In January, angry animal advocates packed the Antioch City Council Chambers to vehemently object to a ban on feeding community cats on public property and the requirement of a permit for households that own more than five cats. An annual application and fee of $108 is required for multiple pets and includes an agreement to have a home inspection if asked. The City Council delayed implementation and requested that the ordinance be discussed at a future meeting.

I have been told that the item is on the agenda for March 25 and the staff is coming back with the same recommendation with regard to a ban and a pet limit.

As an alternative to a feeding ban which has been ineffective in other communities, HARP and several organizations have proposed a community endorsed Trap/Neuter/Return (T/N/R) program in partnership with the city. No funding is being requested from the city. T/N/R has been going on for ten years. The groups humanely trap the cats, transport them for surgeries and immunizations, and recover them before they are returned to their original spot. Tame cats and kittens are placed for adoption. T/N/R decreases the number of kittens born and keeps the population from exploding.

One of the reasons the situation has gotten out of hand in Antioch is that an overwhelming number of cats and dogs are being abandoned by irresponsible people. This is a community problem and should be addressed. Pet abandonment will not be solved by a feeding ban.

Karen A. Kops, President, Homeless Animals Response Program (HARP)

President, Spay/Neuter Impact Program (SNIP)

By Barbara Zivica

On February 20th, 20 members of Dozier-Libbey Medical High School’s faculty met with a charter conversion consultant and a representative from Clayton Valley Charter High School. Following a lengthy discussion the group unanimously decided to file a petition with the Antioch Unified School District 30 days before the last March school board meeting requesting to convert to an independent public charter high school. (A charter school is a school which receives public funding but operates independently).

I suspect what led to this decision was that the AUSD had been diluting the curriculum at Dozier-Libbey with courses unrelated to its original mission, eliminated the school’s “No D Policy” and allowed students to opt out of some courses. The diverging philosophies between the AUSD and faculty were hindering teachers from carrying out the innovative programs and curricula they built and which made the school a nationally-recognized model.

The reason for the rush to file the petition without including parents, classified staff and the principal was due to concern that, if word got out, the school would have no protection from district-directed personnel changes prior to the petition being filed.

Several public information sessions will be scheduled in the very near future as well as an online forum where parents, students and community members can share input and post questions.

By Barbara Zivica

In addition to having the highest number of Section 8 housing choice vouchers (HCV) in Contra Costa County, we now have the highest number of unsheltered homeless in the county. That’s why I was floored when I read Antioch’s plan to address the problem e.g. establishing a Suburban Poverty Task Force and creating a voucher donation program though local businesses and PayPal.

Sean Wright, the altruistic CEO of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, who recently touted KIVA, a micro loan program to give borrowers in Kenya and the United States limited access to capital through interest-free loans, is quoted as saying “We need to empower people to change their own lives by teaching them to fish rather than creating dependency”.

Informing the homeless about available resources for addiction counseling, job training and temporary shelter is one thing, but handing out voucher donations, will only encourage more homeless people to relocate to Antioch. Regrettably, handouts such as unlimited welfare benefits or food stamps create dependency, they don’t “teach people to fish.”

Although Antioch has a law allowing it to fine private property owners for cleanup and ongoing inspection fees which Ryan Graham, Antioch’s deputy economic development director, states often compels the owners to break up homeless encampments, it is rarely enforced and doesn’t address homeless encampments on public property which are left to local law enforcement officers to deal with.

What is needed in this instance is proactive enforcement. Back in the days when the police department was located on 10 Street, there was a homeless population who used to camp in the city park on the corner of 10 and A Street. The Police Department at that time was so persistent in running them out, that one day a bunch of the homeless jumped aboard a boxcar and rode it out of town, never to come back. That’s the kind of persistence I’m talking about – not handing out vouchers which will only encourage the homeless to hang around for the “freebies.”

By Barbara Zivica

A few years ago the Antioch Police Department, like many other departments nationwide, started holding “Coffee with Cops” chats with residents. The informal sessions were welcomed by the public because they were a two way street – the public received valuable information, could ask questions and talk about what they thought needed improving.

This year the City’s gone a different route. On January 23, 25, 27 and January 29, the City conducted what they called “Community Café” sessions, Mayor Harper saying “We want to hear from the community and get buy-in.”

The sessions were directed by consultant Stacey McLaughlin of Mountaintop Consulting, hired by the City on March 27, 2013 for a sum not to exceed $44,000 to assist in organization assessment, City Council governance training and group development, fiscal goal setting and budget prioritization, strategic visioning and planning.

