Regional Water Board Approves Suisun City Walmart Center

Regional Water Board Grants Suisun City Walmart Approvals

By Barry Eberling, Daily Republic
OAKLAND — Walmart won approval Wednesday from a regional water board for environmental steps that help clear the way for a proposed Suisun City store.

The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board heard from both proponents and opponents at a meeting in the state’s Elihu M. Harris building in downtown Oakland. Then it approved environmental mitigations for the project by a 4-0 vote, with one member abstaining.

Walmart is now waiting for a U.S. Fish and Wildlife biological opinion and a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit. Suisun City’s city manager, Suzanne Bragdon, expressed hope that construction of the 182,000-square-foot Walmart supercenter will be under way this fall.

>>Read more at www.suisuncitybusiness.com or www.dailyrepublic.com

Your Preview of the Fall Discovery Newsletter

SUISUN CITY - While the paper copies of the Fall issue of Discovery newsletter make their way to every postal patron in town, those of you who follow us electronically get the sneak peak.

Here are the headlines, with links to individual articles:

• The Salvation Army reveals its $12 million community center vision
• Proposed Wal-Mart Center has cleared all legal hurdles two years after getting unanimous City Council approval
• Suisun City is using federal grants to stabilize local neighborhoods and create new home ownership opportunities for families
• A $685,000 grant will help improve the Suisun City Senior Center
• Suisun City Police and Fire Departments reach out to help families this holiday season, and you can help
• All the Christmas at the Waterfront festivities, which are bigger and better than ever! (Including Snow Day!)
  
• Keep F.O.G. out of your sewer pipes this holiday season
• Mark your calendar for the Dec. 14 General Plan workshop

You can also flip through an electronic version of the entire newsletter by clicking here.

We hope you enjoy the update, and have a very safe and happy holiday season!

Find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Suisun City or on Twitter at Twitter.com/SuisunCity

Judge Upholds Suisun City's Wal-Mart Approval

THE PROJECT COMPLIES WITH ALL STATE AND LOCAL REQUIREMENTS

SUISUN CITY — Solano County Superior Court Judge Paul L. Beeman has issued a final ruling that the City of Suisun City fulfilled every legal obligation when the City Council considered and approved the Walters Road West Project, which is proposed to house a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Judge Beeman issued his decision on Wednesday.

“We are very pleased to have this litigation behind us, and look forward to this project’s moving forward,” said City Manager Suzanne Bragdon.

The proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter is expected to help Suisun City capture much-needed sales tax dollars that City residents currently spend in other communities. Suisun City currently sees approximately 70 percent of sales tax available from its residents leak to other communities.

“Every time Suisun City residents spend sales tax in another community, they are helping to pave that city’s streets and protect that city’s residents,” City Manager Bragdon said. “We want Suisun City residents to buy the goods and services they need in Suisun City, so that those tax dollars can benefit our neighborhoods.”

On February 12, 2008, the Suisun City Council unanimously approved the environmental studies and application for the Walters Road Project. The approval included a determination that this project will not negatively impact any Travis Air Force Base operations.

“We are very pleased that Judge Beeman’s review of this case supports the diligent work by our staff and consultants to comply with every state and local regulation, including 1,600 pages of analysis,” City Manager Bragdon said.

>>Click here to read the judge's full ruling>>

Initial Ruling Finds Suisun City Wal-Mart Project Complies with All Laws

FINAL RULING EXPECTED WITHIN 90 DAYS

SUISUN CITY — Solano County Superior Court Judge Paul L. Beeman issued a tentative ruling that the City of Suisun City fulfilled every legal obligation when the City Council considered and approved the Walters Road West Project, which is proposed to house a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Judge Beeman heard oral arguments during a brief hearing Monday morning. A final ruling must be issued within 90 days.

The proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter is expected to help Suisun City capture much-needed sales tax dollars that City residents currently spend in other communities. Suisun City currently sees approximately 70 percent of sales tax available from its residents leak to other communities.

“Every time a Suisun City resident spends sales tax in another community, they are helping to pave that city’s streets and protect that city’s residents,” said City Manager Suzanne Bragdon. “We want Suisun City residents to buy the goods and services they need in Suisun City so those tax dollars can benefit our neighborhoods.”

On February 12, 2008, the Suisun City Council unanimously approved the environmental studies and application for the Walters Road Project. The approval included a determination that this project will not negatively impact any Travis Air Force Base operations.

“We are very pleased that Judge Beeman’s tentative ruling supports the diligent work by our staff and consultants to comply with every state and local regulation, including 1,600 pages of analysis,” City Manager Bragdon said. “We expect that within the next three months, this project will receive the legal green light to move forward.”

Recall campaign in Suisun City faces opposition

This appeared today from the Daily Republic's Ian Thompson:

SUISUN CITY - The residents wanting to oust Suisun City's mayor and two councilmembers have started collecting the 2,100 signatures they need to put the recall on the ballot.

