Oakley Press_02.19.10

Page 1

Your Hometown Web Site www.thepress.net

ward Winning News al A pa

YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Vol. 10, No. 8

City seeks Downtown Plan input by Samie Hartley Staff Writer After 10 years of planning, the Oakley City Council will finally be presented with the Downtown Specific Plan during a public hearing at its meeting next Tuesday. Oakley has been working on the Downtown Specific Plan since January of 2000. The city plans to revitalize an 80-acre area downtown bordered by the canal crossing on Main Street, Gardenia Avenue, Home Street and the railroad tracks. The overall plan is to create a more pedestrian-friendly downtown featuring specialty shops, restaurants, cafés and civic facilities similar to those found in Walnut Creek, Benicia and Santa Cruz. The plan has evolved into a full-fledged plan including land use and revitalization strategies, capital improvements and development standards plus design guidelines for new construction and redevelopment. The plan calls for a realignment of Highway 4/Main Street to direct heavy throughtraffic away from the social and commercial areas, and identifies the need for renovations and façade improvement of existing buildings and other changes designed to meet Oakley’s 2020 vision. At the Oct. 13 council meeting last year, the council received the draft environmental

Staff Writer The Oakley City Council has reversed a January decision and will implement a $165-permonth pay increase for each of its members right away. At its Jan. 12 meeting, the council voted to postpone a decision on the salary increase, which was approved in 2006, until it reviewed the budget in June. At the Feb. 12 meeting, Finance Director Paul Abelson presented the council with a midyear budget review that showed there was money in the budget to implement the increase now. Last year, the council declined to accept the

Online Now!

February 19, 2010

This Week Prescription for placidity

A longtime East County doctor has set his last bone and delivered his last baby. Page 3A

Grimm consequences Photo by Richard Wisdom

Plans for the creation of a long-awaited pedestrian-friendly downtown area featuring specialty shops, restaurants and cafés could begin as soon as this summer, when the City of Oakley expects to receive control of Main Street, above, from Caltrans. impact report and, as only one member of the public spoke at the meeting, the council asked city staff to plan a presentation soliciting more public input. Last Tuesday, Oakley Senior Planner Ken Strelo led a discussion about the Down-

town Specific Plan to inform the audience of 17 residents and business owners of what Oakley plans to do to rejuvenate the downtown area, including ideas gleaned from other see Downtown page 18A

Council to implement salary increase by Samie Hartley

rs

Na t

pe

ion

“ I don’t think this needs to be a big deal. If there are those of us that this increase, as it is called, will help us get through out monthly budgets, then so be it. If there are those of us who decide we wish to take that (money) and give it to a charitable organization, so be it.

Oakley Mayor Pat Anderson increase, and instead donated it to Oakley’s inaugural Relay For Life effort. Mayor Pat Anderson said she put the ordinance to reinstate the increase back on the table so

www.thepress.net Your Hometown Web Site

that council members had the option to donate their salary to local charities such as this year’s Oakley Relay For Life, which occurs in May, prior to the scheduled June review.

Open house

go to news/WebExtras! Students and parents sampled a buffet of career and college choices.

“I don’t think that this needs to be a big deal,” Anderson said. “If there are those of us that this increase, as it is called, will help us get through our monthly budgets, then so be it. If there are those of us who decide we wish to take that (money) and give it to a charitable organization, so be it.” The council voted 5-0 to reinstate the increase, allowing council members to do what they wish with the funds. Council members will now receive $465.40 per month, up from the previous $300. As they did in January, see Salary page 18A

Weekly briefing go to news/press releases

New statistics give an inside look at the state of housing in East County.

A new stage production offers a realistic take on traditional fairy tale scenarios. Page 10A

Feisty Falcons fall to Lions

After a high-octane first half, Freedom’s hardcourt warriors ran out of gas. Page 2B

Plus: Calendar ............................ 23B Classifieds ......................... 16B Cop Logs ............................14A Entertainment ................. 12B Health & Beauty .............. 10B Opinion ..............................13A Sports ................................... 1B

Ban on packin’ go to multimedia/videos

Some shops are prohibiting the open carrying of sidearms on premises.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.