Regrettably, the sessions turned out to be similar to those held to persuade county residents to buy into the “Shaping Our Future” vision, now more regionally known as the One Bay Area Plan, which undermines local control and seeks to have us live in multi-use “stack and pack” high-rise developments adjacent to subsidized transit.

Such sessions, although touted as “public input” workshops, are in actuality the opposite because the object is to “facilitate” citizens into posing appropriate “questions” and arriving at appropriate “conclusions.”

At the Antioch “Community Café” sessions, participants were seated at small tables, shown a PowerPoint presentation and then asked to contribute thoughts, suggestions and ideas on the questions posed. According to the council minutes on these workshops, after table discussions “debriefing” of the questions was held. During the debriefing, each table had a representative share what the core/common themes of the discussions were.

Use of the term “debriefing” is of concern to me. In most cases, the purpose of debriefing is to make sure that participants are fully informed about, and not harmed in any way by their experience in an experiment or from a traumatic experience. Debriefing is typically not used in surveys, observational studies or other forms of research that involve no deception and minimal risk to participants.

Editor:

Mayor Pro Tem Rocha and Council Members Gary Agopian and Monica Wilson, take a bow! You did the City of Antioch a great justice by your recent vote to deny the Pointe Project. That development would have ravaged 21 acres of hillside land at the western edge of the city, robbing God-given beauty and some wind barrier. 

More frightening for the future, it would have overturned a hillside development ordinance that has been in effect since 1981. That ordinance had been applied on at least six projects over the past three decades. It’s disregard would send a signal that agreements can be bent and broken when expedience dictates.

They say you can’t fight City Hall but in the Philippines, where my wife hails from, they call it ‘people power’. I applaud the residents of the Black Diamond Estates Project, Save Mount Diablo Organization and the Antioch Planning Commission for all standing tall and fighting the good fight.

Antioch takes its’ knocks. We can all agree it was overbuilt, is too saturated, too cookie cutter and in the case of our Malls, too boxy (how one wishes we had insisted on a pedestrian-friendly plan like the Streets of Brentwood, which has strolling charm). Be that as it may, our mistakes can’t be undone.  

We do, though, have three natural assets other locales don’t. One, obviously, is our seat at the Delta.  The River brings views, recreation and a cooling breeze. 

The second blessing is our undulating streets. Hillcrest and Deer Valley come to mind as a boon from monotonous straight lines! 

The third asset are the hills that we didn’t all chop off; some internal and some dramatically framing our town.  Guests visiting me who drive along Hillcrest marvel at the ambiance. It feels palatial.

Yes, more homes is easy money. We know and respect that the fees are tempting, what with city services having hit rock bottom. Things are on an upswing, though, and patience will be rewarded.  

In the meantime, let’s hope that whenever there is the next, let’s face it, inevitable ‘mini-wave’ the infrastructure is long set. Wouldn’t it be nice, then, to have something really different from the hum-drum, we’ve got plenty, tracts. How about senior developments like Trilogy in Brentwood; or McMansions on oversized lots that draw in the Blackhawk crowd who could set up needed business and light industry here? Now you’ve got my attention.

Yes, more city workers and a return to five days of City Hall service? Valued.

Respect for past agreements…. appreciation of the hills.

They are priceless.

Walter Ruehlig

Antioch

It behooves taxpayers to keep a close watch on the Antioch Unified School District Board.

On December 18^th Joy Motts, Board President, put discussion of the anti-Prop. 13 resolution by Evolve-ca on the agenda. Evolve-ca is an activist group who’s attempting to persuade local school boards and city councils to support removing Prop. 13 protections for business property. They falsely claim that homeowners are paying a greater share of the total property tax today. That’s false. The percentage paid by non homeowner occupied property accounted for 58.16% in 1978-79 and increased to 60.26% of all assessments in 2011-12, meaning the percentage paid by homeowners has declined! Fortunately, thanks to valuable information provided to the Board by the Contra Costa Taxpayers Assoc. the board tabled the resolution.

Now the Board is once again contemplating putting a parcel tax on the ballot. The only difference between their 2008 and 2012 parcel tax measures and the one they are contemplating now is that the prior ballot measures were structured as school facilities improvement district bond measures, excluded residents in southeast Antioch who pay a Mello Roos tax and required only 55% of those voting to approve the measures for them to pass. (Both passed.)

This time the district is considering putting a parcel tax on the ballot which will apply uniformly to all taxpayers or real property within the district, exempt Seniors/SSI/disabled and permit an inflation adjustment. As of 2009, bonding capacity for unified school districts was 2.5% of assessed value, tax rate limitations $60 per $100,000. Revenues can be used for capital facilities or operations. This type of tax measure requires 2/3 voter approval.

