people as the economy rebounds.

"There is greater competition to hire people, so pay is higher," Yee said.

REGIONAL COMPARISONS

Here are the 10 regions with the highest wages in the country, ranked by how much higher the region's wages are compared to the national average.

Region Percent above national average

Bay Area 17

Hartford, Conn. 13

Boston area 12

Anchorage, Alaska 11

New York City area 10

Salinas 10

Minneapolis 9

San Diego 9

Providence, R.I. 8

Sacramento 8

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics


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George Avalos covers the economy, financial markets, insurance and banks. Reach him at 925-977-8477 or gavalos@cctimes.com.





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Highway 37 - Will new thoroughfare help or hurt roadside businesses?

August 20, 2005


Taking the high road
Will new thoroughfare help or hurt roadside businesses?

By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN/Times-Herald staff writer


Traffic on Highway 37 flows westbound as the highway's new overpass over Sonoma Boulevard, which opened Friday and allows through traffic to bypass surface streets, is seen in the background. This view is from the Sacramento Street overpass. (David Pacheco/Times-Herald)

One man's traffic jam is another man's potential customer base.

That's why not everyone is happy about the updated stretch of Highway 37, which promises to ease traffic. Other businesses, however, are giddy over the prospects of a smoother entrance to Vallejo.

Traffic often means business, something some nearby business owners fear they might lose when the new span opens in both directions by 8 a.m. today.

During the past decade as the project hit various roadblocks, motorists often spent long minutes stuck in traffic jams along Highway 29 and Marine World Parkway, said Russ Brode, longtime manager of the Marine World Parkway bar Popcorn Tavern.

"People used to pull off and into here to wait," Brode said. "I don't think there'll be as much traffic passing by and we'll just become a neighborhood bar. I just hope it won't be a drastic drop in business."

"I expect fewer cars and especially fewer big trucks, which I presume will be taking the highway," he said.

Kristine Lucina, of Vacaville, assistant manager of Popeye's Chicken on Marine World Parkway, said she hopes the new span will ease her commute. It may also make it easier for customers to get into the restaurant's parking lot, at the intersection of highways 29 and 37, she said.

Her boss, however, said he thinks the new highway will be bad for business.

"It will help with traffic, but in my business, more traffic means more customers," said Popeye's Chicken owner Mohammad Noor.

But for some businesses, the new span may actually be a boon.

Six Flags Marine World spokesman Paul Garcia called the opening of the new highway span "fantastic."

"This will be great for commuters. It will make a huge difference, especially on those weekends that Infineon Raceway has something going on," Garcia said. "People headed to the park and up to Napa, will find the commute a lot easier now."

The new highway is expected to make Mare Island more attractive to businesses that might consider locating to the area, particularly those that rely on truck traffic.

"We're thrilled," said Jason Keadjian, spokesman for Lennar Mare Island, the island's main developer. "This will improve access to Mare Island and in turn benefit the ongoing reuse. People are already using it. I drove on it, and it seems great."

Stalled for more than 50 years by red tape, political wrangling and natural disasters, the new $124 million span, constructed over the intersection of highways 29 and 37, still has about a month's worth of work before it's completely finished, a Caltrans spokesman said Friday.

"There's still work to be done. We're having to squeeze traffic through the unfinished portions," said Caltrans spokesman Steve Cobb. "We had some striping to finish, and that's why we had to have some lane closures Friday for a while. But it's going well. It's really close to being really great. People will love it."

The fact that traffic in the area was still fairly heavy Friday caused some concern for local residents who hoped the congestion would be nearing an end.

"We go to church in American Canyon and we use Highway 29," said Vallejo resident Jess Ciupek, 83, a Baptist minister in American Canyon. "For years you'd have a long wait going north on 29. We're expecting some change, but how much I don't know yet. It will be different for us, and I assume it will be better."

A retired Mare Island Naval Shipyard mechanical designer, Lou Simpson, 78, said he's not convinced things will improve with the new highway.

"I can't see how it will help," Simpson said. "It's just a freeway bypassing Vallejo. I don't know if it will ease traffic congestion. It's just more or less a freeway running through town. That's how I see it."

Caltrans will host a Sept. 2 ribbon-cutting ceremony with U.S. Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, and Caltrans Director Will Kempton attending. The location of the event has yet to be decided.

Genentech construction schedule on target and hits halfway mark

Article Last Updated: Saturday, Aug 20, 2005 - 10:40:44 pm PDT





Biotechnology giant Genentech, Inc. is expanding it's Vacaville campus in a $600 million for manufacturing buildings. Photo by Gary Goldsmith

Genentech construction schedule hits it mark

By Jeff Mitchell

VACAVILLE - Building what is expected to be the world's largest biotechnology manufacturing plant ain't easy.

But with Genentech, Inc.'s Vacaville campus expansion at about the half-way point, the building process now becomes more art than brawn, company officials said.

With much of the structural steel and walls in place, the complicated, delicate process of fitting out the new laboratories and manufacturing spaces has begun.

To successfully grow the large amount of mammalian cell proteins needed to produce the drugs it makes, the company has deftly merged biology, high technology and mass production into one seamless process.

But to make even more of the life-saving, anti-cancer drugs it currently produces, the company is paying out a whopping $600 million for new manufacturing buildings which will allow it to more than double current production levels.

"We are right on schedule and things are proceeding smoothly," said Frank Jackson, a Genentech vice president and chief honcho of the Vacaville campus. "(The construction process) is an exciting thing to watch."

Officials with the biotech industry leader say they have few regrets about making the decision to move its manufacturing division away from the urban environment of South San Francisco, where the company's chief research laboratories and administrative headquarters still are found.

"Obviously, the geography of the site was critical, but we also wanted to locate in a place where there's a high quality of life," Jackson said.

He added that a well-educated local labor pool and supportive local leaders played into the decision to locate in Vacaville originally and into the call six years later to expand the site.

The new project, which when complete will make the site the largest biotechnology plant in the world, involves the construction of three manufacturing buildings measuring a total of 380,000 square feet and one 135,000-square-foot administration/laboratory building.

The sheer scale of the construction has already changed the physical profile of what was already a formidable facility.

The project will use some 9,000 tons of structural steel, 250,000 feet of piping, 18,000 cubic yards of concrete and 250 miles of wiring before it will be ready for occupation, company spokeswoman Kelli Wilder said.

During a recent tour of the site's laboratory and manufacturing areas, highly polished stainless steel has been transformed into myriad shapes - all of which are designed to enhance production and to make cleaning surfaces in the labs easier.

"As you can see, there is a vast amount of plumbing involved in what we do. All of it's custom made and it has been engineered to extremely exacting tolerances," said Mark Fischer, a senior manager with the company's portfolio management group.

Like the existing facilities, everything in the new buildings will be built around the idea of keeping cell production as sterile as humanly possible, Fischer said. Cleaning regimens, for instance, involve mopping - not just sweeping - the laboratory and manufacturing hallways three times every day.

And, just to make sure that no germs survive the thrice-daily mop down, the company changes the cleaning fluid chemistry itself once a month, Fischer said.

City officials are delighted construction is on schedule and said the expected increase in jobs is eagerly awaited. Currently, the facility employs some 740 people. Once the expansion project is completed, that number will jump to about 1,100 employees, Wilder said.

"Being the home of the largest biotech manufacturing plant in the world brings the kind of notoriety that any city would covet," said Mike Palombo, Vacaville's economic development manager. "We're pleased to hear that construction is on schedule. We're looking forward to the project's completion. It's a great thing for the company and for the city."

Reach Jeff Mitchell at 427-6977 or jmitchell@dailyrepublic.net.

Nut Tree Development's History

Article Launched: 08/21/2005 07:39:49 AM


Proposed was a vintage miniature railroad and many of the design features that made the former site a California attraction. (Courtesy image)
Comeback had false starts

By Tom Hall/Staff Writer

When the Nut Tree closed nine years ago, there was a period of mourning for Vacaville.

The landmark restaurant with its hobby horses and its train tickets, its big cookies and its carved pumpkins - the Nut Tree was a part of many people's lives for more than 80 years, without question.

In its absence lays a void, and since the restaurant complex closed in 1996, hope has sprang eternal that the Nut Tree would live again.

Developers from the southern tip of California to the streets of New York have stepped up, one by one, to pitch their ideas for a new landmark where the Nut Tree once sat.

And, until now, every attempt failed.

San Francisco developer Bill Poland made a bid to buy the Nut Tree as it was getting ready to close in late 1995. He reached a deal with the Power family - owners of the Nut Tree - to buy the site for $16 million.

The restaurant closed in January 1996, with a promised summer reopening following massive renovation. Poland plotted a wooden roller coaster, a miniature golf course and even a man-made lake.

A handfulof employees were hired and a close-of-escrow date was on the calendar. But the purchase fell apart in May 1996 when Poland's group couldn't come up with financing.

A year later, the Kivelstadt Group - another San Francisco-based developer - stepped into the equation. Kivelstadt, the firm behind Vacaville's Power Plaza retail center, didn't get as far as Poland had, though, and pulled out early on.

A Sacramento firm named JAS Developments moved into the spotlight in 1998, signing an agreement to purchase the 165-acre site for upward of $15 million. Two months later, the bid fell apart after a key component of the project prompted JAS to pull out.

Days after news of the JAS collapse broke, two new offers came in - one from a New York-based company and another from Lake Tahoe.

