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Council prepares to select new member www.concordpioneer.com
PEGGY SPEAR Concord Pioneer
There has been much talk about the lack of vacancies in Concord lately, but there is one vacancy that is getting a lot of heated attention right now: the open City Council position. Because of Tim Grayson’s
From the desk of...
election to the state Assembly, the council is one person short. They must fill the positon within 60 days of Grayson’s resignation, according to state law. The position run through 2018. The council has three options: appoint the next highest vote getter from the
January 27, 2017
November election, hold a special election at the cost of roughly $5 per registered voter or use an application process. When they found themselves in the same position in 2007 and 2011, the council opted to seek applications. This year, the council again approved the application
process and received 33 submissions – including election runner-up Harmesh Kumar, candidate Hope Johnson and city treasurer Tim McGallian. Since then, three people have dropped out. (See gray box for full list of remaining applicants.) The council was slated to
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interview the applicants at the Jan. 24 meeting, according to Vice Mayor Edi Birsan. They will come up with 8-12 finalists, who will be interviewed on Jan. 31. The council will select the new member at that meeting. Birsan campaigned heavily among his colleagues to do the
selection differently. He wanted the candidate who had at least 70 percent of the next highest vote getter – and winner’s – total votes to be appointed. That was Kumar. Birsan’s motion, made at the first meeting of 2017, was not
See Council, page 8
Young actor finds ‘Neverland’ SALLY HOGARTY Correspondent
LAuRA HoffMeiSTeR
MAYOR
City program helps residents fix sidewalks
Recently a resident asked me when the city was going to repair the sidewalk in front of their house. One section was old and had cracks, while tree roots had lifted up another section. I explained to the resident that the maintenance and repair of sidewalks, curbs and gutters in front of a home is the homeowner’s responsibility. The resident was surprised to learn this.
See Mayor, page 6
Photo courtesy of the Hennessy family
WHEN TYLER HENNESSY LANDED A ROLE IN THE NATIONAL TOURING COMPANY OF "FINDING NEVERLAND," the whole family rallied to support the fourth-grader. During the show's run in December, the Hennessys met in Denver for some family time and to do some caroling at a local hospital with other cast members. Back row, Alison and Sean Hennessy; Middle row, Kacie, Aimee and Shannon. Tyler Hennessy is in front.
While many 9-year-old boys fill their days with school, soccer practice and scouting, one local young man had his world turned upside down after an unexpected call from New York in late September. A fourth-grade student at Concord’s Woodside Elementary at the time, Tyler Hennessy found himself heading to New York to audition for the national touring company of “Finding Neverland.” He had already amassed an impressive local resume. Someone involved with the New York production happened to see Tyler in “The Who’s Tommy” at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center and recommended him when a vacancy occurred in the cast. “We were warned that if they wanted Tyler, he would immediately join the company tour in Buffalo, N.Y.,” says Tyler’s dad Sean, who accompanied him on the trip.
See Neverland, page 8
Design board makes progress on Grant Street complex JOHN T. MILLER Correspondent
The city moved a step closer to approving a massive apartment and retail complex downtown as the Design Review Board praised the overall proposal. The board expects to review a final plan this summer. Browman Development
Co. is proposing a mixed-use, 140-unit apartment complex with retail space and a parking garage. The six-story complex will include two stories of above-ground parking, retail space on the ground floor and outdoor space with a pool and other facilities. With the exception of an existing parking garage, it will occupy an entire city block
bordered by Concord Avenue, Grant Street, Clayton Road and Colfax Street. The rest of the structures on the lot will be demolished. The main retail and pedestrian focus will be on Grant Street as part of the Downtown Specific Plan linking BART to Todos Santos Plaza and other retail and business areas.
Concord Kiwanis Club names Summer Galer Officer of the Year
CPL. SUMMER GALER with Kiwanis Club president Rocci Barsotti at the Concord Police Department prior to being feted at a Jan. 27 luncheon.
An 18-year law enforcement veteran with a commitment to community policing has been named the 2016 Kiwanis Club of Concord Officer of the Year. Corporal Summer Galer was honored at a luncheon on January 27 attended by family, friends and peers. Galer is quickly recognized by many who attend the concerts and other downtown events as the department’s Community Impact Officer. She currently manages the
See Officer, page 8
The apartments will range from 550 to 1,350 sq. ft., with a mix of studios and one- to three-bedroom units. Resorttype amenities will include a 20,000 sq. ft. outdoor community space above the parking lot level, a 6,000 sq. ft. roof deck with a pool, hot tub, fitness center, pet run and dog wash, bike storage and repair room, and a 650 sq. ft. ground floor space with a mailroom and onsite concierge. “We focused on the opportunity to build near public transit within walking distance to retail and basic services and in an appropriate location for increased density,” said Scott Bohrer of Browman. In addition, Bohrer mentioned being able to take advantage of one of Concord’s greatest assets: a view of Mt. Diablo. After hearing from project architect David Johnson of Johnson Lyman Architects, the board complimented the efforts. However, members expressed some concerns and offered recommendations for consideration while the firm develops the formal application. Concerns include traffic patterns, street parking, entry and exit to residential parking, ease of access to retail space
Rendering courtesy of the City of Concord
A SIX-STORY APARTMENT COMPLEX proposed for downtown will include ground floor retail and link to the Concord BART station.
and the effect of shade and shadows on the surrounding environment, due to the height and mass of the development. The Design Review Board encouraged steering away from earth tones at the street level, seeking a more Mediterranean feel to the colors. They also asked the architect to experiment with ways to break up the horizontal and vertical building masses. Bohrer and Johnson expressed appreciation for the board’s input. Bohrer estimated they should be ready to submit the formal proposal by mid-July. The Grant Street apartment complex joins several other large-scale developments
planned for downtown Concord. Four projects could add almost 700 apartments to central downtown within about two years. Argent Concord has proposed a seven-story, 181-unit
See Grant St., page 8
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