Taxpayers should not approve another AUSD parcel tax! The AUSD is going to get additional money under Prop. 30 and from the Governor’s budget which repays school districts for Prop. 98 money it withheld during the state “crisis”. In addition, the district still has a considerable and controversial real estate portfolio. When I stated they should sell some of their holdings prior to the their previous tax measures, I was told that state law required the district to send back any money from the sale of properties until the district was no longer considered to be in a “hardship” status due to prior mismanagement. Apparently the district is no longer in a hardship status because they just sold 191 acres of the Moller Ranch property for $305,000. (The district paid $2.6 million for 206 acres in 1996).

By Barbara Zivica

At their Tuesday, January 28 meeting, the Antioch City Council will consider Discovery Builders‘ request for General Plan amendments for the Pointe project, (generally located west of the intersection of Somersville Road and James Donlon Blvd.) Specifically, the sought after amendments would change the zoning from low-density residential to inclusion in the Somersville Road Corridor Focus Area and waive the requirements of certain applicable sections of our General Plan relating to hillside development. The resolution before council is to deny the general plan amendments for the Pointe Project proposed by the Seeno company.

Background on the project which the developer wants rezoned from hillside residential development (1.2 houses per acre) to single family residential (2.4 houses per acre – or double that permitted) : The city did receive a request from Discovery Builders wanting to construct 60 single family homes, two open space parcels, two storm water basins, and a pocket park with a water feature on an approximately 21 acre property. The request was dated January 29, 2007, and amended or supplemented on January 15, 2008, April 2, 2008, December 21, 2010, August 30, 2013 and October 17, 2013.

Numerous hearings were held in which council provided direction and feedback to the applicant. On September 17, 2007 the Planning Commission held a public hearing, received and considered evidence, both oral and documentary and recommended denial to the City Council. On January 22, 2008 the City Council held a public hearing and approved 60 residential development allocations. The City then prepared an Initial Study to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the Seeno Pointe Project.

On November 6, 2013 the Planning Commission held a public hearing on the matter, receiving and considering evidence, both oral and documentary but took no action, merely recommending denial of the Project to the City Council.

On December 10, 2013, the City Council held a public hearing on the matter but did not act at that time. In the interim the City determined the following: The General Plan Amendments are inconsistent with the General Plan’s goals and policies regarding hillside development, the amendments could potential result in the creation of a noncontiguous area within the Somersville Road Corridor Focus Area whose policies and goals do not emphasize lower density residential uses, but instead prioritize commercial tax revenue generating uses, In addition, the project undermines the efforts contained in the City’s General Plan and Municipal Code to preserve natural ridgelines within the City of Antioch. The removal of 104 vertical feet of hillside does not meet the intent of the hillside development policies or meet the definition of developable land as outlined in the General Plan.

Project approval would set an adverse precedent for future hillside development within the City.

Seeno is also currently proposing to build 356 single family homes on undeveloped grazing land south of Pittsburg’s city limits, known as the Montreux subdivision whose access would be via an intersection at Kirker Pass Road that would connect with the long planned 17 mile James Donlon Blvd extension which Seeno delayed construction of complaining of insufficient funding from the East Contra Costa Regional Fee and Financing Authority to do so. In addition, another Seeno project known as Tuscany Meadows, if approved, would result in another 917 single family homes and up to 365 apartments near where the extension would start. (Pittsburg’s new mayor Sal Evola is a cousin of Seeno III and once worked for Discovery Builders. Antioch’s mayor Wade Harper previously recused himself from a vote regarding possible litigation with Seeno regarding the Markley Creek Crossing stating that since Seeno donated to his campaign he has a conflict of interest.)

NOTE: The City has hired a consultant (same facilitator who conducted a “get to know me” session for the new council) to conduct four “Community Cafes” to solicit feedback from residents not in regard to what’s wrong with the city, but help find solutions. The meetings will be held in the evenings thus creating staff overtime costs. Frankly, I thought our gripes were well known and were what the city manager and council were hired/elected to fix. If they’re unsure what our gripes are, I suggest the City post an objective survey on the internet which would result in considerable more input and less expense than four 6:30 p.m. meetings will. (Wonder if the City runs a tab with Starbucks coffee. The Police Dept. holds Coffee with Cops meetings and it’s obvious the Chief sure loves the place).

By Allen Payton, Publisher

This next week, the Antioch Planning Commission will be addressing a proposal for another AutoZone auto parts store, in our city. Sounds good, huh? A national chain wants to expand in our city.