But those offers quickly fell into the shadows when a group led by former heavyweight boxer Ken Norton Sr. made a very public bid to buy the Nut Tree.

Norton's San Diego-based group proposed a resort hotel, a water park, a golf driving range and an upscale restaurant for the site.

And then just a month after meeting with the Power family, with local elected officials and with the media to discuss plans, the deal dissolved.

Later in 1999, things moved in an entirely different direction. Instead of looking solely outside the bloodlines, the Power-Fairchild family that owned the Nut Tree split up the partnership.

The branch of the family tied to Margaret C. Power - the widow of Robert Power, who was the son of Nut Tree founders Edwin and Helen Harbison Power - withdrew from ownership of the site.

The other two family partners - Robert Power's daughter Mary Helen Fairchild and second-generation partner Edwin I. Power, the son of Edwin and Helen Harbison Power, took control of the property and entered a partnership with Kivelstadt to develop the site.

Months ago, another big move was made as Bruce Portner decided to build a minor league baseball stadium at the Nut Tree and bring his team, later dubbed the Solano Steelheads, to Vacaville.

Meanwhile, the Kivelstadt-Power-Fairchild partnership worked on plans to turn the Nut Tree into a "little Disneyland" - bringing an amusement park to coexist with the ballpark.

Portner built the stadium and the Steelheads began play in May 2000. A land swap moved gave control of the ballpark's 17 acres to Portner. The stadium has since been sold and the Solano Thunderbirds, a college All-Star team.

The city began to get more involved in the future of the Nut Tree in the coming months, setting rules on what could or could not be built at the site. Lumberyards were prohibited, as were car dealerships or storage facilities.

The Kivelstadt partnership brought in a proposal to build a Lowe's Home and Garden Warehouse at the site. After some hand-wringing, the proposal went through in late 2000.

Meanwhile, to have more control over the direction of the Nut Tree, the Vacaville City Council voted to purchase 80 acres of the site in September 2000 for $7.5 million.

Plans on that core area moved quickly. In early 2001, the city made public plans to sell the property to San Francisco-based Eden Development Group.

Eden called for a full-service hotel and conference center, upscale eateries and speciality shops and even a championship-style golf course to be designed by longtime pro golfer Greg Norman.

But after a year of failing to find financing for the project, Eden pulled out. Another batter came to the plate: Roger Snell & Co.

Snell's story has been different so far - slowly but surely, the plans have been developed and approved, a deal has been negotiated, the financing has been found and the dirt is ready to turn.

The groundbreaking for Snell's Nut Tree is Thursday. Escrow should be closed by then, according to city officials.

After the numerous attempts at turning the ashes of the landmark into a phoenix, what made this attempt work?

"The timing," said Snell & Co. representative Jill Katz. "The city has been very cooperative and there was some excellent design work. And the economy is in good shape now."

Katz said getting financial backing is always the biggest hurdle, and bringing Rockwood Capital into the team was key.

City Manager David Van Kirk, who said he's mostly forgotten about all the failed attempts at rebuilding the Nut Tree, echoed Katz, saying timing and money were the keys.

"There's just a lot more going on in this area than there was five to 10 years ago," Van Kirk said.

None of the previous proposals delivered the funding necessary to redevelop the site, which made Snell & Co. stand out even more, the city manager added.

"That's obviously the most important part of any project," he said. "You have to have the money to back it up."

Tom Hall can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.

Simonton Windows is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Vacaville

Firm marks anniversary

Simonton Windows is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Vacaville.

The firm opened locally in August 1995 with just 39 em-ployees. Today, it employs more than 225 area residents and recently moved into a larger manufacturing facility.

"We've manufactured well over one million window and door units in Vacaville during the past decade," said Tom Riscili, general manager of the Vacaville facility.

To mark the anniversary, Simonton introduced the Heart and Soul Employee Award at a recent luncheon. The award, which was presented to 10-year employee Alonso Cadenas, recognizes an individual who has demonstrated outstanding personal contributions to the company, a positive work ethic and compassion for his fellow employees. Cadenas was honored at the luncheon with a watch and will have his name engraved on a perpetual plaque on display at the facility.

The firm also honored other 10 year employees and those with perfect attendance records.

SCC president wants more students in its upgraded facility

SCC president wants more students in its upgraded facility

By Ian Thompson
ROCKVILLE - Solano Community College is getting the modernized facilities it needs to teach its students, but the community college has to make greater efforts to bring more students in, its president said Friday.

Superintendent/President Paulette Perfumo told faculty members the biggest challenge facing SCC is to increase the number of students.

"We need to grow," she said of a flat enrollment, which needs to increase to generate revenue that will allow the community college to keep pace with rising employee health and welfare costs.

Perfumo set a friendly, upbeat tone Friday morning as she welcomed the community college's faculty back to their classes.

"There's lots of talent and lots of energy here," Perfumo said in a packed college theater.

The community college is getting more state funding this year from Sacramento. Not as much as the community colleges would like, "but every dollar helps," she said.

But getting part of that increased state funding is based on getting more students.

Perfumo said a lot of ideas are already being generated to get more Solano County residents to sign up for courses and meet enrollment goals but more help is needed.

"You need to work with your deans to achieve these goals," Perfumo said.

Perfumo spent much of her address bringing the faculty up to date on construction at the Rockville campus and planning for the Vacaville and Vallejo campuses.

All the construction and renovation money was made possible by Measure G, which allowed SCC issue construction bonds.

"We are really getting excited about Measure G and the progress we are making," Perfumo said. "Pardon our dust, but I think you will like the future."

"We are making progress on all of the projects," community college board President Denis Honeychurch told the faculty in a short videotaped message.

State-of-the-art classrooms have already gone into the trade and technical building and by the time students arrive, the business and science buildings will be modernized.

The expansion of the Vacaville campus is under way so the campus can keep up with that city's expected growth, Perfumo said.

Design of the Vallejo campus is in its final stages and Perfumo proudly showed the facility artists' renderings of what the completed campus will look like.

As the facilities expand during the next three years, Perfumo said the next step will be doing strategic planning to ensure the community college makes full use of its new buildings.

Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.

East Bay job market recovering

Posted on Sat, Aug. 20, 2005

East Bay job market recovering

By George Avalos
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

The East Bay job market is in its best shape in years, according to a state report released Friday, and the Bay Area is not far behind.

And the surge in the local economy is poised to persist. The employment gains in the region are strong enough -- and widespread enough -- that analysts believe the job market will power ahead for the rest of 2005.

Just about every industry in the East Bay and Bay Area is starting to grow. Private education, construction, finance and insurance, health care, transportation and telecommunications showed the strongest gains over the past year, the Employment Development Department's monthly survey showed.

Even the battered manufacturing sector, helped by gains in computers and electronics manufacturing, has added jobs over the past 12 months. The primary areas of weakness emerged in software, utilities and the government sector.

"I'm very encouraged by this latest report," said Christopher Thornberg, an economist with the UCLA Anderson Forecast.

During the past 12 months, the East Bay enjoyed its greatest job growth since the dot-com meltdown. "These are good numbers for the East Bay," said Thornberg. "The strength is showing up in a lot of sectors, a lot of important sectors."

The same trends materialized in the South Bay and the Bay Area.

"The Bay Area is on a recovery path," Thornberg said.

Over the past year, the East Bay has added 15,900 jobs, the South Bay is up 700 jobs and the Bay Area has gained 26,600 jobs, the EDD's report for July showed.

"This is not a flash-in-the-pan expansion," said Scott Anderson, an economist with San Francisco-based Wells Fargo. "The expansion in the East Bay is getting more and more broadly based."

The East Bay outpaced California and every other region of the Bay Area in job growth. Over the year, the East Bay posted a 1.6 percent gain in jobs, while California had a 1.3 percent increase. Bay Area jobs increased by 0.8 percent over the year.

Yet California is also looking strong. The Golden State added nearly 30,000 jobs in July and almost 190,000 jobs over the past 12 months. The state jobless rate improved to 5.1 percent in July from 5.4 percent in June.

One area of worry: housing-related jobs. By many measures and according to a number of prognosticators, the housing boom in the Bay Area and California is bound to stumble or at least cool. If that happens, the jobs that depend on housing could fade.

About 26 percent of the job growth during the last 12 months came from construction, although many of the construction gains came from outside of residential development.

"The housing market is going to cause big problems," Thornberg said. "But if we get enough momentum in other parts of the economy, the cooling housing market will be offset by gains elsewhere."

Because nine out of the 10 major private-sector industries are showing solid gains in the East Bay, analysts believe the region can weather a housing slump.

Echoing the state's data, employment leaders reported success in placing workers. Some of the improvement has appeared in surprising areas, said Steve Pogorzelski, president of Monster Worldwide Inc.'s North American operations.

"We are seeing increases in demand for computers and mathematical jobs," Pogorzelski said. "We have found good strength in all engineering occupations, in software developers and I.T. professionals."

Yet for many, success in the job market remains elusive. Lucy Williams of Hercules has strong academic credentials, yet is struggling to find work in education.

"I believe next year there will be more opportunities in academia," Williams said. Williams is optimistic because educational requirements are becoming more rigorous.

One of the most hopeful trends is a growing number of temporary workers are finding full-time jobs, said Ralph Henderson, a San Ramon-based senior vice president with Spherion Corp., a staffing services firm. Spherion's local revenue from permanent hires has quadrupled from last year.

