8/30/12 -- VIB has been literally besieged with readers who want to know: WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH THE DELAY ON THE WATERFRONT PARKING HOOZITS?
Along with inquiries, and requests to investigate there have also been numerous theories put forward ranging from ground water seepage to space aliens to subterranean mutant termites.
So, here is a chance to see for yourself and hear the WORD from Public Works Director David Kleinschmidt...or is he hiding the cache of gold dubloons found at the bottom of elevator shaft #1?
Brighter is NOT better! Geez, what idiocy. Smart lighting is needed, not brighter lighting. That's just old crap from the past--it's not true. There is already so much over-lighting along the front of the parking structure on Mare Island Way that it is, frankly, ridiculous. Clearly no lighting designer was at work there. You have the row of overly-bright street lights, and running right next to them that line of REALLY overly-bright decorative sidewalk lighting, literally a few feet away from the streetlights. Absolutely ridiculous.
It's been said that the ridiculous lighting from the parking structure is affecting wildlife on Mare Island's south end, up in the hills. Where was the CEQA process on THAT?! Another citation to the City should be written up for this, and remediation done. Get RID of the redundant sidewalk light fixtures in front of the parking structure. It's all simply too much!
Just Me
|September.18.2012
Has anyone asked other nearby cities such as the nice folks in Napa City Hall City Manager or City Attorney what THEIR experiences has been and what they'd do differently if they had to do it again now that they have a parking garage in their downtown? Perhaps questions such as: a) how many claims for accidents or injuries have occured b) the cost of those claims or c) time spent dealing with injuries/accidents/crimes there, etc. d) and the increased costs to the City before and since it was built. (don't bldg projects ALWAYS go over projections?)Or even to see about how often police are called there and what the majority of calls are about. I'd do the same for the Solano County Architect's office and the Sheriff's to get an idea of what you might be getting us into.
We certainly cannot afford to add to our problems or expenses in this City and should have some certainty we're not making our problems worse. I do know that the planning of these projects went through a lot of turmoil before the projects were completed and it was no easy task for either structure to get built.
Too bad we can't take a lesson from San Francisco and go underground - personally I adore our open, natural atmosphere. Our view is all we have down there and really all we need to call it beautiful. Tall walls are ugly - even with trees that require maintenance (and we know how much the City likes to maintain its trees).
Remember, S.F's garages have attendants to ensure the filthy restrooms are only used by customers. But then, S.F. has places for THEIR homeless people to go. I see problems - not only money-wise, but people-wise.
Marti Brown
|September.03.2012
@Wharf Rat, as far as I know or recall, David's chronology of events sounds correct. I didn't interpret David's comments as somehow "blaming" the DRB for the technical and structure oversight.
The DRB completely changed the exterior look of the structure and that was a delay in their process and timeline. I think in the rush to re-design it, this issue with the elevators and protection from the elements was overlooked by everyone. Remember, there was nothing on the design plans to review. You would have to be a very experienced design/engineer to realize: "Gee, what's missing from the drawing?"
Frankly, I have worked with Public Works Engineers for several years in Sacramento (both City and County) and, for whatever reason, Public Works projects frequently run over budget and over schedule. It's just the nature of projects of this magnitude, as well as fluctuations in material and labor costs. If you start estimating the costs and timeline for a project in 2008 and you don't build it until 2011/2012, things are going to change. There are a lot of variables in Public Works projects, especially ones of this magnitude.
wharf rat
|September.03.2012
@ anon you are exactly right the design review board is relegated to represent
the Community RE: Design , not Technical
and construction issues as these are presumed to be handeled by the well paid
and competent professionals . And this
includes COV Staff! Who-ever has been sighning off on the 'chits' or progress payments needs a wood-shed adventure I would like to hear from the DRB related to this project to hear their timeline on this project . I just dont see a multi month delay caused by this group!
rather it looks more like a Milking operation , question is who is doing the Milking ? the long term Milkers ? or a new group of Milkers ? do we need a lactation expert to come into the fray?
or are the Lawyers drinking it dry ?
wharf rat
|September.02.2012
@ Marti Brown
Thanks for clearing up the loose ends related to the "project" oversite contributed by the Volunteer group (DRC)
quite often the Citezen component is marginalised even though They are the
"Customer" the ones buying the project .
