By Joe Feller
Solano Group
During a community meeting held June 30, the public witnessed the full display of what kind of development lies in store for Mare Island if the City of Vallejo continues to let a local developer run roughshod with the planning process.
The Nimitz Group (aka Southern Land Co. and Mare Island Co.) unveiled its long-promised vision to re-make Mare Island with a new site specific plan, including 157 acres that Nimitz purchased from the City of Vallejo.
This sale was approved by the city council in March, and the recent presentation included an eye-opening preview of the developer’s somewhat murky but audacious intentions to build luxury housing while destroying some of Vallejo’s only remaining open space.
In the usual development process, a developer pays the city to create an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The city then retains an appropriate consultant to conduct the EIR process. The developer covers these costs and pays the city a 20 percent premium to cover staff time in monitoring the statement’s evolution. All of this is presented during public hearings.
In this case, the developer is retaining its own consultants and will provide a full Site Specific Plan with limited oversight by the Vallejo city staff. The city has retained a planner (at developer expense) to only ensure compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Since an entire Site Specific Plan is quite expensive (usually between $5 and $10 million) the City would charge the developer between $1 and $2 million. In this case, we expect the developer to save between $500,000 and $1.25 million by circumventing the city’s normal oversight role. With the consultant working directly for the developer, and thereby unbeholden to public accountability, this action removes the last semblance of community representation.
It’s uncertain at this point how badly the environmental review process will be hindered or curtailed and how this will limit real public input and influence on the process. To date, Sierra Club members have been calling for additional oversight and accountability but it seems to continue to fall on deaf ears. This is the latest example of the City of Vallejo selling out to moneyed interests and disregarding public outcry or alternatives that actually benefit the community.
What is most concerning with this development is the impact it will likely have on existing open space, access to that space, and how the wildlife corridors that utilize this land, in addition to the massive impact the stated new housing units for 70,000 people (not low income) will have on the existing transportation corridors. This all works against the state’s goal to preserve 30 percent of California’s land by 2030 in its 30x30 initiative. At one point, we must ask the question, when is it enough and when will higher authorities beyond the City of Vallejo put the brakes on this self-serving development?
It is understandable that the City of Vallejo wants to secure as many revenue streams as possible to bolster itself economically, but at what point will it have sold out its land and its residents without taking in the larger vision of what an equitable and sustainable community could look like?
It is reminiscent of Vietnam era battle tactics, “we had to destroy the community in order to save it.” Someone needs to remind Vallejo’s leadership that they cannot abdicate their responsibility to the highest bidder.
The June 30th presentation was a dog and pony show of half-truths and greenwashing phrasing including a “Community Goals Summary”, that was an obvious marketing spin on the developer’s goals, and a focus on open space and sustainability that conveniently left out the 175-acre former golf course, which we believe is the main target of future housing development. The former golf course abuts the Mare Island Shoreline Preserve, which we have been actively working to protect for the last 15 years.
Another reason to mistrust this developer came when its spokesperson, Sheryl McKibbon, claimed that Nimitz Group had cleaned up 95 percent of the island. Yet, the clean up has been conducted by the Navy and its contractors. It is being overseen by the Restoration Advisory Board, which has included community representatives for the last 27 years.
It is very clear that the developers overarching goal is to rezone the former golf course to another purpose, most likely upscale housing. It will take away 175 acres of panoramic views, wildlife and incredible foliage of many types from the enjoyment of the community and create another wealthy playground. They are not to be believed, and the City of Vallejo is losing what little public trust they have left.