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YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 14, No. 4
Big boxes face tighter control by Rick Lemyre
“ We have an image that we sell that’s
Staff Writer Large scale retailers will be required to pass another round of scrutiny if they want to build in Brentwood, the City Council decided this week. By unanimous vote, the council Tuesday approved a change to the city’s municipal code that will require conditional use permits (CUPs) for all proposed retail stores of 75,000 square feet or more. Previously, zoning on the seven parcels where such stores are allowed required developers to undergo a design review only. “I think it’s a win, at least for tonight,” said Brentwood resident Kathy Griffin, one of several speakers at the meeting who have strenuously objected to the prospect of a big-box store such as Walmart being built on the 65acre Sciortino Ranch property at the corner of Brentwood Boule-
worth more than what any big-box store can bring to Brentwood.
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John Johnson, resident vard and Sand Creek Road. “It’s another layer of review for the community.” By adding the CUP requirement, the city will now be able to better mitigate impacts a project might make on traffic, urban decay and public safety. CUPs, which include public hearings, can add thousands of dollars and several weeks or months to the approval process, according to city staff. But the damage that could be done to Brentwood by a largescale retailer in the wrong place merits the additional review, said resident John Johnson, no matter how much such a store might mean in tax revenue.
“We have an image that we sell that’s worth more than what any big-box store can bring to Brentwood,” he said. Not everyone was happy with the new law. Reed Oñate of New Urban Community Partners (NUCP), owners of Sciortino Ranch, told the council that the restrictions put a damper on bringing an anchor tenant to the project, which also includes apartments and other retail and office uses. In addition to tax revenues it would bring to the city, Oñate said, an anchor is needed to attract other stores, restaurants and businesses to a part of town that has been long neglected. Also, he said, the state’s
elimination of redevelopment districts that helped enable the city’s downtown improvements means that, without fees from development, there is no way to fund the Brentwood Boulevard Master Plan, which is aimed at improving the blighted northern entrance to the city. The possibility that a Walmart superstore might be part of the plan for Sciortino Ranch came to light last year, triggering public outcry. Concern for the impact such a store might make on the newly overhauled downtown core less than a mile away, as well as the neighborhoods in the Sciortino Ranch area, resulted in a special council meeting held late last year. At that meeting, council members learned that not only was no CUP required on the Sciortino property, none were required on any of the other six
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January 27, 2012
Primed for the big day
Let our Wedding Planner help you sweat the details right now so you can relax on your wedding day. Page 1B
Bring on the bling A local woman who turned 111 bagged 111 pieces of jewelry to lavish her lobes. Page 4A
Indy rock star ready for ring
see Big box page 30A
State hands off Highway 4 by Justin Lafferty Staff Writer Caltrans officials on Wednesday transferred control of Highway 4 to Brentwood and Oakley, making the Highway 4 Bypass the official East County thoroughfare. The transfer removes the highway distinction from Main Street in Oakley and Brentwood Boulevard in Brentwood, giving those cities control over street maintenance and development. What is now known as the Highway 4 Bypass becomes simply Highway 4. Caltrans will be responsible for its upkeep. “It’s a great feeling to finally accomplish this,” said Oakley City Councilman Jim Frazier. “Staff has worked hard, and I’ve been pushing and pushing and pushing,
Photo by Richard Wisdom
Vehicles make their way down Highway 4 between Brentwood and Oakley. Caltrans turned over control of Highway 4 to Brentwood and Oakley and give the Bypass the official highway designation. and we finally accomplished the goal.” The celebration might be subdued, however, due to the state’s budget crisis. Earlier this year, the
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California Supreme Court allowed the state government’s attempt to balance its budget by ending Redevelopment Agencies (RDAs) and reaping the property tax money
Fire tax talk
go to news/WebExtras! Residents can learn about the tax measure being considered for the June ballot.
that cities collected from residents. Brentwood and Oakley planned to use RDA money to make improvements to their heavily used thoroughfares. “There are so many questions, and every city right now is trying to figure out what each city is going to do,” said Brentwood Mayor Bob Taylor. “One rule does not fit all.” Oakley City Manager Brian Montgomery said earlier this month that his city plans to revitalize Main Street, much as Brentwood did with its downtown sector. Frazier is confident the city will find other funding sources and believes that the loss of RDA money won’t hurt too badly. Once the Oakley Generating Station becomes opsee Highway 4 page 30A
Get STEAMed
go to news/press releases Science, tech, engineering, arts and math education take center stage.
An East County athlete has his rendezvous with immortality on Super Bowl Sunday in Indianapolis. Page 23A Business ............................. 22B Calendar ............................ 23B Classifieds ......................... 17B Cop Logs ............................13A Entertainment ................. 13B Food .................................... 12B Health & Beauty ..............21A Milestones ........................20A Opinion ..............................12A Sports .................................23A Wedding Planner .............. 1B FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A
Blooper Sunday go to multimedia/videos
Niners fans filled local sports bars only to see their heroes go down in defeat.