Letter to the Editor: Corp Yard for More Housing?

It appears to me that City Hall is obsessed with seeing more homes built in Hercules. Given the economic realities of the last several years I am at a loss to understand why.

What is the benefit to the citizens of Hercules in building more homes here at this point in time? The following is a verbatim excerpt from the Hercules City Manager’s Report dated August 6, 2012,

“Corporation Yard: Staff is working on analysis and recommendations regarding a new site for the City’s Corporation Yard so that the current location can be considered for sale. Several housing developers have expressed interest in the current Corp Yard site. In order to sell that site, the City must have a suitable site for the Corp Yard, declare the current Corp Yard site surplus and offer it to public entities, and if no public entities offer to buy the site, then market the site. Staff recommends that the City Council discuss this topic on August 28 and schedule a community meeting to discuss this item and the disposition of the Sala Restaurant site in September.”

City services have been drastically reduced including the evisceration of our police department. More residents will foreseeably mean a greater demand for services. More homes available for sale will not aid in the economic recovery which is needed if many of us are to see our homes valued at more than is owed. Yet in the first six months of this year City Hall has proposed to rezone Parcel “C” from commercial to residential and build several hundred “high end” apartments; similarly rezone Victoria Crescent and build another 60 or so home; and now they want to sell the Corporation Yard to residential developers. This all in addition to planned 1400 residential units in the Bayfront Plan.

I, for one, have serious questions about the long term effects of these plans.

The City Council meets next on Tuesday August 28^th at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers in City Hall. I urge all Herculeans to attend this meeting and to let their opinions be known.