"Our permanent placements have jumped," Henderson said. "Real jobs are being created."


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George Avalos covers the economy, financial markets and banks. Reach him at 925-977-8477 or gavalos@cctimes.com

Solano County unemployment unchanged

Solano unemployment unchanged; still above state

By Christine Cubé
FAIRFIELD - Unemployment in Solano County remained static in July, according to figures released by the state Employment Development Department.

The county boasted a workforce of 214,300, representing 202,500 employed individuals and 11,800 unemployed individuals. The July jobless rate was 5.5 percent.

The stability in the rate over June keeps the county's unemployment figure below the year-ago estimate of 6.2 percent, said the department's Labor Market Information Division.

Solano County's jobless rate is greater than the state's: California's unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in July. Last month, the state reported an unemployment rate of 5.4 percent. A year ago, the state's jobless rate hovered at a little more than 6 percent.

Throughout the Vallejo-Fairfield metropolitan statistical area, there were a total of 129,400 jobs in July. That's down 400 jobs over June, specifically 100 farm positions and 300 non-farm positions.

Despite the fewer jobs, the total figure represents a boost over July 2004, when there were 128,300 positions in the Vallejo-Fairfield area.

EDD's survey of employers found nonfarm payroll employment across the state grew by 29,900 jobs in July, for a total of 14,783,400 jobs. That's compared with state job growth of 15,600 jobs in June, for a total of 14,752,500 jobs.

According to a separate survey of households, the number of Californians holding jobs in June reached a record high of 16,882,000. That represents a boost of 37,000 jobs over June, and up 392,000 positions from the employment total in July 2004.

The number of those unemployed throughout the state was 914,000, which represents a decrease of 52,000 unemployed individuals over the month, and down by 172,000 unemployed in July 2004. This is the lowest number of unemployed in the state since June 2001, according to the EDD.

How Solano County compares with the rest of the nation? The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the jobless rate was 5 percent in July.

Nationally, the number of unemployed individuals last month was 7.5 million, which represents a gain of 700,000 jobs over the last year. In July 2004, the number of unemployed across the country was 8.2 million.

Reach Christine Cubé at 427-6934 or ccube@dailyrepublic.net.

Local employment figures for July 2005

Location Labor Force Employment Unemployment Rate

Solano County 214,300 202,500 11,800 5.5 percent

Benicia 17,200 16,500 500 3.3 percent

Dixon 9,100 8,700 400 4.3 percent

Fairfield 48,900 46,000 2,900 6 percent

Rio Vista 2,400 2,300 100 4 percent

Suisun City 14,800 14,000 800 5.6 percent

Greater Sacramento jobless rate sank in July and remained below the rate for the state and the nation

LATEST NEWS
August 19, 2005

Local unemployment rate, job count shrinks

The jobless rate for Greater Sacramento sank in July and remained below the rate for the state and the nation. But seasonal variations in education were enough to shrink the total number of payroll jobs in the four-county area, breaking a five-month string of gains, the state reported Friday.

The unadjusted unemployment rate for the four-county area in July was 4.7 percent, down from 4.8 percent in June and 5.6 percent in July 2004. The equivalent unadjusted rates for California and the United States were 5.4 percent and 5.2 percent respectively, according to the state Economic Development Department.

Unadjusted rates are calculated without corrections for seasonal job shifts, such as summertime vacations for schools and holiday retail hiring. The preliminary adjusted rate for California in July was 5.1 percent, down from 5.4 percent in June and 6.2 percent in July 2004. It was the lowest rate in the state since May 2001.

State surveys of employers indicated that nonfarm payroll employment grew by 29,900 jobs from June to July to reach a seasonally adjusted 14,783,400. The figure climbed 1.3 percent, or 189,700 jobs, year over year.

Local figures, which were not seasonally adjusted, showed a decline of 4,400 jobs from the total in June, largely because of the end of the school year. The total shrank by 6,100 jobs at state universities, community colleges and school districts, and lost an additional 200 private education jobs.

That was more than enough to offset gains elsewhere, including a one-month rise of 800 construction jobs to hit 74,200, a record for the region.

California July jobless rate declines 1.1 percent

California had the lowest number of people unemployed since June 2001 as its jobless rate declined by 1.1 points in July, to 5.1 percent, from 6.2 percent in July of last year, according state and federal reports released on Friday.

The state's jobless rate also declined 0.3 points from June's 5.4 percent, a decrease the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics described as "significant."

Santa Clara county's 5.5 percent July jobless rate was higher than the state average, as were the counties of Monterey (5.4) and Alameda (5.3). San Mateo county's jobless rate was 4.4 percent. San Francisco and Santa Cruz rates matched the state average.

The national unemployment rate was 5 percent in July.

The state's gain of 29,900 jobs in July was the second biggest in the country. Florida was the biggest with 42,400 jobs added in the month.

The 16.9 million Californians working in July is a record high number.

The sectors in the state that grew year-to-year were contruction, trade, transportation and utilities, information, financial activities, professional and business services, educational and health services, leisure and hospitality, other services and government.

The number of mining and manufacturing jobs dropped.

STARS on the rise - We applaud teachers and students' test results

Article Launched: 08/19/2005 06:41:38 AM

STARS on the rise
We applaud teachers and students' test results


It was good news all around California and especially in Solano County this week for a number of school districts.

Proficiency rates on STAR - Standardized Testing and Reporting - released by the California Department of Education this week show a statewide rise, and high school exit exam numbers are "exceeding projections."

It is certainly true here at home, where northern Solano County scores increased in nearly every grade level on the English language portion of the test.

Math was a little more difficult, with Solano County's second- third- and sixth-graders beating state averages, while fourth, fifth- and seventh-graders fell a percentage point or two below state averages.

Also on the rise are the scores of Solano County students taking the California High School Exit Exam, which students, starting with the Class of 2006, must pass in order to graduate.

High school students are first given the test in 10th-grade. The minority of students who fail at least one section of the exam have several more opportunities to pass the exam in order to receive their diploma.

In 2004-05, 63 percent of students statewide passed math, with 65 percent earning passing grades in English and language arts.

The numbers were more impressive in Vacaville, where 68 percent of the students were adept in math, and 72 percent passed the English portion.

Travis Unified School District students fared even better, with 78 percent passing math and 86 percent passing English. Both Dixon and Fairfield-Suisun unified school districts also showed improvement and exceeded state averages.

On the STAR tests, students between second-grade and 11th-grade are evaluated each year in math and English and the results are used to determine whether students are meeting statewide standards. Other subjects, such as social science and history are given in specific years.

While there is much to celebrate, it must be noted that once again, special education students, minority and economically disadvantaged students, and English language learners scored below state averages, both statewide and at home.

Without a doubt, more attention needs to be given in these areas to help the students gain proficiency.

On Monday, teachers will be able to look at the results by classroom, which can and should be an effective tool in determining where they should focus their energy.

While there is always room for improvement, we feel the results of the STAR and California High School Exit Examination show that local schools are making strides in their work, helping students come closer to hitting state targets. We congratulate both students and teachers for a job well done.

Vacaville's school budget approved

Article Launched: 08/19/2005 06:41:35 AM

Vaca's school budget approved

By Megan Lloyd-Jones/Reporter Intern

In a unanimous vote, the Vacaville Unified School District board approved the final 2005-06 budget at its meeting Thursday night. The spending plan was only slightly modified from June's projected budget.

John Niederkorn, deputy superintendent for administrative services, said the only noticeable difference was an additional $923,684 allocated to funding teachers' pensions provided in the state budget. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to shift the financial responsibility of funding teachers' pensions from the state onto individual districts failed.

Due to the governor's promise to continue to fund teachers' pensions, the money that the district had set aside for the pensions was able to be put toward increasing teachers' salaries by 1 percent and back into the district's general fund.

Board members seemed content with the approved budget and praised Niederkorn on his conservatism.

"This is a budget debt we can be proud of," said board member Michael Kitzes. "We were in very bad shape and had to make tough decisions."

However, Niederkorn warned the board that there are still concerns and uncertainties regarding the financial state of the district due to a continued decline in student enrollment.

"We cannot relax, we cannot rest," Niederkorn said. "We are not in a stable situation, our enrollment is not stable."

Superintendent John Aycock also brought to the board's attention a California Charter School application signed by a nonprofit organization, New Life Leadership, which would contract with an education management organization called EdFutures Inc., headquartered in Carlsbad.

While a public hearing about the possibility of adding a charter school to the district must be held in 30 days, Aycock said he would like to hold a meeting by Sept. 1 to raise questions and concerns to the board.

Trustee Jay Yerkes said he would need to learn more about the details involved in approving a new charter school. After researching contractor EdFutures Inc., he said he had a number of concerns.

"I do have some grave concerns about funding, the background, the history and the purpose of EdFutures," Yerkes said.

Improved Highway 37 opens today

August 19, 2005

New Highway 37 debuts today

By MATTHIAS GAFNI, Times-Herald staff writer

Finally. After more than 50 years of bureaucracy and political speedbumps, the new Highway 37 is opening to traffic.

The finished freeway, built on stilts over Highway 29 and near the ever-congested intersection of Highways 29 and 37, was to open to westbound traffic at 5 this morning.

Caltrans expects traffic to be flowing in both directions by about 8 a.m. Saturday.