Now that the monolith has been built it will need to function . A buisness/Management plan will be critical . These types of Facilities have special needs , such as intellegent security personal who will escort people to their cars late at night . Without confidence of their safety and security
the "customers" will be scared away and
the Facility's value will be marginalized . Staff made statements
re: retrofit delays associated with the design review board (DR You have viewed the video please comment on the
factual chronology of the process if you know the facts . Twelve weeks for basic fabrication work is in fact a fabrication as I could have performed the job at home in two to three days the materials are a one day delivery . perhaps other than technical obstacles
have prevented this Mega Million dollar Facility from becoming operational ?
The questions are many , the answers are few and the cost per day is ????
'hic'
|September.01.2012
Designers overlooked an important design feature
that this project needed , a public intoxication overlook with benches and plenty of architectural features to urinate on .
Homeless High rise
|September.01.2012
How are they going to keep the homeless out of the parking garage? A lot of them are mentally ill, could hurt folks or be hurt themselves by criminal types. Keeping criminals and loiters out the the parking garage will be a challenge...
wharf rat
|September.01.2012
We actually do have monsoons here the hills of west Vallejo often get horizontal rain! warm weather storms with high wind are not uncommon . West Vallejo hills have clocked 78 MPH winds when combined with rain one has a horizontal deluge I hope this "local knowledge" is helpful and considered in the elevator retrofit .
Once during a storm I saw a garbage can blow past my front windows twenty feet up
and going "like hell"
Clarke Johnston
|September.01.2012
Wharf Rat is correct. Security is closely related, organizationally, to Operations. It will only take one bad incident (simple assault, sexual assault, armed robbery, or worse) for the public simply to decline to use the garage. Considering it's location, 24/7 security, roving, with central camera monitoring, is called for. Lighting is also critical. The brighter the better. Thieves of all stripes love the cover of darkness, particularly when forcing trunk lids or smashing side windows to gain access. Vallejo needs to insure that NO pattern is allowed to develop. None.
Mousy
|September.01.2012
If you watch the video you will see a hose that is the source of the water.
Anonymous
|September.01.2012
Think about the fiasco last Tuesday night. City staff thinks they are the smartest guys in the room, they neither want nor solicit any opinions from citizens who may be professions and have considerable expertise. They think they know it all and think the citizens are troublemakers. I know several professions that tried to provide input only to be shut down. Kleinschmidt trying to pin this little problem on the DRB is silly. They are there to put lipstick on pigs, not to do plan check. Any architect worth the fee knows to put exposed doors on the lee side of a structure on a wind swept site. Anybody else notice the stream of water through the garage in the video background? What Kleinschmidt said is probably not totally true. Looks like another case of "planning by lawsuit". The contractor won't be able to fix the water problem ever and this whole thing is going to end up in court...again....due to the idiots that work for us.
If you read down to page 10 or more you will see that the commissioners identified an issue with rain and wind as related to shelter for people. The discussion was quickly taken off track by comments about aesthetics and public art. This is a continuing problem for us in public meetings where we are tasking commissioners to evaluate projects. I get the importance of art and aesthetics and I appreciate the people who are devoting their own personal time to do this important work. I do recommend, however, we set aside a designated portion of these meeting to discuss art specifically and exclusively. This will allow people to concentrate on and comment on the aesthetics and color schemes. As it stands now, we are not seeing the forest for the tress.