'It has been excellent,' recall advocate Dwight Acey said of the response.

Acey and six other recall advocates were stationed outside Raley's Supermarket on Monday in hopes of getting shoppers to sign petitions.

The group wants to kick Mayor Pete Sanchez and councilmembers Jane Day and Mike Hudson out of office after the council approved a Wal-Mart Supercenter in eastern Suisun City.

The group also has tied in issues such as last year's City Council raises and street repair problems into the effort.

Visit the Daily Republic website for the full article.

For information on why we post partial material from the Daily Republic, see this recent post.

Political activity disclaimer: Nothing in this blog posting, or anywhere else on this blog, should be construed as either favoring or opposing any issue of political controversy or position taken with regard to same. Government employees are barred from using their official positions or the resources of any public agency in any campaign activity. The sole purpose of this post and any other regarding the current recall election, and/or any local, county, state or national election is conveying publicly available information to assist in facilitating an informed electorate. For this reason, we avoid posting letters to the editor, unsigned editorials and columns. We believe strongly that the democratic process should be protected and carried out in an honest, forthright manner so the community may be improved by the excercise of our cherished electoral rights. No officeholder, candidate or advocate for any ballot measure, proposed or actual, have had input to the content of this posting.

Suisun City Council Served Recall Notices

Mayor Pete Sanchez and City Councilmembers Jane Day and Mike Hudson were served recall papers during the public comment period of Tuesday's City Council meeting.

Though many reasons were offered for the recall move, the main reason was the City Council's unanimous approval in February of the Wal-Mart Supercenter at Highway 12 and Walters Road.

The service of notice to the council members action sets in motion a process - proscribed in state law - as to how a recall effort is to be conducted. In summary, the proponents must collect sufficient signatures from registered voters living in Suisun City on a petition to qualify the issue for the ballot. Once those signatures are verified by the Solano County Registrar of Voters, the City Council is required to set the matter for an election within a specific period of time.

A special election would cost the City about $150,000 to conduct. Depending on the pace of the petition process, the matter may qualify for the November general election ballot.

The recall effort is getting wide media attention in the Daily Republic, Vacaville Reporter and ABC affiliate News 10.

Citizens group files suit to stop Wal-Mart

By Ian Thompson

SUISUN CITY - The Suisun Alliance on Thursday filed a lawsuit to overturn the City Council's approval last month of a Wal-Mart Supercenter in eastern Suisun City.

The lawsuit also seeks a retraining order to stop any work on the 227,000-square-foot retail and grocery center at Walters Road and Highway 12, according to the document filed with the Solano County courts.

Suisun City Mayor Pete Sanchez called the development unsurprising and anticlimactic.

"We never entertained any thought that this was going to be a breeze," Sanchez said. "It will delay this project a few months, but we are very confident that we have covered all the bases and that our final Environmental Impact Report will hold its own in court."

For the complete article, go to the Daily Republic web site.

Citizens group threatens suit over Wal-Mart

By Carol Bogart

SUISUN CITY - A citizens group opposed to the Wal-Mart Supercenter has engaged a Sacramento law firm to challenge the Suisun City Council's approval of the project last month.

In a letter faxed to Suisun City Mayor Pete Sanchez, the City Council and City Clerk Linda Hobson, the law firm of Kenyon Yeates warned that the Suisun Alliance will file a lawsuit unless the City Council rescinds its approval of the project or proposes alternative settlement terms.

The letter stated that the action will commence 'on or about March 13.'

For the full article, visit the Daily Republic website.

Media: Suisun City ratifies Wal-Mart's proposal

By Reporter Staff

In a unanimous decision, the Suisun City Council voted late Tuesday night to approve a Wal-Mart Supercenter in the city. The decision has opponents to the plan saying they are considering filing a lawsuit to stop the project as well as a separate recall efforts against the council members.

The proposal for the store to be located on a 20.8-acre parcel near Highway 12 and Walters Road includes 230,000 square feet of commercial space including a 215,000-square-foot store building plus a fuel station and mini-mart and an 8,000-square-foot sit-down restaurant or commercial use site and parking.

The decision came after a lengthy meeting that stretched into the wee hours before an overflow crowd that was at times boisterous.

Opponents issued a press release Wednesday vowing to fight on and blasting the council for what they said was its decision to build in an unsafe area.

The council's decision was made in three parts. First, was to overrule an Airport Land Use Commission finding that the store is not compatible with nearby Travis Air Force Base. Second was to certify an environmental impact report on the project. Third was to approve the project itself.

City Public Information Officer Scott Corey said the council demanded and Wal-Mart agreed to a number of conditions to win the approval. Among those conditions was an agreement to build an enhanced sound wall to separate the project from homes on the north side of nearby Petersen Road. Wal-Mart officials agreed to extend the wall an additional 300 feet and will pay for a study on extending it even further.

