…a city turns its questioning eyes to you. Woo woo woo.
According to an East Bay Business Times article (and the mass email sent out late yesterday), SunCal is “postponing” their scheduled January 30th meeting and will reschedule at a later date. Certainly they want to put a good spin on the cancellation, I mean….postponement, and so have announced that they need to reschedule to better prepare reponses and presentations based on the community feedback from the December meeting. This meeting was supposed to be:
A presentation and discussion of a limited number of preliminary development alternatives for Alameda Point
But alas, we’ll have to wait until SunCal is ready for us. Although in the meantime, you can check out their website, there are photos and presentations up from the previous meetings.
In other news, even though the theater opening has been delayed due to heavy rains, the parking garage is set to open on time, with the grand opening celebration slated for January 31st at noon, but the festivities start at 11:30ish with live music and then the Mayor and Councilmembers will enter the parking garage in a procession of alternative fuel vehicles. Is it too much to hope that one of the councilmembers will bring up the rear in a bicycle?
It’s no mystery to me as to why there’s a postponement from Suncal. Put two and two together. Gee… housing sales are in the toilet, prices are falling faster than they went up, and yet their planning a new housing development?
Comment by edvard — January 24, 2008 @ 7:52 am
I am wondering if it’s been postponed to coincide with the postponement of the Measure A forum. Originally, the Measure A forum was slated for 2/2,just a couple of days after SunCal would’ve presented a whiz-bang non Measure A compliant plan; now it’s looking like it will be 2/23.
Comment by Susan — January 24, 2008 @ 8:16 am
Sorry; that should’ve been Measure A NON-compliant plan.
Comment by Susan — January 24, 2008 @ 8:17 am
Can we park in the parking structure to watch the parking structure festivus?
Comment by Jack Richard — January 24, 2008 @ 8:29 am
“the parking garage is set to open on time, with the grand opening celebration slated for January 31st at noon, but the festivities start at 11:30ish with live music and then the Mayor and Councilmembers will enter the parking garage in a procession of alternative fuel vehicles. Is it too much to hope that one of the councilmembers will bring up the rear in a bicycle?”
http://tinylink.com/?xiB5UaNqgX
Comment by Alameda NayTiff — January 24, 2008 @ 12:39 pm
They are probably back in Irvine trying to figure out who to sue next and whom to blame for their problems.
Comment by Stan — January 27, 2008 @ 9:12 pm
Lauren,
It’s more than one community meeting. Were you planning on blogging about SunCal’s six month delay on the entire process?
Comment by Mark I — February 6, 2008 @ 5:38 pm
I missed the grand opening og the parking structure last month. Did they really celibrate its opening? I still wonder when it wil really be open - you know - so the public can park there.
Does anybody know why it is not yet open to the public?
Comment by David Kirwin — February 7, 2008 @ 6:24 am
David,
You can start parking there tomorrow. I am not quite sure but it did have something to do with securing it on the top to the construction next door. Anyway I know you won’t be excited to try it but it will be available.
Comment by Barbara M — February 7, 2008 @ 6:51 am
Considering its great cost to us why wouldn’t I want to use the parking garage? True, I believe it is a really bad plan, but we do need more parking. Got use what you have – right?
I first tried to park there last Friday night. Did they get the fire alarm system working correctly? I saw the accidental fire alarm test last week when the smoke detectors were activated by a worker sweeping. (That’s why the fire code says smoke detectors SHALL not be installed until after all phases of construction, including clean-up, are completed. The alarm horns seemed to exceed legal max, there were no strobes activated, and when AFD responded, they noticed that the elevator ‘capture’ did not work either. I though maybe the garage did not pass the occupancy permit.
Comment by David Kirwin — February 7, 2008 @ 2:46 pm
To clarify my previous post:
Did they get the fire alarm system working correctly? I saw the accidental fire alarm test last week when the smoke detectors were activated by a worker sweeping. I had been in the library when I heard the temporal code of a fire alarm and thought perhaps City Hall had a problem. I walked up the block and realized it was the theater project. I thought they were testing so I walked up to learn more. Then AFD rolled up, and I learned what happened and what cause the alarm.
The fire code says smoke “Detectors SHALL NOT be installed until after the construction clean-up of all trades is complete and final”. (NFPA 72 chap. 5.7.1.11). This “nuisance alarm” would have been avoided had the contractor adhered to the Fire Codes. Personally I do not understand the choice of smoke detectors instead of heat detectors in the public parking garage. Dust or visible exhaust will set off “photo” smoke detectors, and invisible products of combustion will set off “ion” smoke detectors. There are many reasons why heat detectors are the most common form of automatic fire detection initiation devices.
The alarm horns seemed to exceed legal max, NFPA 72 - 7.2. My Code book is the old 2002 edition, but I recall they lowered total sound level limit to 115 db including alarms and ambient noise, -includes construction tools and equipment.
There were no strobes activated, (They are required by NFPA 101 Chap.9.6.3.5)
And when AFD responded, they noticed that the elevator ‘capture’ did not work either. See NFPA 72 c. 6.15.3 (elevator recall) and 6.15.4 (elevator shutdown)
I though maybe the garage did not pass the occupancy permit inspection requirements.
Comment by David Kirwin — February 7, 2008 @ 5:50 pm
SunCal’s M.O. is to go fast, ask people for favors, tell their contractors and consultants that the change orders for additional work they have requested is held up in SunCal’s “process”, then tell their contractors and consultant that they are waiting for the loan “draw”, then stiff their contractors and consultant for the work that they have done because of their lender. If you deal with the devil hopefully you make a lot of money up front…..Yes they will screw over the public and the City if given the chance.
Comment by usucksuncal — April 30, 2008 @ 10:57 pm