Unauthorized Uses Turning Mines Rd. Commercial
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VOLUME XLIII, NUMBER 37 Circulation: 48,365 Serving Livermore, Pleasanton and Sunol THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006 Unauthorized Uses Turning Mines Rd. Commercial Residents on Mines Road are con- such as the Garcia Event Center, where on the property, without an agricultural spotted turning into the property. It’s not a retail use, apparently. Trucks cerned about what they call the com- a religious use was added after the origi- use.” Neighbors from some distance away pick up appliances in the morning for mercialization of their rural residential nal application was filed.” The east county board of zoning per- have reported hearing the beep of trucks delivery elsewhere. neighborhood. Another possible religious use could mits granted an events center use re- backing up on the property, mostly be- Residents contacted for this story Two developments had them aroused be a Salvation Army car lot, Baltzer cently, after the Garcias sought it. How- tween 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. Mondays said that the trucks are still going to the at a neighborhood meeting of about 30 observed. ever, neighbors have appealed that de- through Fridays. As many as 21 trucks property, as of the Independent’s dead- people recently. Neighbors said that the South Liver- cision to the board of supervisors, which have been counted going into the prop- line on Tuesday. One is the Garcia Events Center, more Plan was established to encourage was to deal with it at their meeting to- erty in about one hour. Other large de- Tona Henninger, deputy director of which has changed its name to the Sweet agriculture. Wineries have events cen- day, Thurs., Sept. 14. livery trucks that back up and block the planning department’s code enforce- Remembrances Ministry and Events ters as a way to promote the agricultural Neighbors are hoping the matter will both lanes of Mines Road have halted ment division, said that the property Center. The events center opened two products. They have obtained permits be continued so they can provide the traffic, say neighbors. owner called the department after re- years ago, but never had a permit to do for them. The Garcias do not have a win- Board of Supervisors with additional Complaints to the county have re- ceiving a 15-day notice to cease activi- so. ery. Their operation has nothing to do information. sulted in investigations by two depart- ties. The property owner was told by Bob Baltzer, Chairman of Friends of with agriculture. The other complaint by neighbors is ments. A building inspector has looked phone that he can’t conduct that type of Livermore, said, “If this were approved, Patti Ising, a representative of the an apparent appliance depot operating at buildings on the property. The plan- activity in the zone. it would set a precedent for the Cedar Mines Road Property and Homeowners out of a private residence in a rural resi- ning department, which examines uses Henninger said the department will Grove development and any other reli- Association, filed the appeal on behalf dential zone on Mines Road. Trucks of property, has written a letter to the stay on the case. The property owner will giously connected use. That could in- of the organization. She said, “Their in- with signs that say they represent an ap- property owners to cease their appliance be given time to relocate his business. clude a connection of dubious merit, tention is strictly to conduct weddings pliance installation center have been depot use. No Change Fast-bus Plans In Pleasanton Start With Eye To Council Rules There will be no changes in Boosting Ridership the Pleasanton City Council’s rules and operating procedures By Ron McNicoll by controlling the signals so that The council reached consen- The Valley’s transit agency all traffic stops while the bus sus last week that the current kicked off a project this week that passes through. rules are working. will bring bus rapid transit (BRT) AC Transit already does this Mayor Jennifer Hosterman’s to bus riders in two years. on its BRT line on San Pablo travels to various meetings and The board of the Livermore Avenue in Berkeley and Oak- her activities related to peace and Amador Valley Transportation land. environmental issues led mem- Agency (LAVTA) voted unani- Initially the buses would run bers of the public and mously to go out for a proposal every 15 minutes. Eventually it’s councilmember Steve Brozosky to study alternatives about routes possible the time will be cut to to question whether she was ad- and other relevant points to com- seven-and-one-half minutes. The hering