"I'm happy it's finally happened. I think it's a big, positive thing for the city," City Engineer Gary Leach said Thursday.

The project, last estimated at $124 million, has been delayed over the years by everything from the Loma Prieta earthquake to historic floods, from an oil embargo to an endangered mouse.

"With a sign posted on that roadway saying the opening was for June 2004, I was beginning to wonder if it would open," Councilwoman Joanne Schivley laughed Thursday upon hearing the news.

"What a relief it's going to be for traffic in that intersection."

The new roadway will eliminate three intersections with traffic lights and a railroad crossing.

"This is going to be great for commuters and people just going through town," said Steve Cobb, a Caltrans spokesman.

Leach said the new alignment will benefit the city in many ways.

"I think it's a big plus to clean up the congested problem we've had at 29-37 for quite a long time," Leach said. "It will greatly improve access to Mare Island and make it way more marketable.

"It will improve the access and safety of the access to those businesses adjacent to the highway as well," he said.

Schivley stressed the safety aspects. "The configuration of the new 37 is a definite boon to traffic safety," she said.

Other stretches of road surrounding the 29-37 intersection will also benefit, Leach said. "A lot of traffic diverts away from the existing intersection along city streets," said Leach, who expects those alternative routes to clear up.

Caltrans will host a Sept. 2 ribbon-cutting ceremony with U.S. Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, and Caltrans Director Will Kempton attending.

Cobb said to expect more lane closures and delays over the next couple of months as Caltrans makes the transition permanent and releases the old stretch of Highway 37 to the city of Vallejo.

- E-mail Matthias Gafni at mgafni@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6825.

Vacaville's Large Scale signs deal with BioCatalytics

LATEST NEWS
San Francisco Business Times - 10:02 AM PDT Thursday

Large Scale signs deal with BioCatalytics

Large Scale Biology Corp. and BioCatalytics Inc. have signed a multi-year collaboration and license agreement to develop improved enzymes for chemical synthesis.

Under terms of the deal BioCatalytics of Pasadena will pay a commercial license fee to Vacaville's Large Scale Biology (NASDAQ:LSBC) for use of its protein improvement technologies. Large Scale also will receive royalties on sales of products developed by BioCatalytics. Further details of the deal were not disclosed.

BioCatalytics believes the deal will yield a series of "next-generation" enzymes that can be used to make new chemical intermediates and drugs. Large Scale develops compounds and industrial proteins used in drug development and research.

East Bay Business Times

The state and just about every Californian are clear winners in the effort to reform workers’ compensation.

State benefits from reform of workers’ comp

Monday, August 15, 2005 - The state and just about every Californian are clear winners in the effort to reform workers’ compensation.

Just two years ago, workers’ comp insurance was a job-killing, economy-crippling menace. Insurance rates had spiked so much in such a short time, by as much as 200 percent to 300 percent, that businesses of all sizes were forced to pull back, cutting jobs, freezing hiring, and in some cases moving to a more business-friendly state.

It’s impossible to estimate the full impact rising workers’ comp premiums had on the state economy, as it cost countless jobs and contributed to a slow economic recovery after the 2001 downturn.

Finally, workers’ comp rates are moving in the right direction. Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi announced last week that premiums are down by an average of 15 percent statewide for recently renewed policies. A leading business association says premiums have dropped by 15 percent to 20 percent for its members, and is expecting another 10 percent to

15 percent reduction in the next six months.

And what do business owners do when they feel good about the prospects of doing business in California? They retain employees. They expand and hire. And, importantly, they stay put.

Though unions and workers’ comp attorneys are protesting the changes, how could any reasonable Californian want to return to the old system? It was costing business owners far more than their counterparts in any other state, yet was treating injured workers worse than in any other state. So many insurance companies went bankrupt or stopped doing business in the state that the publicly owned State Compensation Insurance Fund was left as California’s primary provider.

The near monopoly didn’t serve anyone. The state now has about 15 companies underwriting policies, and the competition is helping bring down prices.

Since July 2003, rates have dropped by an average of more than 25 percent. That’s still not enough, when the rates for many businesses doubled and tripled during the bad years.

It’s an encouraging sign, though, and one that bodes well for California’s job market and business climate.

Water treatment options - Counties eye desalination

Article Last Updated: Wednesday, Aug 17, 2005 - 12:14:54 am PDT



A technician programs equiptment at the Marin Municipal Water District's pilot desalination plant. (Courtesy Photo)

Water treatment options - Counties eye desalination

By Barry Eberling

FAIRFIELD - It's an feat of alchemy that in semi-arid, fast-growing California rivals turning lead into gold.

Technology holds the promise of economically turning salty water into fresh water. Brackish Suisun Bay and San Pablo Bay could become Solano County's newest drinking water sources, and massive ones at that.

Someday.

"We think the technology will improve and the cost of desalinization will go down over time," Solano County Water Agency General Manager David Okita said. "We're in a position to be able to wait."

Solano County cities and farms face water shortages only during prolonged drought. They have water rights from Lake Berryessa reservoir in Napa County and the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta. They use groundwater.

But Solano County is expected to be the Bay Area's fastest-growing county in coming decades. As the population continues to swell, the brackish waters of Suisun Bay and San Pablo Bay could become more tempting.

The water agency decided to look at desalination in the future, not right now, Okita said.

Other nearby counties are looking at desalinization now. They are doing pioneering work that might someday serve Solano County.

The Marin Municipal Water District built a $1.2 million test desalinization plant it plans to operate for nine months. This plant near the Richmond Bridge takes the waters of San Francisco Bay, cleanses it of impurities and removes the salt.

District officials realize some residents might be put off by the thought of drinking the murky bay waters. Officials say the cleaned-up water will be as pure as bottled water.

The district keeps a cooler with the water available at its Corte Madera office, so passersby can give it a try.

Marin's pilot plant forces the brackish bay water through a semi-permeable membrane. The holes in the membrane are big enough for water molecules, but too small for salt molecules. This results in fresh water, most of which goes back to the bay.

"We're using it for a test," district spokeswoman Libby Pischel said. "We're not using it as part of our water supply."

Whether Marin pushes forward with a full-scale desalination plant remains to be seen. But that area is in greater need of new water supplies than Solano County.

"We would have to have very extreme rationing in the second year of a drought," Pischel said.

Four other Bay Area water agencies serving Contra Costa County, Alameda County, Santa Clara County and San Francisco County have teamed up to look at desalination. Possible plant sites include Crockett along the Carquinez Strait and Pittsburg along Suisun Bay. Plants could provide up to 120 million gallons of water daily - enough for about 134,000 households of four.

"For us, the big issue is we don't have enough water in drought years," said Jeff Becerra of the East Bay Municipal Utility District.

But using desalinated water comes with a price. Marin estimates a full-scale plant could cost $60 million, with another $35 million going toward a distribution system. Newark in Alameda County has a $20 million plant that removes salt from brackish groundwater.

There are also environmental challenges to desalination.

Desalination plants can suck in fish and larvae along with salt water. Jared Huffman doesn't expect this to be a problem with the Marin plant. Huffman is president of the Marin water district board and is an attorney with the National Resources Defense Council.

The plant Marin is contemplating will be small enough to take in water at a low velocity, Huffman said.

"If you held your hand up to the screen, you literally wouldn't feel the water moving," he said.

Desalination creates fresh water. It also creates a brine of salt and heavy metals that has no use. Put the brine back into the bay at heavy concentrations and it hurts fish and aquatic organisms, a BCDC desalination report says.

A plant along the coast can use a pipe to disperse the brine in the ocean, Okita said.

"I'm not sure you can do that in Suisun Bay or San Francisco Bay," Okita said.

One possibility is to build a desalination plant next to a power plant or sewer plant. Then the brine can be mixed with discharge water, diluting it, the BCDC report said.

The Marin pilot plant simply remixes its fresh water with the brine and returns it to the bay. But that won't work once the fresh water is used by residents.

Marin proposes to mix brine with treated sewage water, Huffman said. This will create a mixture that has the same salinity as the bay.

The Marin pilot plant will help identify what steps are needed to protect the environment, he said.

"You want to go carefully into something like this that would be a first in the bay," Huffman said. "You want to give it a good, honest look in terms of its potential environmental impact."

One thing seems certain: Desalination will continue to get a serious look in California. The state in its 2005 Water Plan Update has a chapter on desalination. Desalting seawater creates a new water supply, the plan said.

Someday, Solano County may tap into the huge, brackish water supply at its doorstep.

Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.

Coalition supporting Dixon Downs emerges

Article Last Updated: Wednesday, Aug 17, 2005 - 12:13:03 am PDT

Coalition supporting Dixon Downs emerges

By Ian Thompson

FAIRFIELD - Another group has weighed in on whether Dixon should get a race track: The Coalition for Dixon Downs, which is made up of several labor groups and Dixon business organizations.

The coalition was unveiled this week, calling the race track a tremendous opportunity for the town and vowing to show the Dixon City Council there was a large amount of support in town for the track.

"The Coalition came together to make sure our city leaders know there is a great deal of support not only from the business community, but with residents as well," Dixon Chamber of Commerce President Gordon Hammond said.

Dixon is on the verge of getting an environmental impact report on the project, which is required by the state and will lay out how the track will affect the town.

Magna Entertainment Corp., the company proposing to build the track, wants to put in two horse tracks, a finish line pavilion and an entertainment venue, along with living facilities for 1,600 horses and the people who care for them.

