I went to a “town hall” meeting featuring mayoral hopeful KJ in Natomas a few weeks ago. I recall Johnson saying he didn’t think Sacramento had done a good job developing along its rivers. How Portland and other cities have done a far better job. Take San Antonio for example, said Kevin, to the delight of the small group of people in attendance, “..they’ve actually developed around a canal that isn’t even a real river!” cried Kevin,
To hear Kevin tell it, one could easily infer that Sacramento area officials are perhaps even averse to riverfront development. But with a bit of research of late, I have found that isn’t exactly true. In fact, this past Thursday, The Arnoldator just signed an agreement to transfer state land from the state parks department to the city of Sacramento, a move that will enable a mixed use riverfront development project–that has been in the works for some time now–called “The Docks” to move forward in the very near future.
The Docks look pretty cool. There will evidently be homes, apartments, condos, retail, office space, and even highrises (and one would assume a few billion square feet of low income housing if Fargo and Tretheway have had anything to do with the planning).
So what stands in the way now? Well, first of all, if development were to start today, and end tomorrow, hypothetically, “The Docks” would resemble the island in the movie Escape from New York (remember Snake Plisken!) because we don’t have any cops to patrol it. But that’s besides the point. Even if we stopped the corian cat cage expenditure and tree count and somehow recruited another X number of cops, got them through the academy, and out on patrol within the next year or two, there are still some unanswered questions about (surprise!) funding The Docks.
For starters, the surface streets and infrastructure for this new river-facing slice of Sacramento will run approx $15 million (times that by two for good measure). As it stands, no one knows how that is going to be funded. Then there is this little problem called Pioneer Reservoir, or more appropriately, the “Poopnear Reservoir.” Let’s not beat around the tank here. The “Reservoir” is a sewer and stormwater collection facility. In other words, it’s not exactly the Pioneer Reservoir of Idaho fame.
The Poopnear poses a bit of a problem for developers and the city. You see, word is that it will either need to be moved ($50,000,000) or repaired ($15,000,000) in order for The Docks to become a reality. Miss Daisy Fargo is on record stating she would prefer the Poopnear stay. She would like to see it repaired and the cost be financed through “utility rates” (don’t ask me if that means embezzlement via supplemental property taxes as North Natomas homeowners have been robbed, or rate hikes on sewage and water for all or only some Sac residents).
Developers disagree with the Farg on the fate of Poopnear. They say the Poopnear should be relocated. In the Sac Biz Journal article in March, Todd Saunders, partner with Wilson Meany Sullivan, lamented, “Go stand on top of it [The Poopnear] on a hot day in August when it’s brimming with sewage and you’ll quickly realize this can’t be the highest use for this riverfront property.”
So how would Fargo justify charging residents for repairing the Poopnear and keeping it in their front yard? That is, how does a fearless, consensus-building leader leader like Heather Fargo make errrrr lemonade out of a lemon? Are you nuts? A CARNIVAL of course! She has stated she would like to see a FERRIS WHEEL built on top of the Poopnear…. so residents “could get a good whiff view of the river.”
No word on the Poopnear Fargo Wheel proposal at press time.
Still, the question begs: *WWJD?
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Source: Sacramento Business Journal
Image: http://mdequine.com/projects.shtml
Project on city web site: http://www.cityofsacramento.org/econdev/DocksAreaProject.htm
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*What Would Johnson Do?
You did not make a Snake Plisken reference. You did not.
Joe…I’ve lived in this town on and off for 30 years..These types of plans have been kicked around for decades..they come and go…nothing is ever done. Right now the city wont even be able to get the Railyards completed…they will build some of the infrastructure..then stop..the market will not allow for the full development for many years to come…right now it is only going forward with taxpayer money. after that it will stall… I’ve seen this too many times to believe anything else will change. Nothing will be built on the waterfront for 20 years or more in the future…if that… they’ve had about a hundred and fifty years to do something..and so far nothing….
KJ was right, we need a waterfront we can be proud of.. but who is going to fund and build it? The free market sure isn’t anytime soon..so the only other answer is for the taxpayers to foot a good portion of the bill through redevelopment bonds…not a good alternative…and not going to happen anytime soon..and the State is thinking of taking away redevelopment tax increment funds.
It will be much easier to pick up and move to San Antonio, Seattle or Portland if we want waterfront entertainment in our lifetimes…
“It will be much easier to pick up and move to San Antonio, Seattle or Portland if we want waterfront entertainment in our lifetimes…”
Ha. Aint that the truth. In all my satirical splendor, that’s really what I was getting at.
Poopnear. Stinking point. Good ones. Fargo Wheel? Classic.
She really want to put a ferris wheel on top of the crapper huh? Sounds like typical Fargo policy to me. She’s known for building on top of shit (take North Natomas for example) and then dealing with the consequences later (seeping levees). Her delusional idea here doesn’t surprise me at all
A friggin’ ferris wheel? Bwhahahahahaha.
Wait, a ferris wheel?
Oh God
I have been involved with The Docks project to a lesser degree. It actually has some legs believe it or not –”Sac Insider.”
The thing that kills me about these projects? Fargo’s input is always 100% worthless. Seriously. You are better off asking a homeless person for their input. How utterly ridiculous and short-sighted for Fargo to shoot from the hip and say “utility rate” as a means of financing the poop repair. She has no idea what she is even talking about. All she ever thinks to do is penalize ratepayers. She has no creativity, no vision and has no clue who to secure funding for anything. She lives in a dark silo and hasn’t a clue how to get things done in a cooperative manner. Stick a fork in the old goat. She’s cooked. I agree eight years is enough
Joe-
Your house in Portland would be a lot farther from the river… since I know you live in Natomas, I can say with some confidence that you can’t afford property in Portland or Seattle anywhere near the river… neither can I…But last time I was in San Antonio you could get a 3000 sq foot house for $120K. Now if you could only unload your house here, you’d be in luck. Then again, you’d have to live in San Antonio. As much as Natomas sucks, San Antonio is far, far worse. Ick. I’ve never been to a city that smelled so nasty all year long. Think BART station in 105 degree weather.
“since I know you live in Natomas, I can say with some confidence that you can’t afford property in Portland or Seattle anywhere near the river..”
Oh gee, thanks a lot, T!
Is it that obvious? 
I couldn’t even afford Natomas for a couple years there. Who am I fooling, I can barely afford dental work. I went today and my co-pay was $130!! Oh I know, I know, it could always be worse. Sure. Story of my life. It could always be worse. Sigh. My dog actually just sighed as I typed that. Whoa.
I have been to San Antonio. I’d never live there. Although I once said I’d never live in Sacramento, either so….
Hey we had to leave Portland to come back here in 97 because the job market was insane and expenses too high. I feel your pain! I was paying $900 to rent 500 sq foot duplex in the basement of the owner’s house. Two bedrooms- one didn’t have a window or a closet. We called it “the fire trap”.
San Antonio has a lot in common with Natomas… it’s one hour from Austin where the cool kids hang out. Kind of like us, only SF is a little farther away.
You’re starting to sound like a country song Joe! Your dog is even depressed. Put the gun away my friend!
It could always be worse, right? We could live three miles due east