Posted on Tuesday, 2/03/2009 - 12:04 a.m. PST — by SlvrBlkLoco
Good for them. How much money lined the pockets of the Walnut Creek city council in the first place to allow the Neiman Marcus plan to get approved with a building that violated existing building code for allowable height in the downtown area. Last I checked, Neiman Marcus is revising its plan for the building but they are still -planning to build at that location. To me that sounds like 85k spent to make sure Neiman Marcus doesn't get special treatment. Which they were getting.
Joined: Jan 2008
Current Posts: 377
a mile of Sun Valley Mall. Pretty sketchy crowd. As for their behind the scene shenanigans, it is becoming the norm instead of the rarity, buying "journalists" and "lawyers" to shill for their causes. Little Moraga saw a lot of the same thing this last election. In my opinion, it smells badly.
Joined: Mar 2008
Current Posts: 43
We're all losing our jobs and all the city council cares about is Nieman Marcus. Shame on them! What about healthy stores like Bonanza Street Books? The city council couldn't care less about them. All they care about is luxury. Luxury? What about our families and our children? This city council couldn't care less unless it's money in their pocket.
Joined: Mar 2008
Current Posts: 279
It seems if "fundamental fairness" was at issue they would have been more public about complaining. Of course, they'd be subject to crackpots claiming it's all sour grapes. I'm happy to see this as city planning commissions should be aware of when they may be tilting the playing field and personally would rather that the bar be VERY high for any form of zoning variance.
Joined: Feb 2009
Current Posts: 2
They tried once to build a Neiman Marcus store in 2008 and the people said "NO!" Now they're trying to do it again in 2009 and they're going to hear the same thing..."NO!" These guys just don't get it. Nobody wants a Neiman Marcus. Or needs it. What will it take for this City Council to finally understand what the people really want? I know! TERM LIMITS!!! Maybe that's the message here.
Joined: Mar 2008
Current Posts: 279
Many of those citizens that said "no" last year later said they had been mislead by the petitioners.
"Nobody wants a Neiman Marcus?" That's not true. Any citizen of WC that cares about the additional sales tax revenue and the catchet of WC being a "destination" will support the Neiman Marcus store. You will get the revenue boost from that store plus any additional shopping people do as a result of being in downtown WC. Why do you think the owner/manager of the Sun Valley and Stoneridge malls are fighting to keep this store out of "their" territory?
Joined: Feb 2009
Current Posts: 1
The charm of Walnut Creek lies in it's beauty, the community that is comfortable and yet contains the flare of those who lived in the Bay Area, love San Francisco but want the quite suburban appeal of a city like Walnut Creek. It has cozy shops, boutiques, a few name brand stores. It's has Kid friendly parks and beautiful trails and currently, NO MALL RATZ Yet. It's pricey here but not out of reach for those that work hard and want a better lifestyle for their kids. It's citizens are not country bunkins who are against smart shops and glitter. We just don't need a HUGE, Invasive, Conglomerates wither they be Giant JC Penny's or Neimans. Either of these don't fit Walnut Creek. It does nothing to improve revenue. We don't need a Neiman Marcus! MACY'S - Nordstroms, SAME DEAL FOLKS! I shop there when I want a taste of the City. Malls are the scourge of San Diego, LA, and look what it did to Pleasant Hill, no offense neighbors but, uggh!. FIGHT THIS if you value Walnut Creek.
Joined: Mar 2009
Current Posts: 11
I LOVE NEIMANS! I LOVE NEIMANS! I LOVE NEIMANS! BRING IT ON!!!!
Joined: May 2009
Current Posts: 1
It’s all about money. Walnut Creek needs it, and outside interests don’t want Walnut Creek to have it. Our terrific city is in a budget deficit, and a premier store wants to be affiliated with us in the best shopping district outside of SF.
Neiman Marcus will bring an estimated $500,000 annually in tax revenue. If the out-of-area petitioners succeed in getting 4000 signatures, Walnut Creek will be forced to have it approved on a ballot COSTING our city $300,000 that we can not afford. Tax revenues pay for police, parks, playgrounds, crossing guards, the Dean Lesher Center, Civic Arts classes, and much more.
Who is funding the petition drive? The Taubman Group which owns Sun Valley Mall, and wants the store there. They are bussing in hired guns to say anything to get 4000 signatures. By touching on hot button issues like parking and traffic, they are getting signatures by less than honest means. As a Transportation Commissioner in Walnut Creek, I’m more than satisfied with the 175 NEW parking spaces that will be built with this project. Broadway Plaza will also be funding downtown traffic improvements.
The Petitions will COST Walnut Creek money. Don’t sign the petitions!
KW
Transportation Commissioner, Walnut Creek
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 5
I assume you are another one of our local dignitaries who live on the fringes of Walnut Creek(like our two new councilors) and are unaffected by downtown traffic and parking. Many of us have to use Mt Diablo every day to get to work and have grown to loath the uncontrolled crosswalk next to Nordstroms (and next to Safeway), built especially from Broadway plaza. We also note that our "out of touch" council plans to build more of these across Mt Diablo (redevelopment plans for the Mark Morris site). Its not about money, its about a council and traffic commission out of touch with the thousands of folks who live in and around the downtown who want the traffic and parking problems fixed. Its about a council and traffic commission out of touch with the thousands of folks who live in and around the downtown who are sick and tired of the council and commissions listening only to the retail community. I will canvas door to door for free for this petition, and any others that impact downtown, until the council/commissions stop being a subsidiary of Broadway plaza and starts representing the people who live in downtown area. You are clearly another wonderful example of the handpicked bunch at city hall "out of touch" with the people who live in and about downtown Walnut Creek
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 3
KEV mo you are WRONG...