The coalition comprises the Dixon Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Dixon Business Association, Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 343 and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 180.

Another Dixon group, Dixon Citizens for Quality Control, has been working since May to stop the proposed race track, voicing concerns about the quality of jobs it will bring and what impact it will have on traffic.

Magna has contended the opposite, saying the Downs is a quality operation that will bring good jobs to boost Dixon's economy and bring more business to the town.

"Looking at the media coverage and some of the erroneous information spread by the detractors, we felt there was a role for each of our organizations to make sure our members and the community had accurate, indisputable facts," Hammond said.

Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.

Meyer adding 2 warehouses to facility and added 60 employees to its operations in Fairfield and Vallejo.

Article Last Updated: Wednesday, Aug 17, 2005 - 12:16:56 am PDT

Meyer adding 2 warehouses to facility

By Christine Cubé

FAIRFIELD - Cookware distribution giant Meyer Corp. is expanding its business operation in Solano Business Park, adding two new warehouses to its shipping facility there.

Meyer Corp. already owns the site for its planned expansion, but it must tread lightly moving forward as the new space involves expanding on and near wetlands.

"We have been well aware of those issues," said Jenny Bledsoe, vice president of human resources and consumer relations for Meyer Corporation U.S. "We've been working closely with the appropriate agencies as we're making these plans to make sure we're in compliance with local regulations."

Vallejo-based Meyer Corp. specializes in distributing range-top cookware. Its products also include bakeware, cutlery, kitchen tools and gadgets, largely manufactured in affiliate factories in Thailand, Italy and China.

In Fairfield, the company plans to build two separate warehouses - roughly 150,000 square feet and 300,000 square feet - to add to its 363,000-square-foot shipping center at the business park. At a later date, the company may also construct a new office building, Bledsoe said.

Despite the new improvements and larger campus in Fairfield, Bledsoe said the corporate headquarters will remain in Vallejo.

Sandy Person, vice president of the Solano EDC, said it's companies like Meyer Corp. that make the county a desirable location for expanding businesses.

"They grow and expand in Solano County," Person said. "Businesses like Meyer buy enough land to accommodate growth."

Meyer Corp. already is growing in numbers.

So far this year, the company has added 60 employees to its operations in Fairfield and Vallejo. It has approximately 120 employees in each location.

In addition to its corporate office, Meyer Corp. has warehousing operations in Vallejo, where the company performs shipping, including Web site and direct-to-consumer shipping.

In Fairfield, the warehouse largely takes care of bulk shipping, customer service and planning and logistics.

The company now is finalizing development plans for an official submission to the city of Fairfield.

Reach Christine Cubé at

427-6934 or ccube@dailyrepublic.net.

Venture Corp's Venture Commerce Center Condo's 50% sold out in Green Valley

August 17, 2005

Own your own business
Capitalist undertakes building commercial condos in Fairfield

By RACHEL RASKIN-ZRIHEN, Times-Herald staff writer

Robert Eves, the president of the Venture Corporation in Mill Valley, checks out the foundation, which still needs concrete to be poured, at his Venture Commerce Center in the Green Valley area. Photo: David Pacheco/Times-Herald

It's a new twist on an old idea and it's coming to Solano County.

The Marin County-based Venture Corporation recently broke ground on the Venture Commerce Center in Fairfield, the county's first commercial condominium building.

Robert Eves of Mill Valley, 57, the firm's president, said the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, California's real estate market and the dot-com bust were among the factors that led him to conceive of constructing condos for small business owners to own.

Between 1993 and 2003, Eves' firm built the largest business park in Silicon Valley, in Morgan Hill, but took a hit in 2000 when the dot-com bust caused the tech business to decline. Things got even worse after Sept. 11, he said.

"In 2002, I started getting calls from businesses asking us to build small buildings they could own," Eves said. "The lower interest rates were making ownership possible. Small business owners pay rent, sometimes for decades, and have only a rich landlord to show for it."

Eves said he realized most small business owners weren't able to take advantage of the explosion in California's real estate market, since they typically don't need and can't afford to buy a huge commercial building, and small commercial buildings are difficult to find. He said building small, house-sized commercial buildings doesn't make economic sense for developers.

"We thought we should find a way to build for small companies," Eves said. "Developers want to build for large companies. That's why in a town you can hardly ever find any small buildings for sale. There's the occasional converted gas station or house, but that's about it. So our idea was to provide an opportunity for small companies to become owners."

Venture Corporation builds big buildings, called Venture Commerce Centers, which are divided into several properties with separate entrances and amenities. They're like residential condos, only for businesses, Eves said.

"Our buildings are steel-reinforced concrete with lots of special architectural detail - way too expensive as a small, individual building, so we came up with a design like a two-story townhouse," Eves said. He said the typical commercial condo contains five or six individual properties within a single structure. The firm can arrange financing, and lease-to-own options are available.

"We have 640 projects under way today, and since we dreamed this up in 2002, we've built in California, Nevada, Washington, Oregon and who knows, what's next," Eves said.

He said some of the buildings sell out before they're even finished. The Napa center, finished about eight months ago, still has several properties available while the Fairfield building, which just broke ground, is already 50 percent sold, he said.

"We're amazed at how fast the properties sell," he said, adding that the types of businesses that have bought into the idea vary widely.

"There are lawyers, engineers, insurance brokers, laboratory, medical offices, architects, import/expert business, manufacturers, caterers, interior designers - all kinds of businesses," he said. The back of the individual properties can be outfitted with a roll-up door for loading, making it possible to run a shipping, storage or other similar business.

"They come with private restrooms, carpeted; no one shares anything with anybody," Eves said, "and then every month, instead of making a rent payment, you make a mortgage payment."

Juan Hernandez of Fairfield is one Solano County man who sees the concept's advantages.

"I want to start my own business, and I'll be paying rent anyway, and even if I have to pay more, it's worth it in the long run to own the property," the 29-year-old said.

Hernandez, who expects soon to have his real estate agent's license, plans to go into business with his sister-in-law who's expecting to get her broker's license soon. They hope to open their business in their own building.

"We plan to stay in business in the area a long time, and you gain equity if you own the property and you're not throwing your money away on rent," Hernandez said.

Suisun City-based dentist Lourdes Gaerlan, 45, of Fairfield, also said she's excited about the possibility of buying into the center. She said she thinks her center mortgage payments will be less than the rent on her current office.

"It's an investment," Gaerlan said. "I've been in business 10 years, and this will be my first investment. I'm in a shopping center now, paying $5,000 per month rent and getting no equity. And this area is booming."

Eves said a similar idea - converting a large warehouse into smaller, privately owned ones, flopped in San Francisco about 25 years ago, apparently ahead of its time.

Now, though, with some tweaking of the concept, the business-owning public seems to be ready for the idea.

"This was a response to a few calls we got from people who wanted to be owners, and we thought maybe there'd be more. We didn't understand how many wanted to be owners. It's growing like crazy and other firms are copying us," he said. "This marketplace didn't exist three or four years ago. A whole new segment of the real estate industry is born.

"I look for nice areas that look cared for when you drive there. You should see well-maintained places on your way there, and when you look out your window, you should see nicely maintained places. It's a matter of pride," Eves said.

Besides the business owners who buy the commercial condos, communities benefit from the sense of proprietary interest ownership engenders, Eves said.

"It brings small business owners' families to town to live, send their kids to school, shop and invest in the community," Eves said. Eves said there are Venture Commerce Center projects in Alameda, Antioch, Fremont, Hercules, Morgan Hill, Napa, Newark, San Jose and South San Jose, and he's scouting places in Sacramento, Vacaville and on Mare Island.

Originally from Omaha, Neb., Eves, a married father of five, said he moved to California in 1975, and founded Venture corporation the following year.

"I'm a classic entrepreneur - much more a small businessman than a large one," he said. "We're a small company, 19 employees, so I appreciate the merits of owning rather than renting and I understand the problems and aspirations of small business owners. This is based on my own experience. I can't imagine renting anymore. It's been an exciting ride."

If you go...

What: Venture Commerce Center, Fairfield

Where: Green Valley Corporate Park on Mangeles Boulevard, intersection of Interstate 80 and the I-680 interchange

For information: Call (415) 381-1680 or log on to http://www.Venture-CommerceCenter.com

Businesses, unions unite for Dixon Downs project

Article Launched: 08/17/2005 07:19:57 AM



A fight to the finish
Businesses, unions unite for Dixon Downs

By David Henson/Staff Writer

There's a new dog - er, horse - in the race over Dixon Downs.

An alliance of local businesses and labor unions calling itself the Coalition for Dixon Downs has organized to counter a group of citizens opposed to the proposed thoroughbred horse racing and entertainment complex.

"Dixon Downs is a tremendous opportunity for our community," said Gordon Hammond, president of the Dixon Chamber of Commerce. "The coalition came together to make sure our city leaders know there is a great deal of support not only from the business community, but with residents as well."

The coalition plans to work closely with Ontario, Canada-based Magna Entertainment Corp. to promote the company's proposed complex on 260-acres southwest of the intersection of Interstate 80 and Pedrick Road. Coalition members plan to organize a vendor fair with Magna to show local merchants and contractors the business opportunities that Dixon Downs would bring to the city.

In addition, the coalition maintains that local residents have been getting information on the racetrack that is based on emotion, rather than fact.

