City Of American Canyon Online Community Forums

While you criticize me for being on the council for eight years and nothing has been done? I have tried and tried to get the council to improve Highway 29, all falling on deaf ears. I am only one vote! Staff doesn't seem to think this is important. I do! I care about what we look like and I would love to see improvements on Highway 29. I will continue to push this effort forward. Contact the other council members for support on this one. It is your city! It is easy to blame one or two elected persons, but it takes three votes. No excuses, but the facts. Re-development is and was not the answer. I do not want to sink deeper and deeper into debt. Let the developers pay for their own. Town center would have been develped if the owners would have been honest to the people. Yes, we want the town center to exist, but not to the expense of every one of us. They wanted us to pay for all the infrastructure on their property. If they gave the property to the city "us", then yes, but not on their land at our expense. They make the money and we pay. I can't support that.
We have come along way with improvements. Everytime I look at the new schools, the pool, and the gym, I am thankful. Everytime I shop at Safeway, I am proud of us. I looked at the green barn and used to dream about what could be.
As, always, I am sincerely open to suggestions.

I agree with the guest that redevelopment was ahead of it's time.

With regard to commercial development along 29- there have been a number of ideas floated around to bring in a retail tax revenue to the city, other than WALMART.

No, I am not involved in any commercial projects, and my posts regarding basketball courts living on our sidewalks for months has been posted elsewhere. Your suspicions have zero merit long time resident.

Actually, long term resdident, I challenge you to find one acre of dirt in this town that is for sale at a workable number for development and isdeliverable-in other words, they would actually close. There isn't any.

If you want to know about commercial projects, go see the planning department, they all start there.

On my last post I asked Paul if there was a commercial venture we should know about...this was not to imply a commercial venture that "HE" was interested in but that he knew of so he could share that knowledge.
And Lori, your sentence stated that "staff doesn't seem to think this is important" in regard to city clean-up troubles me. Are you saying you are the only council member that cares about the look of our city. And is the council not in charge of the city manager and staff so that directives could be agendized in order to make clean-up of 29 and other areas a priority?

I am stating that staff does not seem to prioritize Highway 29 as the residents do. Council is in charge of staff, as long as they count to 3.
And.....always excuses that they have other projects that must come first.
Govenment moves very slowly and is very frustrating to all of us. I will start pushing publically to move toward Highway 29 clean up again. Time and time again, it is pushed aside. Let me know how to proceed, in your view.

My suggestion would be to publish the code enforcement regulations and send them to all residents and business owners. Especially, when a new resident moves into the area so they know the rules. Council needs to revisit how code enforcement is to be handled by the city and not wait for the public to complain. Have city staff research how other communities are handling the problems we face. Set time frames for city reports to be due back to the Council and don't let them be removed from the agenda. City Council needs to take back being in charge of managing the City.

The city does need direction. The voters need to implement some at the next election, and get more council members that are willing to step up and make a decision. Right now, only a few are. The performance of who is doing what is obvious. Excuses are heard time and time again by the city manager as to getting things done. I don't think he likes his job anymore.

Well I thought I've heard everything but I guess not...

1) The owner wants us to pay for infrastructure because we benefit from having a location to show the rest of the Valley who we are. The Town Center has been foremost in all the development scenarios from day one. So has HW29!!
2) You claim the owner was not honest. Just the opposite... He cannot seem to please any of the council because you all speak with differing agendas. Please get your act together. This person has built Rutherford Hill Winery and a host of other major projects in the valley. He has a workup of the Town Center done by a reputable architect. You need to be honest with the people of American Canyon on your contacts with him and speak with one voice.
3) Redevelopment causes debt? I would say building homes create more debt than redevelopment will ever create. The Redeveolpment "debt" you speak of is money YOU spend on YOURSELF... example...

Let him build the town center. Have him donate three building sites for the City... City Hall, a Library and a Performing Arts Center... or let the PEOPLE vote on what the three buildings should be.

AmCan pays for roads, waterlines, sewer connections. He pays for ongoing services. He gets retail. We get some percentage of gross.

If the area is redeveloped, the difference between the value of the property and the "improved value" (aka the tax increment) goes to the city until the improved value of the property is paid for. The CITIZENS see ZERO tax. No bonds. No assessments. Sounds like a win-win to me.

Numbers? There are 478 incorporated cites in California. 369 of them have Redevelopment agencies. Are we in front of the curve or behind it?

People who oppose redevelopment? LAND BANKERS. People and corporations who own large parcels of land that they let sit until other sites around them are developed. Then they can make a killing on the landsale because they did not pay for any infrastructure, the other landowners around them did. Sound familliar? 30 pieces of Silver. So EVERYBODY waits for the first guy to move... he takes on most of the costs. All other landowners pile on after that. Its all about MONEY. Redevelopment "jump starts" this process.

Does the City incur debt? Yes, but WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES.

Do you mean to tell me that developers haven't gotten very sweet deals when they swap land for schools? Thats debt also. But its a debt we are willing to take. When developers build homes, we incur debt at having to repair roads, place stopsigns, hire police...etc. We go into debt daily and have been doing so for the last 8 years. Redevelopment at least gives us something to show for it!! Let's tell the truth here.

The Town Center is no different. HW29 is no different.