THE city is GREEDY and do not believe for a MINUTE they are suffering with no money. The city of WC is richer than God!
Joined: Jul 2008
Current Posts: 2
1. How many parking spots are in Downtown WC?
Before Century Theater's lot opened: 20,632
Search this on the City Website....(this blog won't let me add the link)
2. How much illegal money, as claimed above, is lining the pockets of City Council?
You better have facts to back that up....that's a serious claim.
3. How rich is God? Read the budget on the City WebSite. .(this blog won't let me add the link)
You will notice that 30% of the City's budget is funded by R-E-T-A-I-L.
With auto sales accounting for 1/3 of Retail and auto revenue falling off the charts, what will fill the gap?
4. How do Retail sales turn into Revenue? Cities get to keep 1% of the 9.25% sales tax.
Do the math, if the developers agree that $400,000 of incremental Tax Revenue will come to the city...how much revenue is expected from 1 store? Is that $40,000,000? Will that create jobs? How hard would you fight capture $40,000,000 a year? There will be only one winner.
5. How hard would a resident or neighbor of Walnut Creek fight to keep the Senior Center, Dean Lesher, Arts and Rec Programs? Soccer, Baseball, Tennis, Swimming, Skate Park, Dog Park, Dance, Music, Drama, etc.?
6. One last point. Raise your hand if you think the demographic of a Neiman's customer is that different from a Nordstrom, Tiffany's, William's Sonoma, Anne Taylor, or Talbot's customer. Neiman's desire to be in Walnut Creek is obvious: their customers are here already. The studies show that very few incremental parking spots are needed to accommodate the additional customers...and guess who wants those customers to visit their stories: Tiffany's, William's Sonoma....
This is a retail eco-system and it's one that works for its shoppers.
Those shoppers are rewarded with great City programs for shopping here. It's an eco-system. Win-Win.
Raise your hand if you want to kill the eco-system.
GET THE FACTS. THINK.
Joined: Mar 2008
Current Posts: 279
Kencreek - it's easy to include URLs in posts so that people don’t need to guess as to your possible sources. Just use a form like 3w walnut-creek.org/citygov/clerk/elections/november_3_2009_election.asp So far the URL spy built into the forums has not caught onto this and yet I believe most humans will understand what it means. For example, you mentioned the number of parking spaces Before the Century Theater's lot opened as 20,632. That data is available at
3w walnut-creek.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=2787 which is titled "Downtown Walnut Creek Parking Study" and dated May 2, 2002.
3w walnut-creek.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=2381 which is titled "Background Report / Transportation". It's undated but it looks like it was prepared in February 2004.
The first link is the report itself but unfortunately, it’s a scanned PDF meaning you can’t search it. The second summarizes some of the May 2, 2002 report and is searchable.
BTW – does anyone know how many parking spaces the old David M. Brian building had? The proposed store at that site is not that much larger and I’m trying to understand why there is so much focus on potential traffic/parking. Also, have the building to parking area ratios changed? The Broadway mall extended the second deck of their main garage several years ago and presumably they are well under the ratio as no new buildings were added.
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 3
What could this store possibly be selling to create such a giant rift. PARKING is the key issue ...you are right these people in control just DO NOT get it. Vote THEM OUT! The city is out of control. I miss W.C. and wish the plan ccould have mirrored what Pleasnton and Livermore have acheived...WC is phony now!
Joined: Mar 2008
Current Posts: 279
A lady came to the door Saturday. It's something about a petition related to parking. Unfortunately, she did not have handouts meaning no details. The crux of her pitch was that the planned elevator for the parking garage would be the bottleneck and that it also discourages people from buying stuff, putting it in their car, and buying more stuff. I told her that sounds like Neiman Marcus' problem and not hers.
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 5
The reason the city council doesn't care about downtown traffic issues is because it has little effect on them personally. The majority of the councillors (including the two recently "selected" by the development lobby) live in Northgate / boundary oaks, an area nearer downtown Concord than downtown Walnut Creek. Any argument that they are motivated by increasing retail/commercial tax revenue is BS, they have continually blocked development in Shadelands(because that would impact them), but are glad to pile the misery on the folks living in and around the downtown. Likewise Macerich and co are more than happy to fund the election campaigns of the Northgate mafia as a quid pro quo for unfettered development.
Joined: Dec 2007
Current Posts: 58
If you are right, you should be a shoe-in at the next election. Stand up for your convictions, run for election to City Council!
You can righteously trumpet your cause and the masses will march with you to victory.
Or you are just blowng smoke. Which is it?
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 5
Clearly you are as naive as the other lemmings who will vote yes on I. Local elections are not about the best person for the position, its about who can buy enough advertising, flyers, store front signs etc etc etc(just look at the last council election). He / She with the most campaign money wins and Macerich and the downtown businesses make sure there lackeys get these resources and can repay them when in office.
Joined: Dec 2007
Current Posts: 58
In your slanderous post, you should have said THEIR lackeys.
I don't agree with your reasoning and I don't think the strong majority of voters that elected our City Council appreciates being called a bunch of lemmings.
Joined: Jun 2009
Current Posts: 5
slanderous "offending material is published in some fleeting form, as by spoken words or sounds"
looks like you might be an undercover member of our council/planning commision, can understand why you are hiding. btw see that Macerich has spent $1.4mil so far shooing the lemmings in the desired direction.
Joined: Dec 2007
Current Posts: 58
You were actually libelous. Sorry for the mixup!