Category Archives: Benicia Vice Mayor Steve Young

Benicia City Council, Benicia Vice Mayor Steve Young, Local elections

LETTER SERIES: Susan Lynn – Steve Young for City Council

[Editor: Benicians are expressing themselves in letters to the editor of our local print newspaper, the Benicia Herald.  But the Herald doesn’t publish letters in its online editions – and many Benician’s don’t subscribe.  We are posting certain letters here for wider distribution.  – RS]

Steve Young – good choice for City Council

As the election fast approaches and my mailbox is flooded with campaign literature I want to encourage everyone to vote for Steve Young for the Benicia City Council.  Since I first became aware of him, at the Planning Commission’s public hearings on the Crude by Rail project, to the recent candidates forum, I have been impressed by how carefully he does his homework… asking important questions, researching the issues from all sides and conveying the information the public needs in order to understand the impact of these issues on our quality of life. Yes, it is true that now “everyone” is against Crude by Rail but I believe it was Steve’s courageous leadership that brought the Commission and the Council to take this stand.

Steve was able to influence our elected official’s opinions because he understands the language used in EIRs and because he has worked in and with government agencies for the past 30 years. His extensive, valuable experience with community and economic development promises to be crucial to the items that are going to affect the future well-being of our town… How do we insure that we have enough clean drinking water? What kind of development do we want out on East 2nd Street?  How can the Industrial Park be made more appealing to potential businesses?   Not anti-growth as some would want you to believe, Steve recently said, “There are ways to explore how land is developed. You don’t just have to just react to whatever plans the owners presents. You need to engage the public and make sure that what gets built truly fits the needs of the town.”

With a graduate degree in Urban Planning, years of experience as the Director of Community Development for the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency and a true passion for doing what is best for Benicia, he is positioned to be an excellent member of the Benicia City Council. For the future of our children and grandchildren, I hope that you will join me and vote for Steve Young.

Benicia City Council, Benicia Vice Mayor Steve Young, Local elections, Northern Gateway Project, Seeno property

LETTER SERIES: Steve Young on Seeno land use

[Editor: Benicians are expressing themselves in letters to the editor of our local print newspaper, the Benicia Herald.  But the Herald doesn’t publish letters in its online editions – and many Benician’s don’t subscribe.  We are posting certain letters here for wider distribution.  – RS]

Development of the Seeno Property

By Steve Young, Benicia Planning Commission
October 6, 2016

Recently, a land use application has been submitted for development of the Seeno property, the 526 acre site located at East 2nd Street and Lake Herman Road.

The latest version of this development proposal, now called the Northern Gateway, also has a new lead developer (Schwartz Development) who has done projects with the Seeno family before.

This proposal, as described to me by the developer, calls for the construction of up to 900 single family homes along with some limited commercial and industrial parcels.

There are several problems that I see with this proposal.

First, although they insist there is adequate water for 900 homes, the City is in the middle of an extended drought and we are being asked to save water wherever we can.

Second, the developer has no intention of building either a school or a firehouse. If they don’t build these facilities, the obligation would fall upon the rest of us for those necessary amenities. Students would have to be transported to either Robert Semple elementary school (which is among the oldest properties in the District and is lacking in many amenities) or Benicia Middle School or Benicia High School, both of which are overcrowded.

Finally, the developer bragged that the homes would sell very fast, as they would be priced between $400-415,000. This price range is well below the Benicia median home price, and the addition of that many homes at that price level would not improve the property values of the rest of Benicia homes.

By contrast, at a recent candidates forum, Mark Hughes and Lionel Largaspaeda spoke in very positive tones about the possibility of the growth this project would bring.

I am not reflexively anti-growth, but object to this reactive form of planning.

This parcel will eventually be developed. But it is the City which should decide what type of development will ultimately go there, rather than simply reacting to a developer’s proposal, which is more focused on maximizing profit than in developing the last significant parcel in the City in a way that best serves the community.