Since late spring, the Dixon Citizens for Quality Growth have generated sizable opposition to Magna's proposed racetrack, and the coalition apparently hopes to undo that negativity.

"There is a lot of disinformation going on out there and a lot of hysteria," said Hammond.

As an example, Hammond pointed to fears that slot machines will one day be allowed at the racetrack, calling it a "red herring" issue. If state law changes to allow slots, the gambling machines could be put anywhere, he said.

Hammond said the coalition will ensure that the community has the "indisputable facts" about the Dixon Downs proposal.

However, Gail Preston, a leader of the quality growth group opposed to the track, said her group's concerns are backed up by facts, which are provided to council members each time members speak at meetings.

"One member has spoken before the city council six times and each time handed them evidence to back up every single statement made," Preston said. "We would furnish it to anyone."

Hammond countered that the questions raised by the quality growth group largely will be answered in the project's environmental impact report, which is due out in the coming weeks.

"When the environmental impact report comes out, the whole project will stand on its own," Hammond said.

Nevertheless, opposition has mounted in recent weeks as the quality growth group announced it had gathered 1,500 signed letters from Dixon residents opposed to the track. The local chapter of the Sierra Club also has become involved in fighting the project.

The business and labor coalition warns that rejecting Dixon Downs will undercut future development.

"If we chase off Magna, what other business will want to come to Dixon?" Hammond asked.

The coalition grew out of conversations with Downtown Dixon Business Association President Rob Salaber and eventually expanded to include two local union chapters, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Plumbers and Steamfitters.

While the pairing of unions and business organizations might be unusual, Hammond said each group favors the project for the jobs and economic benefits it will bring to the city and its residents.

"If we get the message out there that this will improve the quality of life in Dixon, people will jump on the bandwagon," Hammond said.

David Henson can be reached at dixon@thereporter.com.

Vacaville Planning Commission approved time extensions for the Vacaville Transit Plaza and the Vanden Road Apartments and Townhomes

Article Launched: 08/17/2005 07:19:56 AM

Planners give projects extension

By Reporter Staff

Two projects spearheaded by city agencies were given a time extension Tuesday night.

The Vacaville Planning Commission approved time extensions for the Vacaville Transit Plaza and the Vanden Road Apartments and Townhomes.

The transit plaza, originally approved in 2003, will serve as the city's chief downtown bus transfer center at its location on the southeast corner of the Monte Vista Avenue and Cernon Street intersection.

Plans include a pick-up and drop-off area that can accommodate up to six buses, as well as extensive landscaping and a covered seating area.

Chris Gustin, the city's assistant director of community development, said Tuesday that funding for the project still is being secured and the design of the project is being finalized.

The Vanden Road housing project is scheduled to serve mostly military families. Gustin said Travis Air Force Base personnel will be offered the units first. Any ensuing vacancies will be open to the public.

Plans call for 93 units - mostly townhomes - on 8.4 acres on the west side of Vanden Road and south of Alamo Drive in southeastern Vacaville.

California has paid out more than $1.5 billion to some 900,000 crime victims since 1965

Article Launched: 08/17/2005 07:19:51 AM
Victory for victims

For 40 years, state has helped them recover

California made history 40 years ago when it become the first state in the nation to provide financial compensation for victims of violent crimes.

At the time, California was spending millions on incarcerating inmates, but nothing on the victims of those crimes, pointed out state Sen. Eugene McAteer, who wrote the 1965 victim compensation law.

Only governments in New Zealand and Britain had implemented similar programs. But today, it is a well-established practice across the United States.

California has paid out more than $1.5 billion to some 900,000 crime victims since 1965, and has established itself as the third largest program in the world.

In 2003-04, Solano County received 756 applications for help from victims of violent crime and their families and awarded $590,560 in restitution. Statewide during the same time period, 50,000 victims and family members were helped with awards totaling $67 million.

That money was used to pay for medical and dental expenses, mental health counseling, lost wages, job retraining, and even funeral and burial expenses.

Where does the money come from? The offenders themselves who are ordered to pay fines and penalty assessments directly into California's Restitution Fund.

In addition to more than $38 million in collected at the local level last year, the California Department of Corrections collected $11.4 million from inmates and the California Youth Authority collected nearly $400,000 from its wards.

Advocates throughout the state are there to help victims navigate the criminal justice system and direct them to a variety of resources, including payment through the Victim Compensation Program.

The program has made a difference in the lives of the broken and battered for 40 years, and the future looks bright, with a dedicated team working at the state's 100 victim assistance centers scattered throughout California's 58 counties. (Solano County's Victim Witness Assistance Center can be reached at 784-6844.)

Not only is the program self-sustaining and comprehensive, it is compassionate, offering hope for healing. Thanks to the Victim Compensation Program, families in Solano County and throughout the state have been able to rebuild, restore and return to productive lives.

Solano County's Connection to Amtrak's Capital Corridor Commute to San Francsico

Article Launched: 08/17/2005 07:19:47 AM

One by Amtrak's Capital Corridor

Reporter Editor:
The Reporter's recent "Two by land, one by sea: A transit tale" package of stories ("Getting there" including "Driving takes toll on wallet," "Ferry offers relaxing ride," and "BART is a peaceful, economic commute," The Reporter, Aug. 7) missed one of the best ways to commute from Solano County to San Francisco - Amtrak's Capital Corridor.

A commuter could have boarded Train 523 at 6:09 a.m. at the station just off state Highway 12 and near Railroad Avenue and slipped into a well-upholstered seat at a table to work or in any other of the comfortable seats on the upper or lower decks of the train.

The commuter would be able to enjoy a cup of coffee, juice or soft drink, along with many breakfast selections from the cafe car. Commuters could read a complementary copy of the Sacramento Bee, and the restrooms on board are clean and well maintained. Commuters could enjoy the sunrise over the Suisun Marsh, view the old gray line of the Reserve Fleet, watched the commercial shipping traffic in the Carquinez Strait, and would have seen the Vallejo Ferry leave the river on its way to San Francisco. Or a commuter could have reclined in the seat and slept through the whole experience.

The commuter then would have arrived at 7:20 a.m. in Emeryville and boarded one of the buses - tour busses with comfortable seats - for a quick drive across the Bay Bridge to arrive at 7:50 a.m. That is approximately an hour and half commute time at $10.80 average daily cost with a monthly pass.

Thomas Smith, Vacaville

Sutter Regional Medical Foundation buys more land next to Budweiser brewery

LATEST NEWS
San Francisco Business Times - 2:28 PM PDT Monday

Sutter buys more land next to Budweiser brewery

Sutter Regional Medical Foundation, a Fairfield Sutter Health affiliate, has acquired 11 acres of land in Fairfield for $3.9 million to expand its presence there.

The regional medical foundation bought an 11.2-acre parcel adjacent to its existing Sutter Fairfield Medical Campus from Anheuser-Busch, Sutter said Monday.

The new property brings the total acreage owned by Sutter Regional on the site to 23.5 acres. Sutter plans to hold the parcel for future expansion of health-care services at the site, which currently houses a 38,000-square-foot outpatient surgery and diagnostic imaging center, along with a 40,000-square-foot medical office building. Design work is underway for a second, 50,000-square-foot office building, slated for completion in the fall of 2006, officials said.

"Solano County is one of the fastest growing counties in Northern California," and the acquisition will allow Sutter to expand to meet that growth, John Ray, Sutter Regional's CEO, said in an Aug. 15 statement. The purchase is part of a $42.5 million strategic plan approved in early May by Sutter's board of trustees. It's aimed initially at developing new medical facilities and recruiting physicians in Solano County, but Ray told the San Francisco Business Times in late May the foundation ultimately hopes to recruit more doctors and develop a larger presence in Contra Costa County as well.

The effort is part of a broader Sutter strategy to build what some call "Kaiser lite" -- a network of tightly linked physicians spanning the Bay, using a medical foundation model that duplicates some of the advantages of Kaiser Permanente's integrated structure -- in effect making Sutter a "Pepsi" alternative to Kaiser's market-leading "Coca-Cola" for doctors in many Bay Area and Northern California communities.

Sutter Regional, which was two years old in July, employs about 70 doctors in Solano and Contra Costa counties.

© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.

The San Francisco Bay Area is the top market in the world for development of the neurotechnology industry

LATEST NEWS

Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal - 10:49 AM PDT Monday

Bay Area top market for neurotechnology industry

The San Francisco Bay Area is the top market in the world for development of the neurotechnology industry, according to a report released Monday.

NeuroInsights Neurotech Nexus Report lists the Bay Area as the leading market for investment, research and product development, followed by Boston, San Diego and London/Cambridge, England.

Neurotechnology refers to drugs, medical devices and other technology to diagnose and treat brain diseases. Regional economic development in neurotechnology can capture some of the estimated $87 billion in revenue from neuropharmaceuticals, $2.8 billion from neurodevices and $12 billion from neurodiagnostics.

"Big economic payoffs will accrue to communities that successfully nurture the emerging 'brain industry,'" said Zack Lynch, managing director of NeuroInsights.

The Neurotech Nexus Report evaluated 20 regions worldwide according to factors such as the concentration of neurotech companies, access to risk capital and social institutions to support future innovation.