Yet, at a time when Antioch needs all the sales and property tax revenue and jobs we can handle, in order to meet the needs of our community – specifically the hiring of more police to help reduce crime – city staff is opposing the project. While I’m not surprised – as it’s been the city’s earned reputation of saying “no” to businesses and being difficult for those wanting to locate here – I am amazed that somehow they have either not got the message from the Council that we need the revenue or there’s a serious disconnect from reality and being part of Team Antioch, on the second floor where the Community Development Department, which includes Planning, is located.

The third and more likely reason however, is, that city staff doesn’t believe they have the flexibility to work with a project proponent, out of fear of either having their ideas overturned by the Planning Commission or City Council or both, or losing their jobs. They have good reason. In the past, a top building official bent over backwards much too far to work with a project proponent who had built a two-story building when he only had a permit for a one-story. That official was soon fired. So staff’s fear of job loss is real. But all those fears need to change.

Back to the AutoZone project, why does staff oppose a national chain from building, opening and operating a third location in Antioch? One reason is staff is requiring them to provide 39 parking spaces, on the lot upon which it’s proposed, as required according to staff’s interpretation of the city code. City staff is running their calculations based on square footage of the entire building – half of which is used as a warehouse for auto parts – instead of just the space actually used for the retail store. If staff would use that approach then only 18 parking spaces.

Even after a parking study showed the other two AutoZone stores in Antioch never had more than 16 to 18 parking spaces used, during the stores’ busiest time of the week, Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Yet, AutoZone is proposing 23 parking spaces. Similar stores on similar sized lots in Concord and San Jose have been approved.

Concord’s AutoZone store size: 7,462 SF on a .52 acre lot. 19 spaces. 1 space/393 SF Approved 7/30/12

San Jose’s AutoZone store size: 7,700 SF on a .53 acre lot. 22 spaces. 1 space/350 SF Approved 9/3/12

Antioch’s proposed store size: 7,928 square feet on a .56 acre lot. 23 spaces proposed. 1 space/345 SF

The other reason for staff’s opposition is that due to the location of the property, and it’s size, there isn’t enough room to place that size of a store on that small of a lot, have two driveways far enough away from the intersection, and have the 39 parking spaces, and have enough setback from the sidewalk and street.

The lot is unique. It’s an infill space at the corner of Lone Tree Way and Fairside Way, next to the Bella Rosa Apartments. It’s owned by the Liberty Union High School District in Brentwood.

AutoZone is proposing placing the store on the corner, at the edge of the sidewalk, and the driveways on the other edges of the property, as far away from the intersection as they can be. Staff says that violates the city code, which is correct. But, that’s also way there are things called variances or a planned unit development (PUD) in the city’s ordinances, which gives a project exceptions. This is one of those lots, projects and times such an exception should be allowed.

It has taken AutoZone 11 months, working with city staff to finally appear before the Planning Commission for a decision. In addition, to date, AutoZone has spent over $37,000 on city required studies and reports and has paid over $18,000 to local consultants in the preparation of plans and responding to the many requests from the city.

Yet, staff is still recommending that the Planning Commission recommend to the City Council that they deny the project’s application. Worse, they only provided the Commission with a resolution to deny the application and not one for approval, as if they were seeking to further influence the Commissioners. That’s inappropriate. The Commissioners are the ones who get to make the recommendation to the City Council, not staff.

This can help the city be on an upward spiral. With more businesses in Antioch, generating both greater sales and property tax revenue for the city, while creating jobs for our residents, which in turn gives them more money to spend in local businesses, the city will have more money to pay for more police and help reduce the crime in town – without the need for tax increases.

Just like when the Council sent a strong, positive message to city staff when they approved the reopening of Kelly’s, recently, by a local, small business owner, it needs to do so again. But this time the message will go much further, since they’re dealing with a national company.

It’s time our City Council and new City Manager sent a message to the staff on the second floor that it’s good to be flexible and to say “Yes” to businesses that want to locate in Antioch, and to find ways to make things happen instead of finding reasons to oppose them.

If not, Antioch will continue to lose out to Pittsburg, Brentwood and Oakley where it’s been easier to locate, open and operate a business, and we will continue to fun deficits, not have enough police and be asked to raise more taxes to pay for them, and continue on a downward spiral that we’ve been on for far too long. With the passage of Measure C and hiring of more police, this is one more way Antioch can help turn things around in the right direction.

It’s time all parts of city hall worked together as “Team Antioch” for the benefit both businesses and residents.

The Planning Commission meets Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 3^rd and H Street, in Antioch’s historic downtown Rivertown. To read the complete staff report on this item, click here.