As for being a "lone voice" on the Council, you were quite cozy with the other councilmembers last election. I find your current tone fascinating but I'm willing to accept it as genuine.

You claim the Middle School? The fact is that the land swap that created the school was done by the first Council, not you. Ron Kedrowski worked the deal with the developer. The developer was local and he should be given credit also.

You claim Safeway? If the first Planning Commission didn't have the GUTS to turn down Cheaper Stores Inc., you wouldn't be looking at Safeway right now!! The sign on the building would be CHEAPER STORES INC... right along the "Gateway to the Napa Valley". There is a lesson to be learned here about Wal-Mart and the word PATIENCE.

Lori, I know you mean well but JEEPERS>

OK I apologize for some of the rude things I've written about all the council on these posts. I'll try to tone it down. But the fact remains we are a City in division concerning recent developments at Napa Junction and trying to justify the past votes won't earn anyone points here.

If we are to face the future together, the Council needs to be open to ideas and concepts they might not agree with. Its a new day...

I have a new eyesore- corner of ringneck and goldeneye- It seems the new homeowner in waterton canyon decided to build a wall without a permit right next to the sidewalk- a stop work order was put on the job as I hear it, and now, well, it just sits there.

Bricks laying all over, corner property, with nothing changing over the course of 2 months.

The wall is too close to the sidewalk, and it is a hill which has a row of houses next to it.

I wonder how long it will sit there.????

Tonight is a special city council meeting. I am hoping that Lori L will follow thru with her earlier postings and speak about her position on the clean up of Hwy 29 and other residential areas. During the budget discussion, this would be the time to discuss allocation for code enforcement and increase funding if the council feels it is needed. From the postings on this site, I would say it is something the residents would like to see become a priority.

Palbys remains the biggest eyesore on highway 29 this sideof the bridge. Is the council going to do anything about it????

The casino is still the worst.

The new owners of Palby's can be quite proud of themselves. The broker managed to "convince" all other prospective buyers to not buy because the building would have to be moved back, sprinklers added and a complete upgrade would be needed since it would be a use change from a restaurant.

Interested parties who were inquiring were looking to do a restaurant/combo use. The focus on combo meaning a use change. How ironic that now the broker after chasing away viable local resident and business owners to do something wonderful to Palby's is now "buying" the property. And to make matters worse he is changing the use, and still trying to not move the building back as required by Cal-Trans.

Changing the use is just that. Talk about stretching the rules to do whatever you want. It just goes to show you that the planning commission does not know what is going on. Just because it is in a CC area does not apply to the Cal-trans requirements. Is it going to take a complaint to reopen this decision that the commission made to get it right?

Why should the city have to look at this and not have it conform as per the Highway 29 corridor plan simply because of a slick broker? Who obviously has the money. I for one am tired of the up valley Napans who are pimping our rules and taking advantage of what we have available.

Go to the planning commission and say "no" to this bad deal. Before the 30 days expire. If you want to see something better in this location then do it quick. The decision will then pass to the council to make the right decision and make the buyer do the right thing and conform to the Highway 29 beautification project.

You can still keep the Palby's project but at least it would make a better impression and get off of the edge of the freeway. You can do this during public comments or by filing a written opposition and getting a copy of it stamped by the city clerk.

Everybody can do this. Let's not be hoodwinked again and get stuck with another eyesore with new awnings. Especially since it will be on the corner entering the Town Center where the new city buildings and downtown will be.

Everybody needs to take a stand!! Now.

Can the owners of Palby's sue that broker for falsly managing that sale?

yes, if they can prove it. I think they can as I know of a few people who did in fact inquire locally.

But that is on them. I am more concerned with making the building conform to the Highway 29 corridor plan. Making the "Gateway" more attractive then slapping a coat of paint on something, planting a tree, and putting up new awnings and calling us "lucky."

Just another reason to use a local realtor that lives in American Canyon.

You may be interested in reading M Pope's (planning commissioner) postings on another topic on this forum " Real Estate Brokers ". Also, I watched the meeting on tv and a family member got up and spoke in favor of rezoning.

Why would the city rezone if it doesn't work? That is why the city looks like a hodge podge, because it accomodates a variety of uses without taking into consideration the general plan.

It doesn't matter if the family member wants it rezoned in order to sell it. What matters is what effect changing the use will have on the future of the city and the direction it plans to take.

Not only does the planning commissions and council need to start planning for the future, but they also need to start thinking outside the box. This is a classic example of why.

Eyesore: The whole city. Pathetic. The council needs a major overhaul. They could be our biggest eyesore. Self serving interests.

This rezoning is ridiculous. The council should kill this deal- The property is the biggest eyesore in American Canyon, and its time has come and gone. Tear it down, build something new.

My picks are the PG&E pit behind the new Am Can sign. That thing should be housed - or at the very least cypress trees planted around it. Be glad to help cover it up...also parking on lawns.

I don't understand why people are complaining about the police dept not resonding. In the 3 years I have lived here, the few times I have had to contact ACPD, my call was responded to immediatly, within minutes. Sorry, but I am a little confused. And those that are mouthing off about the whole city is an eyesore, maybe you should move since you don't seem to like here.

Weeds weeds all over town- so many small little pieces, is the city supposed to take care of these?