Rounding out the top ten regions are:

5. Metro New York City

6. Metro Raleigh-Durham, N.C.

7. Los Angeles

8. Metro Philadelphia

9. Shanghai, China

10. Stockholm, Sweden

Article Last Updated: Monday, Aug 15, 2005 - 11:41:58 pm PDT

Sutter buys land to expand medical facility

By Sarah Arnquist

FAIRFIELD - Sutter Regional Medical Foundation announced Monday the purchase of 11.2 acres from Anheuser-Busch for $3.9 million, on which it plans to build additional medical offices at its Fairfield medical campus near Highway 12.

Sutter intends to meet the growing needs in Solano County, one of the fastest-growing counties in Northern California, said John Ray, the Foundation's chief executive.

"This land acquisition will allow us to develop the facilities and services necessary to meet the needs of our growing community into the future with the level of technology and service our patients expect and deserve," Ray said.

Sutter Regional Medical Foundation is a locally governed and managed affiliate of Sutter Health, a not-for-profit physician and hospital network in Northern California. The Foundation built a $35 million medical office, outpatient surgery and diagnostic imaging center in 2004 on Chadbourne Road near Highway 12. Monday's land acquisition is part of the Foundation's $42.5 million Solano County expansion plan.

The Solano Regional Medical Group, the county's largest multi-specialty group practice and a Foundation affiliate, plans to move from its current 20-year-old facility on Empire and Pennsylvania streets to the new medical building by fall of 2006.

The Foundation leases the building on Empire Street, and Ray said he is unsure what will happen to it when doctors move in 2006.

The Foundation now has 66 physicians, nurse practitioners and physician's assistants. It hopes to bring 24 new physician members to Solano County by 2010. Ray said the Foundation must have state-of-the-art facilities to attract new physicians and patients.

Health industry executives from Kaiser Permanente and NorthBay Healthcare also have multi-million dollar expansion plans for Solano County.

The projections show that this county will continue growing, and the population here is getting older too, Ray said.

"The need for health care services is also going to continue to grow," he said.

Reach Sarah Arnquist at 427-6953 or sarnquist@dailyrepublic.net.

Proposed health expansions to Solano County

NorthBay Healthcare

-- $10.8 million VacaValley Hospital Emergency Department expansion that will triple the ER to be completed by 2007.

-- New Center for Primary Care near Waterman Road in Fairfield to be complete in 2006.

-- Plans for a 20-acre Green Valley Medical Campus with a new hospital, medical office building and conference center.

Sutter Health Affiliates

-- Opened new $35 million medical office, outpatient surgery and imaging center Chadbourne Road in Fairfield in fall 2004.

-- Will build a new 50,000-square-foot medical office building adjacent to the building on Chadbourne Road.

-- Building a 60,000-square-foot cancer center and medical office building in Vallejo to be completed this fall.

-- Will add clinic space for 12 new doctors in Fairfield and Vacaville.

-- Will add a doctor to Rio Vista.

Kaiser

-- $350 million Vallejo Tower Expansion: 460,000-square-foot expansion will add 188 new hospital beds opening 2008.

-- $300,000 million Vacaville Hospital and Medical Center: 460,000 square foot hospital with 150 beds and 217,000 square foot medical office building opening 2009

STAR scores show improvement both locally, statewide

Article Last Updated: Monday, Aug 15, 2005 - 11:41:59 pm PDT

STAR scores show improvement both locally, statewide

By Brad Stanhope

FAIRFIELD - Scores for state-mandated English and math tests are improved in nearly every grade for Fairfield-Suisun students and a "grand majority" of the class of 2006 has already passed the state exit exam, according to results released Monday.

"We've had some success and we've still got some challenges," said Dr. Brian Centeno, the Fairfield-Suisun district's director of assessment and accountability.

He echoed the words of Jack O'Connell, the state superintendent of public instruction.

"Our school system is clearly moving in the right direction," O'Connell said during a Los Angeles news conference. "I'm very, very appreciative of the hard work of all of our education professionals, our students and our parents."

The Standardized Testing And Reporting program - known as STAR - showed improvements on nearly every level, both locally and statewide. Meanwhile, nearly 90 percent of high school students across the state passed the English language arts portion and the math portion of the state exit exam.

State law requires all public school students, starting with the class of 2006, pass an exit exam along with other requirements.

Centeno didn't have a percentage of Fairfield-Suisun seniors who have passed the exit exam - numbers released Monday were for people taking the test for the first time - but estimated that "the grand majority" of seniors who haven't passed yet are special education students.

Among this year's first-time test takers in Fairfield-Suisun's district, 71 percent passed the English language arts portion and 65 percent passed the math portion. Students take the test for the first time as sophomores and are given up to five additional opportunities to pass - including three during their senior year.

Local school districts can decide whether to allow students who haven't passed the test to participate in graduation ceremonies, said Hilary McLean, California Department of Education spokeswoman. But they won't be considered graduates by the state, she said. Centeno said Fairfield-Suisun doesn't have a policy yet on whether students who don't pass the exit exams can participate in graduation ceremonies.

Most of Fairfield-Suisun's STAR news was upbeat.

Students score one of five levels of performance on the STAR tests - advanced, proficient, basic, below basic and far below basic. The state established the proficient level as the goal for all students and for most grades in the Fairfield-Suisun district, 30 percent to 55 percent of students reached that level or above for math and English language arts.

With one exception (English scores for third-graders), there was improvement for Fairfield-Suisun students over the 2004 tests in both English and math at all grades tested. Centeno said the trend applies to test scores over five years, as well.

Amid the good news, there is a continuing gap between socio-economically disadvantaged students and those who are more affluent. There remains a similar gap between white students, blacks and Hispanics.

"Our gap isn't quite as large as the statewide gap, but it's still a gap," Centeno said. "We're very serious about taking steps to reduce it."

Statewide, a 31-point difference remained between the percentage of white and black students scoring proficient or above on the English exam; the difference is 28 points on the math exam. A similar gap persists between white and Hispanic students.

O'Connell said the disparity in academic achievement "remains unacceptably wide."

Across Solano County, students posted scores close to the state level in most areas. The Travis district had most of the top STAR and exit exam scores, while Rio Vista brought up the rear.

Vallejo, which was taken over by a state administrator, came in for special praise from O'Connell.

"I'm pleased to see remarkable gains in mathematics in nearly every grade and solid improvement in English language arts," O'Connell said. "The district has gone through a lot over the last year . . . clearly (state administrator Richard) Damelio and Vallejo's teachers, administrators, school staff and students are working hard and focusing."

The STAR results also are used to calculate how well the state is meeting the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Under the federal law, states must ensure all students are proficient in reading and math by the 2013-14 school year.

Schools must show yearly progress and include English-language learners and special education students. That measurement, called Adequate Yearly Progress, is scheduled to be released at the end of August.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Reach Brad Stanhope at 427-6925 or bstanhope@dailyrepublic.net

Suisun City to weigh developers' views on waterfront projects

Article Last Updated: Monday, Aug 15, 2005 - 11:40:21 pm PDT

Suisun City to weigh developers' views on waterfront projects

By Christine Cubé

SUISUN CITY - As the fight for waterfront property in Suisun City continues, two developers are vying for the chance to build distinctly different construction projects.

Suisun City officials are quick to point out they're not playing favorites, but only one project is truly proceeding down the development pipeline.

So far, Suisun economic development officials met several times with representatives of existing boat shop Adams Marine, which is overseen by owner Bill Adams. Adams and his business partners look to expand the boat shop as well as build a new restaurant, kayak rental store and office space.

The next meeting takes place Wednesday, when city officials and Adams representatives will go over the finances and finalize business projections for the development.

Shane Ballman, an investor with Suisun City-based Ballman Jensen Pitcher, said he hopes the city will do the "right thing" and open up the project land for bid. Ballman's development consortium proposes to build eight live-work executive homes with designated work space on the lower floor. It's a concept that's already in place in the Promenade subdivision of Suisun City.

"All we want is an equal opportunity," Ballman said. "That they'll issue a (request for proposals) and look at our project."

Suisun City Mayor Jim Spering maintains Adams Marine has not been given the exclusive right to build their development plans.

"We had several people interested in the parcel," Spering said, mentioning the city tends to side with existing businesses that generate tax dollars. "That's the first priority. We will entertain any proposal, but we won't do it at the expense of marginalizing an existing business that's made a commitment to Suisun City."

What remains in question is the "policy" with which Suisun City is operating by giving Adams Marine a green light on its expansion.

"Directions and policies are set in many different ways by public agencies," said Al da Silva, interim economic development director for Suisun City. "We have given enough written documentation to (Ballman Jensen Pitcher) to demonstrate this was not a policy that was arrived at last month."

Jim Randall, interim city manager, said staffers in September will recommend to the Suisun City Redevelopment Agency board, which is comprised of the same officials of the City Council, "articulating the (development) process and making it more of a policy than a practice."

Should the Adams Marine expansion materialize, da Silva said the city will have one developable parcel left for construction, but it likely will not be able to hold eight units of executive homes.

Still, Ballman Jensen Pitcher may have a shot, Randall said.

"They may get a shot at the whole thing or they may get a shot at a parcel, depending on what happens with Adams Marine," Randall said.

A final recommendation by city staff will go to the Suisun City Redevelopment Agency board in September.

Reach Christine Cubé at

427-6934 or ccube@dailyrepublic.net

First Suisun City Starbucks opens

Article Last Updated: Monday, Aug 15, 2005 - 11:40:07 pm PDT

First Suisun City Starbucks opens

By Jeff Mitchell and Christine Cube

SUISUN CITY - The city's first Starbucks Coffee location opened in a drive-through operation at the corner of Sunset Avenue and Merganser Drive.