to council protocols. plete the route. The concept is to exact specifics will be researched Brozosky asked that the rules run express buses along the cur- by the consultant, who will be be reviewed at a council meet- rent No. 10 line, which carries hired in the RFP process. ing. He questioned the use of an more than one-half the daily load LAVTA general manager Bar- elected title at outside confer- of passengers for Wheels, the bara Duffy said the agency esti- ences, as well as the ability of name of LAVTA’s bus company. mates the consultant’s report will representatives to vote on issues The 10 line runs from LLNL cost about $85,000. Total price not first vetted by the entire through Livermore and Pleasan- tag, including money for hybrid council. ton to the Dublin/Pleasanton diesel/electric buses, is estimated City Attorney Michael Roush BART station. BRT would not to be $12 million. noted that when an elected offi- Photo - Doug Jorgensen replace the current No. 10 line. Revenue sources are varied. cial is appointed to an outside The fifth anniversary of September 11 was remembered by Maria and Mitchell McKenzie, who Those buses would still make Some will come from voters’ ap- organization such as ABAG, he placed flowers at a spontaneous memorial in memory of Tom Burnett. He died when Flight 93 their regular stops. proval of Regional Measure 2 or she must represent the opin- crashed in Pennsylvania. The memorial was at Tom Burnett Lane in Pleasanton, next to where The new service would have and some from ACTIA’s county ion of the majority of the coun- Burnett worked. stops spaced much farther apart. Measure B. The buses could be cil on any votes. From time to The BRT buses might not go financed from a federal project time, elected officials attend con- through downtown Pleasanton, for capital expenditures. ferences or the League of Cali- though they could hook up with If voters approve the infra- fornia policy committees, at city Central Valley Makes Another Pitch the regular No. 10 buses at some structure bonds in the fall, there expense, where they may be point to be determined in the could be money for the BRT called upon to vote on confer- For Livermore’s VA Nursing Home study. project, too. The fare box always ence/committee items. Histori- It’s likely that fares would be contributes something. However, cally, the elected official has A special committee that has the Livermore VA facility. nursing home. paid at boxes at the stops, which the plan is not to raise the fare to voted the individual’s position been looking into the future of On the Alameda County side The special committee has would resemble light rail stops, a premium price for BRT, said without input or discussion from VA nursing home facilities heard of things, no one spoke up, al- Livermore and Central Valley such as those in downtown San Duffy. the council as a whole. San Joaquin County officials though Rep. Ellen Tauscher, who members. It has been taking tes- Jose. There would be a new style The whole concept is to speed When it comes to the use of a make another pitch for building a represents Livermore in Con- timony about the future fate of of bus that can load quickly front up bus travel, not just at com- title, Roush pointed out that VA nursing home there. gress, sent a strongly worded let- the Livermore facilities. The Lo- and rear. There could be capac- mute times, but throughout the mayors and councilmembers The comments were made dur- ter backing the Livermore cam- cal Advisory Panel is part of a VA ity for a BRT driver to go right day. “This is really meant to ap- (See RULES, page 4) ing a hearing held last Friday at pus for a renovated or rebuilt (See VA, page 4) through stoplight intersections (See BUSES, page 4) Cedar Grove Issue On Agenda The Livermore City Council considers the issue on Oct. 2 at 6 ing lot that accommodates 508 will discuss the proposed Cedar p.m. cars. Grove Church project at its Sep- The land on which Cedar Three members of the coun- tember 25 meeting with the goal Grove Church proposes to con- cil, Tom Reitter, Marj Leider and of taking a position on the mat- struct new facilities is located John Marchand, asked that it be ter. within Alameda County’s juris- placed on the agenda. The date was selected so that diction and the South Livermore Mayor Marshall Kamena and the discussion could take place Valley Area Plan. The church is Lorraine Dietrich said that it was prior to when the Alameda planning for 75,000 square feet a county issue. Kamena said the County Planning Commission of new construction, plus a park- (See CEDAR GROVE, page 4) Proposed Projects Would Add to Livermore's Economy Trader Joes, Kohl’s Depart- of the former K-Mart Store.