Wal-Mart also agreed to conditions designed to ease fears about the future of the site. If the store closes and goes dark for 36 months, Wal-Mart agreed it would demolish the building or give the city payment for demolishing it.

"That agreement is designed to ease fears about future blight," Corey said, adding that the firm believes the store site will flourish economically.

Media: Wal-Mart opponents not retreating -- recall, lawsuits threatened

By Carol Bogart Daily Republic

SUISUN CITY - Sabers are rattling in the 'no supercenter' camp.

Some opponents of the Wal-Mart Supercenter project, which was approved late Tuesday by the Suisun City Council, want to recall the five councilmembers.

The City Council voted unanimously to override the Solano County Airport Land Use Commission's decision that the project wasn't in the best interests of Travis Air Force Base.

A sizable anti-project contingent attended the City Council meeting. Richard Pracht of Suisun City counted 160 people wearing anti-supercenter stickers, he said. In addition to the threatened recall effort, he said others are threatening lawsuits.

'The council didn't listen to the citizens,' Pracht said.

A large number of people also spoke in favor of Wal-Mart, including many who could be directly affected by the location of the supercenter.

Mayor Pete Sanchez and councilmembers Jane Day, Mike Hudson, Sam Derting and Mike Segala were in complete accord in their decision to overrule the ALUC. But before approving the project, the five first insisted that Wal-Mart agree to a number of conditions.

Wal-Mart has agreed to add at least 2 feet to walls designed to mitigate excess noise, Mayor Pete Sanchez said. The retailer also agreed to work with city staff to provide Travis Air Force Base advance notice before any work is done that could affect the base's jet fuel pipeline.

The council pushed Wal-Mart on what will happen to the building if sales don't match expectations of the supercenter. Sanchez said the retailer has agreed to pay the city at least $300,000 to cover the costs of demolishing the building, although the city might find other uses for the structure.

Suisun City's waterfront businesses aren't threatened by Wal-Mart, Business Improvement District president Garry Rowe said.

'I'm sure we can leverage our relationship with Wal-Mart to bring Wal-Mart customers downtown,' he added.

Pracht, 59, and his wife, Pam Pracht, 51, are both veterans. They live four blocks from the Wal-Mart site and said they believe the supercenter will mean more truck noise, traffic and crime.

Marilyn George, a 15-year resident of Suisun City, doesn't believe increased traffic will be a problem and said she looks forward to one-stop shopping.

George also liked that her sales taxes will stay in her own community and added that she's 'just glad to help get this project going.'

A complete list of the conditions can be found at http://www.suisun.com.

Reach Carol Bogart at 427-6955 or cbogart@dailyrepublic.net.

Suisun City Council Unanimously Approves Wal-Mart

The Suisun City Council unanimously approved late Tuesday night a Wal-Mart Supercenter, gas station and standalone sit-down restaurant proposed for Highway 12 at Walters Road after a lively and balanced debate by both opponents and proponents of the project.

The proposal outlined a 215,000-square-foot Supercenter with outdoor garden center and grocery section on a 20.8-acre triangular parcel zoned for General Commerical use for nearly two decades.
During the 6 hour and 45 minute hearing, 65 members of the public addressed the City Council presenting passionate arguments both for and against the proposed development.

The Council cast unanimous votes to:

• Override the recommendation of the Solano County Airport Land Use Commission, which found the project to be inconsistent with the Travis Airport Land Use Plan;
• Certify the Final Environmental Impact Report with appropriate statements of overriding consideration; and
• Approve all project applications, including many additional mitigation measures negotiated with Wal-Mart officials during the course of City Council deliberations.

The new Wal-Mart will provide new shopping opportunities much closer to home for Suisun City residents - something heard repeatedly articulated as a "need" by the public at both the Planning Commission and City Council hearings.

The City Council secured enhanced mitigation measures from Wal-Mart, including:

• Extended sound walls and a committment to study further extension of sound barriers at Wal-Mart's expense;
• Committment to use anti-theft devices on shopping carts to keep them on the store's property and out of nearby neighborhoods;
• Committment to comply with strict City ordinances governing grafitti prevention and removal;
• Committment to comply with strict City ordinances mandating removal of abandoned vehicles; and
• Committment to include the Suisun City store in Wal-Mart's pilot solar power program and install the system should it provide feasible.

The 8,000-sqaure-foot sit-down restuarant, tenanted by a national chain, will be located west of the Wal-Mart Supercenter. A 12-pump independent gas station with associated 4,100-square-foot convenience store and automated car wash is planned at the corner of Highway 12 and Walters Road.

The project also will include a 35-foot tall sign welcoming highway travelers to Suisun City and featuring a message board that can be used to promote City events and present important messages.