Another aspect of this episode has me puzzled. Mr. Kleinschmidt is claiming that the DRB "missed" this elevator problem. I'm not so sure we should be counting on ordinary lay people to catch poor construction elements. This error in placement of the elevator is a building superstructure error. The way I see it, the architectural firm should pay for all retro fit costs. This is a basic design mistake and their bonding should cover the mitigation steps.
wharf rat
|September.01.2012
Another after thought however important is
the signing of the vertical clearance for the respective levels . Drivers do not know the height of their vehicles! so a soft bump hanging height indicator , such as PVC pipe for the initial contact is advisable , followed by a hard contact one
such as hanging steel tubing . All of these need to be signed and contrasted in
a manner that even the worst driver in the world could stop before entering the structure . If they blow past these obstructions entering the garage with no clearance (as many will do) the vehicle becomes jammed between the support beams
and the deck . At peak hours this would be a disaster . The procedure is to de-flate the tires and drive or tow the car out of the structure , otherwise
a tow truck will hook up to the all ready damaged car and grind it out to
freedom/body shop . Considering these contingencies and the associated demand
on personal to manage these quite common
events the question of garage attendants comes to mind . considering the cost of
people power an OEM contract makes scense with the peak hours demand and the well known security issues in the area an inclusive services contract could be a money saver and ensure smooth operation of the facility . Combining security with operations is logical and probably very cost effective , the users need to feel safe when in the facility
and know their vehicles are protected
(this could be the biggest challenge)
COV has began a whole new venture with this facility a buisness and security plan should be the first step.
wharf rat
|September.01.2012
@ Marti Brown
Coffee too late in the evening can lead to
late blogging . I am glad you clarified the issue design is as you stated ,the problems associated with the elevator system are the responsibility of both Engineering and architecture professionals
and finally with Staff who must be involved with plan review as they are buying the project . it is a shame that a journeyman elevator mechanic was not
consulted , they would have trouble shot the problems on paper from past experience and industry best practices .
For years I have seen the need for outreach to the many professionals in Vallejo many who would gladly give some time to assist with civic projects . the brain trust is huge and mostly un-tapped
.Major projects of this size and COST
should have a Citezen component included
if egos are put aside momentarily the outcome could be incredible and save a
bunch of money . Why not benefit from the resources in our backyard?? Throw a BBQ and invite technical professionals
for yummys and plan review the return could be 1000 to 1 and contribute to increased civic engagement and world class projects at a lower cost . We have
incredible talent in so many diciplines
right around the corner many who work out of town and dont feel connected to their Community perhaps some outreach
and a shout out could get the ball rolling .
Marti Brown
|September.01.2012
There is no way that the Design Review Board (DR could have known that an elevator shaft would have design problems based on the drawings it reviewed. I was the Chair of the DRB when this project was approved.
The DRB has purview over architecture and aesthetics (e.g., architectural features, landscaping). Furthermore, it does not have purview over the location or positioning of the structure. That was decided by the City a long time ago.
The Vallejo Waterfront Coalition (VWC)--which I Co-Chaired during its CEQA lawsuit against the City and Callahan-DeSilva--tried to change the position and egresses of the structure during settlement talks. However, the City was unwilling to even discuss changes such as moving the entrance and exit to a side street like Maine and creating a frontage on MI Way of wrap around retail to "disguise" the parking garage...and not make it so prominent on the waterfront. That was absolutely not an option during VWC's settlement talks.
While the project might not be the most attractive parking structure design in the world, you might be surprised to learn that this design is an improvement over what was originally presented to the DRB.
Food Truck
|August.31.2012
For some reason, I can not come up the image that the garage is filled with cars.
The river view is so beautiful and wild ideas jump out at me when I look at the vast space we are going to have.
Maybe it is dinner time and I am hungry, it is all image of food, food,food,...haha
Besides food truck, which still has a very high entry barrier for ordinary people to participate in the community interaction, may be we can have Amateur Chef/Home Food Nigh (Wednesday) on the upper deck with river view.
I personally know several people who dream to open a cafe/restaurant/bakery but never had the chance and they have a day job. If we can give them a platform to showcase their passion, it will be great for everyone.
And we will be the first in the bay area. If we can have a great varieties, where else in bay area can you find a place that is not too cold, not too hot and has a sunset view to die for?