The new coffee shop opened Aug. 1 and will host a grand opening celebration on Sept. 3, according to company spokeswoman Tasha Peck.

"Starbucks is delighted to be a part of the Suisun City community," Peck said, in a brief statement. "With the addition of a new store, we are able to provide jobs for approximately 16 to 20 Suisun City residents."

Peck said employees at the new store plan to team up with the Suisun City Library Literacy Program in the coming months. Store employees have committed to volunteering their time and will donate coffee and pastries to the organization.

Vallejo elementary, middle and high schools students score higher in state testing

August 16, 2005

Vallejo students score higher in state testing

By SARAH ROHRS, Times-Herald staff writer

Vallejo school district students in elementary, middle and high schools showed marked improvement in math and English over previous years, according to state test scores released Monday.

The 2005 California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) results for Vallejo mirror statewide trends of more students reaching the two top academic tiers outlined in the test.

State Superintendent of Instruction Jack O'Connell's took special note of Vallejo City Unified School District's gains. After issuing a $60 million bailout loan, O'Connell appointed State Administrator Richard Damelio to improve Vallejo's budget and student achievement.

"I'm pleased to see remarkable gains in mathematics in nearly every grade and solid improvement in English language arts," O'Connell said in a press release.

Monday, the California Department of Education also released the 2004-05 California High School Exit Exam results, which estimates 88 percent of 2006 seniors will graduate.

In Vallejo, 65 percent of 10th graders passed the math portion of the test, and 71 percent passed the English part. The number of 2006 seniors who still need to pass the test won't be available until fall, district spokeswoman Tish Busselle said.

Vallejo's STAR scores are the highest they've been in the last three years. They are broken into five levels - advanced, proficient, basic, below basic and far below basic. The goal is get more students in the advanced and proficient levels.

Districtwide, 31.3 percent of Vallejo's students reached advanced and proficient levels in English - a 4.6 percentage point increase over last year.

In addition, 26.4 percent of the students were in advanced and proficient levels in math, a 5.1 percentage point increase from last year.

Test scores also showed fewer students overall falling into the below and far below basic levels, though in some grades this number was flat over last year.

Busselle said the improvement is a "pleasant surprise."

"We had a lot of things going on this year. We thought we'd be lucky to hold our own this year," Busselle said.

Director of Student Assessment Mike Cheap said such marked improvement in scores from one year to the next is unusual. "You just don't get that much of an improvement in one year," Cheap said.

The 2005 test scores show Vallejo's elementary schools making the biggest gains in math and English.

While high school students saw math increases, their scores took a big dip in 2004. The 2005 scores are, for the most part, on par with 2003 STAR scores.

Busselle said the gains can be credited to a greater focus on academic improvement, plus new textbooks, plus teachers used pacing guides and doing regular assessments to see how much students are learning.

High school teachers will do assessments next year, and will also have a new math program, Busselle said. The high school curriculum will also be more rigorous, aligned to meet college requirements.

Another theory for Vallejo's gains is its boost in attendance over last year. Cheap said students were in class an average of nine more days.

While district officials hailed the scores as a good sign of progress, they conceded that too many students are still in the below and far below basic levels, particularly at the middle and high school levels.

In eighth grade math scores, for example, 55 percent of the students are in the bottom two levels, and 56 percent in the sixth grade. In third grade English, 48 percent scored in the two bottom levels.

Even so, Busselle and Cheap said the percentage of students with lower scores is decreasing, not increasing.

"We're moving in the right direction," Cheap said.

Gains were experienced at most district schools, Busselle said. That means that results at one school did not skew the district's overall results.

However, not everything is rosy for all students in California.

Although California's four major ethnic groups statewide showed progress, the so-called "achievement gap" remains unacceptably wide, O'Connell said at a Los Angeles press conference.

African-Americans and Hispanics increased their scores, but are still scoring lower than whites and Filipinos, he said.

In Vallejo, African Americans had 4.1 percent more reaching the top two levels, while Hispanics saw a 4 percentage point increase. White and Filipino students increased 6.6 points.

Similar gains were made in English. African-Americans saw a gain of 4.9 percentage points, and Hispanic students a 2.8 percent gain. Whites increased by 4.5 percent, and Filipinos 5.5.

But the achievement gap in Vallejo is evident. Across the board, Filipinos are the highest achievers in math and English with white students following close behind. Hispanics and African Americans score below them.

Busselle said the district will introduce new intervention programs to help these students next year. The goal is to accelerate their learning so that they can catch up with the others.

In a press release, Damelio said he was pleased with the test results and said he believes staff are on the right track.

"I am pleased that all levels, grades and groups along with the vast majority of schools are improving. The credit belongs to all of those who have been part of last year's improvement efforts," he said.

- E-mail Sarah Rohrs at srohrs@thnewsnet.com or call 553-6832.

Notice of Draft Downtown Vallejo Specific Plan and Downtown Design Guidelines, which covers a 98-acre, 20-block area of Downtown Vallejo.

CITY OF VALLEJO

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that the City of Vallejo Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the project described below:

APPLICATION NUMBERS:
GPA 05-0001, SPL 04-0001, PD 04-0078 and DA 05-0002

LOCATION:
Downtown Vallejo area (98-acres) generally bounded by Capitol Street to the north, Sonoma Boulevard, Sutter Street and Napa Street to the east, Curtola Parkway to the south, and Santa Clara Street and Mare Island Way to the west

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The City has completed the Draft Downtown Vallejo Specific Plan and Downtown Design Guidelines, which covers a 98-acre, 20-block area of Downtown Vallejo. The purpose of the Specific Plan is to implement a vision to promote revitalization and increased use of the area. The Draft Specific Plan proposes new land use regulations and standards for development to increase opportunities for mixed-use and housing, facilitate arts and entertainment and promote increased retail in the Downtown area. The Draft Design Guidelines recommend building and site design standards and streetscape concepts to improve pedestrian use, scale and safety.

The Draft Specific Plan incorporates a vision to redevelop seven (7) 'catalyst' sites, which include City/Redevelopment Agency-owned surface parking lots, with mixed use structures. Site development plans have been prepared and submitted for one of these sites, the Virginia Street site, a 1.05-acre parking lot located on Virginia Street between Marin and Sacramento Streets. The development plans propose construction of a 5-7-story building with 150 residential units, eight (8) live-work units and 11,500 square feet of ground floor commercial space.
Applications have been filed for consideration and action related to the Draft Specific Plan and the Virginia Street Mixed-Use development. The applications propose: a) an amendment to the Vallejo General Plan to change the land use designation of the 98-acre Downtown to "Downtown Mixed-Use;" b) adoption of a rezoning of the Plan area to Mixed-Use Planned Development (MUPD) District; c) approval of the Downtown Vallejo Specific Plan and Downtown Design Guidelines; d) Unit Plan approval for the Virginia Street Mixed-Use development project; and e) approval of a Development Agreement between the City of Vallejo and Triad Communities, LP.

Consistent with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a Final Environmental Impact Report/Response to Comments (FEIR) is been prepared to assess the potential environmental impacts of this project. This FEIR is being prepared in response to comments received on Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR), which was circulated for review during a 59-day public review period in May-July 2005. The FEIR includes a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) and will be available for review on Monday, August 22, 2005.

PROJECT APPLICANT:
City of Vallejo & Triad Communities, LP, sponsors of Draft Specific Plan
Triad Communities, LP, applicants of Virginia Street Mixed-Use Development
NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OWNERS, RESIDENTS, AND/OR TENANTS SHOULD CONTACT CITY STAFF BY TELEPHONE OR COME TO CITY HALL TO DETERMINE HOW THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL AFFECT THEM. THE PROJECT APPLICATION MATERIALS, INCLUDING PLANS AND WRITTEN REPORTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, PLANNING DIVISION LOCATED AT 555 SANTA CLARA STREET. COPIES OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT THE PLANNING DIVISION ON MONDAY, AUGUST 22, 2005.
The Planning Commission public hearing on this project will be held on Wednesday, September 7, 2005, at 7:00p.m. in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 555 Santa Clara Street, Vallejo. It is proposed that the Planning Commission: a) make a recommendation to the City Council on the proposed General Plan Amendment, the Rezoning to MUPD District, the Draft Downtown Specific Plan, the Draft Downtown Design Guidelines and the Draft Development Agreement; and b) take action on the Unit Plan application for the Virginia Street Mixed-Use development project. Please note that the Planning Commission will be provided with the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for information purposes. However, the Planning Commission will not review the FEIR for adequacy or approval. A public meeting on the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) will be held by the City Council. Once the Planning Commission makes its recommendations, a public hearing will be scheduled with the City Council. A separate notice will be published stating the date and time of the future City Council meeting.

If you challenge the City's action on this project in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearings described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Secretary of the Planning Commission, or prior to the public hearing.

If you have any questions regarding this project, please call staff planner Paul Jensen (Contract Planner) at 415-479-9438 before the public hearing. You may also submit comments or questions in writing to the attention of the staff planner at the Planning Division, City Hall, P.O. Box 3068, Vallejo, CA 94590.

Norman Turley,
Chairperson
Brian Dolan,
Secretary of the Planning Commission

Date of Notice:
August 17, 2005
V30353
August 16, 2005