Based on the results of an independent study conducted for the City, the project is expected to generate approximately $800,000 in sales taces the first full year of operation, which increases to $1.6 million after 20 years. Overall, the net fiscal impact to the General Fund from this project is estimated to be roughly $965,000 a year, after costs to serve the project are deducted from gross revenues generated.

Currently, Suisun City experiences a loss of upwards of 70% of potential sales tax revenue to neighboring communities. Suisun City captures about $2,875 per capita in annual taxable sales compared to $12,693 per capita for Fairfield, $9,892 per capita average across all Solano County jurisidictions and $10,068 per capita average for all California cities.

Media: Wal-Mart uproar comes down to council's vote

By Carol Bogart Daily Republic

SUISUN CITY - Not since the city demolished apartment buildings, bars and bait shops in the late 1980s and early '90s to redevelop the waterfront and Civic Center Drive has an issue drawn hundreds to city meetings.

The proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter is the first project since then to provoke such strong attendance, said Councilwoman Jane Day, who added it is 'much more organized.'

On Tuesday, the Suisun City Council will settle the feud that has split the city. Councilmembers will cast their votes on whether to override the Solano County Airport Land Use Commission's November 2007 decision that the project would create public safety issues for Travis Air Force Base.

Travis officials have said they have no such concerns.

Although the meeting starts at 5 p.m., the City Council is braced for an exhaustive evening that could stretch into the early morning.

Councilmembers will first decide whether to follow the Planning Commission's recommendation that the council certify the environmental studies for the project at Walters Road and Highway 12. The council will also review documents related to the airport commission's 'adverse use' decision.

A public hearing will allow residents and others one last opportunity to speak.

Because the issue has emotions running high, there was a visible police presence when the Planning Commission met Jan. 29 to address the project. City officials are preparing for an even larger turnout Tuesday.

If four of five councilmembers vote to override the airport commission's decision, they will pave the way for the project to move forward.

Councilman Sam Derting said although last thing he wants is for the project to divide the city, 'I ran on a platform to bring businesses to this city, to put businesses on those empty (Highway 12) lots that have sat vacant for 30-plus years.'

Councilmen Mike Segala and Derting may be most at risk politically with the vote, given they could seek re-election in November.

Some opponents of the project have vowed to launch a recall of any councilmember who votes to override.

Segala pointed out that three Highway 12 parcels zoned commercial drew no interest from developers until the city launched a series of improvements aimed at improving traffic flow.

Now, he said, developers are interested.

'It was a matter of time' before a developer submitted an application, Segala said, and 'the application before the council now is Wal-Mart's.'

Sales tax revenue projected from the supercenter would go into the city's General Fund while the property tax will go to the Redevelopment Agency.

Mayor Pete Sanchez lives at Lawler Ranch, directly across from the Wal-Mart site. Although 'personally' he would prefer to see the supercenter go somewhere less likely to disrupt neighborhoods, he said the city 'doesn't have the luxury of time to wait for annexation.'

Sanchez doesn't intend to 'preside over a bankrupt city,' he said, adding 'there will eventually be a retail box (store) there anyway.'

Reach Carol Bogart at 427-6955 or at cbogart@dailyrepublic.net.

Media: Suisun to decide on Wal-Mart bid

By Danny Bernardini/Vacaville Reporter Staff Writer

The fate of a proposal for a Wal-Mart Supercenter in Suisun City likely will be decided Tuesday night by the city council.

If the Planning Commission meeting on Jan. 29 was any indication of what Tuesday's attendance will be, there likely will be standing room only and hours of public comment for and against.

The proposed project earned advisory approval from the planning commission at the January meeting, and now the city council must decide three things:

• whether or not the environmental documents address and mitigate any problems;
• whether the project fits into the city's general plan, and;
• whether to override the November decision by the Solano County Airport Land Use Commission against the project.

The proposal for the Wal-Mart on a 20.8-acre site near Highway 12 and Walters Road includes 230,000 square feet of commercial space including a 215,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter building, plus a fuel station with mini-mart, an 8,000-square-foot sit-down restaurant or commercial-use site and parking.

One of the biggest issues facing the council is overriding the ALUC's vote against the project. The commission felt it violated the Travis Air Force Base Land Use Compatibility Plan. For an override, there would have to be a 'super-majority' vote by four of five council members.

Suisun City staff reports claim the Wal-Mart Supercenter would bring in nearly $1 million annually in sales tax revenue and could act as an anchor to other businesses wanting to come to the area.

Opponents say the Walters Road location is not the right place for the store and would create safety issues in intersections along Highway 12. Opponents also have stressed their fear of falling parts or a plane crashing while taking off from nearby Travis.

The city of Suisun City Council meets in the Suisun City Government Center at 5 p.m.

Danny Bernardini can be reached at county@thereporter.com.