Plan now for our "potentially" empty garage.
Sunset, breeze, water view,...delicious food..wow..I need to go get something to eat now...haha
Anonymous
|August.31.2012
A parking structure built next to a welfare project. Yeah, I can hardly wait to walk into the garage when it's dark. I don't think so.
VIB Facilities Div
|August.31.2012
Unfourtunatly the retrofit only partially
adressed the problem , the overhang does not shelter the elevator entrance properly
from a southerly storm as there is an ample gap in the weatherproofing structure
facing both north and south to allow driving rain to enter . The weather break
appears to have a gap of over six inches at the bottom , while acceptable for most
conditions it still allows driven rain an
avenue to the elevator entrance , even surface water is blown by wind and at that elevation winds can excede 60 mph
thereby forcing it directly into the door/shaft gap . Had the lower two feet of the structure been masonry this problem would have been eliminated and in fact provided a suitable foundation
to anchor the weatherbreak mitigating the pre-stress cable concerns . What is done is done perhaps a simple skirting of sheet rubber would suffice and still allow for drainage . Fire sprinkler activation on lower levels is also of concern re:elevator shaft water intrusion by vandalism , impact or activation this scenario should be tested before accepting the project it should be presumed that a typical activation will not disable the elevator
systems as car fires are quite common in garages . Keep in mind the most important component of an elevator is the emergency communication system either phone or keypad and must communicate to a 24/7 human this must be a leased line! a knox box with elevator keys is essential and PS personal need training in its operation re: emergencys and entrapments . Trace tape or other
h20 detectors can be incorporated into
either a security or fire alarm system
as a trouble point if installed in the elevator shafts this early warning feature is invaluable for preventing future h20 damage . Keep in mind during storms and with that exposure rain is often horizontal and high winds can trip an elevators excursion/earthquake device
causing it to shut down another reason for robust wind breaks .
Anonymous
|August.31.2012
Here, here! I vote for Korean food trucks and Korea operators who carry AR15 rifles. You know, the kind of guys that held off the animals in the Rodney King riots.
Food Trucks
|August.31.2012
@Disappointed
I like to expand on your idea, how about food truck on every floor instead of restaurant?
Restaurant sounds too permanent (like 99 year lease type of thing) and need new design/build. Food truck is much easy to implement and can be short term.
e.g. We can have 2 food trucks on each floor with a lease of 1 year. At the end of the year, the trucks that brought in the least amount of sales tax will be replaced and new truck/food will be picked from other applicants. NO long term contract.
How about that? More food choice, more safety, more small business, more tax.
For the real successful truck, they may even want to open a place in downtown.
Wow, I am mouth watering.
Lighting
|August.31.2012
You know what, this garage is over lighted outside (at least the front part) and green but under lighted inside.
If the designer moves 1/3 of lights from outside to inside, get rid of/relocate 1/3 of the lights from the front and provide shield/hood for the rest 1/3 to reduce light pollution. It will be a better design and with less money.
Change in the Wind?
|August.31.2012
I read about another printed comment from Mr. Kleinschmidt.
>>
After hearing about this couple's difficult encounters with city staff, Kleinschmidt said he is working on improving department-public interactions.
"We are attempting to work very hard so that kind of stuff doesn't happen," Kleinschmidt said. "It is getting better, but it disappoints me when I hear frustrated citizens pulling their hair out, interacting with City Hall. It shouldn't be that way."
>>>
I like it.
Vallejo is changing for the better. Bit by bit.
I hope this is due to our new C.M.
Way to go.
re: automatic lighting.
Good in concept...very green. BUT..BUT..
Can you imagine, at night, while you are walking toward the direction of 201 Maine, you can see only 25 feet ahead of you and your card is in the darkness?
Anonymous
|August.31.2012
Anon 11 - Design Review Board (2009) AND Vallejo City Council (2009) approved the Vallejo Station project. Planning Commission had NOTHING to do with this issue. SO, look up who exactly was sitting on DRB and Council, 2009 edition.
