Letter to the Editor: Hercules Must Finish its New Urbanism Neighborhood Plan

Back in 2000, the city planners of Hercules held a town charrette asking residents' input on how to zone and redevelop the enormous brownfield formerly occupied by Hercules Powder Works from the shoreline to San Pablo Avenue. The town overwhelmingly voted to create a walkable neighborhood with retail and commercial uses following the principles of New Urbanism.

In the 1990's a new town planning movement was taking shape in the U.S., it was originally known as "Neo-Traditional" urban planning, which looked back to older town planning methods, when transportation was defined by streetcars and railroad lines and homes were built within comfortable walking distance from a streetcar stop. Over time, this movement was renamed "New Urbanism".

This type of planning gives most importance to the human scale by creating a streetscape of bay windows and front porches on a variety of housing types: townhouses, single family homes, apartments, and condos; plus providing for retail, office and commercial uses within that neighborhood. Also, it provides wide sidewalks and narrow streets to slow down automobile traffic, and encourage pedestrian movement; unlike the prevailing suburban streetscape where the dominant visual elements are the two-car and three-car wide garage doors and fast moving cars.

A major misconception of New Urbanism is the walkable part, commenters incorrectly conclude that little or no parking will be provided in these shopping areas and their only options will be to walk there or take the bus.  This misses the point completely; the goal is for people living nearby to safely walk to the shops and restaurants without having to navigate across a giant parking field and dodge speeding vehicles along the way. Those living outside the area will drive to the center, park their car, and shop - same as at any other center.

Some commenters here on the Patch, argue that the New Urbanism plan has been a colossal failure. They point at Sycamore North and shout: Look at what New Urbanism has brought us!

But that argument is false; Sycamore North is the creation of Oliva, Sakamoto and Balico's greed, their manipulation of the development process, their successful raid of the city treasury, and the gullibility of the former city council. That parcel of land was intended for two-story retail and commercial uses and an entrance to the Bayside community - not as a five-story monolith towering over the neighborhood.

Despite all the recent turmoil, much has been accomplished since 2000, industrial buildings were torn down (including the giant rusting steel tank on Hercules Point), contaminated soil was cleaned up, rows and rows of non-native eucalyptus trees were felled, native vegetation replanted, creeks began flowing again and ponds enlarged with the new flows, Sycamore Avenue was extended to the waterfront, and three new residential developments were built; all done by private companies investing their own money and energies.

Unfortunately, Oliva, Sakamoto, and Balico saw an opportunity and the follies began. They brought in Zsabo to interfere with the waterfront development, and diverted public money to speculate on commercial ventures that no private company would touch because of the high costs and likelihood of failure. Their plans begat: HMU, Market Hall, Field of Dreams, Palm Auto Center, and Sycamore North, enriching themselves but yielding nothing for Hercules.

Recently a commenter derisively called Hercules a podunk, a term which baffled me at first, but thanks to the urban dictionary, I learned it means "a small insignificant village or town"; suggesting that we should accept mediocre ideas. Others insist that we should stop striving for better things because such ideas are only "pie-in-the sky" and nothing more than "head-in-the clouds" day dreaming.  Arguing that Hercules should accept whatever is proposed because we are no Walnut Creek, Orinda or Blackhawk. Left unsaid is the writer's assumption that only those communities deserve a high quality environment.

I argue that commercial and retail centers in a walkable setting are very real and look nothing like Sycamore North. Two examples are Levis Commons in a suburb of Toledo, Ohio, and Mashpee Commons on Cape Cod, Massachusetts which contain quality shopping, dining establishments, office space, and entertainment. Although they appear historic, these are new developments built with private money by developers who believe that New Urbanism principles give them an edge over their competitors. Following are the links to their websites and see all the possibilities:

• Levis Commons

• Mashpee Commons

With proper use of the remaining vacant parcels, Hercules can still finish its New Urbanism neighborhood plan and push for the construction of a quality outdoor shopping experience. One that is friendly to pedestrians, and not defined by the movement of automobiles. After all, we have a mild climate without temperature extremes, glorious views of San Francisco Bay and Mt. Tam, lots of fresh air and sunshine, and the highest per capita income in West County.

*Send your letters to the editor to laila.kearney@patch.com