With all of the crime at 201 Maine, and with almost 60% of the housing downtown being subsidized (many of whom have backgrounds in Felony) do you think for one minute that I am going to park in a garage knowing just who might be lurking around the corner? They gotta be kidding. I hope they have Security Guards on every floor 24/7. And as for the top paseo, it will be just a matter of time before things are laden with you know what? Not to mention the defecation and pee pee that will be everywhere.
What are these guys thinking? This ain't Orinda. How about an restaurant on the top floor to create more activity and deter the thugs???
I am impressed with Mr. Kleinschmidt, however. He seems to be a very intelligent man with a warm, open personality. This idea was certainly not his doing; he is only doing his job!!!
Anon 11
|August.31.2012
Who approved this ugly structure on prime WATERFRONT property anyway? Did it ever go before the Planning Commission and City Council?
It should have been placed back a few blocks closer to the bus transfer place. It looks like a Concentration Camp or prison at night. And it certainly will not bring retail/restaurant revenue to us. BROTHER!
Anonymous
|August.31.2012
@ANOTHER CITY SCREWUP - Here is what you are looking for, the Design Review Board approving the design and project to the vallejo City Council..
Four months to fabricate a few pieces of steel. A high school wielding class could have made it in a few days.
I have never seen elevators exposed to the elements the way this design was executed. Who designed it--someone who lives in a rain free area.
As to the Paseo where is a canopy to protect people walking to the Ferry Terminal when it rains. I guess the design philosphy was screw the commuters--the only thing that matters is the view
Salty Dog
|August.31.2012
I am OK with that explanation for the time lag...design flaws happen and it looks like they are trying in their usual bureaucratic way to cover all their (a##es) bases. Not hot on a parking structure in such a prime location but given the tie in with other transportation, and once the flora matures, and some real people vendors pop up, it may become a waterfront asset.
Can't help feeling that if this problem was given to the folks at "Good Old House" at PBS, a cheap and quick solution could have been devised to get this thing happening sooner.
Jim Davis
|August.31.2012
Thanks, Marc. It is a great service that VIB provides. A raise for everyone! Love, Jim
Anonymous
|August.31.2012
David Kleinschmidt said in the video that the Design Review Board didn't catch this apparent oversight. Hmmmmm... why do we have a Design Review Board in the first place, IF they missed something like that? Who was on the Design Review Board when this project was up for review?
IUOE
|August.31.2012
Great reporting Marc ! rain falls and wind blows, funny that even residential dwellings are engineered for these weather events . What are they teaching them in College nowadays "or what not"? hard to believe this went past the design stage at all . Elevator landings with exposure all have overhangs and a weather break or a vestibule to prevent windblown rain from entering the car and shaft if security was the issue the retrofitted framework with polycarbonate
sheet should have been a no brainer (and possibly bulletproof) seems like common sense is in decline nowadays .
for thousands of years weatherproofing and watershed have been incorporated into structures and are well known by Tradesmen and Architechs "even people who build grass huts understand this"
how the hell can a mega million project
overlook this most fundamental element
notwithstanding the most basic need of people to have shelter while waiting for the elevator! the bus shelter also was constructed with little consideration for the people using it , there is very little shelter from the elements for those waiting for a bus as blowing rain
and wind freely washes the passenger platform . Whatever happened to form follows function ? are these projects for the benefit of those developing them or the people using them ?? . Considering the mucho publicly funded dubloons spent on both these projects a modicum of consideration for those who own and use them would be appreciated .
Are these well thought PUBLIC infrastructure projects or hedonistic
EGO TRIPS by those we pay to design and engineer them or is this a new era of
the porkification of public infrastructure an era of no accountability and huge costs borne by the tax-payer where every body is to blame except those responsible or is it just another "system failure"?
Iņigo
|August.31.2012
Food trucks. I see food trucks in the Paseo. Viva Seņor Sigig!
You have viewed the video please comment on the 
